PRODATA · INDUSTRY & WHOLESALE

Engage partners.
Develop sell-out.

Connect manufacturers, wholesalers and trade customers in a clear partner programme. Make qualifying purchases visible and encourage the products and activities that matter to your sales strategy.
Strategy · ProLoyalty · Integration · Full Service
Developing partnersSupport partners with purpose.
Grow product adoptionStrengthen relevant product groups.
Connecting distribution channelsMake contributions traceable.

WE UNDERSTAND YOUR MARKET

Your product convinces.
Your partnership remains.

A B2B partner programme helps manufacturers and wholesalers engage dealers, trade customers and specialist partners. PRODATA connects programme rules, ProLoyalty and operational support across your distribution chain.
What matters in your industry

Orders tell only part of the story. Advice, product knowledge and everyday collaboration also shape which brand gets recommended.

Multiple levels, clear responsibilities

Manufacturers, wholesalers and specialist partners have different interests and information needs. We define participants, roles and communication deliberately, taking existing distribution agreements and field sales relationships into account.

YOUR PROGRAMME · A POSSIBLE WORKFLOW
01Recruit partners
02Record activity
03Apply rules
04Create value
Clear rules. Traceable decisions.
Illustrative Beratungssituation industrie; KI-generiertes Symbolbild, keine Kundenreferenz.

FOR MANUFACTURER SALES, CHANNEL MANAGEMENT & WHOLESALE

Your partner network. More activity at every level.

Recruit partners, grow product adoption and support verified sell-out across multi-tier channels.
Design channel programmes

Connect companies, branches and partner roles with targeted actions, individual communication and relevant benefits.

Capture sell-out data

Process purchase evidence with PROLoyalty INVOICE™ and match it to the product catalogue. Programme rules account for products, bundles and credit notes.

Support sales effectively

Partner portals, rewards, member support and reporting work together, from a focused pilot to the gradual expansion of your network.

APPROACHES THAT FIT

Three approaches.
A clear customer benefit.

01

Channel Program

Develop partners with purpose.

Discover the approach

Benefits and communication reflect partner roles, potential and responsibilities. Plan onboarding, qualification and long-term development as a connected journey.

02

Product-range campaigns

Make new products easier to adopt.

Discover the approach

A defined campaign scope helps sales teams focus on relevant products. Catalogues, evidence, time periods and exceptions determine the programme rules.

03

Knowledge & Cooperation

Build visible expertise.

Discover the approach

Product information, training and helpful service create additional reasons to participate. The programme design specifies which activities qualify.

Illustratives Branchenmotiv industrie: Fachperson mit Tablet. KI-generiertes Symbolbild.

IN PRACTICE: PURCHASE EVIDENCE

Indirect distribution.
Direct relevance.

A wholesale customer orders the same product by the carton and as individual units. The campaign measures qualifying quantities in a common unit. Dealer references are mapped to the manufacturer’s catalogue; returns and credit notes remain linked to the original transaction.
Proof of purchase in indirect distribution

Where no direct transaction interface exists, agreed purchase documents can provide an additional data source. PROLoyalty INVOICE™ supports extraction and product matching. Programme rules still determine whether the transaction qualifies.

From pilot to scalable support

A useful pilot includes different partners and typical exceptions. Assess data quality, service demand and acceptance together before deciding rollout scope and subsequent steps.

Illustrative process concept. The implementation is tailored to your project.

THE KEY PROJECT QUESTIONS

Understand sell-in.
See sell-out more clearly.

Distinguish channel stages

Mechanics that support the intended sales outcome.

Required information
Manufacturer shipment, dealer sale or trade customer's purchase

Clarify during design
Which level counts for the target? How do we avoid double recognition?

Accurately assign products

Comparable quantities and comprehensible product rules.

Required information
Manufacturer item, dealer reference, GTIN and pack size

Clarify during design
What applies to sets, packaging units and product variants?

Mapping partner structures

Clear responsibilities in multi-stage distribution networks.

Required information
Company, branch and supervising sales team

Clarify during design
Who is responsible for the account and which roles see which processes?

Measure success: qualifying sell-out

Recognised net quantities or net revenue for selected products at the agreed channel stage, adjusted for returns and credit notes.

Activation in the partner network
Assess active companies and branches separately. More registered users do not by themselves demonstrate incremental sales.

Systems and data: the appropriate integration scope

ERP, PIM, product catalogues and CRM provide the business foundations. PROLoyalty INVOICE™ processes purchase evidence using AI and can use structured ZUGFeRD data. It works within the ProLoyalty Enterprise Suite or as a standalone solution. Programme rules determine recognition.

01ParticipantsRoles and needs
02ActivityEvidence and clear rules
03Customer valueRelevant benefits and dependable service

FROM IDEA TO EVERYDAY OPERATIONS

Start clearly.
Develop with purpose.

01

Define the target outcome

Connect audiences, customer value and available data.

02

Test in a pilot

Test participation, exceptions and service using realistic cases.

03

Operate reliably

Prepare teams, coordinate delivery and evaluate impact.

FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR PROGRAMME

More products in use.
Closer to the user.

Turn a broad catalogue into concrete opportunities for advice, trials and repeat purchases.

A loyalty or incentive programme can support market development: attract customers and distribution partners, increase product adoption and strengthen your brand’s market presence. Alongside customer programmes, run dedicated incentives for field sales, distributor sales, inside sales and technical service teams.

