The past year has seen a constant struggle for obtaining supply. Manufacturers face numerous challenges, from issues with the supply chain to a lack of factory workers. Meanwhile, demand-at least in the consumer and new-home construction segments-has surged. This creates a challenge for distributors.Many contractors have responded to the situation by expanding the number of distributors they use. Distributors now need to find ways to keep the business they have and possibly add new clients. The answer, consultants say, comes from adopting new ways of taking and delivering orders.The biggest change has been a shift to e-commerce, said Lisa Anderson, president of LMA Consulting Group Inc. Almost every industry that sells anything has seen a boom in e-commerce in the past year. This includes HVAC distributors.
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