PPB July 2016

JULY 2016 •

PPB

• 27

1. Who owns the product?

2. What are the hosting fees?

3. What are the development costs?

4. Any monthly maintenance fees?

5. What are the pick and pack charges?

These points get the conversation started, and from

there we can get a better idea of how to build the store

as well as the costs which are involved. Transparency is

critical for a successful store. Nobody likes surprises.

PPB

What are your company’s most common

responsibilities to clients regarding store

maintenance?

Wehrle

We provide our clients with monthly, quarterly

and annual reports. We track trends to assure ade-

quate inventory so we can be proactive rather than

reactive. Another major report we use is called the

“dusty carton” report. In this report, we can see what

is not selling and address this with the client so we can

develop a solution to assist in marketing items that are

not selling successfully.

Jen Alexander is associate editor for

PPB

• 844-251-8544

(toll free)

ELEMENTS OF A

SERVICE-

LEVEL AGREEMENT

TO HELP ENSURE A PRODUCTIVE

relationship with company

store clients, distributors should consider including the following

elements into their service level agreement (SLA):

• A detailed plan and timeline for site development and launch

• Each party’s financial commitment to the development, launch

and maintenance of the site

• Each party’s financial commitment to establishing and maintain-

ing product inventory

• Who will be responsible for site maintenance and security

• Who will be responsible for overseeing order processing

• Who will be responsible for reviewing and responding to user

comments, questions or feedback

• Who will be responsible for site-related marketing and

communication