January 2011 Entries
Answers Systems, a leading provider of foodservice trade promotion management solutions, and FSE Inc., a leading provider of data synchronization services throughout North America, formalized a strategic partnership this January. This partnership reinforces both organizations’ commitment to trading partner connectivity and reduction of redundancies in the trade promotion contract management process.
Answers Systems and FSE Inc., partnered last September to provide connectivity between the Answers Systems’ ContractPro® trade promotion management application, a solution for capture of manufacturer contract agreements, and the FSEnet+Contract Management System, a hosted solution for the capture and publication of deviated and non-deviated contract agreements for Distributors and Operators.
The...
By Tracy McQuilkin
In order to accurately process a claim we not only need a valid contract in ContractPro but we also require specific information on the actual claims themselves. If the information is missing from a claim we receive we place the claim on hold until the information is received. Below are some of the fields we must have, note depending on the claim type the fields vary. If you would like the full SOP for these requirements please contact your Answers Systems Account Manager.
To ensure your customers are submitting the following when requesting rebates for Contracted deviated or HQ...
By Tom Tipps
Here we are in 2011…and most Foodservice manufacturers are still settling all or most of their claims via distributor deduction. The manufacturers can’t process the distributors’ claims within payment terms, so the distributors just deduct.
So, what’s wrong with that? Here’s a two-part answer…
1. If the manufacturer is actually auditing every line item on the deduction against their contract and issuing a rebill invoice for invalid deductions…that’s okay from an audit perspective.
2. But, if the manufacturer is just issuing debit memos without audit…the distributor has taken ownership of the payment decision. The auditors will love this!...
If you were unable to attend last week's GS1 US Foodservice Initiative Overview webinar hosted by Answers Systems or if you want to review the webinar recording, please visit our webinar session page online. There you will find the session recordings and a PDF of the presentation decks.
As a solution provider that deals with foodservice trading partner data, Answers Systems understands the importance of the GS1 Initiative for the foodservice industry in helping bring standardization and efficiencies to the supply chain.
We look forward to seeing you at upcoming sessions featuring discussion about operator coupons and the ContractPro Road Map...
By Kevin Hart
Several weeks ago I viewed the online launch of Microsoft Lync 2010. Lync is part of Office 365, formerly Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), and it helps businesses enhance productivity by delivering an integrated communication experience (think Instant Messaging and Presence, audio/video/web conferencing, and enterprise software-based Voice over IP).
During this online product launch, one of the Microsoft VP’s, describing Lync, stated that today’s productivity equals unified communication, enterprise search, collaboration, content management, and business intelligence (BI). This is a common theme from Microsoft and echoes similar messaging from their earlier Future of Productivity delivery regarding Office 2010,...
Here at Answers Systems, employees not only demonstrate dedication to providing the best trade promotion management solutions but demonstrate dedication to other areas of their life as well. One example of such dedication was demonstrated this past weekend and we would like to take a moment to congratulate each individual.
This past Sunday, January 9th 2011 five "Answers'ites ran the Walt Disney World 26.2 mile marathon. The weather was prime as the five “Answers’ites participated in what was to be the final race of the weekend. Each one completed the most magical 26.2 miles on Earth as it took them...
By Greg Hilton
The ultimate display of vanity, I have heard said, is to “Google yourself”. Meaning, run a Google search with your own name and find out how popular you are in the world of search. I do not think I am particularly vain (I hope that is a true statement), but I have tried it. Turns out, I am pretty much nobody, but I do share my name with a bunch of other folks (some more “popular” than others). If, after reading this blog, you Google your own name, as Carly Simon once sang, “You’re so vain.”
Answers Systems...
By Stacy Jackson
January is a month when many of us spend time both reflecting on the past and looking toward the future. It’s an especially big year for those of us working at Answers Systems: this April marks our 25th anniversary serving the rebate and trade promotion management (TPM) needs of the foodservice industry. This April also marks my 16th year with the company.
In the past 16 years that I’ve been with Answers Systems, we have done a lot of hard work. We’ve moved from a paper-based system of rebate and trade promotion management to an increasingly paperless, automated way...