Sharp thinking on pricing strategy, commercial performance, and the decisions that deliver profitable growth.
Manufacturers and distributors have invested millions in pricing technology, yet spreadsheets still dominate day-to-day pricing operations for many. Let’s take a look at the hidden operational costs of spreadsheet-based pricing, plus how organizations can reduce friction, improve governance, and modernize pricing execution.
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AI can generate remarkable pricing intelligence without generating meaningful commercial returns. The difference is execution. See what separates AI experimentation from measurable pricing ROI.
Most enterprises do not have a pricing technology problem; they have an execution problem. Let’s explore why the gap between pricing intelligence and live commercial decisions persists, and what it takes to close it.
Even sophisticated commercial organizations have room to advance. AI in pricing evolves from strong commercial foundations to connected intelligence, actionable recommendations, and increasingly effective execution. Explore the commercial evolution of AI in pricing and how connected data, AI insights, recommendations, workflows, and deliberate automation build on one another.
Margin leakage rarely begins and ends with one transaction. Learn how AI can connect signals across quote-to-cash, identify emerging margin leakage risks, and help commercial teams protect profitability before small pricing deviations compound.
Margin leakage rarely stems from a single bad decision. It accumulates across thousands of transactions. AI-powered root cause analysis helps commercial teams move beyond identifying problems to understanding why they occur, enabling faster action and stronger financial performance.
Rebates and customer incentives are designed to drive profitable growth, but when managed ad hoc, they often create hidden margin leakage. Here's why leading manufacturers and distributors are treating incentive management as a strategic commercial capability.
Vendavo completed its acquisition of Model N's High-Tech business unit, expanding its commercial platform with channel data management and revenue execution capabilities. Learn why this milestone matters for semiconductor and high-tech manufacturers, and how a more connected approach to pricing, rebates, channel execution, and AI can help improve margin visibility.
The organizations realizing the greatest value from AI aren't replacing pricing experts. They're using AI to extend expertise across the business, helping more teams make better pricing decisions while allowing specialists to focus on strategy, governance, and commercial impact.
Explainability is a critical requirement for AI adoption in pricing, but transparency alone does not inspire action. Discover why organizations need recommendations grounded in commercial context, evidence, and trust to drive confident pricing decisions.
Discover why commercial complexity should be treated as a competitive advantage, how AI, data, and human brilliance work together to drive better decisions, and why the future of profitable growth depends on disciplined commercial systems, not guesswork.
Most AI pricing conversations focus on prediction accuracy, yet many organizations still hesitate to act on AI recommendations. The next frontier is simulation, or the ability to test decisions before they reach the market, understand consequences before they impact revenue, and build confidence before change is deployed.
Why do so many pricing transformation initiatives stall before delivering measurable results? Let’s break down the five most common pricing execution failures from spreadsheet dependence to unclear ownership, plus how organizations can modernize pricing operations more effectively.
Many organizations implement CPQ to accelerate quoting, yet pricing inconsistency and approval bottlenecks remain. Here’s why pricing logic, approvals, AI recommendations, and rebate visibility must live directly inside the quoting workflow to improve execution and profitability. The best pricing workflows balance speed, governance, autonomy, margin protection, and negotiation flexibility.
Manufacturers and distributors have invested millions in pricing technology, yet spreadsheets still dominate day-to-day pricing operations for many. Let’s take a look at the hidden operational costs of spreadsheet-based pricing, plus how organizations can reduce friction, improve governance, and modernize pricing execution.
Pricing technology investments are accelerating across manufacturing and distribution, but many organizations still struggle with inconsistent pricing outcomes. Let’s explore why pricing transformation often fails at the execution level, plus how companies can close the gap between pricing strategy and frontline deal execution.
AI tools are everywhere, but not all AI is built for high-stakes decisions like pricing. While generic AI can generate insights, it lacks the context, data, and control needed to drive real pricing outcomes. Let’s explore why purpose-built AI is essential for protecting margins, building trust, and smarter pricing.
