Emerging Technologies for Enhancing Supplier–Reseller Partnerships

Suppliers have traditionally managed their relationships in the indirect reseller channel using inefficient, labor-intensive communications processes. As a result, the tasks of managing resellers and of precisely monitoring reseller productivity in converting leads to sales have been difficult. Today, a whole new category of Web-based software has emerged to address these opportunities. Software modules and systems in this new market space, now referred to as “Partner Relationship Management (PRM),” provide solutions specifically targeted to build closer and more productive supplier–reseller relationships. This paper overviews the origin, evolution, and potential role of PRM solutions in general channel management, and considers their link to existing Customer Relations Management software solutions. Also addressed is the prospective future of PRM—most notably, the possibility that dedicated PRM companies and their specialized best-of-breed solutions may be absorbed by broader-based software solution providers. © 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.