Industry Expert Nicole Duider Runs The Numbers On 2023 & 2024
When it comes to wholesale merchandising, accounting is more than just crunching numbers – it's a strategic tool for financial management and decision-making. Because wholesalers often deal with large volumes of transactions, maintaining accurate books is essential for tracking inventory costs, managing cash flow and assessing overall profitability.
With market dynamics and product demands constantly changing, it’s important to have a talented accountant balancing it all. Let’s dive in with DM’s Director of Accounting and Human Resources, Nicole Duider, about how hard work in 2023 has set the company up for success in 2024.
NICOLE’S DM DATA
NAME: Nicole Duider
DEPARTMENT: Accounting & Human Resources
ROLE: Director
What kinds of projects did your department tackle in 2023 to benefit our customers?
ND: My team did a lot in 2023! Like most departments, our biggest undertaking was the software transition to NetSuite. The changes gave us the ability to go paperless, automate some accounting processes and move some vendors to ACH, saving everyone time and money. Switching to NetSuite means that billing has become more efficient than ever before. For example, we routinely hit days in our busy season where my team was billing 1200+ orders each day – and we can keep up with it all!
What’s the biggest takeaway for retailers you have from 2023?
ND: Electronic payments are the way of the future, be it credit card or ACH. This year we’ve seen more customers convert from paper check payments to electronic, which ultimately benefits both sides. The automation reduces the risk of error and eases the labor burden for both customers and DM. It's a win-win that we’re excited about.
What DM product or brand are you most excited about for spring and summer?
ND: I am obsessed with the new Beauty Sleep collection from Hello Mello! They look great on virtually any body type, and our customers love how the silky soft fabric benefits their skin and hair. The new prints are so cute, too, and feel very tropical. And who can pass up a matching sleep mask?
What industry trends have you noticed emerging for 2024?
ND: Automation, automation, automation! Automation, especially with financial processes, only makes financial departments more efficient and accurate. I think we will see more and more of our customers move to automated electronic payments as we do the same at DM.
DM is turning 35 this year! How long have you been with DM?
ND: 18 years! My tenure is officially a legal adult.
What do you expect from DM in the next 35 years?
ND: DM is the absolute master of adaptability. The wholesale market changes with new social media and entertainment trends, and we’ve always succeeded in accommodating trends and the economy. In my own department, I’m excited to see more automation on the financial side. I’d like to utilize automation for logistics to open our team up to innovative ideas that maximize profits.