For years, most of the conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) in the channel has focused on the end customer, write Lionel Moyal and Paul Bunting, co-founders of Growthguru.ai.
The issues include:
- How AI will reshape industries,
- How partners will bring new solutions to the market, and
- How businesses will unlock productivity.
However, there is a shift taking place – and it is getting far less attention. AI is starting to transform distributors, and in many cases, that is where some of the biggest change is happening.
Distributors are under pressure more than ever
Distributors have always played an important role across the channel ecosystem, and the demands on them today are on a larger scale. Distributors support hundreds, if not thousands, of partners across different levels. At the same time, they manage incentives, delivery, training, compliance and go-to-market alignment, all while responding to constant programme changes. No doubt that this is a lot to manage.
At the same time, the channel itself is becoming more complex. IDC research indicates that around 70% of partners are already working with AI-enabled solutions, but only a few are consistently turning that into meaningful business outcomes. This creates a widening gap, and more often than not, it is distributors who are expected to close that gap.
The result? Operations become strained, not because distributors lack the capabilities, but because the model they are working on is thinly stretched.
The real impact of AI is happening behind the scenes
There is a common assumption that AI’s biggest impact will be customer-facing – in products, services and end-user experiences. In reality, the impact is happening internally.
AI is already being used across the channel to streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, improve partner insights and enable faster decision-making. Gartner further highlights the growing use of AI to improve collaboration and reduce the reliance on manual processes. This shift is critical for distributors.
The challenge is not that there is a lack of data or information. In fact, there is plenty of both. The real issue is that making that data usable across a larger and varied partner base, without adding pressure to already stretched teams. This is where AI makes the difference.
Rethinking how partners are supported
Traditionally, distributor support has relied heavily on people and process:
- account managers answering the same questions across multiple partners and
- teams taking partners through incentive structures
- programmes scaling across different needs.
However, as ecosystems grow and expectations rise, this model becomes difficult to sustain.
AI introduces a different way of approaching support. It allows distributors to move from reacting to partner queries, to anticipating where partners may need guidance. Instead of repeating the same information, distributors can provide more consistent, structured insight. This does not remove the human element. If anything, it makes the process more effective by freeing up time for high engagement.
We are already starting to see a similar pattern on the partner side. Those who have embedded AI more deeply into operations perform better – not only in capability, but in the ability to turn that capability into real outcomes. The same principle applies to distributors.
A shift in how distributors operate
Distributors that will lead in the next phase will not be the ones expanding their teams, but those who rethink and redesign their operations.
AI creates an opportunity to move away from a reactive model where support is driven by incoming requests, towards a more proactive and insight-led model.
This will require identifying which partners need support before issues arise, guiding partners to the most relevant opportunities based on capabilities, or simply reducing the friction involved in navigating complex programmes. None of this is meant to replace relationships. It is meant to strengthen them, as the core role of distributors is about enabling others to succeed. The more clearly and consistently that can be done, the stronger the entire ecosystem becomes.
The bigger shift
While much of the conversation around AI in the channel still focuses on what partners should be selling, the big shift is how the ecosystem itself operates.
Distributors are no longer just intermediaries moving products through channels. They are becoming orchestrators of growth between vendors and partners.
Lastly, as AI continues to reshape the channel, the distributors who embrace its role by embedding intelligence into how they enable, guide and scale partners will define the next phase of ecosystem performance.
Quietly, but decisively, the transformation has already begun.