Paul Furlong, product sales manager for the Yellow Duckmarine, said the "unfortunate" incident happened towards the end of a tour.

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For example, a keyhole real-time dashboard might inform a product manager that sales orders were 40 percent below normal in the morning.

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Jane, a sales manager in a product division of a large retail company, noticed a recent trend in her sales data.

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And those meeting leaders report to a Territory Manager who monitors product sales at each of its retail stores.

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"We are seeing huge success with that product, " said Stephen Thompson, executive manager of global sales.

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So far this spring, family tent sales are up 14 percent over last year, said Rick Meade, REI's product manager for sleeping bags and tents.

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