The aftermarket has grown from a support function to one of the most powerful growth and profitability levers for manufacturers today. Let’s explore what’s driving the shift, why traditional pricing models are falling short, and how leading organizations are turning aftermarket strategy into a competitive advantage.
Pricing evolves faster than most teams can keep up. Manual rules, static models, and gut-driven decisions have significant limits. So how do you move forward without losing control? This practical framework helps pricing leaders understand where they are today, what’s possible with AI, and take the next step with confidence.
Pricing decisions shouldn’t double as experiments, yet many organizations only understand the impact of a price change after it hits the market. Let’s take a look at how high-performing pricing teams stress-test strategies in advance, thus reducing risk, improving confidence, and avoiding costly missteps.
The instinct is to react fast when costs rise, but reactive pricing decisions often create long-term margin risk, inconsistent execution, and customer pushback. Let’s break down why leading pricing teams take a more disciplined approach, plus how they protect profitability in volatile markets without overcorrecting.
Material cost volatility doesn’t just change numbers, but it does change conversations. Here, disciplined communication and execution determine whether margin protection strengthens relationships or strains them in layered building supplies channels.
Material cost volatility rarely moves cleanly through building supplies distribution. Contract structure, regional layers, and rebate frameworks shape how cost pressure is absorbed or lost. Here’s why leaders who gain visibility across the channel protect margin more effectively than those who rely on top-level averages.
Rebate programs can drive powerful growth, but only when they are designed with intention. Many organizations accumulate incentives, leading to complexity, unclear rules, and limited visibility into performance. Let’s break down the four essential components of a well-designed rebate program and how modern companies structure theirs to drive profitable growth.
Cost-plus pricing may feel safe, but it’s quietly capping your margins in today’s aftermarket. Static markups simply can’t keep pace as customer expectations shift toward outcomes, digital buying, and service-based models. The cracks really start to show when you then add in tariff volatility, competitive transparency, and margin pressure.
Material cost volatility hits building supplies companies differently depending on how their channels are structured. Contracts, distribution layers, and rebate design determine how cost pressure actually flows. Here’s why volatility is a structural issue, not just a pricing decision.
Static price lists were built for stable markets. Today’s volatility exposes their hidden risk. Let’s explore how simulation and AI-driven pricing help manufacturers and distributors pressure-test decisions before they reach customers, thus reducing margin leakage and strengthening commercial resilience.
The hardest AI choice isn’t which tool to buy but which decisions you’re willing to delegate. From pricing to commercial operations, AI forces leaders to balance speed, control, and accountability. Let’s explore why trust and governance determine whether AI ever scales.
AI can generate answers fast, but it can’t fix messy inputs. In fact, poor data and unclear sources are more dangerous with AI than ever before. Let’s break down why curated inputs matter, how “more context” can backfire, and what disciplined teams do differently to make AI reliable at scale.
Learn how to use waterfall pricing to maximize revenue. Find waterfall pricing examples, strategies, and methods to boost your bottom line.
AI hasn’t disappeared, but the hype has cooled. And that’s a good thing. Leaders have an opportunity to move from experimentation to execution as pilots stall and ROI questions get louder. Let’s explore why many AI initiatives fall short and how organizations can reset expectations to deliver real business impact.
Knowing the trends shaping pricing in 2026 is only the first step. Acting on them is what drives results. This checklist breaks down what pricing and commercial leaders need to prioritize now to reduce risk, improve confidence, and protect profitability in the year ahead.
Cost volatility is nothing new for manufacturers and distributors. Tariffs may be today’s trigger, but inflation, supply shocks, and rising service expectations will keep testing pricing teams. Let’s break down the four-step response model high-performing pricing organizations use to protect margins, move faster, and maintain customer trust, no matter what disruption comes next.
Price changes should never feel like a leap of faith. Many pricing teams still rely on instinct or limited analysis when launching price changes. Here's why simulations are table stakes and how pricing leaders use it to reduce risk, improve alignment, and make confident decisions before prices go live.
