--- title: You're Already Past the Benchmark description: Discover how your gross margin performance surpasses industry benchmarks and learn strategies to maintain your competitive edge in Q3 planning. image: https://blog.intuilize.com/hubfs/2026%20Files/Customers%20Blog/Customer%20Blog%20-%20Youre%20Posts%20%20Visuals.png --- [![Transparent Logo-Mar-26-2025-10-27-28-9810-PM](https://blog.intuilize.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Brand/Transparent%20Logo-Mar-26-2025-10-27-28-9810-PM.png?width=400&height=120&name=Transparent%20Logo-Mar-26-2025-10-27-28-9810-PM.png "Transparent Logo-Mar-26-2025-10-27-28-9810-PM")](https://intuilize.com/) [Book a Call](https://info.intuilize.com/book-a-call) ![background mask](https://blog.intuilize.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Intuilize_April2024/images/single-post-mask.png) Where Margin Goes # You're Already Past the Benchmark **Author:** [Nelson Valderrama](https://blog.intuilize.com/customer/author/nelson-valderrama) **Date:** 06.24.2026 ![You're Already Past the Benchmark](https://blog.intuilize.com/hubfs/2026%20Files/Customers%20Blog/Customer%20Blog%20-%20Youre%20Posts%20%20Visuals.png)   Audio Player 2:55 Hi, [NAW and MDM just published the largest study on data-driven decision-making](https://blog.intuilize.com/hubfs/2026%20Files/Customers%20Blog/MDM-NAW-Research-Paper-In-Pursuit-of-Value-Where-400-Distributors-are-Investing-in-AI-Today-April-2026.pdf) just published the largest study on data-driven decision-making ever done in distribution — 426 senior leaders across 19 sectors. One finding stopped me cold. Here's what they found on pricing: - 73% of distributors expect a 2% or greater gross margin lift - Only 16% have actually achieved it - 65% report no improvement at all That's a hard number. Nearly nine in ten distributors chasing better pricing haven't crossed the 2% mark. Then I looked at our data: **![Intuilize customer achieving 2%+ of GM Lift](https://blog.intuilize.com/hs-fs/hubfs/intuilize-gm-lift-06.2026.gif?width=480&height=480&name=intuilize-gm-lift-06.2026.gif)** Every one of you is above that benchmark. As of May 2026, gross margin lift across our active customer base ranges from 2.2% to 5.3%, with several customers exceeding 9% inside their first six months. ![Every Intuilize Customers Is Above the Industry Benchmark](https://blog.intuilize.com/hs-fs/hubfs/intuilize-gm-range.gif?width=691&height=389&name=intuilize-gm-range.gif) You're not chasing the benchmark. You crossed it months ago. --- ## **Why this matters going into Q3** It's easy to read a research report and move on. But this data says something about the competitive landscape — and your place in it. The 84% who haven't hit 2%+ aren't standing still. Between 58% and 61% expect to reach scaled use within the next 12 months. The lead you hold today won't stay this wide. Right now you have what they don't: operating data, proven adoption, a working pricing cadence, and six months of performance to build on. The report closes with a recommendation worth flagging: study distributors further along in their journey. You are that distributor. For Q3, the question isn't whether this works for your business — that's settled. It's where the next layer of value comes from. --- ## **What to look at before Q2 closes** We're closing out Q2 this week. Three things are worth a look before Q3 planning locks: - **Your GM% direction, not just the headline.** Where were you in December? Where are you now? The question is how to defend and extend the gains. - **The one variable you haven't optimized.** For some of you its coverage — more SKUs on the platform. For others, team adoption. For a few, it's the second piece: customers running pricing who haven't activated inventory optimization, or the reverse. - **A working Q3 session, not a check-in.** A real conversation about what's next. I'm booking July QBRs now. Most customers want to dig into one of these: - Where the next 1–2 points of margin lift come from - Activating the second piece — pricing or inventory optimization - Adoption and coverage for stalled SKUs - Building the internal case for expanded deployment If any of those resonate, let's get it on the calendar. [**Book a Q3 QBR →**](https://meetings.hubspot.com/nelson-valderrama/current-customer-with-nelson)   Just a straightforward conversation about what's achievable from here. ![Nelson](https://blog.intuilize.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Brand/Nelson.jpg?width=76&height=82&name=Nelson.jpg)Nelson Valderrama Founder & CEO, Intuilize [nelson@intuilize.com](mailto:nelson@intuilize.com)   --- Contact us at [support@intuilize.com](mailto:support@intuilize.com) for any questions. ##### Let’s uncover the full potential of your business together! --- *© 2026 – PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL* Share this article via: [Next](https://blog.intuilize.com/customer/the-hidden-truth-about-customer-profitability-1) ![mask](https://blog.intuilize.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Intuilize_April2024/images/related-mask-bg.png) ## Related Blog Articles [![While You Weren't Looking: How We Protected Your Margins This Quarter](https://blog.intuilize.com/hubfs/While%20You%20Werent%20Looking.png)](https://blog.intuilize.com/customer/while-you-werent-looking-how-we-protected-your-margins-this-quarter) Where Margin Goes ### While You Weren't Looking: How We Protected Your Margins This Quarter [Read more](https://blog.intuilize.com/customer/while-you-werent-looking-how-we-protected-your-margins-this-quarter) [![Your Netflix Moment Is Here!](https://blog.intuilize.com/hubfs/Netflix%20Moment.png)](https://blog.intuilize.com/customer/your-netflix-moment-is-here) Distribution Technology Decisions ### Your Netflix Moment Is Here! [Read more](https://blog.intuilize.com/customer/your-netflix-moment-is-here) [![Where Should You Invest Next? Let Data Decide](https://blog.intuilize.com/hubfs/2025%20Files/Blog/Customer%20Newsletter%20102025.png)](https://blog.intuilize.com/customer/where-should-you-invest-next-let-data-decide) Distribution Technology Decisions ### Where Should You Invest Next? Let Data Decide [Read more](https://blog.intuilize.com/customer/where-should-you-invest-next-let-data-decide) [See all](https://blog.intuilize.com/customer) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Nelson Valderrama", "url" : "https://blog.intuilize.com/customer/author/nelson-valderrama" }, "dateModified" : "2026-06-24T17:00:38.477Z", "datePublished" : "2026-06-24T16:41:38.000Z", "headline" : "You're Already Past the Benchmark", "image" : [ "https://blog.intuilize.com/hubfs/2026%20Files/Customers%20Blog/Customer%20Blog%20-%20Youre%20Posts%20%20Visuals.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.intuilize.com/customer/youre-already-past-the-benchmark", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.intuilize.com/hubfs/Final-Logo-Horizontal-Large.png" }, "name" : "Intuilize" } } ```