Steve Bassill speaks at VMA’s Valve Industry Leadership Forum on changes in the role of distribution.

Speaker: Steven Bassill, President, QDI Strategies, Chicago

VMA Forum: The Challenges of Leadership

Published on Monday, 27 January 2014 13:38 Written by Kate Kunkel and Judy Tibbs
The Evolving State of Distribution Steve Bassill

Steve Bassill, president of QDI Strategies, explained the “Changes in the Role of Distribution” that are having an impact on the valve industry worldwide. He characterized the historic role of distributor as that of an extension of manufacturer and compared it to the shifting role, which is more like an extension of the customer. This creates a near complete re-alignment of the business model.

For example, distributors were historically sources of information about products. But with the explosion of Web technology, it is easier for customers to learn, buy and get product support directly from the manufacturer. Bassill said, “The information value that the distributor used to provide has diminished or is gone. All the information on the internet means that the customers don’t need distributors to train them.”

That leaves distributors with a much different role, with services becoming increasingly important to their company’s growth. “It’s not about your product. It’s about the customer’s business—what he needs,” said Bassill. “Distributor relationships with customers increase as levels of service increase. The more important a distributor is to the customer, the more impact the distributor can have on his suppliers.”

There are so many changes in the distribution model going forward, this topic will be covered in much greater depth in an upcoming Web feature and a column in VALVE Magazine. .

VMA’s Valve Industy Leadership Forum
Ritz-Carlton Buckhead I Atlanta, Georgia

Friday, January 17, 2014
Session IV 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Moderator: Jeff Bricker, General Manager, Bernard Controls, Inc.
Speaker: Steve Bassill, President, QDI Strategies, Chicago

QDI Strategies is an international consulting organization that helps clients create and execute breakthrough go-to-market strategies in commercial and industrial markets.

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