Data Acquisition, Data Syncrhonization

Staying Connected to Solve Complex Problems

Answers Systems — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:00:56 GMT

The irony of the modern age: sometimes the more connected we are, the less connected we feel. Once upon a time, you called Grandma on Sundays. Now maybe you send a text message or email. Those old friends from college get a passing comment or “Like” on their Facebook pages while you try to keep tabs on work email, personal email, update your LinkedIn profile, pay bills online, monitor your child’s grades, all while posting tweets about the movie you are half-way watching on Netflix. So many ways to connect can leave us scattered, distracted, and dissatisfied.

As more businesses move their customer support efforts online, you are lucky to get 140-characters-worth of help from the Twitter profile of your software provider’s help desk. Or, perhaps you attempt a request for help via email to a generic email box. Don't get me wrong--some companies do a great job with these technologies, but it still doesn’t replace the need for human interaction when facing complex business problems.

At Answers Systems, a division of AFS Technologies, we understand that the key to our success is based on collaborative, trust-based relationships with our clients. We tell them “it takes more than software to manage your trade spending.” Software is not the magic bullet. Engaged people and a new organizational mindset make the software work. We provide the full gamut of trade promotion management and optimization software AND services to help them gain new insights and increase ROI. Whether it’s our account managers providing analyses, our training team providing software training and help desk support, or our data acquisition team working with operators and distributors on clients’ behalves, we ultimately have one thing in mind—connecting with and serving the needs of the people at client and trading partner organizations to perform best-in-class trade promotion management.

Contact us and learn more about how our service and software solutions can work for your organization. Connect and collaborate with the industry leaders today.

Traveling Where the Road Leads Us While Influencing the Path Along the Way

Answers Systems — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:44:27 GMT

by Janet Zlokovich

As we get older, we gain new knowledge, become more experienced and realize that staying healthy will require us to do more than when we were younger. The right diet, exercise, vitamins and regular doctor visits are all part of the regimen we need to consider for sustaining good health and maintaining a positive quality of life for longevity. Similarly, trade spend management can draw many parallels from this mind set for creating a sound framework and functionality of Answers Systems contract solutions for foodservice. Just as your healthcare provider completes a patient history to better understand how to best manage your health, we do the same analysis for the care and implementation for our client’s contract requirements to achieve successes and sustainable longevity in contract and rebate management. Regular check-ups to assess our tools and services helps assist us with the diagnostics to determine if we need to recalibrate and adjust the track we laid to accommodate the larger population or improve the quality of results.

During the early years of contract and rebate management, there were not many requirements for formalizing the agreement between the manufacturer and Contractee. Some agreements were actually documented on cocktail napkins and translated from the disposable paper. Fast forward to the future, there is now a common infrastructure platform that meets the distinct and unique requirements for each Answers Systems’ client. I could go on considerably longer talking about all the changes in foodservice and how we have supported them through our tools and services, but would like to focus on one initiative that is very important to our company. The GS1 standards adoption - http://www.gs1us.org/sectors/foodservice/foodservice_initiative_roadmap are foodservice industry standards that we are ready to embrace for our data alignment. We now have a GS1 Company Prefix and are prepared for this journey.

This year Answers Systems celebrated our 25th anniversary. During this time of reflection on how far we’ve traveled in this business, we take pride in knowing we are recognized as the leading provider of Contract Management and trade spending Solutions for the Foodservice industry. Without the knowledge and experience gained through managing trade spend for our manufacturer and operator clients in the preceding years, we wouldn’t be able to chart the path that has put us at the front of the race. The phase “You Don’t Know What You Don’t know” is a motivation for learning more and expanding our knowledge so we can represent and recommend the industry’s best practices for contract and rebate management. We are poised and ready to react to the constantly changing foodservice industry and challenging economic climate. Every penny counts in this business!

As more trading partners engage in contract negotiations, they need a qualified service to offer guidance and support in addition to the optimum software that will be the right diet to achieve the “single source of the truth” when they communicate and publish their agreement to all the contract parties. The bricks along with the mortar will be the necessary vitamin to sustain a strong foundation throughout the contract lifecycle. Our trade spend management settlement will benchmark the contract against the submitted claim for reimbursement so we know tractability of the negotiated terms by your sales organization is mandatory.

