Distributors face complex pressures today, from global market volatility and supply chain disruption to inflation, rising energy costs and the need to continually exceed customer expectations. Industry 4.0 technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Internet of Things (IoT) can help distributors address these challenges. This article outlines five ways in which these technologies can help distributors to future-proof their businesses, such as improving customer service, streamlining operations, and optimizing inventory management.