Why Distribution’s AI Bottleneck Isn’t Budget
The companies moving beyond isolated pilots are building a repeatable operating foundation around data, integration, governance and measurable business ownership.
October 22, 2026
Through a new report and an interview with someone close to QXO, MDM gleaned insights about which building materials verticals the splash-making distributor is targeting.
We benchmarked the results of a large-scale poll on distributors’ AI usage against that of a year earlier, and the findings were eye-opening. This piece examines the comparative results.
When making a business case for AI and evaluating its fit in your distribution business, you should consider asking these essential questions.
Significant trends are emerging across distribution channels as we close in on the halfway mark of 2024. Here’s the first in a series of snapshots on how MDM’s research and programming is tracking ways leaders...
Technology analyst Justin King shares real-world use cases of AI in distribution to help cut through the noise and zero in on its potential.
We gathered polling data and commentary from hundreds of respondents to find out. Find our analysis on the results here.
Mike Hockett leads off our February Premium Monthly issue with his take on why the AI learning curve won’t be nearly as steep as that of office computers or the Internet.
While adoption rates for both sides are relatively slow-going, this piece examines new data that shows the gap between them.
While application possibilities understandably drive AI discussions, the ethics component has been overlooked. This piece dives deep into the guardrails distributors will want to keep in mind as they navigate their AI journey.
While distribution has been slow to embrace the game-changing technology that tech giants have pioneered and exploited, the industry can still take advantage of the AI infrastructure that exists.
To be held Feb. 7 from 10:00-4:00 ET, the event connects distribution executives and AI practitioners for application how-to’s and discussion.
Get caught up what MDM’s November Premium content entailed.
