Siebel Consumer Goods Guide > Product Distribution >

Creating Distribution Lists

After you define distribution codes, you can create a distribution list for a key account and specify the subaccounts of the key account. You can then define the products you want to include in the key account's distribution list.

This task is a step in Process of Managing Product Distribution.

To create an account distribution list and define subaccounts

1. Navigate to the Administration - Authorized Distribution List screen, then the Detail List view.
2. Select the account record for which you want to create an account distribution list by performing a query in the list.

   NOTE:  For direct distribution, this key account is a key distribution point for the customer, such as a distribution warehouse. For indirect distribution, this key account is responsible for indirect distribution, such as a third-party distributor.

3. (Optional) Click the More Info view tab, and select the Inclusive check box to assign inclusive distribution properties.
4. Click the Authorized Accounts view tab, and create a new record in the Authorized Accounts list.
5. Click the select button in the Account field, and in the Pick Account dialog box, select an account record to add as a subaccount to this key account, and click OK.
6. Complete the necessary fields.

   The following table describes some fields.

   Field	Comments
   Account Channel	Determines the type of distribution channel to which the account belongs.
   Dist. Code	Distribution Code. Determines the products that this account receives.
   Category	Determines the category of products this account receives.

   NOTE:  You can create multiple records for one subaccount. Each record for a subaccount must have a different category, but each category can have a different distribution code.

After you specify the subaccounts to include in the authorized distribution list, you can define the products available to those accounts.

To define products for an account distribution list

1. Navigate to the Administration - Authorized Distribution List screen, then the Detail List view.
2. Select an account record for which you want to define products.
3. To add the products in a category to the Authorized Category Product list, complete the following steps:
   1. Click the Authorized Category Products view tab.
   2. Click Category.
   3. In the Select Category dialog box, query for the category with products to add to this account's distribution list and click OK.

      All products in the selected category appear in the Authorized Category Products list, and the Categories list displays the category of a selected product.

4. (Optional) In the Authorized Category Products list, add a new product without a category.
5. To set up selection availability for each product in the Authorized Category Products list, use the fields in the following table.

   Field	Comments
   Orderable	Select this check box to make the product available for selection when a user adds products to a sales order.
   Promotable	Select this check box to make the product available for selection when a user adds products to an account or corporate promotion if the Authorized Product field for the account or corporate promotion is selected.
   Auditable	Select this check box to make the product available for selection when a user designates products for a retail audit.
   Delist Date	The product is available for selection if the value in this field is on or before the date that the user adds products to sales orders, adds products to an account or corporate promotion, designates products for a retail audit.
   List Date	The product is available for selection if the value in this field is blank or after the date that the user adds products to sales orders, adds products to an account or corporate promotion, designates products for a retail audit.

6. Include products in or exclude products from the distribution list for the account.
   • To include a product in the distribution list for the account, select the product in the Authorized Category Products list, then specify the distribution code for that product in the Categories list.

     If the Inclusive check box is selected for the key account, do not create more than one product-category record for the same product and category. With inclusive distribution, product-category records for the same product and category but with different distribution codes have contradictory meaning. Also, these records can result in error messages when you apply distribution code updates to the subaccounts for the key account.

   • To exclude a product from the distribution list for the account, select the product in the Authorized Category Products list, and then select the Skip check box in the Categories list.
7. In the Authorized Category Products list, click Apply to propagate the key account's distribution list to the subaccounts that are associated with the account.
8. Click the Authorized Distribution List view tab.

   All the subaccounts are listed with assigned categories and products.

   NOTE:  To view competitor products, for example when conducting retail audits, the competitor products must exist in the distribution list of the account. Only administrators can add competitor products to an end user's products list. End users who are responsible for account audits can then associate competitor products with the account that they plan to audit.