Data Acquisition Made Easy

Answers Systems — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:14:32 GMT

By Janet Zlokovich

We are seeing where more manufacturers need our expertise for their Trade Promotion data acquisition. Three sides of the foodservice trading partner triangle – manufacturer, distributor & operator are implementing new enterprise systems and purchasing software applications for their rebate tracking, so there is a downstream impact on their Trade claim reporting. At Answers Systems, we turn this into a positive!! We look for the ultimate benefit the industry will receive from new trading partner capabilities, particularly when they result with an improved billback claim output file or transmission method for delivery. This especially applies to distributors, since they contribute to the majority of billback claim submissions.

Regardless if it is a new file format or changing the host connectivity for the file transfer protocol, Answers Systems has been able to successfully react to streamlining these new requirements into our data acquisition model. We embrace and influence the technology evolution, while at the same time recognize it will take staffed professionals and expertise to translate and integrate these changes to our data load automation processes.

A big part of why this has become a reality is because Answers Systems has the knowledge and proven expertise for managing electronic data. This skill is recognized as a core competency in our portfolio of accomplishments. We have dedicated resources focused on performing these services because we know trading partner requirements will change. We’ve been in full production with accepting and loading billback claim data files since 2006, so we stand tall compared to other trade promotion management services.

In one recent example, a new approach was required to load a data file, which that had been converted from the source specification after it was exported by an E-Commerce service, into our system. It was a challenge but not a roadblock. We feel this is just another illustration of our acceptance and preparedness for doing business with a wide range of trading partners.

Answers Systems’ manufacturer clients benefit from our data extraction capabilities with enhanced reporting they can use for collaboration and developing business strategies with their shared customer. When the data file is an electronic output file, a manufacturer has visibility and access to all the information submitted on the deviated claim. Unlike the “summary totals” information that we commonly hear is the normal data capturing method prior to using our trade promotion management services.

In our opinion, there is never too much data! Every sales transaction reported as part of the deviation support is captured to allow a comprehensive analysis of the claim submission. This return verified information to the claimant that will assist with the sync of their internal rebate tracking.

Our data acquisition resources can offer qualified and experienced recommendations for the preferred file type and transmission method. The charter at Answers Systems is to follow the GS1 US standards (http://www.gs1us.org/sectors/foodservice) but we are flexible and will accept alternative file layouts knowing that it can take time for some trading partners to adopt and enhance their systems to meet these requirements.

Technorati tags: Technology, trade promotion management, data acquistion

Trade Contract Management...and Repeat

Answers Systems — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:26:30 GMT

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.

Technorati tags: Trade Contract Management, trade promotion management, Foodservice

Reducing Redundancy in Contract Management-You Can Say That Again

Answers Systems — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:53:44 GMT

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 these “contract portal” concepts starting to pop up, and it looks like more are on the way. The three that come to mind are what USF now has in place that was built by FSEnet⁺, Sodexo has one in place that was built by ITN, and Sysco is currently putting one in place. All three of these examples are good for some of the parties and bring value to some key players. For example, USF can now ensure that pricing gets loaded properly in their system and the right company gets that pricing.

That’s good right? It is unless you are the manufacturer rep who now has to re-enter parts of their agreements in several places.

Using our three examples above, let’s take a worse case scenario and play it out. This probably won’t happen in the real world, but I think you get the picture as more and more single-company portals pop up in the industry. So here goes:

Manufacturer A sets up a new agreement with Sodexo. They give a deviated rate that will go thru Sysco, USF, and 5 other distributors. So they first enter the agreement into their own Contract Management Tool, whether it be a homegrown agreement tool or a third party tool. There the agreement goes through their own internal approval process. Once approved, the rep now needs to go enter it into:

Sodexo’s agreement tool CaRMA,
USF’s portal via FSE,
and soon the Sysco portal.

So for this one agreement, the rep now had to enter parts of the contract in 4 places….hoping they didn’t forget anything or make any mistakes along the way. “Why does my contract say $2.50/case but the portal says $5.20/case?” Now let’s move out 5 years, and you can imagine the number of portals other distributors and operators will be introducing. Ugh! There has to be a better way.

