Do it Best Group Teams Take on “Mission Possible” to Develop Innovative Solutions for Independent Retailers

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — July 24, 2026 — As Do it Best Group continues expanding the technology, data, and digital capabilities available to independent home improvement retailers, the company recently brought together team members from across the organization for Mission Possible, an intensive internal innovation event focused on developing practical solutions to meaningful business challenges. 

 Held July 15–17, Mission Possible invited team members with technical, strategic, operational, and creative expertise to form cross-functional groups and address four significant business opportunities. Over two days, the teams developed their concepts before presenting them to a panel of judges on the event’s final day.  

“Mission Possible gave our team the opportunity to step outside their everyday responsibilities, work with colleagues from across the company, and apply their expertise to challenges that directly affect our member-owners,” said Ken Widner, chief information officer for Do it Best Group. “The goal wasn’t to create a perfect, fully developed product in three days. It was to identify viable ideas with the potential to be refined, funded, and implemented to make independent retailers stronger.” 

The Mission Possible teams tackled opportunities focused on enhancing the retailer experience, strengthening business intelligence, increasing operational efficiency, and accelerating the delivery of information and tools that support independent businesses. This year’s winning team developed a concept designed to optimize shipping decisions and reduce fulfillment costs while supporting a more efficient distribution network. 

Together, the challenges reflected Do it Best Group’s continued focus on improving the systems, services, and capabilities that help independent retailers make better inventory decisions, operate more efficiently, reduce costs, and capture additional sales opportunities. 

Teams were encouraged to experiment, test assumptions, and present both successful concepts and productive failures that generated useful learning. The strongest ideas may now be evaluated for further development as formal Do it Best Group initiatives.  

“Continuous improvement requires more than identifying what could work better,” Widner said. “It requires bringing the right people together, giving them the freedom to challenge existing processes, and creating a path for promising ideas to move forward. Mission Possible demonstrated the depth of talent throughout Do it Best Group and the shared commitment our team members have to helping independent businesses compete and win.” 

Mission Possible welcomed participation from across Do it Best Group offices and throughout the company’s distribution network. The company plans to preserve the teams’ presentations and technical concepts for potential future development. 

The event is one part of Do it Best Group’s broader commitment to advancing technology that delivers practical value for independent retailers. At its upcoming Fall Market, September 25-28 in Indianapolis, the company will highlight new and expanded capabilities designed to help retailers support their teams, engage customers, and streamline store operations. 

These updates will help newer store associates respond better to customer questions, turn store performance information into actionable business insights, further improve the ecommerce experience on mobile devices, and bring together tools intended to simplify and improve day-to-day store operations. Together, these capabilities reflect Do it Best Group’s continued investment in technology that helps independent retailers operate more efficiently and compete more effectively. 

About the Do it Best Group

Headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN, the Do it Best Group is the world’s largest hardware, lumber, and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry. With nearly $6 billion in annual sales, we support thousands of independently owned locations across the United States and in more than 60 countries worldwide. Partners in the company have the flexibility to operate under the Do it Best, True Value, or their own local store identities, offering a diverse range of branding options to best serve their communities. For more information, visit doitbestonline.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

For more information:

Jaclyn Goldsborough, Ferguson Advertising
574.596.0818
jaclyn@fai2.com