Greg Hilton

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.

National Debt and Other Fun Children’s Stories

Answers Systems — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:28:07 GMT

by Greg Hilton

I was reading a post on-line a few days ago about both the President and Congress agreeing that things are improving in our nation’s economy. Jobless numbers finally took a small decline and consumer confidence is up (even just a tiny bit) for the first time in many months. Funny though, ‘Things looking up’ when our national economy is facing what seems to be an insurmountable year-over-year budget deficit just does not seem to make sense. It is like saying, “Gee, my car is really driving much better these last few miles (unfortunately in 50 feet is a cliff ahead)”.

It is kind of like if you were a manufacturer setting up a trade promotion contract for a large chain account and you figured out how to double your volume on the contract. That would be great! If you got twice the increase in volume by selling your products for half the listed price, well, that would be bad. Knowing the impact of your contract management decisions is vital to success, not just with one of your customers, but also with your whole portfolio.

What Washington needs is a trade promotion solution. Our capital needs some way to make sure that the contracts that they make with one another, and with the American people make good financial sense. Then, the Senate, House of Representatives and our executive branch need a way to track whether those investments did what they were intended to do. I placed a call with my state senator. I am pretty sure he is going to call me back before I finish this blog.

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 promotion management, Washington, contract management, foodservice, ValuTrak, ContractPro

"Synergy" is a Math Term - Who Knew!

Answers Systems — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:29:16 GMT

by Greg Hilton

Throughout recent history the Foodservice and Trade Spend Management industry, as well as much of corporate America, has used really cool big words to describe trends and philosophies.

From the early eighties, we had Total Quality Management (TQM), a management theory for defect reduction and heightened quality standards. Sun Tzu (that is him on the right), an ancient Chinese military general penned, “The Art of war” and a whole industry of management theorist began translating the logic of modern war fare to management practice. Big words, big theories, big statue!

Synergy and other words I did not know.

For years, I have heard the word “Synergy used to describe when two parties come together, and find common principles and practices that, if partnered in the right way will aid both parties. So, you are sitting around the manufacturer or operator company boardroom table talking about a partnership with someone and you say, ”Let’s see if we can find the synergies between our two companies.” This means, can we work together and get a better result from our partnership than the results we could get alone?

Math, the final frontier!

1 + 1 = 3

While sometimes mathematically challenged, this one seems pretty straight forward. Can the combination of two parties working together yield a better return than the two companies could working apart? When it comes to providing a solution to our customers foodservice challenges (Deduction management, data acquisition, great contract approval processes, business intelligence, etc.) taking all of the parts that our customers need and building solutions that address each piece is what sets us apart from our competition. Basically, we take every piece of the manufacturer and operator’s need and deliver it in one solution. Or, 1+1+1+1+1 = Way more than 5!

Synergy and the Foodservice industry

We understood early on in the creation of the ContractPro® and ValuTrak® solutions, manufacturer and operator foodservice solutions, that the trade spend foodservice needs could only be fully met by a solution that sought to deliver all of the pieces together. For instance, a manufacturer could not look for a data acquisition partner, then seek out a software vendor, then figure out how to staff to verify claims, then implement a Business Intelligence solution, then look for a distributor/operator portal vendor, etc.

The combination of products and services that we offer to foodservice operators and manufacturers sum to offer a much greater value than the individual products and services that competitors in the market offer. At Answers, we believe it is our mission in life to deliver a single, cohesive and ready-to-use solution to the foodservice industry.
We deliver our value through great software and the most expert and educated people in the world driving great services. Thank you for helping to make Answers Systems The Premier Software and Services provider in the Foodservice Industry.
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.

It’s a New Year in the Foodservice Industry

Answers Systems — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:34:42 GMT

by Greg Hilton

Answers Systems has kicked off an incredibly exciting product development roadmap for 2010. We are focused on delivering focused improvements in our core products, ContractPro® and ValuTrak®. In the design of this year’s major product and service releases, our team focused on some key needs for our customers:

Data Visibility
We are launching our ContractPro 3-D and expanded 2-D reporting products into production this month! Whith this incredible new capability, our FoodService customers will be able to better manage trade spend sales, claims, deductions, and ultimately understand the profitability of your trading relationships.

Improved Software Usability
We pride ourselves on delivering the very best Contract Management and trade promotion Management solutions. The first half, 2010 product releases for ContractPro and ValuTrak will include great new productivity features and usability improvements.