Also reward sales and service

Manufacturers and suppliers can involve partner sales teams, their own sales organisation and technical service units. Suitable objectives include product training, qualified project leads, verified sales, complete handovers and agreed service quality.

Roles, access, eligibility, evidence, approvals and reward budgets are defined for each participating company. Individual and team objectives can be distinguished; the detailed arrangements are agreed with the responsible partners.

Reward measurable behaviour beyond sales

Reward measurable behaviour beyond sales with permissible objectives, reliable evidence and clear rules. Examples include technical training, qualified project leads, documented demonstrations, new active partners, approved product-range activations and fully handled enquiries.

Turn market development goals into programme objectives

Together, we translate your market objectives into concrete activities for customers, employees and partners. For each activity, we define evidence, weighting, time period, recognition and any required approval. This connects strategy with everyday behaviour.

Measure activity and market success separately

Activation, qualification and use show whether the programme encourages the intended behaviour. Customer acquisition, partner development and incremental business outcomes are assessed against agreed baselines and comparison periods. A rewarded activity alone does not prove additional sales or market-share gains.

Develop product adoption beyond volume bonuses

Which product family is underused? Where could accessories complement an existing application? Build targeted campaigns around these opportunities. Agree qualifying items, quantities, promotion costs and the intended next purchase.

Developing partners according to potential

A new trade customer needs a different starting point from a long-standing key account. Milestones can range from a first documented purchase to adoption of additional product groups. Objectives reflect the partner segment and starting position.

Keep product information authoritative

For complex products, current application guidance and approved information belong in the partner journey. A promotion does not replace product approval. Define content ownership and how updates reach sales, partners and service teams.

Use AI to support partner development

Qualifying purchases, participation and enquiries inform CRM and field sales. PRODATA adds AI-assisted churn predictions and personalised performance promotions, for example to support repeat purchases, wider product use or reactivation. Evidence quality determines what can be concluded. Submitted documents show documented purchases, not automatically a partner's total demand.

Developing existing programmes

An existing club can be the starting point. Assess participation barriers, unused benefits, available data and unresolved service cases. Phase the relaunch with an agreed transition plan for balances, entitlements and communication.

Connect manufacturer and partner budgets transparently

Multi-tenant and coalition loyalty support shared product campaigns. Budgets, qualifying transactions and responsibilities remain separately traceable; clearing supports settlement between participants. Manufacturers and distributors can see attributable costs and the data available for evaluation.

Illustrative Beratungssituation branchen; KI-generiertes Symbolbild, keine Kundenreferenz.
Aligned with your goals. Connected to your systems. Supported in operation.

EXPERIENCE AND IMPLEMENTATION

One partner.
From strategy to ongoing operations.

Published PRODATA testimonials from ROTHENBERGER and Bosch Thermotechnik describe CRM integration, programme design, support and an international partner programme. We discuss the relevance of this experience to your specific scope.
Product identification - technical background

GS1 describes the GTIN as a unique product identifier. For programme design, item references, variants and units must be correctly related. A GTIN does not replace a campaign eligibility rule.

GS1 Germany: GTIN · Source reviewed on 29 October 2026

ANSWERS FOR YOUR DECISION

Frequently asked questions

Does this also fit multi-stage distribution systems?

Yes. Planning starts with participants and their roles. Purchase evidence, communication and access rights are aligned with that structure.

Can different partner groups get different rules?

Yes. Different participant groups can have different mechanics. Clear rules and consistent information for partners and service teams are essential.

Does manufacturer revenue equal qualifying sell-out?

No. Supply to a wholesaler and purchase by a downstream partner are separate transactions. The programme defines which stage qualifies and which data or evidence measures it.

What data do we need to get started?

ERP, PIM, product catalogues and CRM provide the business foundations. PROLoyalty INVOICE™ processes purchase evidence using AI and can use structured ZUGFeRD data. It works within the ProLoyalty Enterprise Suite or as a standalone solution. Programme rules determine recognition.

Which metrics should we track?

Assess recognised net quantities or revenue at the agreed channel stage, accounting for returns and credit notes. Measure active companies and branches separately. Registrations alone do not prove incremental sales.

What determines the scope and cost?

Audiences, roles, data sources, benefit rules and service scope determine cost. We start with a bounded industry or wholesale pilot using real scenarios, then estimate implementation, ongoing operations and agreed services.

Can we reward behaviour as well as sales?

Yes. Examples include technical training, qualified project leads, documented demonstrations, new active partners, approved product-range activations and fully handled enquiries. Agree suitable objectives, reliable evidence and recognition rules to support customer acquisition, partner development and product adoption.

Can sales staff and service teams also be rewarded?

Yes. Dedicated incentives can cover field sales, distributor sales, inside sales and technical service teams. Suitable objectives include training, qualified project leads, verified sales, complete handovers and agreed service quality, with rules appropriate to each audience.

Let’s discuss your project.

A direct, no-obligation conversation

Thorsten Heftrich,
Loyalty Consultant and Managing Director

We will be happy to help you!

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PRODATA · Your loyalty partner
Consulting, proprietary software development and operational support from Karlsruhe. Your contact: Thorsten Heftrich, Managing Director and Loyalty Consultant.

Thorsten Heftrich

Loyalty Consultant and Managing Director

Boost customer loyalty. Increase sales: Let’s talk about your loyalty success.

Arrange a free initial consultation.
+49 721 98171-111