Digital Channel Advisors
Digital Channel Advisors is an association of independent consultants formed to help mature B2B firms succeed online. The core value proposition of the consultancy is that established businesses need experienced executives familiar with both technology and management to develop successful online business. We blend existing business functions and established practice with e-business technologies for online organic growth. Our consultants have lengthy tenures as successful executives, before their consulting careers, in all major functional areas of the firm including marketing, operations, human resources, sales, and logistics. Additionally, all of our consulting executives have spent considerable management time in developing the online capability of existing B2B firms.
Services
Our services are custom per client. We design unique solutions that blend with the client’s culture and market position. There are common definitions of services that clients have profited from including:
Audits-Full review of e-commerce and online capabilities including technology, organization structure, management capability, organization change valence, digital culture, and digital leadership.
Digital Platform review and recommendations-Review of the software bundle for a competitive online experience including management of the content value chain, integration of customer account information, faceted search, online ordering and order management, ease and accuracy of online experience, and integration into the ERP.
Digital Lean-Out of existing processes-Review and plan to lean-out functional areas of the firm based on the full-usage of digital capabilities including sales force restructuring, brick and mortar rationalization and restructuring, vendor management changes, customer account management changes, and supply chain streamlining.
Developing a Digital Culture-Development of a digital culture including new positions to drive online organic growth, changes in management for online usage, changes in KPI’s and financial metrics to support digitalization of the firm.
Change Management-Plan and usage of the latest in Organizational Change Management discipline to ensure adoption and perpetuation of the digital culture.
Online Organic Growth- Review and development of online organic growth including automated marketing/product-application efforts, segment platforms (thin-slicing), value-chain restructuring, and omni-channel/channel-alliance opportunities.
We consult on discrete parts of the e-commerce effort or accompany the client through the entirety of the digital journey including implementation.
Consultants and Backgrounds
Scott Benfield was manager and executive in nationally-ranked wholesalers and Fortune 250 manufacturing firms prior to starting his consultancy. He has consulted and/or been an interim exec for a variety of Fortune-rated firms and distributors in North America and globally. He has been quoted in Forbes and The Financial Times and his site is www.benfieldconsulting.com. He has an MBA from Wake Forest University. His profile is found: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbenfield/
Steve Griffith, PhD. is an Associate Professor at the Jack Welch Institute, and Univ. of Maryland, among others. Prior to his academic career, he served as V and C level executive for Fortune rated and mid-market manufacturing firms in North America and globally. He has an MBA from South Dakota, and MA/PhD from Indiana Wesleyan. His profile can be seen at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegriffith/
Skip Martin is former Director of Business Technology at Graybar Electric where he developed the corporate digital strategy and built the digital platform and organization for $200MM in online sales. He has prior management positions in leading North American manufacturers. Skip has a BSEE from Univ. of Wisconsin. His Profile can be seen at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipmartin/
George Yezbak is a consultant for distribution, mfg. rep., and manufacturing firms. Yezbak Consulting www.yezbakconsulting.com was started in 2014 to serve B2B channels in North America. Prior to consulting, George worked at V and C levels for top-ranked distributors in material management and operations. George has an MA and MBA from Appalachian State University. His profile is found: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-yezbak-204b7211/
Jochen Moll is a digital consultant working in B2B and B2C sectors. He led the digital transformation for leading B2B distributor Sonepar and was CEO of the e-commerce transaction platform Intershop. Jochen's work covers all aspects of B2B transformations from software selection, building the online platform, post technology launch, digital strategy and cultural issues related to digital success. He has a BA in Business and Economics from Diplom Betriebswirt. His profile can be seen at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochenmoll/
Edward Benfield is a UX/CX researcher with work in B2B and B2C sectors. He has worked with a variety of consultancies including Each&Other, Hatch Regeneris, and We Made That. End client research includes National Geographic, Google, and Marks & Spencer. Edward's experience includes various methodologies of ethnography, A/B testing, contextual interviews, journey mapping, participatory design and usability testing. Edward has a BA from George Washington University, and a Masters from University College of London. He was a Pulitzer Finalist team member at National Geographic. His profile can be seen at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardwbenfield/