But the broad thing I would reiterate, going back to your question is, yes, the idea is really to use Mission Critical as a productivity engine on an ongoing basis that helps us to cover sort of core inflation that we see every year at a minimum and then as much as we can fund through investment, that would be the goal.
Chris Dankert: Got it. Thanks very much for the color there. And then, I guess, kind of thinking about the customer conversations right now, particularly around your cost savings, VMI, some of the other optimization you guys bring to customers. I know that was a really big selling point for you back in like the slowdown in 2015-2016. I guess, maybe — Erik, you touched on this a bit in your opening comments, but maybe can we put the current conversations and kind of the cadence of these cost saving conversations and what MSC brings to the table in context of prior downturns? Are we seeing a real acceleration in those conversations or is it kind of what we’ve been seeing 2022, 2023 to date?
Erik Gershwind: Chris, so I would say, the punch line is, there has been an acceleration. And I think there’s two factors I’d point to, a macro factor and a micro factor. So the macro factor is that, our customers, they are experiencing unprecedented levels of inflation over the past couple of years of competitive intensity of a once in a — hopefully once in a lifetime experience with COVID. Our customers are under more pressure, I think, than I’ve seen in my 25 years in the business. So the drumbeat and the need for help is greater than it’s been in past cycles. That’s the first thing. That’s the macro factor. The micro factor is, look, Chris relative to prior cycles, we really have changed the face of MSC. So this repositioning that we’ve talked about to becoming a Mission Critical partner, we’ve always had kind of like arrows in our quiver as it relates to helping customers with productivity and cost savings, but they’re much greater now.
And in particular, I think what’s happened is, they’ve extended from the procurement side of things, where we could offer productivity savings in the way of one-stop shopping, in the way of process savings to inventory management, we’ve really extended that to savings on the plant floor. And I think this is probably where we’re fairly unique. And Kristen in the prepared remarks mentioned one of our recent wins where the customer said to us, Boy, nobody is doing this. It’s extending the savings and the productivity from the process side to the production process where with our technical experts between metalworking and OEM fasteners and the C parts products, we’re actually able to go in and help reengineer process. We’re helping save labor hours, which right now are precious.
We’re saving material. So I think you’re seeing number one, a step up in customer needs and expectations. And then number two, really a changing of our role.
Chris Dankert: Got it. So it’s more about share capture, not trying to read into much to customer, the needs versus past. I think that makes an awful lot of sense. Thanks so much, Erik.
Erik Gershwind: You got it.
Operator: And your next question today comes from Steve Volkmann with Jefferies. Please go ahead.
Stephen Volkmann: Great. Good morning, everybody. And congrats, John, thanks for all your help.
John Chironna: Thank you, Steve.
Ryan Merkel: Good morning, Steve.
