Siebel Partner Relationship Management Administration Guide > Using Market Development Funds > The Advanced MDF Option >

Overview of Advanced MDF Option

In this MDF or co-op management process, the marketing manager sets up one or several programs and selects partners who can participate in the associated funds. This automatically creates program accounts for these partner participants so that partners can accrue funds or receive discretionary MDF amounts under the associated programs. Partners can request funding for marketing activities out of the funds accrued or received in their different program accounts. Partners request funding through the Siebel PRM Portal by creating a preapproval with one or more associated line items, identifying the different cost items associated with the marketing activity. These preapprovals are routed to the channel marketing manager, who can review and either accept or reject cost items at the line item level. Once approved, the partner can execute the corresponding marketing activity.

Partners can create claims through the Siebel PRM Portal to redeem the money in their program accounts for marketing activities against the preapprovals. When a claim is approved, the claim debits the program account. The claim amount can then be sent to the accounting system for payment processing. This process includes flexibility for routing and escalating approval requests to multiple people within brand owner organizations.