Infrastructure Investment
As a client of Answers Systems, isn’t it cool that you do not have to worry about servers, software, data centers, redundant power, etc? We have you covered with additional investments in just about every category of infrastructure imaginable.

Account Management Closer to the Customer
At our 2009 user conference at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Hotel in Clearwater, Florida, we committed to organize our team with a more clear focus on listening to your needs and lending expert support. In 2009, we expanded our Account Management team and reorganized our group to place your Account Manager closer to you and give them greater autonomy for decision making. The result. . . more rapid improvements to our products and services and a quicker response to your needs.

Thank you for helping to make Answers Systems The Experts in the Foodservice industry.

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.

Answers Systems Vision. . . To be the Premier Software and Services provider in the Foodservice industry

Answers Systems — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:20:06 GMT

Posted by Greg Hilton

First off, I wanted to say thank you to each and everyone of our our incredible customers. Your continued support of Answers Systems' vision allows our team to serve you each and every day. Serving you, our customers, is the single most important endeavor that we seek to succeed at.

A great year!
In the past year, Answers Systems has worked tirelessly to structure our team and our product offering with a keen eye for your needs. We have formed a new Client Services team and charged our Account Managers to act as customer advocates, to listen to your needs for product enhancements and changes to our service. The voice of the customer is now clearer and, as a result, the needs of the customer are being turned into new features and product capabilities with much greater speed.

We have continued our commitment to electronic data exchange growth. What started as a core investment (E-Claim and electronic data trading with our industry partners), has now turned into a core competency; with more than 80% of all data trading activity happening via an electronic exchange.

Through investments in technology and gains in process improvements, we have produced the best average claim turnaround time in Answers' history. Moving claiming and operator sales data through our system faster results in a quicker response to your critical data questions. Faster turnaround time on data exchange helps improve your relationship with your key customers as well.

We continue to build relationships with premier trading partners in the industry. Our work with the FSE team is building the groundwork for a great contract trading relationship. Through this relationship, Answers' manufacturing clients will be able to enjoy an automated contract trading process that will enable seamless flow of ContractPro^® contracts into the FSE portal.

The year ahead!
In the new year, our organization is more focused than ever. We have aligned our teams to execute on a the most important needs of our Operator and Manufacturer customers. ContractPro and ValuTrak continue to broaden the gap with our competitors by offering the very highest quality software coupled with the industry best data acquisition and services solutions.

In the coming year, Answers' is committed to deliver key software improvements aimed at making your jobs even more efficient. By carefully listening to our user's needs, we have designed a product roadmap for 2010 that includes incredible gains in the usability of key features of both ContractPro and ValuTrak software solutions.

Great software requires incredible investments behind the scenes. At Answers Systems, we continue to invest wisely so that your user experience with ValuTrak and ContractPro are nothing short of awesome! In 2010, we will invest even more in our hardware, network and data center infrastructure to insure that the rapid growth of our customer base (and use of our products) will not slow software performance.

We are super excited about the launch of our new analytics platform (code named Project Athena). The work of our team, and you the customer, over the last year has lead to a beautifully designed product capable of zeroing in on the most ambitious analytics needs. Project Athena delivers a superior reporting and analytics tool and, coupled with our ValuTrak operator software offering, make Answers Systems the choice in software and services in the Foodservice industry.

After coming into my new role with an extensive software background, I love to hear how our customers are using our products. We believe that, because of our partnership with you in the design of every piece of software we release, we design the very best solution in the industry. Please feel free to drop me an email. I would love to hear from you about how you are using ContractPro and ValuTrak to solve your most critical business needs.

I look forward to communicating our status throughout 2010. In subsequent customer newsletters, I will be bringing you all up to speed on how we are doing with our 2010 commitments. As you can no doubt tell, we are really excited about the road ahead. Thank youfor working with us toward the same goals of improved Trade Performance solutions.

Thank you,
Greg Hilton

Technorati tags: ContractPro, ValuTrak, electronic claim data, contract management, Answers Systems, Greg Hilton

Greg Hilton Named President of Answers Systems

Answers Systems — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:32:39 GMT

Bud Hilton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Group, Inc., dba Answers Systems, the leading provider of foodservice trade promotion management solutions, announced the promotion of Greg Hilton to President of Genesis Group, Inc., dba Answers Systems. Bud Hilton, founder of Answers Systems in 1986 and whose career spans over 46 years in the foodservice industry, will continue in his role as Chairman of the Board and CEO. Bud will become even more involved in foodservice industry initiatives and new visionary concepts for Genesis Group and Answers Systems.

