STAFDA Webinar: From Tools to Tech: Building a Future-Ready Distribution Business

This webinar is built specifically for STAFDA members who want to strengthen their businesses for 2026 and beyond. Alan Amling will explore how disruptive change — ranging from AI and e-commerce to reshoring and labor shortages — is affecting independent distributors.

Attendees will learn how to use practical tools to improve customer loyalty, sharpen operational efficiency, and identify new growth opportunities without losing their identity or overextending their resources.

Whether preparing the next generation of leaders or seeking to maximize the value of your existing technology, this session will provide real-world insights and an actionable roadmap tailored for the STAFDA community.

Alan Amling is a TED speaker and thought leader on harnessing digital disruption for success. Alan helped drive innovation over a 27-year career with UPS and is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice at The University of Tennessee and CEO of Thrive and Advance LLC. He also serves as an advisor for several supply chain startups, the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute, and the NextGen Supply Chain Conference. His latest book, Organizational Velocity, was published in 2022.

Alan’s latest role at UPS was VP of Corporate Strategy, where he helped revitalize UPS innovation and venture capital programs for the digital economy. He moved into this role after serving as VP of Marketing for UPS Global Logistics & Distribution.

Alan teaches supply chain, strategy, and technology courses in the online Master of Supply Chain, MBA, and Professional MBA programs. His research focuses on the digital transformation of the supply chain and disruption in last-mile logistics.

This free program will be a 60-minute session: 45 minutes of content-packed insights followed by 15-minutes of Q&A.

Questions? Please contact the STAFDA office at 800/352-2981 or cusher@stafda.org.