By FinancialForce Guest Blog 1

Manufacturer rebates are a key revenue stream for value added resellers (VARs). In fact, they can make or break a deal, month, quarter or the efforts of an entire year.

Most manufacturers deliver critical rebate program information via emails or snail mail, and this information is manually tracked in–you guessed it–a spreadsheet. The information contained in that document could be the key to profitability, and every rebate that is not submitted or tracked is money lost. This, combined with the full-time equivalent labor effort to track that data, makes for a double-edged sword carving into the profitability of businesses.

Accuracy and Automation are Key

Today, most VARs are well aware of the critical nature of rebate revenue, and they seek accurate and automated ways to take the information from that email or letter and turn it into something powerful. That’s why we recently added the Rebate Revenue Management feature in FinancialForce Supply Chain Management (SCM), an application that manages the entire supply chain process from quote to fulfillment, and procurement to inventory, in a single closed-loop process.

How do you currently manage and track your rebates? Do you think you leave money on the table? What could you do with your new found revenue?

Mike Flanagan is general manager, supply chain management applications. Guest blogs such as this one are published monthly and are part of The VAR Guy’s annual platinum sponsorship.