Understanding Supply Chain Costs: There is a lot of talk about total cost, value added and other names for the cost of doing business within the channel. Understanding what these costs are and how they impact a supplier's ability to sell and keep key accounts is critical in today's market.

Segmenting Accounts: Not all customers are created equal. Suppliers need to segment customer based on the dollar impact they can affect and the customer's willingness to work with them if they want to understand how to more effectively sell their accounts.

The Customer's Investment Strategy with Suppliers: If customers are to buy on a total cost basis, and not just on price, they need to understand the pay back. Is it worth it pay more and if so, how much?