Greg Hilton has been with Answers Systems since 1995 and has served the company in various capacities including the role of Vice President and CIO. Greg developed the Answers Systems' Information Technology department and the team responsible for the best-in-class software and systems applications available to manufacturers and operators in our industry. Prior to Answers Systems, Greg had deep experience in the financial industry, serving in several information and financial roles in the Mortgage Servicing segment for leaders such as ERA/Chase Manhattan Bank, Amsouth Bank, and Carteret Mortgage. Greg holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from the University of Tampa.

"Greg spent most of his life preparing for this role and his strength in information systems, technology, his financial background and his overall foodservice experience places him in a unique position to lead and enhance our company's future," said Bud Hilton.

Additional executive staff promotions announcements:

Tom Tipps has been promoted from VP Sales & Marketing to VP & Chief Marketing Officer
Rhonda Harms has been promoted from VP Finance to VP & Chief Financial Officer
Brian Maloney has been promoted from VP Business Development to VP & Chief Development Officer
Roth Block will continue as the Senior VP& Chief Operating Officer
Kevin Hart has been promoted from Product Manager to Chief Information Officer

Since 1986, Answers Systems has been meeting the unique trade promotion management needs of the Foodservice industry. We stay on the leading edge of software development and service delivery with our ContractPro® solution for Foodservice manufacturers and ValuTrak® solution for multi-unit Foodservice operators. Our solutions provide real-time visibility into the performance of trading partner agreements and support quantifiable ROI improvements for our client base.

A Simile Is Like A Song

Answers Systems — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:50:55 GMT

Posted By Greg Hilton

Here is a simile for you . . . Buying a reporting solution and not considering the cleanliness, accuracy and timeliness of the data being analyzed, is like installing a beautiful water faucet in your kitchen and hooking the plumbing directly to your sewer line.

Good data is like a filet mignon!

I was on a phone call with a potential customer the other day. I love being involved in the sales process because you really get energized by offering answers to the problems that your potential customers are facing. It is a really neat experience when a potential customer has one of those “ah-ha” moments.

We were demonstrating our trade spend reporting and analytics tool, ContractPro^® with Athena^SM, and the question came up, “How do you set yourself apart from your competition as far as reporting? Isn’t ContractPro with Athena just a reporting tool? I think my answer was something like, “No it is not just a reporting tool and SteakUms^® are not just another fine cut of steak.”

Data is like a foundation!

I was a bit more political with the individual on the phone but it underscores one of the most misunderstood and often missed differences in trade promotion and trade spending solutions in the industry. Long before there were standard contract management software solutions like ContractPro and ValuTrak^®, Answers Systems was working on standardizing data collection. We understood that the foundation of reporting and information solutions must be built on rock solid data from distributors and operators.

Build a “trick” suite of software with cool analytics… and then lay it on top of inaccurate and delayed, unmapped generally ugly data… and you get a really pretty picture of the aforementioned sewage plant. In other words, do not make your solution selection based on the beauty of the analytics sales presentation. Consider the big three elements of data…

The big three is like the big 2 plus 1!

1. Most any solutions provider (most) can work with you to get your own manufacturer data into the solution software. If you are a manufacturer, you sell product into distribution, you have customers in a database, you have products in a database, etc. These are all pretty easy to get to (since they sit in your database), and they are all needed to make any trade spending solution work.

2. Contracts should come from somewhere. For Answers Systems customers, we store customer contracts in the industry leading ContractPro product. You track all of your deals, you interact and get deals approved, you analyze the performance of the contract. . . all the cool stuff software can provide.

3. Claiming data is pretty important in this mix. Actually, this is where lots of other solution providers miss the boat. Getting claim data from the distributors and operators, cleaning it, matching it to your sku, contract, customers, etc. helping to reconcile discrepancies is not just a “nice to have” in this equation, it is the lifeblood of the whole process.

Data is NOT like a cute little fluffy bunny!