Many manufacturers and distributors still rely on “set it and forget it” rebate programs that no longer reflect today’s markets. Let’s break down why static rebates fail and what high-performing organizations do differently to turn rebates into a strategic lever for growth and profitability.
Aftermarket pricing is more complex and more critical than ever. With hundreds of thousands of parts and millions of data points to manage, leading manufacturers are turning to AI to protect margin, act faster, and deliver real customer value. See how Jaguar Land Rover approaches aftermarket pricing at scale.
What will separate leaders from laggards in 2026? AI accountability, persistent cost pressure, and the shift from experimentation to execution are redefining how businesses compete. Vendavo experts break down the trends that will matter most, and what leaders should do now to prepare.
What is price segmentation? Our guide explores types, benefits, and strategies to optimize pricing for maximum profitability.
When quoting stalls, deals stall. Manual approvals, disconnected systems, and inconsistent pricing slow down even the best sales teams. It’s a familiar story for manufacturers and distributors who’ve spent years modernizing operations but still struggle to connect pricing and sales execution. Here's what to do about it.
Manufacturers and distributors across Europe are feeling the pressure: rising costs, growing competition, and increasingly complex product portfolios are squeezing margins in ways traditional pricing models can’t keep up with. Here's what to do about it.
Most pricing projects stall because of bottlenecks, not bad strategy. Vendavo’s methodology removes these obstacles by combining purpose-built tools, industry playbooks, and embedded intelligence from Vendavo AI. Manufacturers and distributors gain faster go-lives, cleaner data, and real results in weeks instead of months.
What are volume curves, and how do you optimize them for your business needs?
Cost-cutting delivers fast wins on paper. It boosts your bottom line immediately. But it also risks strangling the very engines that drive future revenue. On the flip side, aggressive revenue investments can backfire if your cost structure is already bloated or inefficient. Neither extreme works on its own.
The price waterfall shows where profit leaks occur, but it rarely drives real-time action. Learn how Vendavo AI embeds intelligence across every step of pricing, quoting, and incentives to prevent leakage and turn your waterfall into a growth engine.
In this article by Dan Cakora, Business Consultant at Vendavo, learn the benefits of maximizing profit, enhancing brand perception, and enabling faster cost recovery with price skimming techniques and strategies.
Incentives and rebates are among the most powerful and underused levers in B2B commerce. Vendavo and Copperberg's research shows how they can be the growth lever you've been looking for.
AI is no longer a futuristic add-on. It’s already reshaping pricing and sales in five critical ways: dynamic pricing, faster launches, margin protection, transparency, and sales alignment. See how manufacturers and distributors are turning intelligence into profitability today – and how Vendavo AI can help.
Being able to adapt through effective change management is crucial for lasting success. Mastering this process means you’ll turn disruption into a strategic advantage for your organization. In this article, Mike Slavin, Business Consultant at Vendavo, explores the elements of a successful change management strategy and how structured planning and…
Not all AI is created equal. Black-box algorithms can cause confusion and erode trust in B2B. Discover why Vendavo’s embedded, explainable AI is purpose-built for manufacturers and distributors, and how it delivers measurable ROI where generic AI falls short.
Margins are under pressure from every direction. Manufacturers and distributors are facing economic uncertainty, volatile supply chains, and increasingly price-sensitive customers. Pricing teams are being asked to do more with less, yet most are still managing it all with the same tool they’ve used for decades: the spreadsheet.
AI is no longer optional, it’s the key to protecting margins and accelerating growth. Vendavo AI is embedded across Pricing, Quoting, and Incentives, turning complexity into measurable results.
A competitive pricing strategy can entice new consumers and give your business a competitive edge. Here’s how it works.
In the high-stakes world of B2B sales, discount pricing can make or break deals worth millions. What separates successful enterprises from struggling competitors isn't just offering discounts; it's knowing when, how, and to whom those price reductions deliver maximum value. The difference between strategic discounting and desperate price-cutting often determines…
Rebates are a key element in a successful business strategy, but you need the right system in place to make them as effective as possible. In this article, Paul Sansom, Business Consultant at Vendavo, explains the ins and outs of rebate accounting — including the challenges, procedures, and solutions that…
SPA pricing or special pricing agreement programs are valuable tools for manufacturers. Learn about SPA processes and best practices.
