With extraordinary advances in business technology, a greater need for smooth operational processes, and higher customer expectations, distributors face a dire need for innovation if they plan to grow in 2024.
Other industries are prioritizing innovation - with $538 B spent on innovation in 2020. We’ve seen an explosion of investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Business Intelligence (BI) and developments within e-commerce. Placing an order without ever engaging with a live employee has become fairly standard, resulting in faster, frictionless service for customers.
However, the distribution sector exhibits a slower pace in adopting change compared to other industries — and for that reason, Prokeep created a guide to manage and implement innovative strategies effectively, along with 25 actionable tactics, to spearhead distributor success today and future-proof tomorrow. Download it here.
Prokeep’s Innovation Milestones 2016 - 2023
Better communication through Business Texting
Since its beginnings in 2016, Prokeep saw a stark need for simple, efficient communication. Distributors relied on congested phone lines and busy branches to engage with customers. Holds were long, orders were lost, and the customer experience had room for optimization.
Prokeep saw a need for text messaging. Contractors wanted seamless service, 94% of which were likely to text their distributor. And outside distribution, businesses were seizing the opportunity as 90% of text messages are read and responded to in less than 3 minutes compared to 53% of emails that are marked spam.
It’s from this need that Prokeep was founded. Prokeep text enabled main phone lines so contractors could text orders to the same number they always called — instantly connecting with their distributor. By fostering conversations through a digital interface, Prokeep made communication seamless and accessible.
Today, Prokeep facilitates over 46k text messages sent between contractors and their distributors every day (that’s a message sent/received every 2 seconds!).
Better Service Beyond Texting
The demand for efficiency only grew from there. Digitalization became vital, and Prokeep crafted new solutions to meet this new imperative.
New solutions like integration capabilities, broadcast text messaging, and the addition of new channels empowered distributors to execute a variety of business functions all from one single pane of glass.
Today, Prokeep fosters the ability to collect customer information into one data source, all while accelerating workflow and nurturing relationships. In 2023 alone, Prokeep facilitated over 6 billion in revenue for its customers, 25k total users, 14 million messages sent, and 3.3 million “thank you” s.
Looking Forward
In today’s landscape, innovation is key. Leveraging customer insights and Business Intelligence (BI) is imperative for making strategic decisions. The demand for interconnectedness across value chains is increasing, and distributors no longer just need technology but full-fledged digital ecosystems.
A digital ecosystem is a network of interconnected digital tools that streamline processes, optimize operations, and enhance customer experiences. In distribution, this will be the connectivity of e-commerce platforms, inventory management systems, communication technology, and more, all while leveraging BI and other analytics to make decisions.
“Prokeep’s mission is to foster innovation for distributors through seamless communication, better relationships, and synergized technologies, all connected within one single pane of glass. Through better customer insights and more connectivity across the value chain, Prokeep looks to propel distributors forward in building a more efficient future.” - Bryan Hjelm, VP of Product | Prokeep
Prokeep is powering innovation by connecting platforms through APIs, turning customer data into relationship data, and facilitating conversations all within one centralized platform. Prokeep’s mission is to drive innovation to meet this growing need.
Conclusion
Prioritizing innovation is essential to build and sustain a competitive advantage in distribution. This relies on deeper insights into customers and industry dynamics, adeptly managing change, and fostering a culture of growth.
Distributors looking to surge forward will need technology partners that power innovation and support their initiatives for change.
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