Remember, if you are not getting your claim data coming into your trade spending solution within 5-7 days after the delivery date. . . If you are not matching every piece of unit-level data to a real operator. . . If you are not embracing electronic claiming data initiatives . . . do not try to lay a reporting or analytics solution on top your data. Unless you are a fan of balcony seating at the county waste disposal site.

Value Added Schmalue Added!

Answers Systems — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:50:50 GMT

Posted by Greg Hilton

Wikipedia says the term Value Add speaks to difference between the cost to produce a good or service and the sale price. My economics professor in college, “Professor Humdrum,” probably defined it in the same calculating boring and repetitious way (he was good about that). Nothing against monotony, it just seems to go on and on.

Years later in the real world, the term Value Add became less synonymous with economic theory and definition and more about a handy catch phrase that basically says, “Hey, I took this commodity and added something to it so you would choose my commodity over that other guys commodity.” Care to see this in a picture?


Value	Value Added

In the Foodservice world, manufacturers, operators and distributors are constantly looking to add value to their products: to set them apart through some kind of differentiation. Trade Promotion solutions providers are no different. No one wants to be just another potato. We want to be a potato head. Oh wait, that did not come out right.

What are the unique differences between Trade Promotion Solutions?

You basically have seven steps to accomplish when it comes to trade promotion. If you ever want to know more in-depth content related to these seven steps, I suggest you read my colleague Stacy Jackson’s blog on the Seven Critical Steps of trade promotion Management. It is really a great peek into the important steps.

The point in mentioning these steps is to illustrate how important it is to be able to carve each step apart and consider that each step is valuable, and the ability to string the pieces together and offer a cohesive solution for our customers, is truly the ultimate in value add.

Consider the total, or end up getting mashed

Mashed! Yip, I came up with that one all by myself. The ability for a trade promotion management company to be able to piece data acquisition together with contract management and then on to analytics, handling each piece in between, is the answer to taking a valuable piece (like acquiring data) and turning it into a value added solution that manufactures, operators and even distributors can understand.

Do not discount any trading partner

A really important factor to consider in trade promotion management is the vital role that each trading partner plays. As a manufacturer for instance, if you are put in charge of Marketing in Foodservice and you attempt to assemble your marketing strategy without a mind for how the operator and distributor will receive the message, you are writing yourself a short ticket to the unemployment line.

The same applies to trade promotion Management. Answers Systems prides itself in considering the needs of the operator the distributor and the manufacturer in the delivery of our products and services. ContractPro, our Manufacturer product and ValuTrak, our operator focused solution both have all three trading partners in mind and all offers benefits to each party. How is that for a value-add for our products and services?

In Summary. . . Keep your eyes peeled

You know how hard it is to come up with Potato Puns? Try it sometime.

So if you are looking for help in assembling your Foodservice trade promotion Management, start with a call to Answers Systems. We will help you look at your seven critical steps, build a plan for improvement and get your team moving toward operational excellence. Let us help clarify the difference between “solutions” in the marketplace that offer some valuable pieces of the trade promotion puzzle and value added answers that rounds out the loop.

Houston, Do We Really Have a Problem?

Answers Systems — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:03:33 GMT

Posted by Greg Hilton

Are you one of those folks who, when prompted to participate in a problem-solving meeting or discussion, cannot help but get involved in the dialogue? Are you the type that likes to hang back and see how the discussion progresses and then give your two cents? I was reminded of a third type of person (just last evening) that has a tendency to want to lead the dialogue, quite certain that they understand enough of the facts to give great insight to those around me… um, him. Okay, I admit it, I assume too much and, I am one of THOSE people.

In the Foodservice industry, we are prompted with issues all of the time that seem like old hat. It is quite easy, at times, to be certain that everyone can see the problem, and everyone knows exactly how to fix it. Problems like contract negotiation with operators and distributors. Issues such as data collection and rebate management/trade promotion management.

We hear the terms: “earned income” and “billbacks” and “Sodexo/ITN” … and think, sure, everyone understands the complexity of the issue, and everyone knows where the problems lie. But, invariably, we run into situations all of the time that are clear foodservice problems that need distinct and clear answers. Often times, however, we spend a lot more time reminding folks that there is a problem than actually working to help resolve the issues with them.

First step: Admit you have a problem

Do you work for a manufacturer or a chain operator? Well, the first step is to admit you have a problem. You likely work in an organization where you have not yet standardized your contracts into unique categories. Maybe you are trading some form of electronic claim and billback data, but you are missing a large percent (or you are trying to data enter paper). The list goes on . . .

