Page 10 - BOSS Today Issue 17

Events

WHERE THERE’S

CHANGE, THERE’S

OPPORTUNITY

BOSS’s Leaders of the Future event provided plenty of inspiration and insight
for people hoping to make a career in the industry

ndependent dealers often Words from the top “The independents are much businesses. He reiterated the
Ibemoan the fact that despite Senior management more resilient than they are importance of putting the
forever being urged to change representing the wholesaler, given credit for,” the dealer group customer’s requirements first
the way they operate in order to manufacturing, dealer groups boss remarked. “I do believe it’s and foremost, but suggested
safeguard their futures, they’re and reseller communities each a great industry and as we go having a ‘plan B’ due to the rapid
rarely given any clear indication presented their take on the through change, there will be pace at which today’s market
of how they can successfully current marketplace, providing opportunities – there always are tends to change.
meet these demands. insight into how they run their opportunities when a market Dealers should ensure they
It is clear, however, that businesses while indulging in a gets turned upside down.” improve upon what they
effective businesses in the office good dose of future-gazing in Opportunity during times are good at, Drakeford went
products sector tend to take the process. of change was a subject also onto say, and aim to increase
personal responsibility for their All speakers alluded to the discussed by Adrian Butler, efficiency through technology.
actions and adopt paths that well-documented economic Managing Director of wholesaler There is no use claiming to be a
put their organisations on a pressures that are affecting large VOW, and Simon Drakeford, Luddite, he warned, because it
route to growth. This was a key swathes of the global business CEO of online independent is now essential to get to grips
message to emerge from a new world, as well as the reduced reseller Euroffice, in separate with innovation in the tech
innovative forum held in the UK demand for traditional office presentations made throughout space.
in April. products and EOS, but the the day. Spicers CEO Alan Ball presented
During BOSS Federation’s focus of their discussions was Addressing the audience, delegates with a sobering
inaugural Leaders of the Future to highlight the potential that which included a significant comparison between the
event at the Hilton Metropole exists for the independent dealer percentage of twenty and thirty structured industry of the 1970s,
Hotel in Birmingham, some industry. To prove a point about somethings, Drakeford said: “It’s which offered margin gains on all
of the younger members of the strength of the industry, going to be a much different levels, and today’s tangled web
the business supplies industry Integra Managing Director industry to lead in the next ten of platforms where growth tends
– those who may one day Aidan McDonough said it was a years than it has been in the last to come from diversification into
run companies and lead key sector that “technically shouldn’t decade.” adjacent categories and services.
commercial departments – were exist” based on the strength of He also advised that those Later, VOW’s Butler played a
given an insight into the current the multinationals and larger operating in the sector will need video that warned there will be
state of affairs in the trade and companies operating in the field, to innovate and change by opportunities in the years ahead
an indication of what the sector as well as the tough conditions understanding how emerging that are impossible to imagine
might look like in years to come. of the last few years. trends will directly impact their today.

10 BOSS TODAY | May/June 2013

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