The State of Innovation 2024 | Must Read TABLE 9: What was your IT staff turnover rate in the last year? (Please provide the percentage of IT staff who left the company.) 81%-100% 41%-60% 21%-40% 0%-20% Other PPAI 100 Distributors 2% 4% 4% 77% 14% Distributors $100M+ 0% 0% 6% 75% 19% Distributors $50M-$100M 11% 0% 0% 78% 11% Distributors $25M-$50M 0% 13% 0% 88% 0% Distributors $5M-$25M 0% 4% 4% 70% 22% Distributors $1M-$5M 0% 0% 0% 63% 38% Distributors Under $1M 0% 0% 0% 55% 46% “Not sure everyone answers that correctly because there is so much crossover,” Papa says. TABLE 10: Which of the following emerging technologies has your firm adopted or is planning to adopt within the next year? (Select all that apply): AI Blockchain Internet of Things AR/VR 3D Printing Other None PPAI 100 Distributors 89% 4% 11% 25% 23% 13% 8% Distributors $100M+ 100% 0% 22% 28% 28% 0% 0% Distributors $50M-$100M 67% 11% 0% 33% 33% 22% 22% Distributors $25M-$50M 100% 0% 0% 13% 25% 25% 0% Distributors $5M-$25M 73% 5% 9% 18% 9% 18% 23% Distributors $1M-$5M 75% 0% 0% 13% 0% 13% 25% Distributors Under $1M 52% 0% 24% 10% 19% 0% 33% “Call me old-school, but this troubles me a wee bit,” Brown says. “Relying too heavily on AI takes a certain personal touch out of the equation. When I hear of success stories – customer wins – I consistently seem to recall someone going above and beyond to create that situation. Will AI be able to create that overall feeling?” New Distributors Earning High Marks City Apparel+Merch The Findlay, Ohiobased distributor has a cybersecurity rating from an external provider. Fairware Promotional Products Headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, Fairware transitioned to a cloud-based warehouse management system that integrates with Shopify. Martket Branding Based in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Martket Branding uses PromoStandards products and electronic purchase orders with participating suppliers on commonsku. Pica Marketing Group The Dearborn, Michiganbased distributor has an ERP or order management system that receives inventory feeds from 10 or more suppliers. Spark Branded Solutions Partnering with Centurion IT Services, the Nashville, Tennessee-based distributor now has phishing emails quarantined from its inboxes and automatic alerts for any suspicious activities. PPAI • OCTOBER 2024 • 39
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzU4OQ==