Second step: Seek help

So, you have come the conclusion that your organization is not quite “cutting edge” when it comes to trade promotion management t? Since you know you have a problem, then you must be willing to fix it. How do you fix it? Get yourself a team of folks willing to step back and study your contract business with an eye for standardization. If you are an operator, look for common themes in your distributor purchase deals or your manufacturer rebate contracts.

The same goes for you Mr. Manufacturer! You have deals in the marketplace (whether you have a standard place to track them or not). Find out what your deals look like. Begin to centralize them in one place and study the commonalities and trends in the deals. Then start to work toward standardizing your contracts around deal types that have worked in the past.

It is like my old friend Captain Obvious always says, “Find things that work and do more of that.” The dude is brilliant!

Third and final step: Commit to constant improvement and change

It is not enough to admit that your company is not the best at trade promotion managementand rebate management. It is not even enough to do the analysis to find the holes or trends in your current contracts. You have to be committed to improve your trade promotion management processes.

There are too many great answers to the problems to ignore the solution. If you wake up in one year and are still in the same place with your trade promotion programs. . . if you are still processing the majority of your billbacks and rebate deals via paper. . . if you are still asking yourself ‘I wonder if that Aramark deal was profitable’. . . then you have avoided the commitment to improve. Do not let that happen.

Want to embrace the issue, consider the solution and really improve your organization’s trade promotion management? Contact us. Answers Systems' ContractPro solution is a softare and outsourced service designed for the unique and specific needs of the foodservice industry.

Foodservice Problem Solving Frameworks Part III - What to Do With the Data

Answers Systems — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:46:13 GMT

by Greg Hilton

In this series on problem solving frameworks we are taking a look at solving problems using methods learned from the book, The McKinsey Way by Ethan M. Rasiel. If you are checking in from the original post, “The McKinsey Way” is a peek into the problem-solving framework used by one of the world’s most successful business strategy-consulting firms, McKinsey & Company.

This is the last of the three part series and speaks to, “what to do with the data you capture.”

Reminder about The Theme

Approach every business question with a structured framework for solving the question (Ex: How can I measure and manage my contract relationships to make sure they are priced optimally).

Again, borrowing from McKinsey, here are the high-level steps to follow when solving a business problem:

1. Gather as much of the facts as is humanly possible.

2. Start with a hypothesis of what the problem may be

3. Divide your supporting findings into unique categories (Google for “MECE” for more information on how we will do this or stay tuned for the next blog).

4. Test, Test, Test your theory

5. Implement!

Where to begin

From our last installment we said that manufacturers in foodservice must capture all of the claiming and usage data possible to even consider making good decisions with it. Now we move into the next most essential concept: Get a solid set of tools you can analyze the data with.

Piece of cake!

Here is the hypothesis we stated as the core to understanding whether your contract. . . and then your contract portfolio. . . is performing.

1. Information about the claiming history and volume usage of a contractee or a segment of contractees. . . . .

2. Coupled with a process to trap, track and audit usage and claiming activity against the contractee(s). . . .

3. If your team has powerful tools to analyze the information and has been sufficiently trained. . .

4. Can improve your ability to negotiate appropriate contract discount terms with both your operator and distributor for mutual gain.

So you have gathered the data, huh?

You have been able to track down 100% of your billbacks, headquarter claims, growth incentives, marketing allowances. . . all of the ways that a foodservice manufacturer gives away a buck. Good for you! Now what?

Now, you need tools that can take all of this data (maybe some came in on paper, but you have figured out how to turn it into electronic data) and begin to analyze it. There are lots of tools on the market that offer analysis capabilities. You can spend a lot of money purchasing enterprise business intelligence tools and spend lots more configuring and implementing these tools.

Another option is to work with foodservice specific partners like Answers Systems that offer pre-configured analysis tools as well as the ability to acquire all of the data and pool it all together so you can make sense of it. Whatever choice you make, start with the end in mind:

1. Acquire 100% of the data

2. Centralize it and “scrub it”

3. Use best-in-class products to analyze it.

4. Make informed decisions about contract renewals and relationships.

From here?

Keep it simple. Find a partner that can provide all of the components of data capture/analysis and reporting. Work with them to ensure that they have your organization's goals in mind as the programs are delivered.