Digi-Key‘s Location Strategy
The Pride of the North
Fortsetzung des Artikels von Teil 1
Open trade instead of protectionism
„As a privately held company, we are not under constant pressure to satisfy investors and shareholders with short-term measures," says Doherty. Given the very linear growth in trading volume, Digi-Key can easily afford fluctuations in earnings - as long as things go up in the long term. However, Doherty has clear words to say about the US government's protectionist trade and economic policy: "This is a headache for us - we are clear advocates of trading as openly as possible". Doherty sees a clear improvement in the supply situation with regard to the issue of component shortages, which has put supply chains under considerable pressure in the recent past. However, a certain nervousness is still noticeable: "There is also an emotional component that sometimes leads to panic buying, although objectively these would not actually be necessary.“
The strong competition between distributors, however, creates a high pressure to innovate. According to Doherty, B2C giants such as Amazon also have a major influence on customer demands: They now expect comparable convenience when ordering components. Digi-Key has therefore launched the so-called "DK+" project in order to meet the increased demands. This includes, for example, expanding the current range of inventory with additional product categories, including automation and IoT solutions. In addition, the website will offer more personalization and features such as voice command, for example, will soon be implemented. This makes one feel well prepared for the company‘s future in the north.
The story of the Washington Post reporter mentioned at the beginning has also taken a suitable turn: The journalist accepted an invitation from the displeased residents of Red Lake Falls to visit the town, and was so taken with the city after his visit that he even moved there from Washington with his family three years ago.
- The Pride of the North
- Open trade instead of protectionism
