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Where SPAs Fail, How to Fix Them, and Disciplines of Optimization

Special pricing agreements are a major margin lever for distributors — yet many leave money unclaimed due to data mismatches, rising complexity and reactive processes. The third and final article in this series outlines common SPA failure points and a three-pronged strategy to recover margin and drive growth.

March 4, 2026

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Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a three-part series that serves as a primer for a forthcoming MDM whitepaper on this same topic that will cover substantially more material. See Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.

In parts 1 and 2 of this series, we explored the hidden margin of special pricing agreements (SPAs), their strategic advantage, and why even best-in-class distributors leave SPA margin on the table. Let's dive deeper here in part 3.

Where SPAs Fail (and How to Fix Them)

Most distributors capture the easy wins with SPAs. They input SPA terms into their ERP. They run monthly…

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