When a company acquires consumer-panel data from firms like A.C. Nielsen Company and Information Resources Inc., which of the following steps to improve the quality of a company marketing intelligence system is the company resorting to?

a using external network

b purchasing information from outside research firms and vendors

c motivating distributors, retailers, and other intermediaries to pass along important intelligence

d training and motivating the sales force to spot and report new developments

e hiring external experts to collect intelligence