In looking at the overall trading partner relationship from the vendor's perspective, the question comes up – How you measuring your Customer's performance? Do you have any type of scorecard where you are evaluating how easy or difficult it is to do business with them? Are there things that your customers are doing that may be causing or contributing to lower scores you are receiving on their scorecards? How would you know, and even if you did, what could you do about it and would it make a difference? This document looks at what many of you are doing today to measure customer performance and provides an approach for you to consider.

The Measuring Customer Performance White Paper is divided into the following sections:

1. What Are You Doing Today?
   – Measures Being Used
   – Gathering the Data
   – Using the Information
2. An Approach to Consider
   Attachments
   – Sample Company Scorecard
   – Approach to Consider Scorecard

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What goals and objectives do companies set to drive performance related to deduction management? How do companies measure and evaluate the performance of those who are responsible for deduction management? Like so many aspects of deduction management, the results of this review show that there is not one "right" answer or way to measure performance to achieve success. While there are certainly some common threads (and measures) running through most companies, we found several different strategies ranging from formal goal setting and measurement to informal "do what needs to get done" cultures which are being used by companies with successful results.

The Deduction Performance Goals & Objectives White Paper is divided into the following sections:

1. What Measures & Goals are Used in Measuring Deduction Performance?
2. How are Goals, Measures & Objectives Set?
3. Are Goals "Shared" Across Departments?
4. Are Measures & Goals Used to Monitor Activity, Measure Performance or Both?
5. How are Performance Reviews & Appraisals Conducted for People Involved in Deduction Management?
6. Are Bonuses Awarded for Specific Deduction-Related Activities?
7. Are Deductions Budgeted?
8. Following Corrective Actions, is Performance Measured to Monitor Results?

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There is a wide variation among vendor companies in how (and if) they communicate claim information requirements to customers. At one end of the spectrum, some companies have no documented compliance claim policies in place and do little on a formal basis to set guidelines with their customers. At the other end of the spectrum, there are vendors who have formal compliance policies in place covering areas ranging from the timing that deductions can be taken to the supporting documentation that must accompany each type of claim. In this document, we look at various types of compliance claim policies vendors have created in an effort to take some control over certain aspects of deduction management. We also review the success vendor have had in their attempts to modify their customer's vendor agreements.

The Compliance Claim Policies White Paper is divided into the following sections:

1. Survey Statistics
2. Do Claim Policies Help?
3. Vendor Policies – Key Components
   – General Compliance / Deduction Policies
   – Return Policies
   – Terms & Conditions
4. Modifying Customer's Vendor Agreements

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Whether dealing with the challenges of Shipper Load & count, trying to get a proof of delivery from a customer's transportation carrier, or filing a claim for damaged or lost merchandise, many vendors struggle with freight & transportation issues. Based on the 2009 Customer Deduction Survey conducted by CRF (Credit Research Foundation) in collaboration with Attain Consulting Group, 3 of the top 5 compliance deduction reasons were freight or transportation related.

In addition to understanding the internal practices that companies have used to achieve some measure of success with freight and transportation, there is a lot that can be learned from the relevant federal, state and local laws and regulations. Vendors can have contractual rights even if their goods are shipped using the retailer's carrier.

The Freight & Transportation Issues White Paper provides information on several aspects of freight and transportation laws and regulations which I believe are most relevant to deductions and is divided into the following sections:

1. Understanding Terminology
2. Carrier Contracts
   – Key Clauses
   – Negotiating Contracts and Supplier's Rights When Using Customer's Carrier
   – Company Experiences
   – Best Practices
3. Common Freight & Transportation Issues
   – Shortages and Shipper Load & Count
   – Damages
   – Late Delivery
   – Best Practices
4. Company Practices Regarding Freight on Returns
5. Carrier Performance
6. Claims
   – Required Elements
   – Carrier Defenses to Liability
   – Best Practices
7. Appendix A: Sample Carrier Contract Table of Contents
8. Appendix B: Standard Carrier Claim Form
9. Appendix C: Table of Contents from Shipping & Receiving in Plain English: A Best Practices Guide
10. Appendix D: Sample "Failed Delivery Window" report

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Post Audits are always a hot topic to discuss with companies doing business in the retail sector. Loosely defined as deductions received more than one year after shipping the goods, post audit deductions are often initiated by 3rd party firms working on behalf of retailers to identify opportunities to bill or chargeback the supplier for issues such as trade promotions agreed upon but not taken, errors in invoicing, and compliance violations not previously identified. Researching post audit claims is often a time consuming process.