Answers Systems is trying to stay ahead of the portal craze. We totally understand why the distributors and major operators find having their own portal attractive and say more power to them. We just don’t want our clients to have additional work added onto them. We insulate them from these redundant efforts--our manufacturer clients will still only have to enter their agreement once. The ContractPro solution will take care of the rest. The ContractPro solution will make sure that

the USF portal will get what it needs,
Sysco portal stays happy,
and the Sodexo portal has all the info it needs.

As more come along, we’ll work with those new distributors and/or operators to make sure ContractPro links with their portal as well. Manufacturer reps have enough to worry about. Asking them to re-enter the same contract several times shouldn’t be one of them.

Trade Promotion Management in Translation

Answers Systems — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:57:28 GMT

by Kristin Avery

In America, it is important to create new and innovative ways to set businesses apart and make them unique. One way that businesses have creatively set themselves apart from the competition is by playing with the grammatical spelling of their name. For example, Cash and Carry is spelled Kash-n-Karry. If you haven’t noticed it before, I’m sure you will now notice it everywhere. Every time I see one of these crafty signs I often imagine how hard it would be for a person learning English for the first time. How coming to this country and trying to learn our language would be difficult by itself. Then we have to go and do this! It makes learning English ten times harder.

Alright, so where am I going with this? Well, the world of trade promotion management could be considered a foreign language. For example, translating the millions of lines of data involved. Answers Systems handles incoming claim data for manufacturers and operators at an average of over 5 million lines per month—and that’s just electronic data (Eclaim). When you add in paper claims from operators and distributors, those numbers go up. From those millions of lines of data every month, steps must be taken to make the information actionable. For every manufacturer SKU we track, we have a distributor SKU cross reference that we must make. Our current mapping ratio: for every manufacturer SKU, there are 21 distributor cross-reference SKUs (1:21). We track over 26,000 manufacturers (food and non-food) cross-referenced against 120,000 aliases (2:9). Read More. http://blog.answerssystems.com/archive/2010/10/13/millions-of-lines-of-data-involved-in-getting-food-on.aspx

Luckily, here at Answers Systems we speak the language of trade promotion management fluently and have for 24 years. Answers Systems also understands the anxiety of using new software, such as the ContractPro® trade promotion management and we believe it can be compared to arriving in a foreign country for the first time. Answers Systems takes measures to alleviate your anxieties by offering training that will keep you updated on the language of trade promotion management. We also have Account Managers and Business Process Specialist that will assist and provide answers to any question you might have.

Answers Systems provides data management and technical expertise to support foodservice trade promotion management from contract creation to claim/rebate settlement to complex analyses and reporting. Contact us if you would like to discuss your trade promotion management (ContractPro solution for manufacturers) or contract compliance initiatives (ValuTrak solution for operators).

Technorati tags: foodservice, language, contractcompliance, trade promotion management

Rebate Settlement and Data Acquisition

Answers Systems — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:58:10 GMT

Tracy McQuilkin

Data acquisition and cleansing in the process of rebate settlement can be a challenge. Each day in the Settlement Department here at Answers Systems, we work with thousands upon thousands of fields of data. The data we capture is only as good as the data we receive. Many times in the course of data acquisition, we get partial or illegible information. We do our best to cleanse it and capture it, but there are times when we run into roadblocks.

Sometimes during the rebate settlement process, we have to place a claim on “pending” status or “on hold” to get the missing information that is holding up rebate settlement. This interruption in the flow of a claim will almost guarantee a deduction.

So what is the answer to more efficient data acquisition and rebate settlement? One key is for contract creators and approvers to ensure the trade-spending contract is set up accurately and completely before it’s delivered to the customer. Our ContractPro users have useful templates and tools to make it much easier to ensure accuracy, but it is always important to carefully review contact information, SKUs, etc., before communicating the agreement. Other challenges, such as illegible proof of performance, are being met through our Eclaim initiatives with operators and distributors.

Technorati tags: rebate settlement, data acquisition, trade spending

Overriding Pendings Versus Contract Management in Rebate Settlement

Answers Systems — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:44:39 GMT

by Tracy McQuilkin

When performing rebate settlement for our foodservice manufacturer clients, we often get the following question regarding pendings:

Why can’t we just override the pending and pay it?

Short answer: we can, but we don't recommend doing this.

When you override a pending, all you are doing is fixing that one claim instead of addressing the root cause of the claim in error. Why not take a few extra minutes in your contract management process and either update the contract in the ContractPro® solution, or ensure that your customer has the correct contract terms on file in their system?