Revenue and margin growth are two of the most important metrics when it comes to analyzing the health of a company.
Price erosion silently threatens businesses across every industry, gradually chipping away at profit margins and competitive positioning. This downward pressure on pricing doesn't happen overnight—it develops slowly until healthy margins quietly slip away. For B2B companies especially, understanding and combating price erosion has become essential for sustainable growth and market…
What is Revenue Management? Why is it important? Explore examples, KPIs, and expert insights in this comprehensive guide.
What is willingness to pay and what factors influence it? Set effective prices with a deeper understanding of customers' willingness to pay.
Sales quote software is a specialized tool designed to streamline and enhance the quoting process for businesses, particularly those in the B2B sector. Chris Kennedy-Sloane, Business Consultant at Vendavo, explains how quotation tools enable sales teams at both small and large enterprises to create accurate, professionally designed quotes quickly and…
Is your AI-powered pricing working for you or against you? Many B2B pricing solutions rely on AI without visibility, making pricing decisions without transparency, control, or explainability. But that becomes a business risk when sales teams can’t justify prices, market shifts happen faster than AI models can adapt, and regulators…
What is profitability analysis and why is it so important for companies to understand? This article breaks down those questions and illustrates important profitability ratio analysis metrics to monitor.
Get a comprehensive overview of common types of B2B rebates, use cases, tips for rebate utilization, and administrative challenges.
Channel management refers to the process a company uses to determine the best marketing techniques and sales strategies to market a B2B sales organization’s products and solutions to end customers.
New reports from Gartner, Forrester, and IDC are highlighting key trends shaping the future of Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) solutions. Eric Carrasquilla, CEO at Vendavo, explores long-term deal negotiation, AI-driven pricing, omnichannel sales, and cloud-based architectures – and why selecting the right CPQ solution is more critical than ever.
Want to protect your margins in the face of tariffs and rising costs? Paul Sansom, Business Consultant at Vendavo, breaks down how Price-Volume-Mix (PVM) analysis helps businesses quickly identify profitability shifts, analyze revenue changes, understand cost drivers, and make smarter pricing decisions.
Vendavo’s Pricing Excellence Report and Outlook 2024 surveyed the industry’s top pricing professionals for their views on pricing talent, maturity, challenges, models, and more. Morgan Short, Director of Content & Web Strategy covers some of the highlights from the research and unpacks how organizations can build their pricing strategy, bridge…
There are many definitions for the Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ) process, and that can make understanding it – and the solutions supporting it – confusing. In this article, Kalle Aerikkala, Business Consultant at Vendavo, explains what to look for in a CPQ software option, the features and questions that can help with…
As the new administration signals potential tariff hikes, manufacturers and distributors must act now to safeguard profitability. From pricing strategies to supply chain resilience, Emily Magyar, Partner Marketing Manager, shares Vendavo’s best tips for preparing.
Are data silos holding your pricing strategies back? Kamal Sabnani, Head of Data Science at Vendavo, explores how fragmented data impacts decision-making, customer trust, and profitability – plus how to break down silos for unified pricing success. Learn how integrated data drives consistency, smarter decisions, and stronger customer relationships, and…
Managing rebates is critical for B2B companies. It impacts everything from your cash flow to supplier relationships. But with the increasing complexity of rebate structures and the sheer volume of transactions in B2B, Mitch Lee, Profit Evangelist at Vendavo, explains why relying on manual tracking is a recipe for inefficiency…
Is your manual rebate program costing you more than it’s worth? Inefficient processes could be holding your business back, but purpose-built automation is the key to unlocking hidden revenue and boosting profitability. Aneesa Needel, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Vendavo, explores manual rebate management challenges, the benefits of automation, and…
Don’t let bad data hold you back. Data quality is the cornerstone of effective price optimization. Kamal Sabnani, Head of Data Science at Vendavo, explores how clean, accurate data drives precise pricing decisions, improves profitability, and enhances customer satisfaction – including the critical areas where data quality impacts pricing and…
Profit margins are a critical driver of success for B2B businesses. While revenue growth often gets the spotlight, healthy margins ensure that growth translates into lasting profitability. Your profit margin—the percentage of revenue left after covering all costs—reveals much about your company’s financial health and operational efficiency. In the B2B…
Why is the granularity of in-depth PVM analysis so important?
