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There is no doubt that channel management is complex. (For more on this, see our previous posts, 5 Myths of Channel Management and Challenges of Channel Management.) However, it’s made more complex when it is managed through a set of tools and systems that can easily be compared to a patched-up quilt. In many organizations, channel management systems actually consist of a hodgepodge of diverse systems that have evolved over a long period of time. As a result of that, most companies today that try to implement a unified approach to their channel management struggle to make it work and get a decent return on their investment. The primary reason underlying this problem is a lack of available end-to-end systems that can readily adapt to each organization’s unique needs. Every company is different. So, for example, a horizontal product like a customer relationship management (CRM) system cannot really address the requirements for unified channel management. As a result of that—while marketing automation systems have evolved quite a bit over the last few years, and CRM systems have also progressed—no company has completely addressed the need for unified channel management. So, how are organizations managing the channel today? Partner portal: Most companies that are selling through the channel today have a partner portal. They build this partner portal over a period of years with various sets of tools, but there are no consistent standards that address how a portal should be built, and requirements also vary considerably across different types of channels. For example, if you’re looking at a dealer network where the relationship is highly transactional, the partner portal will look very different from a portal  in, say, the tech industry, where a solutions provider is working very closely with one or more technology providers to bring in complex, integrated solutions to the market. Similarly, a partner portal in the retail and franchise segment of the marketplace will be unique to those kinds of businesses. Because of this diversity in needs across segments, no vendor has been able to address the requirements for all segments. Partner records: If we look at how most companies are selling through the channel, and in particular how they manage their partner records or their channel records, we find that most of them are using a CRM or some sort of home-grown database. In fact, based on a survey we conducted, more than 40% of companies actually end up managing their partner list on an Excel spreadsheet. That’s kind of scary, but that’s where the market is today. Partner onboarding: When it comes to building and growing a channel, partner onboarding is a critical first step. Yet most companies today try to manage partner onboarding with some sort of combination of CRM and Microsoft Office tools like Excel, and some even resort to keeping track through paper records. Partner programs: To manage partner programs, some companies have started to use marketing automation tools like Oracle Eloqua or Marketo for direct marketing. However, those tools are way too complex for most organizations and they are not flexible enough to be deployed in a multi-tier channel where corporate can load campaigns and content, and then distribute those materials to their partners and execute marketing initiatives in variety of shapes and forms. Partner training is another area where very few companies have structured systems in place. But what’s the point of recruiting partners if you don’t have a structured way of getting them trained and increasing their competencies? Many large enterprises today have some sort of learning management system (LMS), but when you take a step down to companies below the $500 million level, or to companies that sell to other segments, they typically have serious issues managing partner training. A final, and very important, area of concern is partner incentives management. This is yet another area where it’s quite commonplace t...