How to Harness the Power of your Vendor Relationships with Rebate Management Software

We just lately held a webinar with Scott Ferguson, who has been within the pool and spa business for 21 years and is now the Vice President at United Aqua Group. A shopping for group with over 300 pool and spa professionals throughout the US and about 265 distributors. They check with their members as homeowners, as a result of that is precisely what they’re. By merely shopping for product by way of United Aqua Group, their homeowners are incomes shares of UAG inventory plus many extra monetary advantages for merely being part of the shopping for group.

Like many corporations all through the COVID pandemic, UAG have seen a number of provide chain challenges but in addition actually unprecedented demand for sure merchandise together with swimming swimming pools with folks spending numerous time at residence and being centered on bettering their residence environments. To beat these varied challenges, UAG have discovered that by harnessing the facility of their vendor relationships is not going to solely assist them develop but in addition encourage the distributors to provide their all to the connection to make sure they each succeed.

Be upfront about any provide points

Scott says “One of many issues that we attempt to do for our homeowners, every time it’s a necessity, sensible or requested, is to try to present options and choices to them, in order that they’ll get the merchandise that they want. And naturally, with the intention to do this, we have now to be very conversant in our distributors and their choices, we have now to have nice relationships with them. We now have to know that we’ll get the reality from them, that they are giving us the true story about what’s out there, and when it’ll be coming by way of the provision chain.”

Scott continues, “That is difficult for positive, however I do not wish to overstate this, however for probably the most half, we have been in a position to work by way of main points, as a result of we have developed shut vendor relationships and we’re in a position to assist our homeowners supply some form of a chance. It may not imply rapid achievement of an order, however at the very least we’re placing them ready to not terribly disappoint their clients.”

Construct belief and transparency with real-time visibility

Scott says, “One of many causes that we selected to work with Allow… I imply, the product is incredible, however for all of us at UAG and our distributors, we have now the arrogance that every one the knowledge that we’re sharing in the case of our incentive packages, it is multi function place, it is in actual time, it is correct, the calculations are being executed routinely, and so now it is taken one thing off of our collective plate. So, whereas earlier than we had to spend so much of time, emails backwards and forwards, taking a look at spreadsheets. We now have managed to extract ourselves from that world, that handbook labor, if you’ll, by working with Allow and getting all of our packages arrange”.

Scott continues, “Our distributors find it irresistible, they’ve entry to their program, they’ll see what’s entered. We are able to see what’s occurring in actual time, our buy information is loaded, subsequently it is making the calculations primarily based on this system info routinely and instantly. Finally the most important influence has been on vendor relationships, them being happy to see that we’re using the know-how, them being joyful that these calculations are being executed routinely, it is a large load off their minds, it is a large load of labor off our plate.”

Precisely calculate your rebates

Scott says, “As soon as, we obtained all the program info loaded, be mindful for us, that was properly over 100 totally different packages. We now have 265 distributors, however not all of them provide incentives, we’re engaged on that. So we had numerous packages to enter. As soon as we did that, and by the way in which, with an incredible quantity of assist, steering, help, from Allow, we then knew that with a few fast checks and checks, we knew that, okay, it is all simply occurring. All of the calculations are being made. We do not have to consider it, we do not have to fret about it. It is simply occurring, and we all know that it is correct. So now, as a matter of routine, all we’re doing is an occasional spot examine. If a vendor sends over some info as they’ll typically make their very own calculations only for their very own data, they’ve their very own methods, that is nice. So in the event that they despatched us some info, all we now do with it, is open it up and provides it a fast examine, and evaluate it to what’s in Allow. Okay, good, we’re on the identical web page, all the pieces’s working because it ought to.”

Scott continues, “We may even then load that information into Allow, it will probably keep there, it may be housed there. In order that at a look, we may evaluate that, to the calculations that Allow is making. So, the concept is to not even essentially eradicate and push apart all different sources of knowledge, it is there if you wish to take a look at it, and be sure that all the pieces’s because it’s presupposed to be, however you do not have to depend on that as your main methodology of guaranteeing that incentives are allotted correctly. The information is correct, we will examine in actual time the efficiency of any deal that’s in place with a vendor. And once more, we all know that we’re seeing that calculation happen in actual time, instantly primarily based on information, proper from our system, linked routinely to Allow.”

Believe within the know-how

Scott says, “Allow is one thing that I am hoping we begin to see widespread within the business, as a result of rebates and incentives are a really distinguished, fashionable and a longstanding a part of our business. And to me, it is only a no-brainer to have that tech working for you. I began at UAG in January of 2020, and we had been searching for every kind of the way to do issues in a different way, do issues higher, and do them extra effectively. So collectively, we had been in a gathering and speaking about rebates and incentives and so forth, and it simply turned apparent so shortly that we do not wish to do it this manner anymore. This fashion that means the spreadsheets, the emails backwards and forwards, the confusion, the let us take a look at your numbers in comparison with my numbers, and what is the distinction between the 2 of these issues. So it was like this collective epiphany that we simply knew that there must be a greater manner, we did not know what that was on the time, and we needed to discover out what it was.”

Scott continues, “Allow has helped us to develop stronger vendor relationships, and we do consider them as companions, we will not function with out them. Our homeowners need an unimaginable array of merchandise, they’re loyal to at least one vendor or one other. They need to have the ability to entry all these merchandise and once more, having that confidence within the know-how working for us, has strengthened our vendor relationships. Plus, fairly truthfully, they’ve given kudos to us by saying “Hey, good for you, you are the one ones we work with who’ve bothered to work with this sort of know-how to make the rebate administration course of less complicated”. Hopefully now, there are increasingly more folks making the most of it. After we first introduced on Allow, it gave the impression to be a revelation to our vendor buying and selling companions, the place they even commented, “Hey, that is nice, it is about time” and “That is, wow, we must always have been doing this for years.”

Would you wish to harness the facility of your vendor relationships? See how Allow might help. Get in touch or schedule a demo.