SAP CRM Partner Channel Management (PCM) has released best practices for several of its scenarios. This blog will provide an overview of what scenarios are available. At the end you will find directions on how to access the best practices (BP). One valuable asset will be the configuration guide which will allow you some guidance in setting up your SAP CRM PCM implementation for these scenarios.
Partner Management (called Channel Partner Relationship Management in BP)
The Partner Management scenario capabilities of SAP CRM enable companies to recruit, ramp-up and manage channel partner relationships throughout the entire partner lifecycle.
This scenario will provide some key points:
- Get a 360 degree view of each partner and enables companies to systematically track all information about a partner in one place and then to use that information to drive intelligent business processes that are targeted and personalized
- Optimize channel coverage
- Reduce time-to-value for new partners
Market Development Funds for Channel Partners
Channel Marketing Funds (for example, MDF, Co-op and so on), enables companies to better manage and distribute channel marketing funds to their channel partners and increase the effectiveness of channel marketing expenditures.
Channel Marketing Funds like Market Development Funds (MDF) and Co-op Funds are monetary funds given by manufacturers (brand owners) to help a partner/reseller/distributor to market the manufacturer's brand. These funds are disbursed based on the execution of mutually agreed to marketing activities by the indirect sales partner.
MDF helps brand owners better manage and allocate funds to partners, provides partner self-service for requesting and claiming funds, and ensures legal compliance of funding practices.
This scenario will provide some key points:
- Extend marketing reach and drive demand generation by providing indirect channel partners with marketing funding support
- Better manage and distribute channel marketing funds to channel partners
- Improve visibility into and increase the effectiveness of channel marketing expenditures
- Increase partner satisfaction through quicker claims handling and payout processes
- Ensure legal compliance of channel funding practices
Lead & Opportunity Management with Channel Partners
The Lead and Opportunity Management with Channel Partners scenario supports the process of collaborative Lead, Opportunity and Activity Management throughout the sales cycle. Organizations can enable their partners to sell more of their products, more effectively. Organizations can also better align their cross-channel sales efforts to optimize channel sales efforts.
This scenario will provide some key points:
- Give partners the same knowledge, tools, and expert advice as your own sales force.
- Gain visibility and control of your indirect sales channel
- Match leads with the best-fit partner
- Improve close rates
- Align multi-channel sales efforts
Campaign Management with Channel Partners
The Campaign Management with Channel Partners scenario allows marketing organizations to more efficiently collaborate and coordinate marketing programs with channel partners.
For example, the brand owner can inform channel partners about campaigns targeted at resale customers, so that the channel partners are prepared for the corresponding customer interest, and can plan accordingly.
This scenario will provide some key points:
- Extend your sales and marketing reach
- Increase marketing collaboration between corporate and channel partners
- Gain control and visibility of all marketing activities and their effectiveness
- Share relevant campaign information and customer target groups with your channel partners
- Leverage your partners' intimate customer and market knowledge to optimize campaign success
The best practices can be found at:
http://help.sap.com/ >SAP Best Practices >Industry Packages > Hi-Tech > choose any of the 3 packages.
or
http://help.sap.com/bp_htel603/HTE_US/HTML/preconfigured_scenarios_EN_US.htm click on CRM Partner Channel Management.
Even though the above link to best practices are listed as High Tech Best Practices the documentation and configuration guides can also be leveraged for other industries as well.
To find the documents (especially configuration guides) you can use the following link:
http://help.sap.com/bp_htel603/BBLibrary/Content_Library_HTE_EN_US.HTM
The following configuration guides are SAP CRM PCM relevant:
- 472: CRM General Settings for PCM
- 473: CRM Master data for PCM
- 494: Analytics for PCM
- 495:CRM Campaign Management for PCM
- 496: CRM Lead Management for PCM
- 497: CRM Activity Management for PCM
- 498: CRM Opportunity Management for PCM
- 499: CRM Partnership Management for PCM
- 500: CRM Market Development Funds for PCM
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