AWMA distributors were urged yesterday to take steps to assess their total risk exposure, particularly in today’s difficult economy, by Dr. Maria Singson, Dun & Bradstreet, Global Analytics Innovation.

“Stay in the know,” she said, “by collaborating, joining a network and getting involved.” She urged distributors to not only analyze their risks based on their own business operations, but to carefully track their customers purchasing habits and business practices, as well as those of their suppliers.

“Any single supplier, depending on what you don’t know about them, can really take you down,” Dr. Singson cautioned. (photo caption: Dr. Maria Singson of Dun & Bradstreet demonstrated how companies can determine their company’s risk exposure to financial insecurity.)

Distributors need to know, for example, if a supplier is heading towards bankruptcy, if they have bad inventory, have developed a bad reputation, or have engaged in unethical business practices.

“Today is nothing like the past,” she said, “but it is a really exciting time.”