CIS is an integrated information system to handle data in the channel management. It should be user centric and user friendly. The designing of a channel information system begin with an identification of the strategic, managerial, and overall channel objectives. It is critical to define the relationships among decisions and to decide the flow of information and decisions. The second step is to analyse the information required by the different stake holders. The next step is the identification of information sources. The sources of information can be the data gathered from monthly sales, product sales, and distributor data. Some of the data can be generated from different sales reports and some data can collected by the sales team from the channel partners. Once the data is collected, it is critical to process the data accurately and efficiently. Hardwares and softwares are used for the storage and processing of data so it is critical to select the right hardware and software. The next step is to do the cost analysis of the channel information system. This cost analysis will be based on the identification of information sources and the hardware and software requirements. The last step is to finalize the most optimum channel information system. Figure 23.2 depicts the designing of channel information system.
Source: Richard R. Still, Edward W. Cundliff, Normal A. P Govoni, Sandeep Puri (2017), Sales and Distribution Management: Decisions, Strategies, and Cases, Pearson; Sixth edition.
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