Blog Feed: Q & Answers: Trade Promotion Management for Foodservice

Please join Answers Systems, a division of AFS Technologies, as we host this informative webinar on November 16, 2:00 PM ET, led by Dave DeWalt, Owner & President, Franklin Foodservice Solutions. Identifying and Eliminating Less-than-Minimum Order Costs Many food manufacturers are surprised when we show them the number of "Less than Minimum" (LTM) orders moving through their systems. Even if they understand the high costs of administration and logistics required to fill these orders, they h [..] > read more

No Kids Allowed!

Published on 2011-10-17 12:12:07

By Kristin Avery For some restaurants kids don’t eat free, matter of fact they don’t eat at all. There is a new trend of restaurants banning children from dining at their establishments. Some feel this is a flat-out act of discrimination while others feel it’s simply a smart business move. Mike Vucik is among those who support the child ban from restaurants. He’s an owner of a Pittsburgh area eatery whose children ban went into effect two months ago. In an article titled “Restaurant [..] > read more

Thank You Steve Jobs

Published on 2011-10-06 09:42:26

Stacy Jackson Much to the chagrin of some of our IT staff, I am a Mac fanatic. Love, love, love Apple products. I had one of the first generation iPods and a first generation iPod Touch. I have a first generation iPad. I’ve been through an iBook, a PowerBook, and now on a MacBook Pro (one for work and one at home). I just can’t imagine life without Apple products. Thank you, Steve Jobs, for your innovative products that have enriched lives and improved the way people work (although I am sure [..] > read more

Facebook Freak-out!

Published on 2011-09-30 11:28:40

By Kristin Avery If you’ve been on Facebook recently then you heard the rumor that Facebook was going to start charging its users. There was one posting in particular that I saw several times and it went like this: "FACEBOOK JUST RELEASED THEIR PRICE GRID FOR MEMBERSHIP. $9.99 PER MONTH FOR GOLD MEMBER SERVICES, $6.99 PER MONTH FOR SILVER MEMBER SERVICES, $3.99 PER MONTH FOR BRONZE MEMBER SERVICES, FREE IF YOU COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. WHEN YOU SIGN ON TOMORROW MOR [..] > read more

Here's a Tip!

Published on 2011-09-21 14:42:34

By Kristin Avery Did you know there are 1001 tips for cleaning with white distilled vinegar? Did you also know there’s an inexpensive tip for curing a sore throat? Just add one teaspoon to one cup of warm water and gargle. Well, no matter who you are everyone loves a good tip. You name it, there’s a tip for it. Everything from cooking tips to tips on how to save money on your next electricity bill. Tips are meant to provide us with useful information and make our life easier. Here at A [..] > read more

Staying Connected to Solve Complex Problems

Published on 2011-09-16 10:00:56

Stacy Jackson 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 N [..] > read more

Who's Minding the Trade Spending?

Published on 2011-09-14 13:16:47

Stacy Jackson In our years of experience, we’ve seen many different organizational models employed by foodservice manufacturers for managing trade spending and all of its related functions (contract management, settlement, deduction management, reporting, etc.). There is no one organizational structure or reporting hierarchy common across the industry that has ownership of trade spending as its sole purpose in the life of the organization. In some companies “who owns trade spending” may no [..] > read more

ContractPro® v5.1 Release

Published on 2011-09-12 09:39:24

posted by Stacy Jackson Today we released ContractPro® v5.1 for general use! Take a moment to check out the feature release document attached here! Not a current customer, learn more about what the ContractPro trade promotion management Solution can do for your organization! > read more

Did You Hear the News? Answers Systems Joins the AFS Technologies Family

Published on 2011-09-06 07:46:09

On September 1, 2011, Answers Systems was acquired by AFS Technologies. AFS Technlogies Inc. is the leading provider of business enterprise and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. The company serves over 1,200 customers across the Americas with a portfolio of solutions for the food and beverage, supply chain, and financial segments. AFS Supply Chain Solutions and AFS Food & Beverage Solutions are designed to reduce costs, improve efficiency, increase sales and margins, streamline internal [..] > read more

Tackling the Topic of "Trade Spend"

Published on 2011-08-12 12:39:45

By Kristin Avery The topic of “Trade Spend” can be a difficult one to tackle. Where does one start? What key words should I type when doing an internet search? Who are experts on the topic? What information can I trust? All right, don’t panic! Answers Systems is here to provide the answers to all your “Trade Spend” questions. You can start to tackle the topic of “Trade Spend” right here. Instead of conducting a general search on the internet that would cost you time browsing thr [..] > read more

