The electrical distribution industry is facing a talent epidemic and an AI revolution simultaneously. With 10,000 baby boomers retiring daily, the pressure is on: how can distributors do more work with fewer people?

In this episode of Frictionless Commerce, host Matt Johnson sits down with Scott Wagner (NAED) and Chantal Schweizer (Pivotree) to tackle the biggest "rocks" moving the industry today. They discuss why legacy systems are failing to attract the next generation and how data hygiene is the secret weapon for AI adoption.

We discuss:

• The Talent Gap: Why it takes 2 years to train a counter rep and how to shorten that curve.
• The "Green Screen" Problem: Why outdated ERPs are driving Gen Z talent away.
• AI Sidekicks: How "Agentic Commerce" can augment your workforce.
• "Swiss Cheese" Data: Why holes in your product data are holding back your entire strategy.
  

About Our Guests:

• Scott Wagner: A 36-year industry veteran from NAED’s Digital Center of Excellence. Scott has done it all—from the trade floor to counter sales to manufacturing.
• Chantal Schweizer: Practice Director of Strategic Data Services at Pivotree. Formerly of Grainger and Schneider Electric, Chantal is a data expert building the foundation for modern commerce.

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about NAED: https://www.naed.org/dcoe
• Learn more about Pivotree: https://www.pivotree.com