“The pricing optimization program has been an invaluable tool for highlighting opportunities to improve margins. Implementing the principles in a pilot location raised gross margins by over 3% in less than a year. It has been an eye-opening experience for those salespeople using the cost-plus method for determining sales price.”
Main Content
Advancing the science of distribution

Research
The Read Center conducts research through two branches. The Global Supply Chain Laboratory (GSCL) is utilized to educate our students, create cutting edge solutions for wholesale and industrial distribution channels. The Talent Incubator Program is an industry-sponsored research program that hires top Industrial Distribution students to work part-time on company research projects.

Professional Development
The Read Center works with industry leaders and their projects to discover new ways of productively and profitably servicing the needs of the marketplace. We offer customized and open enrollment professional development programs so that personnel training fits the company’s specific needs.

Collaboration
The Read Center establishes and runs industry consortia every year to conduct research and develop research driven educational programs. These consortia will conduct research in distribution topics and develop practical methodology and tools that can be used by the consortium members to improve their operations.
Explore Programs
Our programs are structured based on duration, level of intensity and job functions. Our program content goes through significant content changes each year in order to cater to the dynamic nature of various industries, lines of trade, and business cycles.
Upcoming Programs
Intensive Inventory Management
March 15-18, 2021
Intensive Customer Stratification
April 12-16, 2021
Certificate for Distribution in Professional Management- Module 1
May 24-27, 2021
Testimonials
“Through knowledge learned from the inventory management program, attended by all our management and key salespersons, we have reduced our total inventory levels by over 20%.”
“Developing talent is business’ most important task- the sine qua non of competition in a knowledge economy.”