If you update the contract (or work with your customer to get the correct terms in their system) not only are you fixing that one pending claim--you are also fixing all future claims against that contract. This means future claims will not pend for that same reason, causing less pendings and more rebate settlement via check rather than deductions.

Typically a pending often means a guaranteed deduction. As stated in previous blogs, deductions adds a lot of extra work to both Answers Systems and our clients: pendings are no different. So what solution do you think is best: take a few extra minutes to fix your pending through some best-practice contract management steps up front, or take a lot of extra time on deductions and pendings for all future claims to come?

Technorati tags: data acquisition, rebate settlement, contract management, pendings

How to Address GPOs and Double Dipping

Answers Systems — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:55:16 GMT

by Brian Maloney

It’s almost impossible for manufacturers and distributors to keep track of all the locations in the foodservice industry and which Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) each location may/may not belong to today…and that’s hoping each location belongs to just one GPO when it relates to foodservice purchasing.

The issue is so mind boggling at times that whenever the topic comes up, everyone just shakes their heads, agrees that it’s a big problem, and then they move on without even trying to figure out possible solutions.

Here’s a solution . . . .the Foodservice Industry needs One Source that maintains all the GPO’s and which locations link to each one. This One Source would be independent of any distributor, manufacturer, or operator. Anyone in the industry that needs to know location-level information by GPO could go to the One Source and that’s it.

Let’s use an example: Manufacturer A wants to set up a contract with Novation and Premier. The deviated pricing will go through Distributor B. The distributor is handed these new agreements and instead of trying to figure out what locations in their system they should link to these two pricing agreements, the distributor simply pulls this information from the independent One Source of information. The GPOs know they must continue to load their location lists into this One Source. That’s it.

If there are times when a single location is showing up on more than one GPO’s location list, that location is flagged and it won’t funnel into any distributors systems for pricing until the GPOs can agree who owns that location. The One Source company would be responsible for catching these and working with the GPO’s. The way this has to work is that a major distributor or set of distributors and/or manufacturers must agree to this concept and then mandate to the GPOs that they load their location lists into this independent One Source company.

It would work. So what distributors and/or manufacturers are ready to solve this?

DATA ACQUISITION FOR TRADE PROMOTION MANAGEMENT - ELECTRONIC BILLBACK CLAIM SUBMISSION “MADE EASY”

Answers Systems — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:27:39 GMT

by Janet Zlokovich

Getting Started with submitting Electronic Billback Reporting for deviated billbacks . . .

Many distributors are unsure of where to begin. When I talk to them about sending a data file for their deviated billbacks rather than emailing a static report format, distributors are sometimes hesitant because they want to make sure one solution and the same file layout will satisfy every manufacturer trading partner’s requirements.

The good news is there are easy-to-adopt industry standards for claim submission.

Specifications are already in place for the EDI 867 Product Transfer and Resale Report – Foodservice Billback document. This industry standard document was developed through the efforts of the GS1 US Foodservice committee. We are currently receiving claim data from distributors who have used these guidelines for their development.

My role in Data Acquisition at Answers Systems is to promote electronic data transmissions for billback reporting. When we receive a data extract file, I perform the mapping alignment to our EclaimSM table where the data can be staged and synchronized for standardization. We have a dedicated group of IT professionals that manage the data files and load process. Whenever possible, automation is applied to streamline and expedite. The end result is a paperless workflow that can drive waste out of the supply chain. I am always ready to share my experiences on how I have worked with other distributors to transition to the EDI 867 while having minimal impact on effort, time and resources. Distributors who have used this document as the spec have been able to apply their own translation based on the data available from their internal rebate applications and financial systems. They are able to substantiate and support the goal of 1 standard file layout for all their claim data. Another advantage is being able to automate the transmission to the manufacturer so they can receive prompt payment for their billback invoice and have a positive impact cash flow.

Even through it’s our preference to receive the EDI 867-Billback, we are flexible and can accept other file types such as Text (delimited-character), CSV and Excel. The file transmission can be transmitted via FTP or email. My recommendation is to use FTP to our secure site to allow automation and tracking receipt for the file delivery. If you are interested in receiving more information, contact Janet Zlokovich at janet.zlokovich@answerssystems.com or call 727-639-2151.

Technorati tags: deviated billbacks, electronic billback reporting,data acquistion