December 2010 Entries
By Brian Maloney
Don’t you hate it when you have to fill out the same information several times while at the doctor's office or when you are filling out a loan application? You end up missing something or rewriting the wrong thing, and then you have to get the paperwork handed back to you. Why can’t they just let me fill it out once and all the places that need that info just automatically get it?? Now imagine if the contract management process in the Foodservice industry were like this. It’s getting there.
Over the past couple of years we’ve started seeing...
By Kristin Avery
As far as New Year’s resolutions go, I fall into the majority and make the same resolutions year after year. For most, common New Year’s resolutions that repeat are usually to lose weight, spend more time with the family, and to save money. For the last five years now, I have had the same New Year’s resolution of running a marathon for a good cause. I’m sure the ones closest to me have stopped believing that I would ever run a marathon.
So, why haven’t I crossed it off my resolution list and participated in one already? All...
By Kristin Avery
It’s a given there are huge advances in technology made on a daily basis. The computer from the 80’s that once took up a whole room can be conveniently carried around allowing business to be conducted on the go. So when Business Wire came out with its list of most memorable products for 2010, it’s no wonder that technology dominated the list. Other products to make the list besides technology were basic necessities and edibles (which I believe were eaten while using technology).
Answers Systems understands and keeps an observant eye on the rapid advances in technology. The...
We are kicking off the new year with a webinar event on January 12 at 2:00 pm for foodservice manufacturers. If you are interested in learning about the GS1 initiative in foodservice, please register for our webinar.
Our speakers, all GS1 representatives, will provide you with the foundational knowledge you need to understand the importance of the GS1 initiative and the problems it solves for foodservice.
This session will be led by:
Peter Alvarez, Senior Director GS1, GDSN Industry Engagement for GS1 Global
Dan Wilkinson, Vice President of Industry Development, GS1 US
Dennis Harrison, SVP GS1 US and newly appointed...
By Tracy McQuilkin
I believe the story goes, “and the stockings were hung by the chimney with care in the hope that St. Nick with a sleigh full of claims would soon be there.” Alright, so that’s not exactly how the story goes, but here at Answers Systems Santa will be bringing claims this time a year and lots of them.
During the month of December, the claim settlement team is hit the hardest. Clients are trying to get their claims paid before year’s end. Even if a client has a different fiscal calendar, they still like to see low numbers...
by John Nicholas
What are the business practices that will help me maximize my profits and return on investment?
What metrics do I use to measure the effectiveness of my sales efforts and spending?
How can I increase the rate of new product penetration?
What are my real costs of doing business?
These questions must be asked! Finding the answers to those questions will be nothing short of the difference between success and failure.
Analytics are the tools needed to prepare a road map for actions steps. Manufacturers that are highly data-oriented and make use of analytics are much more likely...
Land O’ Lakes, Inc., (Arden Hills, MN) and Answers Systems (Oldsmar, FL) announced the renewal of their agreement wherein Answers Systems provides their ContractPro® trade promotion management application.
“Answers Systems’ ContractPro provides a one-stop-shop solution that supports all our agreements with distributor and operator trading partners. Through the ContractPro reporting environment, we have key insights into our trade spending agreements that allow us to make better trade investment decisions,” noted Dan Emberley, Director of Sales Operations, Land O’Lakes, Inc. “Beyond software and workflow, Answers Systems is continually providing a forum for its user community where manufacturers and brokers can learn...
Tweet
by Stacy Jackson (@StacyatAnswers)
While reviewing the feed from our Foodservice list on Twitter, I came across an article tweeted by Jeff Cattell (Twitter handle: fooddude4life) from Harvard Business Review website entitled, “Why Best Practices Are Hard to Practice.” It caught my eye because here at Answers Systems, we talk a lot about best practices in the area of trade promotion management.
The article in HBR by Ron Ashkenas points out that many organizations fail at implementing best practices due to two main factors:
Lack of adaptation: a process can’t simply be lifted from one company...
by Greg Hilton
There are certain times of year when, no matter what, you can feel a certain amount of peacefulness and happiness in the air. For my wife, it is the eve of the new school year (when our 10 and 12 year old boys truck off for their first day of school). It happens to me around the same time in August and September, when college football and the NFL are about to crank up for a new season (man, talk about peace on earth).
To many people (really me, too), the most wonderful time of year is Christmas! It...
by Bud Hilton
Easy opening, Easy to dispense, Easy monthly payments, So Easy, a Caveman can do it . . . We are all suckers for “life made easy” sales pitches. However, we also know that in many cases the end result of the Easy promise is the failure to deliver to expectation. You probably don’t believe that the “cheapest” product can perform as good as a more expensive one? So, why would you believe that the easy message fulfills expectations comparable to something that may require a little more effort? Most people know better than this but still fall for...
by Stacy Jackson
As one of the administrators of the Answers Systems' Twitter profile, I have discovered many wonderful Twitter users from the foodservice industry. I'd like to take a few minutes to introduce you to the various Twitter foodservice-specific lists we curate ,and point out some this week's retweets.
Several of these lists are brand new, so we appreciate your feedback on whom to add. Send us a tweet at AnswersSystems on Twitter with your suggestions.
Our Twitter Lists – Foodservice & Hospitality Specific
Foodservice & Hospitality Trade Associations
Foodservice Media, Blogs, Websites
Foodservice Distributors
Foodservice & Hospitality Operators
Foodservice Consultants, Software, Ad Agencys, etc.
Foodservice...