Research Priorities

The research priorities are the issues that leading wholesale distribution companies view as most important for improving their business processes and profitability. The priorities serve as a blueprint for the NAW Institute’s research program and guide decisions on research projects and reports.

The priorities are updated on a rolling basis, beginning with surveys and discussions, and culminating with issuance of a formal list of the NAW Institute’s research priorities. Criteria for selection of research priorities include the importance and relevance of a topic to the NAW Institute’s Mission, as well as the topic’s researchability and potential to have a practical impact on wholesaler-distributors’ business processes and profitability.

The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence encourages consultants and academicians with expertise in wholesale distribution to submit proposals for the conduct of NAW Institute research projects.

Current Research Topics

Topics of interest to the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence include:

• Trends in Wholesale Distribution
• Profit, Pricing, and Operations Improvement
• Financial Management
• Sales Management
• Wholesale Distribution Basics
• Human Resources Management and Training
• Warehouse and Inventory Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Strategy Development, Execution, and Management

See the list of current publications and other resources on these topics available from the NAW Institute.