Best Practices for Collecting Data from the Channel EDN. Computer Market Research, Ltd. (CMR) has perfected the process of obtaining raw POS data from the channel for Fortune 1000 clients by providing a plethora of channel management applications.
San Diego, California - April 14, 2004 - Accurate, complete and timely information arriving from the channel regarding all aspects of the moment that the sale was made, provides the manufacturer with crucial information about who, when, why, where and how the products were purchased. When an optimized practice for collecting data has been implemented correctly, business intelligence is generated for channel enhancement.
Online communication is vital to the process of gathering channel data. The first step in the gathering process is for the manufacturer to clarify their in-house goals for the information. The financial, sales, information technology and marketing departments must address current challenges that will be alleviated with proper data collection and reporting. Challenges may include proper recognition of revenue through the channel, proper cleaning of the data, managing leads and precise sales compensations, among others.
Once the challenges and goals have been identified, the channel manager and the reporting partners must enter into an agreement that specifies the collection requirements. Avoid simple agreements to “collect the data in a timely manner,” by providing concise specifications as to what day and time the monthly or weekly POS files are due. The agreement must detail the repercussions of receiving a late file. Also, tracking reporting compliance and rewarding those who are continually prompt reporting partners, in the form of Co-ops and MDFs improves reporting performance.
The reporting process must be simple. Ease the gathering process by allowing multiple user-friendly methods of receiving the files. If reporting partners require different methods of reporting and/or different file formats, be flexible. For example, be able to receive files through a secure website, as an email attachment, or any other collection method. Some partners may send Excel spreadsheets while others will provide text files. Be prepared to standardize all of the collected data. The final step is to generate reports based on the cleaned and processed data that can be used to share the value of the insightful information with the reporting partners. Information regarding strong leads and product success can assist the partners in targeting future sales opportunities, which benefits all parties involved.
About Computer Market Research
Computer Market Research, Ltd. (CMR) is the industry’s leading solution provider of channel information management, consulting and software applications. For 20 years, CMR’s web-based, hosted or desktop software applications have accelerated and automated distributor and reseller data collection processing and analysis. Clients like Hitachi Data Systems™, palmOne™, Samsung™ and Symbol Technologies™, among others, who are dependent upon multi-channel strategies, rely on CMR to improve data gathering management as well as customer and partner relationship management.
CMR clients implement Channel POS™ to optimize channel efficiency, gain better insight, align partner networks, reduce time-to-volume, and speed up the sales cycle by translating raw data into business intelligence - all key factors in driving greater revenue, profit, market share, and end-customer satisfaction. Tie in CMR’s on-line Partner Avenue™ PRM application, and clients have the integration needed for timely commission reporting, price protection calculations, accurate forecasting, inventory control, special pricing requests, optimal marketing programs and funds management.
