What if smarter, faster decisions about inventory and pricing could transform your business?
For distributors, staying ahead in today’s market means more than just adapting—it requires leveraging the right tools to outpace the competition. That’s exactly what a major distributor shared with us in a recent interview. Here we share highlights from that interview that serve as a blueprint for any distributor ready to modernize their operations, empower their team, and deliver measurable results. Here is how you can too!
CEO Kirk Zehnder talked to our team to detail how, in his experience, business owners and managers in our industry can use AI—and how Intuilize can help.
Kirk revealed:
"We bought lots of technology in the past and experienced products that would show up, be installed, and then for a year we didn't know how to operate it. One of the things we really enjoyed about working with Intuilize was their commitment to providing a product with an actual function that we could begin using right away. They didn’t just leave us on our own to figure it out."
Kirk detailed how their journey to modernization was fraught with familiar hurdles distributors face—overcoming manual processes, updating or integrating legacy systems, and contending with teams initially hesitant to adapt to change.
"The adoption of the technology was difficult because it was so new for us," Kirk noted. "But Intuilize connected with us as humans. It boiled down to humans on both sides of the equation trying to figure it out together."
Click HERE to watch the Full Testimonial Interview
Seamless Integration and Immediate Impact
Kirk highlighted their positive surprise at how quickly Intuilize’s software integrated with their existing systems. "We’ve done technology projects in the past where we got stuck in a six-month ‘integration period’ and nothing was happening. With Intuilize, the software integrated seamlessly, and we were quickly getting data and information about what was happening within our systems."
This rapid integration allowed their distribution company to shift from a reactive to a strategic approach. "We moved away from gut reactions and started making data-driven decisions," he explained. "Having the information allowed us to be more strategic in our thinking, identify trends, and understand what was working and what wasn’t."
Driving Measurable Results
Kirk credits Intuilize’s partnership for delivering tangible benefits across multiple areas in the following areas:
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Inventory Optimization: "We’ve significantly reduced unnecessary inventory by making better decisions about what to buy, how much to buy, and when to buy it."
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Margin Improvements: "With the right selling price and data in our system, our sales team improved margins considerably."
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Empowered Teams: "The data allowed us to think differently about the business and get employees up to speed faster. This accelerated their ability to perform effectively."
Even when faced with challenging data, Kirk's leadership leaned on Intuilize for support.
"Sometimes the decisions were tough because we were faced with information we didn’t quite want to absorb that quickly. But Intuilize held our hand every step of the way, ensuring we were using the tools correctly and making good decisions based on the data."
The Journey Ahead
Kirk says Earnest Machine has also extended Intuilize’s solutions to acquisitions, asking themselves: “How else can we deploy this product to other companies that we're looking to acquire?” They have found Intuilize very useful in achieving higher-than-expected success in their acquisition process, Kirk adding: "One acquisition allowed us to increase inventory substantially and along with it, sales, because of the data from Intuilize."
Kirk's experience highlights the transformative power of AI when paired with a growth-focused mindset. Kirk says that working with Intuilize helps them face "questions we’ve avoided for too long. But it’s completely worth it. Challenging work leads to great results."
Kirk confidently emphasized the importance of staying ahead of the curve: "We need to find the best people and they need to have the best tools available to them...(this technology) allows us to move faster, do things more efficiently, and deliver a better customer experience."
This story is a testament to the power of partnership, innovation, and embracing change. You can watch Kirk Zehnder's full interview here.
If you’re ready to take next steps in incorporating AI in your business, check out our practical guide "Transform Your Distribution Business with AI" and learn how Intuilize can help you optimize pricing, streamline inventory, and achieve measurable success.
