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Keeping the Wheels Rolling: Valuing a
Hub-Spoke Relationship
Published January 2021
Leviton is committed to nurturing our strategic relationships, and it shows in our long-term successful business partnerships. Our continued success comes from our collaborative, partnership-oriented culture. The relationship between Leviton and our distribution partners is a hub and spoke system that keeps the wheels of our business constantly turning. A hub-and-spoke network has a central component that's connected to points along the edge of the wheel through multiple spokes. In this case, distribution are the spokes providing far-reaching servicing capabilities.
Our distributor partners, with their broad spreading branches, or “spokes” offer the following benefits: in-stock inventory when and where needed; competitive pricing; information and education on the latest products and services; a streamlined invoicing and billing process; financing; creative delivery or pick-up options; and, even a vendor-managed inventory system.
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Recently COVID has shifted the distribution business model from in-person to online through e-commerce (“electronic commerce”). E-commerce is the top sales catalyst in distribution operations by offering online information at the customers’ fingertips to tap into competitive pricing, availability and easy ordering for hundreds of products. Utilizing integrated e-commerce channels makes it easy for customers to use, and provides a vehicle for getting detailed technical information quickly, securing orders and provide real-time tracking capabilities.
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Leviton’s prime directive is to identify and create mutual opportunities for everyone’s success to keep the wheel rolling. Leviton’s main role outside of engineering and producing innovative products is to create opportunities for partnership success. Recently, Leviton created a benefit to our partners to simplify the entire fulfillment process which centers on B2B focus through e-commerce. This new process includes two automated distribution centers to increase order accuracy to above 90%, which allows our supply chain to get the right products to the customer when they need them. This results in lower inventory backlog, which can be a major dilemma for distribution partners. In addition, the new portal allows distribution to track their orders in real time from any mobile device.
The new B2B Partner Portal compliments existing distributor programs by providing an easy-to-use web-based platform that allows authorized Leviton distributors 24-hour secure access to business-critical information such as:
- Order status
- Carrier links
- Inventory inquiry
- Item replacement reports
- Up-to-date price sheets
This service is free, but requires registration: Leviton.com/b2b for more information.
Leviton continues their deep commitment to their distributor partners by constantly developing customized programs available to them such as:
- Training and educational programs – diverse product functionality training, installation requirements or even ways to build their business and provide more value-add. For more information on ez-Learn™, go to: Leviton.com/ezlearn
- Competitive marketing and sales tools to stimulate sales and increase revenue. To see the latest suite of support tools, go to: Leviton.com/distributor
In today’s changing times, e-commerce and other online tools have closed the distance gap by providing service when and where it is needed – globally and locally – creating a 24/7 business relationship resulting in keeping the wheels continually turning.
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Leviton Mfg.
Company Inc.
201 North Service Rd.
Melville, NY 11747
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