Learners Live

Did you Know?
Menu

WHITE PAPER: BAS: Five Global Trends That Will Define Your Strategy

William Attardi on October 9, 2026

By leveraging advanced building automation system (BAS) technologies today, organizations can reduce costs, streamline workflows and create healthier, more adaptive environments for occupants. Building automation systems are already helping organizations reduce costs, streamline workflows, and create healthier, more responsive environments for occupants. But with AI rapidly advancing, the next generation of BAS technology is set to deliver even greater performance through faster optimization, smarter decision making, and more adaptive building operations. Industry forecasts estimate that by 2028, AI agents will make 15% of daily decisions in smart buildings. Organizations that embrace AI driven BAS technologies now will be better positioned to improve efficiency, enhance occupant experiences, and stay ahead in an increasingly connected future. The Future of BAS is here – are you ready?

AI Is Enabling the Next Generation of Distributor Workflows by Michael Delgado

William Attardi on June 1, 2026

Customer expectations have never been greater, and distributors must respond to growing volumes of requests quickly and accurately, often across fragmented inputs and constantly changing information. Highly manual workflows can’t keep up with this new reality. AI represents a practical solution. Not as a bolt-on tool, but as a way to change how work gets done — handling the translation between how requests come in and how orders need to be processed. That shift removes the bottleneck at the center of quoting and order entry, allowing teams to respond faster, reduce errors and operate more consistently despite the rising pressure. AI has moved from a competitive advantage to a baseline requirement to keep pace. Distributors that embed it into their core workflows will operate more efficiently, compete more effectively for customers and build an operation that holds up as the industry continues to evolve. Those that don’t will find themselves poorly positioned to keep up with a world that isn’t slowing down. NAED Selects IDEA & Pull Logic for ProjectNexus E-Commerce Initiative | Electrical Wholesaling

AI Is Enabling the Next Generation of Distributor Workflows by Michael Delgado

William Attardi on May 26, 2026

Workflows at distributors have been more or less the same for decades. Quoting, order entry, PO tracking and invoicing still rely on emails, spreadsheets and ERPs with manual effort expected to close the gap. That model worked when volumes were lower and expectations were more forgiving, but the world is changing.AI does not just speed up existing processes, it changes where the work starts. Instead of manually decoding customer requests from zero, teams can rely on AI to interpret imprecise inputs and return accurate product matches. Translating requests into usable data becomes a background process that happens before a request ever reaches a sales rep. AI also has a level of adaptability that traditional software lacks. It learns over time, picking up on customer preferences and surfacing relevant SKUs and frequently ordered items preemptively. The result is a faster, more accurate quoting process, and reps who are free to spend time with customers instead of spreadsheets. AI has moved from a competitive advantage to a baseline requirement to keep pace. AI Is Enabling the Next Generation of Distributor Workflows | Electrical Wholesaling

The Rise of Supply Chains That Adapt by Professor Jeannette Song

William Attardi on April 10, 2026

Professor Song explains how AI is turning supply chains from rigid workflows into adaptive, decision-making systems. When you click “buy now” on online stores, recommendations appear, warehouses spring into action, and packages begin their journey to your door. Behind that seamless experience is a fundamental transformation. Supply chains, once governed by fixed rules and human planning, are becoming AI-driven systems that learn, adapt, and increasingly act on their own. In her book chapter, Reshaping Supply Chains Through AI-Empowered Automation, Jeannette Song, the R.David Thomas Professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business argues that AI is fundamentally changing how supply chains work.“AI is reshaping supply chains in four connected ways: expanding automation across the chain, changing how humans and machines work together,” she said, “raising new questions about privacy and accountability, and pointing toward a future of more autonomous, agentic systems.” The Rise of Supply Chains That Adapt

The Creator of Baby Ruth Actually Sued Babe Ruth –The Baby Ruth candy bar was created by the Curtiss Candy Company in 1920 — the same year that baseball legend Babe Ruth hit a then-record 54 home runs. But the Great Bambino was irked that the company was selling a candy bar with such a similar name to his own without offering him any royalties. Rather than take the Curtiss Candy Company to court, the Sultan of Swat decided to make his own candy bar, and in 1926 he debuted Ruth’s Home Run bar. The Curtiss Candy Company responded by turning the tables and taking Ruth to court. They accused the slugger of trying to steal their trademark and capitalize on the success of their brand. In a 1931 deposition, Curtiss founder Otto Schnering insisted the candy was named after “Baby Ruth” Cleveland — the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.  He also attested that the company came up with the name in 1919 before the baseball player had become a household name and that the name was merely coincidental. While the validity of those claims is disputed to this day, the court nonetheless ruled in favor of the candy company, forcing Ruth to end his foray into the world of candy.