Grainger has acquired technology, intellectual property and talent assets from Adroit Worldwide Media (AWM) for $210 million in cash.

Grainger said the assets will bolster inventory management capabilities within its High-Touch Solutions – North America segment by reducing the total cost of managing MRO inventory, improving product availability, and freeing skilled labor for higher-value work.

The MRO distribution giant plans to launch a commercial pilot over the next several months.

The deal is a rare acquisition for Grainger. Its prior major acquisition was U.K.-based MRO distributor Cromwell, which it bought in 2015 for $482 million and sold a decade later to refocus its portfolio on North America and Japan.