The Post Audit White Paper addresses the challenges companies are facing regarding post audits as well as what they are doing to control the situation. It is organized into the following sections:

1. UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE
   – Survey Statistics
   – Top Post Audit Reasons
   – Biggest Internal Challenges
   – Dealing with 3rd Party Post Audit Firms
2. UNDERSTANDING THE SOLUTION
   – Post Audit Policies
   – Tips for Preventing Post Audits
   – Tips for Disputing Post Audits
   – Tips for Working with 3rd Party Auditors
3. APPENDICES
   – Sample Post Audit Policy (courtesy of IAB)
   – Post Audit Metrics (courtesy of IAB)
   – Walgreen's Post Audit Policy (courtesy of IAB)
   – Tips for Creating "Solid" Vendor Agreements (based on PRGX presentation)

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There is no single "right" way to manage deductions. Some companies centralize the responsibility for research and resolution within one department, while others make each department responsible for researching and resolving the deductions they "caused". In some companies, the group that researches deductions often initiates the need for corrective actions, where in other companies, the two functions are kept separate. This report provides "best practice" information based on feedback received from several companies. It can help provide some useful tips in how best to manage deductions within your organizational structure.

The Deduction Processing White Paper is divided into the following sections:

1. Researching Deductions
2. Recovery of Invalid Deductions
3. Reason Codes
4. Deduction Prevention
5. How Long Should Deductions Age
6. Use of Automated Deduction Tools
7. Appendices
   – Sample reason codes

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In an effort to increase sales and improve profitability, retailers are constantly trying to find ways to both differentiate themselves from the competition and reduce the work being done at their DCs and stores when receiving product. As a result, suppliers may be asked to add retailer-specific price tickets to products or require unique packaging. These value added services (VAS) require additional work on the part of the suppliers ranging from evaluating whether the request can be fulfilled, to ensuring that the VAS are done correctly. This report looks at how companies are currently managing VAS.

The Value Added Services White Paper is divided into the following sections:

1. Current VAS Experience
2. Saying "NO" to VAS Requests
3. To Charge or Not to Charge (and what does it cost anyway?)
4. Where are VAS Performed?
5. VAS Approval Processes
6. How are .com Shipments Handled?

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Focusing on accountability and taking steps to prevent deductions from occurring (or reoccurring) are key success factors in both minimizing deductions and maintaining good trading partner relationships. This document will illustrate how companies manage, route and track deductions as well as the steps they take and the processes they use to promote accountability across various departments. In addition, the document provides helpful insights into the methodologies used to develop corrective actions.

The Accountability and Corrective Actions White Paper is divided into the following sections:

1. Survey Results
2. Process Flow
3. Promoting Accountability
   – Reason Codes & Status Codes
   – Tracking & Reporting by Department
   – "Charging" Deductions to Departments
4. Development of Corrective Actions

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For many companies, shortages represent the single largest class of deductions other than sales-related deductions. Based on the 2009 Customer Deduction Survey conducted by CRF in collaboration with Attain Consulting Group, over 700 responding companies ranked shortages as one of the top deduction reasons. 50% of companies responding to our Shortages & Shipping survey reported that Shipper Load & Count (SLC) is the biggest challenge related to carton shortages. In this report, read about the "common causes" of Carton Shortages. Learn how others have made process changes to improve internal performance and reduce shortages as well as recommendations to consider as a means of controlling shortage deductions of all kinds.

The Shortages and Shipping Issues White Paper is divided into the following sections:

1. Carton Shortages
   – Common Causes
   – Company Experience
   – Things to Consider
2. Concealed Shortages
   – Common Causes
   – Company Experience
   – Things to Consider
3. Other Shipping / Shortage Issues
   – RFID
   – Missing Packing Lists
   – Floor Loading / Pallet Delivery
   – Use of Automation
   – Other Issues

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Managing and communicating retail compliance requirements is the first step in deduction prevention. Given the number of requirements for each retailer and volume of changes that take place, this can be a challenging and time consuming process. Companies have developed a variety of solutions to help facilitate and streamline the process, ranging from spreadsheets and manual summaries to more sophisticated databases which are integrated into the order processing or warehouse management system, and automatically check and flag orders or shipments which are not in compliance. This White Paper discusses the various processes and systems vendors have put in place to assist in managing compliance data within their organizations.

The Managing Compliance Information White Paper is divided into the following sections:

1. General Compliance Requirement Management
   – Process
   – Use of Automated Service
2. Maintaining & Communicating Compliance Requirement Data
   – Integrated into ERP / WMS System
   – Custom Developed Tools
   – Shared Access Documents
3. Challenges

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