Trade Promotion Management - More Than Meets The Eye

Published on 2011-06-22 14:36:59

By Kristin Avery Have you ever wondered how you receive your fast food so fast? Honestly, I’ve never given it a second thought. All I know is that I turn into a five-year-old who’s been denied a toy when my food takes longer than two minutes. > read more

Facing Non-Compliance

Published on 2011-06-20 11:33:18

Captain Obvious once said . . . Your Best Customer is Your Existing Customer! Most of us in the Foodservice industry feel that some of our best customers are our contracted chain accounts because once we sell them, the cases keep repeating. Good C > read more

A Home Run for Trade Promotion Management

Published on 2011-06-13 11:00:03

By Kristin Avery It’s baseball season, my favorite season. My favorite team is the Tampa Bay Rays. When I’m not watching the Rays, I’ll even attend an occasional softball game. At a recent softball game, it finally occurred to me that the b > read more

Changes, when are they a bad thing?

Published on 2011-06-08 12:26:08

By Tracy McQuilkin This past weekend I went and saw the latest installment of the Pirates of Caribbean films, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Before seeing the movie, I experienced a bit of hesitation because a majority of the main ch > read more

Story Time With Answers Systems

Published on 2011-05-24 11:59:38

To help celebrate the company's 25th Anniversary, Answers Systems employees were encouraged to put together their Answers Systems stories. Employees were asked to submit short films, original music, paintings, poems, and short stories about their > read more

Behind-the-Scenes at Answers Systems

Published on 2011-05-20 12:23:14

Since 1986, the people here at Answers Systems have been meeting the unique trade promotion management needs of the Foodservice industry. It's because of the people that the company stays on the leading edge of software development and service delive > read more

Answers Systems Goes the Extra Mile To Fight Cancer

Published on 2011-05-16 15:27:21

By Kristin Avery I hope you can recall a blog post titled ” New Year’s Trade Promotion Resolution” that was posted this past January. I stated that one of my 2011 resolutions was to run a race where proceeds would go to a good cause. I also dre > read more

Behind-the-Scenes at Answers Systems

Published on 2011-05-06 10:10:34

Here at Answers Systems, we are more than just a trade promotions management software company. Answers Systems sets itself apart from other contract management solution providers in a sense that it's the people that truly make Answers Systems un > read more

Street Operator Coupons and More in ContractPro v. 5.0

Published on 2011-05-02 10:06:14

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 > read more

Behind-the-Scenes Guy Who Keeps the Team Going

Published on 2011-04-29 11:30:28

At Answers Systems we are pretty proud to be celebrating two big wins this year: our 25th anniversary and our honor as a company named by the St. Petersburg Times as a Top Workplace in Tampa Bay. A big part of those wins are our people. On Frid > read more

Answers Systems- Who We Are and What We Do

Published on 2011-04-25 14:41:24

By John Nicholas Answers Systems corporate offices are in Oldsmar, Florida. We have a secondary office and a Tier 4 data center in Chattanooga, TN. We also maintain a field sales office in Evansville, Indiana. ContractPro® is our contract manageme > read more

SKU Rationalization

Published on 2011-04-21 08:46:34

by Bud Hilton Yesterday, I sat through a very well presented Webinar on “SKU Rationalization”. The subject matter was presented by a great professional in our industry who was basically right-on about a subject matter that has become a big iss > read more

Separation of Food and State

Published on 2011-04-19 14:31:57

By Kristin Avery A hot button topic that began a few months ago- and continues to be a topic of conversation- is the removal of toys from McDonalds Happy Meals in San Francisco, California and it looks like this issue will not be going away any time > read more

Answers Systems Named Top 70 Work Places in Tampa Bay

Published on 2011-04-18 13:09:11

Answers Systems Named Top 70 Top Work Places in Tampa Bay Oldsmar, Florida— April 18, 2011: Answers Systems was recently named one of Tampa Bay’s Top Work Places 2011 by the St. Petersburg Times. Employees nominated their employers and were sur > read more

Street Coupons are Part of the Family

Published on 2011-04-13 08:44:00

By Tracy McQuilkin A family prepares for months before taking home a new born baby. They are constantly doing research, stocking up on baby products, and keeping a watchful eye on the health of the baby through regular doctors’ visits. At the > read more

