Channel chiefs and organizations create and maintain all kinds of metrics to measure channel performance and identify challenges. While metrics are endemic to channel operations and all facets of business, channel organizations often find themselves at a disadvantage to their peer lines of business. Other parts of the vendor have profit and loss (P&L) statements through which they measure performance and contributions. Many channel metrics are easily dismissed because they’re not correlated to P&Ls. Riverbed Technology has come up with a novel solution to this problem – a virtual P&L for channels. The virtual financial statement draws a direct line to the actual P&Ls of the company and its divisions, showing how channels play in the grand scheme of a vendor’s success. Riverbed’s Cindy Herndon joins Pod2112 to talk about the development, utilization, and benefits of a virtual channel P&L.