As dependence on indirect sales channels continues to grow, we see a gap between ERP, CRM, PRM and 
compensation systems that needs to be filled. We talk a lot about Channel Performance Optimization. The reason we do is not to come up with another acronym that will make things more confusing but as a way to describe that gap.
Typically when you look at markets that have been solving a need for a long-time, there often times is a gap – or some white space in between what the solution is providing and what the market or company has evolved into. So when you take a look at an enterprise, particularly a high-tech manufacturer, ERP helps manage the data within a manufacturer; CRM helps manage the customer relationship and PRM helps manage the partner relationship. They all provide methodologies and tools that help improve relationships with either data or people to ultimately gain peak performance. What about a methodology and tools that brings all three constituencies together based on data integrity?
If businesses had the ability to systematically understand every channel business process, relationship and interaction in real-time, the company could implement the optimal mix of channel actions to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Similar to the retail markets where supply chain data is automatically fed back into sales, marketing, demand and distribution channel, technology companies should have access to the same type of visibility and control over their supply chain.
We said it in an earlier post, but we think it’s important enough to say again – providing real-time visibility into every channel relationship for finance, operations, sales, and marketing will achieve a smarter channel.
