Article Written By: zedast123
Be it Halloween, Diwali, Christmas or New Year, shopping at discounted prices become an intricate part of the festive seasons and adds much fun and colors to the festive mood. Festive Seasons brings with it other very attractive factor as huge discounts, attractive schemes and offers. Most spenders avail maximum advantage of this period and shop till they drop!However, the schemes are equally beneficial for the companies, just as they are for the customers. A Flat 10% discount, Buy One Get One Free, and Free Gifts schemes are designed in a way that they bring financial gain to both customers and company. While for customers it become a good way to get more in less money, companies get a chance to override the competition, liquidate the stock and energize the entire distribution channel.Both the parties would be able to enjoy the schemes only if they do systematic scheme and offer management at the back-end. The festive schemes are seasonal, so there is a particular time period to run. Through this article, I would like to throw some light on how scheme and offer management can be an expense and mar a company s image, and how to overcome these scenarios.Let us begin with an example: For an electronic appliances manufacturer, offering a free I-Pod to end-customers with an LCD Television is fantastic and it is likely that it will gain huge attention of the customers. Say this scheme and offer program is planned around 20 days before New Year, the following challenges may occur:A scheme is as good as a loss, if the retailers are not aware of it. Some schemes might be relevant on particular product category and SKUs. The key to avoid the confusion lies in streamlining the process. A Scheme and Offer Management System also shows its relevance here. It captures real-time data, incorporates calculation mechanisms and automates the entire process.When schemes are on for a particular time period, every day is important and every hour can witness a new level of inventory stock. To calculate the gain and loss in a particular geography and retail stores, it is important to capture the real-time data of every sale made. Carrying the same example forward, if a particular retailer A at location X is unable to leverage and pass the benefits of this Scheme and Offer, the company might want to shift the I-Pod and LCD televisions inventory to a location Z that is selling in higher quantities. This is possible only if the company follows a streamlined scheme and offer management structure.Usually, a large sales chain is involved in scheme and offer programs. From distributors, to sub-distributors, managers and retailers, every entity has a critical role in making the program a success. Hence wrong or incomplete dissemination of information can cost dearly. To avoid such complexities, you can create a document listing all the parameters that accumulate to define the scheme. This may include details like geography where the schemes are applicable, categories and sub-categories on which run, and prepositions like Volume based or Value based scheme.Designed and developed with planning and precision, the scheme and offer programs are effective and a perfect fit for marketing planners. To overcome the challenges associated with the process and gain maximum ROI, a Scheme and Offer Management System can do wonders.
This Article Has Been Published on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 and Read 141 Times