Partner Relationship Management Software: Resolving Channel Conflict

Partner relationship management software has a pivotal role in creating a better working relationship between the parent company vendor and its channels. There is usually a big problem when vendors try to get information from resellers. This information may be used for several reasons. The obvious reason for distributors is that the vendor wants to gain access to the local market territory of the reseller. Of course the reseller does not want this to happen. The reseller will refuse giving much information and will not cooperate with any activities that might constitute the vendor’s will to take control of the whole network of distribution.

The vendor will usually have, for example, an online operation which can be easily accessed by anyone anytime of the day. This poses such a great threat to the reseller who tries to gain profit by reaching out to the customers in its chosen sector. If loyal customers where to somehow find out that there exists such an online store, then the flow of distribution will be rerouted and will most likely go around the reseller, leaving them cut off from the line. This is why the relationship between the vendor and its channels can be very precarious. How can one avoid such a situation which breeds mistrust and disloyalty between the vendor and his partners?

The worries of the reseller are not entirely baseless. However, it is just their perspective as they calculate the risk of the joint venture. There is another point of view, the point of view that sees both sides of the network equation winning in terms of revenue. And this can only be facilitated by the proper utilization of good Partner Relationship Management software (or PRM). With such a system in play, the reseller will be able to ensure a good measure of security to its channels. Also, this will help the distributors protect their own interests thereby creating a smoother business relationship.

Take this example on how such a system works. One issue that some partnerships can have is an issue on the product. Some products might just be too consumer oriented right of the bat. This means that the product will not need any additional or supplementary services that the reseller might be able to offer against the same basic offer of the parent vendor company. Such a product will require little or even no offline selling clouds.

Packaging the software outside the country will require a different language or a translation of the product itself in the case of software. Vendors will not have the time to do such a translation outside English since there are so many languages as there are countries. The vendor will not initially be able to discern which countries’ languages the product should be appropriated to. The product will only come out in English, most of the time if not all the time. This is where channels can get the edge. Through the employment of partner relationship management software, data for such repackaging for the resellers can be protected easily while maintaining direct connection and giving back of data to the parent vendor company.