{ntroduction to Sales nd Diseribution Management 25 Case 1.1 PI Foods Ltd.—Managing Sales and Distribution Ramesh Kulkarni, regional sales manager, western region, of Pl Foods was discussing with his area sales managers about the complaints of shortage of supplies by some of the distributors and non-receipts of com. pany’s products by Cand D class retail outlets. These complaints were received by Ramesh directly from the distributors and the retail outlets. Ramesh expressed his total dissatisfaction that none of the three area sales managers had informed him about these problems earlier I Foods’ product-mix consisted of bab foods, Jconfectionery and beverages: For households and individual consumers, the company's fand retailers, and for business (or institutional) workforce, as shown in the Exhibit | products like milk powsler and ghee, chocolates and sliscribution channel consisted of distribut customers, the company had distributors and its own sales Exhibit 1. Distribution Channels For Consumer tarts Distributors |—+{ Retators — For Businoss(Insutional) Markets Brill —-ocscnaad + Disbutor: | — Each distributor's salesperson was given a geographic area (or a sales territory) to cower all types (or classes) of retail ourlets located in his territory, as per the norms of frequency cf visits shown in Exhibit 2 Exhibit 2, Norms of Frequency of Visits to Retail Outlet Types ‘TypelClass of Outlets Sales Peental ene of visits (Retailers) (Rs.permenth) (Nae | DChs Pan Shop (Les than 1000) (Once in 23 weeks CChs Small Shop (1000 ~ 250 Once in 2 weeks BClas 1p (2500 t A Class Soper ®) Shop (more hain S The time taken for A or ‘Super A’ retailers was much more and also their sales potential was high Hence, the natural behaviour of the salespeople was to achieve the weekly and monthly sales spending more time with super A, A and B Class retailers. Only ifthe time permitted, they visited C and D class retailers, and therefore, sometimes these retailers were not visited, as per the standard niorms Exhibit 2forecasting by dst to distributors due to the factory production fi before making any su sles managers and sai solved on priori. Questions 1 Ifyou were! problems? Baa 2 Do vou ageee with Remesh th me to know ffom Cand D class retailers that the distibu- ular basis. He further said that not only i¢ affected the ket, but also the satisfaction levels of retailers. Ramesh {about these problems. The area sales managers responded BY salespersons, they would revert after talking to theie sales esto the distriburors, the main reasons were incorzect sales {constraints and misallocation of dispatches from warehouses the differences in the estimated or forecasted sales figures and| fehagers said they needed sometime to talk to various persons| Ramesh agreed to give one week's time to the area the issues involved were important and were to be = Mae wu be your suggested plan of action to resolve the ie tat eat AE tax