文档介绍：SMR030
MIT
Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
Summer 1997
Volume 38
Number 4
Erin Anderson,
e S. Day & Strategic Channel Design
V. Kasturi Rangan
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Strategic Channel Design
Erin Anderson • e S. Day • V. Kasturi Rangan
When choosing distribution channels, pendage to its strategy — the result of opportunistic,
reactive, one-by-one decisions accumulated over time
companies need to rely on design and frozen by perceived barriers. Instead, the firm’s
principles that are aligned with their overall strategic direction must guide changes in chan-
nels. Therefore, we propose a process for incorporating
petitive strategy and a strategic perspective into decisions on the future con-
figuration of channel functions, control of the func-
performance objectives. tions, and mitments. This process requires
firms to assess their current channels, identify alterna-
ccelerating technological change, heightened tives based on binations of value-adding
marketplace demands, more aggressive global channel functions, and evaluate the alternatives within
petition, and shifts in the workforce and a broad context that highlights petitive
population demographics are affecting distribution advantages.
channels, panies to reconsider fundamen- First, we outline some forces for change in distribu-
tal assumptions about how they reach their markets. tion channels. Next, we examine the implications of
The magnitude of change demands a strategic per- these changes for channels, including -
spective that views channel decisions as choices from a mitments, pression, horizontal diversity,
continually changing array of alternatives for achieving and the need to re-examine channel alliances. We also
market coverage petitive advantage — subject, suggest how to design channels strategically.
of course, to the constraints of co