How VARs Pick a Good Vendor: Look for GIS

ChannelWeb reviews a presentation by MarketStar at XChange ‘08 aimed at helping VARs pick vendors with good channel management. #3 was:

3. Investigate whether the vendor uses Geographic information systems (GIS) to assist in analyzing sales data. When that information is plotted, special patterns become apparent. Relationships, patterns and trends are revealed in the form of maps, globes, reports and charts. That way, vendors can keep tabs on sales cannibalization of a region. Further, by eliminating channel partners who do not contribute to a regions growth, vendors can maximize the productive VARs’ sales potential and increase their revenue.

Good suggestion. Perhap vendors would acknowledge that they do use GIS; I don’t expect they’d share that info with their channel however.