Supply chain and inventory issues have been plaguing the promotional products industry – and the business world at large – since the onset of the pandemic. Inflationary pressures and fears of a potential recession have added extra layers of uncertainty to distributors’ day to day.

Technology can help ease some of the burden, particularly when it comes to supply chain-related struggles, says Dave Kneram, vice president of information technology at Top 40 distributor iPROMOTEu (asi/232119). Kneram has been instrumental in leading his team through the development of the distributor’s proprietary iSUITE order management system. Prior to joining iPROMOTEu, he worked as director of logistics technology for Cimpress (asi/162149), a Top 40 distributor that’s parent company of Vistaprint and former Top 40 firm National Pen.

Dave Kneram, vice president of information technology, iPROMOTEu

Q: The pandemic forced suppliers and distributors to adapt and evolve, particularly when it comes to technology. How can the promo industry continue to leverage technology to improve operations?
A: I see adoption of data standards that make tighter integration between distributors and suppliers possible. Using tools for efficient order entry and especially order management online is essential. Adoption of data standards and more extensive use of APIs have enabled status reporting and order tracking through facilitated integrations.

Q: What are some of the biggest ways technology can help distributors streamline their processes and increase profitability?
A: Technology can be used to aggregate suppliers and distributors to optimize ordering choices for affiliates. Data and API standards, such as PromoStandards, can be used to standardize inventory research, automate ordering and invoicing processes, reduce errors, and ultimately enhance customer satisfaction.

Q: How can distributors use technology to automate their order management?
A: Data standards have provided a level of standardization across supplier data that enables automation of order entry and order management. Increased integration between supplier systems and distributors can help improve the accuracy of inventory and provide better spot pricing.

Q: What are some of the ways iPROMOTEu is removing friction from the ordering process, both with end-user clients and when working with suppliers?
A: iPROMOTEu provides seamless integration with industry standard research engines like ESP in our order management System iSUITE. iPROMOTEu also integrates with top suppliers to provide updated product inventory levels during order entry and order management. Our data integration provides updates from order and shipping status through delivery to the end customer – all within iSUITE, keeping the ordering and tracking activities for our affiliates within one integrated system.

Q: When it comes to automation and other business technology, what’s your prediction for where the promo industry will be in five years?
A: The ordering process will be more streamlined to facilitate ordering through mobile apps and devices. Product data will be more readily available, which will drive more near-field communication (NFC) between devices – greatly accelerating the ordering process and driving real-time ordering decisions.