By Susan Sanford
So you have reached that point where you realize there is not enough time in the day to get your work done. What do you do? Like most, you will probably read a time management book, take a class, or use the latest technology to organize your day. All of these resources will incorporate some sort of strategy to help you find efficiencies in your processes; usually incorporating a “touch it once” theory. Every time you can save a touch point, you can save time. Your Trade Contract Management works the same way.
Maybe the whole sentence could change to indicate that sales mismanagement of the original contract creation is why they don’t have time: As a Training Manager, I always hear that Sales Reps don’t have time to manage contracts. That’s because they don’t take the time to do it right from the beginning. Short cuts are often the quickest route to spending more time on a task than you had originally intended. So, what are a few of these pitfalls?
• Not entering the contract into ContractPro® and utilizing the system letter to communicate the program.
• Not adding all of the eligible products to the contract (only adding what they believe will be billed).
• Entering the wrong pricing.
All of these factors listed above, result in a user having to “touch their contract multiple times” instead of once. Just think about it, if you create a contract, communicate that contract via the system it was created into the Operator or Distributor, the billing submissions would match the contract and there would be no need to manage it. You only had to “touch it once” and now you have gained time back into your day!
Want to embrace the issue, consider the solution and really improve your organization’s trade promotion management? Contact us. Answers Systems' ContractPro® and ValuTrak® solutions are software and outsourced services designed for the unique and specific needs of the foodservice industry.
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