This guest
blog entry was written by Larry Walsh of Channelnomics.
Vendors and solution providers give critical areas of channel operations and performance mediocre grades in the inaugural Channel Perceptions: Vendors vs. Partners Report by The 2112 Group, finding the channel to be an underperforming go-to-market system for sales and technical support.
Vendors and solution providers have strong opinions
about the value and performance of the channel. Vendors see solution providers
as an integral route to market. Solution providers are dependent upon vendors
to supply the technologies they use to create solutions. Supporting this
relationship is a complex framework of support, business development, marketing
and communications, training and enablement and leadership.
The 2112 Group asked 254 solution providers and 66
vendor channel executives to rate 29 areas of channel operations and
performance. The average score on the 10-point scale: 6 for solution providers
and 6.5 for vendors. Some areas scored worse than others, such as post-sales
support and communications. Only three areas, such as the value of a vendor’s
brand in shaping markets, scored better than 8.
While some of the results will come as no surprise
to vendors or solution providers, since there are numerous areas already know
to be in need of improvement, many issues and operational functions assumed to
be performing well are actually in need of immediate attention.
The Channel Perception report is part of the 2112’s Quarter Channel Review series, which is normally only available to subscribers. 2112 is making this full report available for free; to download the report, click here.
