As a manufacturer selling directly to final end-users, your sales and inventory transaction systems normally have up-to-date information on sales and inventory from which you create production plans. In selling through intermediaries, a variety of complications arise. Channel members maintain inventory buffer stocks to service their customers. Suppliers may or may not be

aware of channe members inventor policies anglevels. in addition. channel me meers mavoravnousnarecresenerace demand program plans and/or their customer sales data with upstream suppliers

For upstream suppliers, collaboration and information sharing with downstream channel members has value. Various possibilities for supply chain collaboration exist. Plan sharing, plan coordination, and EDI (electronic data interchange) are three examples of supply chain collaboration. However, downstream channel members aren't always willing or able to collaborate in a

timely fashion and at the level of information disaggregation or interest and value to upstream suppliers.

Alpha-channel historical orders, sales, and promotional activity data are shown in the table below:

Alpha-Channel Activities

Orders

Sales

Inventor Promotion?

11,700

9,468

2,232

15,500

16,585

1,147

12,200

12,030

1317

8,100

6,953

2,464

Yes

Yes

No

10 900

11,629

17,600

17.945

1,735

1,390

Yes

7,500

8,000

1,400

18,400

17,900

1,800

17,520

2,750

11,100

10.000

17:000

7,000

15,600

10,800

10,200

1,350

Yes

Yes

18,000

RO00

NO

Yes

6.700

15,000

1,500

1.800

Regarding these data and this product and channel:

The Alpha channel is one particular distributor

"Orders" are the orders (in units) from the channel (i.e., your sales) for delivery in the specified week, "Sales" are the sales.

(in units) to final customers made by the Alpha channel, and Promotion? describes whether the Alpha channel conducted