As a service to our readers, MDM will provide a five-tier, color-coded advisory system, patterned after Homeland Security’s system, to advise of the current hype levels surrounding AmazonSupply.

Not really. But it’s starting to feel as though it is warranted, based on recent articles, industry coverage and more than a little Chicken Little Syndrome. (Symptoms include statements like “We’ve got to get an e-commerce site live ASAP!”)

I submit the latest entry from the investment advisory empire of The Motley Fool: “Can This Leading Industrial Distributor Stop the B2B E-Commerce Juggernaut?” Great headline, but what exactly is a juggernaut?

The article launched off the profile in the May issue of Forbes, “Amazon’s Wholesale Slaughter: Jeff Bezos’ $8 Trillion B2B Bet.” No hyperbole there either…

To be clear, I am not suggesting that you ignore these articles nor how AmazonSupply is impacting traditional distribution models. Every aspect of e-commerce should be carefully researched and integrated into every company’s strategy.

My concern is that companies are reacting and investing defensively before fully thinking through a complete strategy appropriate for their specific product/service mix and end-markets served. MDM has consistently covered e-commerce development in wholesale distribution since the mid-1990s, and we will be providing much more over the next 12 months.

Here are a few key takeaways from watching AmazonSupply evolve the past eight years: