How much focus do you give to ensuring you optimise your supply chain? Across all industries and all sectors there are numerous examples of businesses losing their customer bases or failing to penetrate a new market because their channel strategy or choices of channel partners was wrong.
Getting your channel right
Whatever your business, you’re likely to have a team devoted to challenging, developing and improving your core product, services and benefits. You’re also likely to have a communications team working on your promotional strategy, as well as commercial staff constantly focusing on getting your price right.
The fact is, Supply Chain Research and Channel Research are neglected by many businesses and yet its importance cannot be overestimated.
How we can help
B2B International start from the basics by taking a high level view of the whole supply chain and your current position within it. Using a workshop format, we work with you to identify pressure points, unknown channels and changes in market structure. Our senior consultants then immerse themselves in the market, speaking to businesses at every stage of the supply chain. This may include manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, resellers, importers and exporters, agents and reps, enabling our team to reach an objective and informed view as to how your channel strategy can be optimised.
Our services
Working in partnership with you, we will provide strategic advice on augmenting your channel strategy, as well as firm tactical recommendations for implementing this strategy. We blend market leading research, industry best practice and knowledge of your business to provide a solution that really leads to action.
Case study: Optimising channel strategy
Business challenge
A leading food manufacturer approached us as it wished to optimise its channel strategy in a number of countries. The challenge was significant: how to expand its customer base via channel partners, whilst maintaining the integrity and safety of its offering. In short, finding channel partners it could trust.
What we did
We began by mapping out the value chain in tandem with the client, identifying knowledge gaps. We then conducted a survey spanning the whole supply chain, allowing us to modify the market map and identify the most appropriate channels in each of four countries. Finally, we profiled in detail a range of specific distributors, agents and other intermediaries, allowing us to recommend specific partners that our client could trust. Our client went on to commence negotiations with three of the identified potential channel partners.
