This two-part special report, published in MDM Premium, examines the practice of sharing point-of-sale data between distributor and manufacturer. The report is based on results from an MDM survey on POS as well as interviews with distributors, manufacturers and industry channel management experts.

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The articles in this report were published in MDM in the March 25, 2012, and April 10, 2012, issues.

Part 1: POS – An Exercise in Trust
In part 1 of this report, MDM Editor Lindsay Konzak looked at the hurdles to a broader acceptance of customer data-sharing in independent distribution channels and how those hurdles may be holding channel partners back from higher profitability due to greater transparency. Obstacles include distrust, a resource gap for both distributors and manufacturers and distributor-manufacturer market misalignment.

Part 2: The Untapped Potential of POS
In part 2, Konzak examined opportunities for distributors and manufacturers to use point-of-sale data more strategically to identify and capitalize on opportunities in their markets. This article also discusses the biggest constraint to capitalizing on POS: It requires a large investment in technology, culture and collaboration to do it correctly.