Frequent Flyer Programs, a Study in Confusion

Published on 2011-04-12 10:49:18

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 w > read more

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

Published on 2011-04-07 09:44:27

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 > read more

6 Questions About Top2Top 2011

Published on 2011-03-23 14:07:41

Recently Kristin Avery sat down with John Nicholas to have a conversation about his recent Top2Top experience. 1. In a 100 words or less, what is Top2Top? Top2Top is an annual conference sponsored by FSMA (Foodservice Sales & Marketing Associ > read more

Data Acquisition Made Easy

Published on 2011-03-14 12:14:32

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 enterpr > read more

Data Acquistion Made Easy

Published on 2011-03-14 12:14:32

Putting Things Into Perspective

Published on 2011-03-11 10:07:07

By Brian Maloney Work took me to NYC recently. While in town we figured we’d stop by Ground Zero to see the progress. I was amazed at how far they’ve come along. I last saw it a couple years ago when it was still a huge hole taking up several blo > read more

Trade Contract Management...and Repeat

Published on 2011-03-04 09:26:30

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 organ > read more

Fear of the Unknown

Published on 2011-02-28 12:43:21

By John Nicholas There is a harsh truth for every food manufacturer. If you can’t see down into your business, eventually, you will lose your business! It might be a gradual loss, but you can’t manage something that you can’t see. Successful fo > read more

Things No One Has Ever Asked Me

Published on 2011-02-23 13:43:52

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 l > read more

Answers Systems and CHD Expert North America LLC Announce Partnership

Published on 2011-02-03 10:58:58

Answers Systems, leading provider of foodservice trade promotion management solutions, and CHD Expert North America, LLC, the leader in collecting, managing and analyzing information for the Away-From-Home Foodservice market, announced their strateg > read more

Trade Spend Solution..What’s the “Big Deal”?

Published on 2011-02-02 14:48:46

By Janet Zlokovich While unpacking my groceries at the check-out line of my local supermarket, I like to look over the discounts I’m going to receive on my purchase. 2 for 1’s are one of my favorite ways to save and usually results in the largest > read more

Thoughts on This Groundhog Day's Eve

Published on 2011-02-01 10:38:07

by Stacy Jackson As Groundhog Day approaches, along with a blast of wintry weather, I am reminded of a movie that I could watch over and over again. "What movie is that?" you may ask. Why it’s Groundhog Day, of course! There are obvious reasons to > read more

Answers Systems and FSE Inc. Announce Partnership

Published on 2011-01-31 09:58:08

Answers Systems, a leading provider of foodservice trade promotion management solutions, and FSE Inc., a leading provider of data synchronization services throughout North America, formalized a strategic partnership this January. This partnership re > read more

Claims – To hold up or not hold up, what is required?

Published on 2011-01-28 14:54:31

By Tracy McQuilkin In order to accurately process a claim we not only need a valid contract in ContractPro but we also require specific information on the actual claims themselves. If the information is missing from a claim we receive we place the c > read more

What’s Wrong with Deductions?

Published on 2011-01-26 08:35:45

By Tom Tipps Here we are in 2011…and most Foodservice manufacturers are still settling all or most of their claims via distributor deduction. The manufacturers can’t process the distributors’ claims within payment terms, so the distributors jus > read more

View the GS1 US Foodservice Initiative Webinar Recording

Published on 2011-01-17 10:38:34

If you were unable to attend last week's GS1 US Foodservice Initiative Overview webinar hosted by Answers Systems or if you want to review the webinar recording, please visit our webinar session page online. There you will find the session recordings > read more

Today’s Productivity Includes Collaboration, BI

Published on 2011-01-14 14:41:08

By Kevin Hart Several weeks ago I viewed the online launch of Microsoft Lync 2010. Lync is part of Office 365, formerly Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), and it helps businesses enhance productivity by delivering an integrated communication > read more

Answers Systems Magical Dedication

Published on 2011-01-14 10:45:03

Here at Answers Systems, employees not only demonstrate dedication to providing the best trade promotion management solutions but demonstrate dedication to other areas of their life as well. One example of such dedication was demonstrated this pas > read more

Google “GS1 and Foodservice”

Published on 2011-01-11 11:19:19

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 > read more

Answers Systems--Approaching Our 25th Anniversary This Year

Published on 2011-01-10 08:54:07

By Stacy Jackson January is a month when many of us spend time both reflecting on the past and looking toward the future. It’s an especially big year for those of us working at Answers Systems: this April marks our 25th anniversary serving the reba > read more

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Blog Feed: Q & Answers: Trade Promotion Management for Foodservice

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