Key forces are set to shape the year ahead, from steady economic growth and controlled inflation to the transformative role of AI in business and strategic pricing actions. Mike Slavin, Business Consultant at Vendavo, explores how global events and evolving business strategies might impact your bottom line, plus gives you…
Rebate programs are a powerful tool for driving growth, but their complexity can quickly overwhelm teams and create compliance risks. Chris Kennedy-Sloane, Business Consultant at Vendavo, explains the common challenges of managing rebates and explains why automation is key to turning complexity into opportunity.
Rebates can either be your best business friend or a time and revenue killer. That’s why we’re already looking into the rebate and channel management trends that will shape 2025. Mike Slavin, Business Consultant at Vendavo, unpacks the strategies businesses need to stay competitive, including how to take charge of…
Price elasticity has long been a foundational element in B2C pricing strategies, but its application in B2B is still relatively untapped. Kamal Sabnani, Principal Product Manager at Vendavo, explores the importance of incorporating price elasticity into B2B price optimization strategies to unlock significant value and secure a competitive edge.
How can fine-tuning your pricing, bolstering supply chain resilience, and leveraging cutting-edge technology help you thrive in the coming year? Let’s count the ways. Dan Cakora, Business Consultant at Vendavo, explores top strategies to navigate a complex economic landscape that includes rising costs, global trade shifts, inflationary pressures, and the…
Did you know your pricing function could be the secret weapon to driving sustainable growth and outperforming competitors? Israel Rodrigo, Business Consultant at Vendavo, explores the risks of overlooking it as a core competency and the actionable steps to build a world-class pricing function, maximize profitability, enhance customer relationships, and…
Dynamic pricing is essential for staying competitive, and real-time data is the secret to making it work. Aneesa Needel, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Vendavo, explores how real-time data empowers businesses to respond instantly to market shifts, optimize margins, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Is your data ready for the pricing transformation your business needs? Diana Micevic, Principal Product Manager at Vendavo explores what “data readiness” means, how it supports AI-powered pricing tools, and key steps to ensure your data is accurate, complete, and actionable. Let’s look at the real-world benefits of clean data…
Knowing how your prices stack up against competitors’ is a good step to take but how can it be done to scale? What data should be collected and how do you analyze and visualize the information for maximum insights? Follow these best practices from Dan Cakora, Business Consultant at Vendavo
Curious how the past can shape your pricing strategy for the future? David Anderson, Vice President of Business Consulting at Vendavo explores the power of historical data to uncover patterns, forecast trends, and make smarter pricing decisions. Learn how to use predictive analytics to turn raw data into usable insights…
Inflation is constantly making headlines, and keeping your profitability intact takes more than just raising prices. Smart companies see pricing as a powerful way to grow revenue and manage demand. Dan Cakora, Business Consultant at Vendavo, explains how to tackle inflation in 2025 by staying agile in shifting markets, being…
Supply chain distributor markups are a key part of pricing in modern commerce. They represent the percentage added to a product’s base cost as it moves from manufacturers to end customers, ensuring that every link in the chain can cover expenses and earn a profit. Mitch Lee, Profit Evangelist at…
Margin erosion silently impacts business performance, developing gradually beneath surface-level metrics. It starts small – a discount here, a rebate there – until margin erosion builds momentum, and once healthy profit margins quietly slip away. Every business faces pressure on profits. From volatile material costs to aggressive competitor moves, the…
Unlock the power of upsell and cross-sell strategies to boost your sales. Learn best practices and actionable steps in this article.
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