Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

My name is Eric Miller, and I have over 20 years of senior-level sales and marketing leadership experience across North America.  With expertise in the building materials industry, I have had the tremendous opportunity to lead strong organizations, build iconic brands, and deliver profitability at both global Fortune 500 and privately owned companies across all major channels of distribution.

Q2. How is the competitive landscape in building materials and retail evolving as a result of AI adoption? 

AI is quickly becoming a competitive advantage for building material manufacturers, distributors, and contractors who embrace it.  Outside of AI's ability to streamline cumbersome operations, it has also provided opportunities to enhance market intelligence gathering and marketing activation.  In an industry that is traditionally a technological fast follower, AI will become a standard way of doing business in this space in an expedited manner.

Q3. How are leading building materials companies leveraging technology (AI, smart materials, modular construction) to differentiate themselves and address commoditization pressures? Give examples.

From my personal experience, I have witnessed AI providing organizations the ability to process/evaluate data in a much more streamlined manner without the heavy lift of traditional human analysis.  

In addition, I have found AI to be a productive thought starter as my team evaluates marketing elements and creative positioning.  AI has become another member of the team, bringing another voice to the table.

Incorporating AI has afforded organizations the ability to re-allocate headcount to more productive/impactful work, helping to differentiate value to the customer that exceeds competitors that are not doing so.

Q4. What are the most effective omnichannel strategies that building material retailers and wholesalers are using to create seamless shopping journeys across online and offline, and what business results have they achieved?

Retailers such as Lowe's and The Home Depot have done a wonderful job of creating a strong omnichannel approach to their offerings.  With clean value propositions anchored in iconography, rich content, and impactful imaging, these retailers have successfully guided the customer from the .com world to the aisle without disruption.

Wholesalers such as ABC Supply have also leveraged technology to provide PRO customers the ability to manage their orders and engagements through easy-to-use apps.

In both cases, retailers and wholesalers alike have successfully created customer "stickiness" through an easy-to-do business model.

Q5. How are companies using AI to drive hyper-personalization in customer experience—across both B2B and B2C audiences—and what has been the impact on customer loyalty and lifetime value?

Companies I have engaged with during the AI evolution have leveraged most of their technology for heavy data analysis and reporting.  B2B / B2C audiences are starting to demand AI support capabilities to almost be an online sales representative (i.e. AI bot) guiding their purchase decisions.

Relative to customer loyalty and lifetime value, it is simply too early to tell.  There is a value to being an early entrant, with strong caution not to fail, as it can significantly impact your customer perception.

Q6. Have AI-driven strategies triggered notable shifts in market share, profitability, or customer loyalty within your segment?

I have yet to find AI-driven strategies notably shifting the segments I've serviced today, but am confident the ability to expedite financial / data analysis will impact share/profit / loyalty KPIs as the technology is more widely adopted.

Q7. If you were an investor looking at companies within the space, what critical question would you pose to their senior management?

How is AI embedded in each of your key LRP (Long Range Planning) growth initiatives over the current horizon? If the answer is "What is AI?" then you may want to rethink your level of investment there.