Shawn Cady

ContractPro(R) Version 4.2 Release

Answers Systems — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:44:15 GMT

Shawn Cady sat down with Greg Hilton and Tom Tipps to discuss some of the highlites of the new 4.2 release of the ContractPro® trade promotion management application, released on March 1, 2010.

Apple iPad - Game Changer for Contract Management

Answers Systems — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:06:39 GMT

by Shawn Cady & Stacy Jackson

If you monitor Twitter, Apple-related news, or technology gadgets in general, you probably know that the Apple tablet is being revealed - about right now, in fact (1:00 EST).

For years we’ve all tried to get the sales force to stop using the cocktail napkins as a preferred contract delivery method. Now with the advent of Apple’s revolutionary tablet computer, the game is changing for contract management. The new tablet (and future generations of tablets) will allows our apps to become a "digital cocktail napkin" - easy to carry but far more powerful than a flimsy piece of paper.

Why we think tablet is the beginning of a foodservice contract management revolution:

Availability/portability of hardware: iPhone and Android phones have started the revolution because of their "always connected/always on" nature and ease of portability. Business apps abound for these devices, yet there has not been a robust contract management solution yet. Sales reps could bring their laptop to customer meetings, to enter pricing and contractual data, but it can be cumbersome to lug it around. And, you have to wait for it to boot up, you wait for a file to open or wait for it to connect to wifi. Natural and spontaneous interactions between customers and sales people get interrupted with a laptop - social momentum gets lost. The new Apple tablet probably won’t instantly change this, but will make it easier and more natural to include the equivalent of the electronic piece of paper in contract negotiation.
Network: better access to 3G networks is already and most places have wifi. With the advent of the tablet, more network providers and businesses will be clamoring to serve the masses who will be using these tablets now and into the future.

Here at Answers Systems we have been anticipating this evolution in mobile computing, and we have been waiting for hardware and network technology to catch up to our vision for always-on contract management. The sales process in is often a loose negotiation setting that doesn’t necessarily involve a laptop where the sales person and customer to agree to purchase and rebate terms together. With the new tablet and/or future generations of tablets, this will be more of “natural fit” into the sales interaction. If like Apple's iPhone/Touch, it will be “always on/connected” users can keep the momentum going during a sales call. Users will be able interact directly with the computer by touch screen and stylus or direct touch – much more like paper and pen. There will be less interruption to the social interaction – no waiting for the laptop to turn on, one can potentially physically signing the screen (electronic version of the contract) as you would a piece of paper – no waiting for the printer. A tablet would be much easier to pass back and forth for users to discuss and edit.

Manufacturers and service providers like Answers Systems have to acknowledge the impact that this technology and future iterations have on the sales process and communication of contract data. With evolution of sensory computing platforms, GPS, and accelerators (spatial orientation and movement), there are many imaginative and useful applications to trade promotion and contract management.

One example: Imagine if you are driving down Main Street, USA, and your tablet (or even your smartphone) alerts you that equipment velocity is 50% under where it should be for the large local leverage operator you are just three miles from? Just follow your GPS turn-by-turn instructions, go educate the customer on how to use your products more effectively with your equpiment program, and increase sales.

After we see what Apple presents today at their press conference, we will definitely be back with more thoughts. Stay tuned.

Technorati tags: Apple Tablet, foodservice, contract-management, trade-promotion-management, GPS, ContractPro, ValuTrak

Coming Soon: Athena(SM) v1.0 Reporting Module

Answers Systems — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:46:12 GMT

Recently Jennifer Grumbling sat down with Shawn Cady to discuss the development of the ContractPro® Athena^SM reporting module, the next generation of trade performance management reporting from Answers Systems.

Jennifer:	What is Athena Reporting v1.0 in 100 words or less?
Shawn:	Athena 1.0 is Answers Systems next generation reporting product that will allow users to glean actionable information from their claim, sales and contract info. Athena uses OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) cubes which provide large amounts of data in a more dynamic and efficient manner. Athena is about giving users access to data that while it was stored previously, it was virtually impossible to uncover. Given the technologies at the time we simply could not extract such an enormous amount of information.
Jennifer:	What are the three biggest benefits to clients with this new tool?
Shawn:	Speed of access to information: Clients are now able to access information that has always been stored, but now users can access it in a way that it is realistic for them to use. Having this information more easily accessible, clients can make better and more informed decisions on how to run their business. Customizable Nature of the Reporting Interfaces: Allows users to save customized versions of reports with their own parameters. Can choose different presentation formats they would like to see such as 2D reporting or Pivot (3D). For example, a user can manipulate the way the data is shown without getting Answers involved; they have the ability to perform the task on their own. Previously, we needed to involve Answers Systems Professional Services team, IT, etc., spec out the report and follow the approval process. Foundation for Future enhancements: The foundation that Athena provides for will allow for future ContractPro® enhancements. This allows for future enhancements that will open the doorway to passive discovery (versus active discovery). With the passive discovery model, data will be generated without the user directly seeking the actual data.
Jennifer:	How will this standout reporting tool differ from the reporting currently available to clients?
Shawn:	It will pool data in such a way that it will pull in a more consistent way. Pulling data from a “data warehouse” that will be consistent across the customer base. Reporting will become more consistent because data is being stored in a more consistent way.
Jennifer:	With Beta testing already launched, what are your initial expectations?
Shawn:	My initial expectations are that it will necessitate the cleanliness and consistency of the data that is used inside the system. Currently data can be inconsistent across manufacturers. Exposing the inconsistencies will force needed standardization.
Jennifer:	When is the anticipated launch date?
Shawn:	April 13^th is the launch date along with the ContractPro® 4.0 launch which includes changes in vanity of the User Interface. However, the workflow and location of elements on screen will not change. Athena will not “automatically” appear, keeping in mind that users must be integrated. Each client must be integrated and the reporting that each client will have available will be based on the data that they provide. For example, if a client does not supply sales data, sales related reports will not be available. vr8e67uwbg

Technorati tags: feature release, trade promotion management, reporting