Greg Hilton

Posts by Greg Hilton, CIO of Answers Systems.
Street Operator Coupons and More in ContractPro v. 5.0

by Greg Hilton Thank you to everyone involved in the recent ContractPro® 5.0 release. This release (that went to production over the weekend) was delivered in a tremendously high quality, low impact manner. It took lots of folks thousands of hours of careful planning, development, months of QA and product release rollout prep. to deliver this great release. ...

posted @ Monday, May 02, 2011 11:06 AM | Feedback (0)

Frequent Flyer Programs, a Study in Confusion

By Greg Hilton Wow, I’m amazed how far technology has come in recent years. As I type this, I am cruising on a SouthWest Airlines flight headed west. I have spent the morning glued to email and have responded faster to email in the air than if I was sitting with both planted on the ground surround by the craziness that is an office environment. With so many miles traveled annually, like most business travelers, I signed up for every frequent flyer program I could find. I’m currently signed up to receive hotel, car and, of course airlines rewards. I do not...

posted @ Tuesday, April 12, 2011 11:49 AM | Feedback (0)

Things No One Has Ever Asked Me

By Greg Hilton As I pass and continue to approach some age milestones, I am becoming much more reflective about life. From time to time, I realize how little I know and how much I wish that I had listened better in grade school and college. Maybe a little more study time would have enabled me to better answer some of the questions that I get asked. Questions like: 1. Is Steven Tyler a better American Idol judge that Simon Cowell? 2. Where did Myspace.com go wrong and Facebook.com go right? 3. Is their life after working in the Foodservice industry?...

posted @ Wednesday, February 23, 2011 2:43 PM | Feedback (0)

Google “GS1 and Foodservice”

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...

posted @ Tuesday, January 11, 2011 12:19 PM | Feedback (0)

Trade Promotion Management for the Holidays

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...

posted @ Tuesday, December 14, 2010 4:27 PM | Feedback (0)

Contract Management is Scary

by Greg Hilton During this time of year at Answers Systems, our office decorates and participates in Halloween festivities. We wear costumes on the last business day before the big day, we decorate offices and we generally just have a little fun. Amid all of the fun, we are serious about helping our customers get past the fear that is contract management. Manufacturers and operators face the same basic dilemma: how to harness all of their contract management activities, keep track of the data and make decisions based on this information. It is scary! That is why manufacturers and operators need...

posted @ Wednesday, October 27, 2010 5:33 PM | Feedback (0)

Contract Management Software, a bicycle for your trade promotion management

by Greg Hilton “A computer, is like a bicycle for the mind,” Steve Jobs, Founder/CEO Apple. I always liked that quote. Humans have a difficult time keeping up with the other creatures that inhabit this earth. Thanks to opposable thumbs, our early ancestors could grasp a wooden club and “evolve” to create more advanced technology through the ages. What sets us apart from every other known species is our ability to build tools. These mechanical extensions make difficult jobs easier and make

posted @ Wednesday, August 18, 2010 5:01 PM | Feedback (0)

The Answers Systems' Vision

by Greg Hilton In the short time that I have had an opportunity to serve as President of Answers Systems, I have been reminded (from this new perspective) of the exciting destination that Answers Systems--and the customers we serve--are heading toward. In an industry with so many complications and challenges, it is important to reflect on the vision on which our our team is focused. The Answers System’s Vision . . . To provide critical information to the Foodservice Industry with easy-to-

posted @ Wednesday, July 14, 2010 2:33 PM | Feedback (0)

Putting a “Cap” on Data spills

There is a tremendous amount of energy and focus placed on organizations to select and implement great reporting and analytics tools to help plan and analyze their trading relationship data. The need to select a great reporting and analytics platform for information analysis is paramount to managing a superior business. It is, in fact, no longer a differentiator but a requirement to stay competitive.

posted @ Tuesday, June 15, 2010 9:54 AM | Feedback (0)

The National Restaurant Association show is upon us

by Greg Hilton Each May, professionals from all around the food industry make the annual pilgrimage to the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago. I have attended on and off for around 15 years or so and each year, I meet an incredibly fascinating group of individuals and learn a tremendous amount. I am also in awe of the shear magnitude of the planning process and what must go into putting on a show of that size. Kudos to all of the individuals involved.

posted @ Monday, May 17, 2010 2:09 PM | Feedback (0)

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