The pressure on channel chiefs to demonstrate return on investment from their initiatives is only increasing. Inefficient management of channel data and the resulting lack of insight into partner and program performance are major challenges for technology companies, many of which generate up to 90% of their revenue though channel partners. But many of these same companies lack the visibility needed to make smarter business decisions based on proper analysis of accurate data. Armed with that capability, technology companies could increase indirect sales and improve the return on their channel investments.
What is Channel Data Management?
Traditionally, the term channel data management
refers to distributor sales data. But CDM is a more expansive concept, encompassing data points that channel teams rely on to:
- Understand who their partners are and how they interact with them
- Distributor inventory levels
- Determine partner eligibility and access to resources and tools
- Classify and segment partners to understand their capabilities and how-to best support and grow relationships with them
- Measure performance to determine which partners are the most and least valuable.
- If relying on data to drive these interactions with the channel, companies need to have complete, accurate, and up-to-date data
In this round table discussion, you’ll hear directly from industry leaders from Vistex, Adobe, ScanSource, Intel and NEC Display as they share insights on putting data management to work for their organizations. Discussion topics include:
- The role channel data management plays in day-to-day operations
- Most critical areas of CDM to get right, the first time
- Providing incentives for good data
- Advice on improving the state of data
