Trust, Resilience, and the Human Side of Distribution's Future

The Distribution Futures 2035 study by MDM and Infor explores how wholesale distribution might evolve over the next decade. What they found wasn’t a single destination, but several paths, each defined by how much companies depend on technology versus people.

This two-part series explores those possibilities.

• Part 1 looks at a technology-first future, where automation and digital tools reshape how distributors compete and deliver value.
• Part 2 (this article) will focus on the people-first future, built around trust, relationships, and resilience.

Whatever shape the next decade takes, one truth stands out: distributors who can adapt fastest will define the direction of the entire industry

The Return of Trust

Trust has always been the real currency of distribution. It’s what holds every deal, every partnership, and every long-term relationship together.

After years of disruption, from supply chain breakdowns to global shocks and waves of digitization. The trust has been tested. Buyers now expect more than good prices and fast shipping. They want to know who they’re buying from, how goods are made, and whether their suppliers share their values.

The Distribution Futures 2035 research suggests this growing demand for transparency could reshape entire markets. Even as automation expands, human reliability is re-emerging as a serious competitive edge.

In this version of the future, technology supports the business, but people and principles are what sustain it.

One Future, Four Paths

To understand what lies ahead, MDM and Infor modeled four possible futures based on two main factors:

1. How much companies invest in innovation
2. How globally connected or fragmented the world becomes

Each scenario presents its own pressures and new ways to stay competitive.

Scenario 3: Trusted Links or When Transparency Builds Loyalty

In this future, global trade stays open, but the wild rush of early digital growth has settled into something more deliberate. Clear rules now guide how technology and data are used. Governments and international bodies have stepped in to hold companies accountable not only for what they sell, but for how they operate. That means real transparency around emissions, labor conditions, and supply chain practices.

For distributors, the lesson is simple: trust is now their most valuable asset. Buyers, whether large businesses or individual customers, expect proof that what they’re purchasing is made responsibly and traded fairly.

Those who can provide that visibility through tools like supply chain tracking, sustainability dashboards, and verified certifications become the go-to partners. Reputation isn’t a marketing line anymore, but the business model itself.

This is the world of Trusted Links, where credibility replaces speed, and compliance becomes a sign of strength.

As Soma Somasundaram, President and CTO of Infor, explains:

“Customers want to be linked to the source. They want to know where their products come from — and they expect transparency at every step.”

B2B marketplaces display environmental scores next to prices, procurement teams factor supplier ethics into every decision, even investors prioritize companies that can prove ESG (environmental, social, and governance) progress.

In simple terms: trust becomes the new performance metric.

Imagine the entire distribution industry as a global farmer’s market. Every supplier stands behind their work, proud to explain how it’s made. Buyers wander from stall to stall, asking questions and rewarding honesty with loyalty.

It is a cooperative, open, and accountable environment where economy moves a little slower but with far more intention and built on shared values instead of blind speed.

Scenario 4: Shrinking Horizons or When Local Strength Beats Global Speed

Now picture another future - one that feels smaller, more divided, and more grounded, where global trade has fractured. Political tensions, supply shortages, and regional conflicts have redrawn economic maps. The long, seamless logistics chains of the past have been replaced by regional networks shaped by tariffs, delays, and new costs.

For distributors, that means letting go of ‘business as usual.’ The old global procurement model, sourcing from one hub and shipping worldwide, no longer fits. Instead, companies rebuild around local ecosystems, relying on nearby partners to deliver reliability when global routes falter.

In this world, resilience and adaptability win. Distributors become experts in their own regions, mastering regulations, relationships, and culture. Technology still helps, but it takes a backseat to practicality. Tools like flexible warehousing, local manufacturing hubs, and shared logistics platforms matter most.

This is the world of Shrinking Horizons, where depth matters more than distance.

As Tom Gale, Executive Chairman of MDM, observes:

“We already see signals from this future today. It’s about differentiation - the distributors that know their markets best will have the upper hand.”

Here, distributors rediscover the value of human connection. The companies that treat customers as long-term partners earn loyalty that outlasts any disruption.

The key: being close, both geographically and personally, becomes more important than being big.

Imagine a town where every supplier knows their customers by name. Forecasting isn’t based on algorithms but on conversation and understanding. These businesses keep running, powered by trust and consistency.

This future looks like local, loyal, and resilient. The world may have shrunk, but confidence in human dependability has only grown stronger.

Two Worlds, One Message

At first glance, Trusted Links and Shrinking Horizons look like opposites: one global, one local. But underneath, both rely on the same foundation: trust as strategy.

They remind us that in complex times, trust is the ultimate form of efficiency.

What Human-First Companies Look Like

In both futures, distributors evolve from transactional sellers to relationship-driven partners. 

Here’s what sets them apart:

• People before processes. Employees and customers are treated as long-term partners, not numbers on a spreadsheet.
• Radical transparency. Data is open - from sourcing to environmental impact.
• Resilience built in. Companies plan for disruption through regional operations and diversified supply chains.
• Empathy as strategy. Teams are trained to understand people, not just metrics.

Ole Rasmussen, SVP of Product Management at Infor, emphasizes:

“The best companies will use AI to support their people, not replace them. Real value comes from humans and machines working together.”

These companies show that technology’s best purpose isn’t to remove people, it’s to help them excel.

Preparing for a Human-First Future

So, how can today's distributors get ready for the future ahead? Research points to five simple, practical steps:

1. Invest in people. Cross-train teams and help them grow across functions.
2. Be transparent. Share supply chain data openly - trust grows in the light.
3. Build local resilience. Strengthen regional partnerships to stay steady when global routes fail.
4. Plan for disruption. Create adaptable systems and test them regularly.
5. Use technology with intention. Choose tools that empower your teams, not replace them.

Following these steps won’t prepare you for just one future, they’ll make your business adaptable, credible, and human no matter what 2035 brings.

The Real Future: Humans and Machines, Together

Across both halves of this research, one truth stands out: the future of distribution isn’t about choosing between people and technology. It’s about combining their strengths.

Automation will make distribution faster.
AI will make it smarter.
But only people will make it trustworthy.

If Race to Reinvent and The Fortress Economy describe the engines of progress, then Trusted Links and Shrinking Horizons describe the compass that keeps it on course.

Technology gives speed. Humanity gives direction. Because even in a high-speed machine-led world, trust is still what keeps the supply chain moving forward.