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Frances Mesa

Aptech Launches New Hospitality Accounting Software | Technology content from National ... - 0 views

nreionline.com/...ospitality-accounting-software

hospitality; accounting software technology

shared by Frances Mesa on 15 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • Katie Gallagher on 15 Jun 13
     
    This article was about Aptech Computer systems and their development of Aptech Next Generation Accounting Solution. This web based system is able to support financial accounting for individual operators and multi-property hotel companies. Aptech has been developing performance management tool for the hospitality industry since the 1970's. Aptech noticed that there was a demand from hospitality owners for a system that was able to provide more detailed accounting information about the company's assets. In 1997, Aptech developed its Executive Business Intelligence system, which is now used in many hotel chains around the world, including Starwood Hotels and Resorts, La Quinta Inns & Suites, and Extended Stay Hotels. The hospitality industry has been embracing technology more and more as it has become more affordable and easier to use.
  • Frances Mesa on 06 Jul 13
     
    Aptech Computer System created a new accounting system, which is web-based and developed in Microsoft's VB.NET technology that leverages a Structured Query Language database. This database will benefit both individual operators and multi-property hotel companies. Aptech started to notice that there was a demand for an accounting system that would benefit the company by including more details in their financial statements. As the article states ""The pioneers in this industry were innkeepers in the hospitality tradition and technology was secondary," says Jay Troutman, president of Aptech. According to the senior Troutman, groups like Interstate entered the industry and looked at such hotel properties as assets first, which brought technology to the forefront of the industry in the 1970s." Furthermore, the president of the company believes that the hospitality industry has become a bit spoiled with technology after they had a taste of it, but he is glad to know that the product is being used and the demand keeps growing.
cmogu001

Tools That Keep Online Customers Coming Back | E-Commerce | E-Commerce Times - 0 views

www.ecommercetimes.com/...55706.html

tools technology software customers e-commerce

shared by cmogu001 on 11 Sep 16 - No Cached
  • More than 44 percent of firms currently use Web analytics to evaluate customer behavior, researchers found.
  • Companies personalizing home pages and delivering targeted content are the ones realizing the most value from their analytical evaluations, the report suggests.
  • 59 percent of industry-leading retailers list keeping pace with competitors as a top driver for their online initiatives.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • Businesses will differentiate themselves on the uniqueness of their products, competitive pricing and the quality of their service operations.
  • As customers demand more from their e-commerce Web sites, their preference for consistency while shopping online must be satisfied.
  • What's interesting here is that 53 percent of best-in-class merchants list Web 2.0 technologies on their road maps for development initiatives in the next 24 months.
  • Forty-two percent of all retailers strive to improve data integration processes by centralizing databases and sharing information throughout their enterprises, according to the study.
  • Leverage the use of analytics to determine online customer behavior, buying patterns and habits
  • Adoption of online tools should facilitate interaction by customers -- e.g., interactive product imaging and site search.
  • Effective personalization and use of analytics as a dynamic function can lead to increased customer conversions, higher customer satisfaction and strengthened brand loyalty.
  • cmogu001 on 11 Sep 16
     
    This article expounds how customers demand more from their e-commerce web sites and how their preference for consistency while shopping online must be satisfied in order for any business to remain successful. The article points out and elaborates on how e-commerce is really an all encompassing strategy that companies could use to sell their products and services, both online and offline to potential customers. The article also mentions how consumers are more likely to purchase any products or services from companies that leave them feeling more informed and secure in their purchase decisions. Most e-commerce platforms facilitate the integration of multiple applications such as online storefronts, POS systems, real-time inventory tracking and customer analytics into a single management platform. Lastly, because online shoppers are empowered with an abundance of competitive advantages it is important for retailers and other hospitality businesses to strive to improve data integration processes by centralizing databases and sharing information throughout their company.
yuliannab

Northstar Travel Group's Unique Hotel Identifier Solves Widespread Industry Problem | N... - 0 views

www.northstartravelgroup.com/...es-Widespread-Industry-Problem

shared by yuliannab on 24 Jan 17 - No Cached
  • SECAUCUS, N.J. – Northstar Travel Media, the world’s leading business-to-business media company serving the travel and meetings industries, has announced that it is supplying a unique hotel identifier that solves the problems associated with multiple identifiers. “For nearly a decade the travel industry has struggled with the costs and problems created by multiple identifiers, said Sheila Rice, VP Business Development & Licensing. “Over the years, each business created its own system resulting in a proliferation of identification numbers. A single entity may have numerous proprietary codes across different systems. As each segment of the industry tries to integrate information with suppliers, travel agents, hotels, GDS systems, CRS providers, content publishers and payment processors, predictable problems ensue.” With a history spanning more than 70 years, Northstar Travel Media is already established in the business and process of identification numbers. It is uniquely positioned to lead a solution for this long-standing and increasing industry problem. As the content provider of unique hotel identifiers, Northstar Travel Media has been supplying this data to leading travel and hospitality companies for more than a decade. Northstar’s database of 200,000 hotels worldwide contains up to 300 fields of data for each hotel. “Northstar Travel Media has a pristine reputation for providing data that is comprehensive, accurate, reliable and flexible,” said Tom Kemp, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to providing more content solutions with our unique hotel identification numbers.” Licensing of the unique hotel identifier data includes hotel name, address and telephone number. Content packages can be customized to provide solutions to meet specific needs. The Unique Hotel Identifier builds on Northstar’s existing hotel products and services that include more than 60,000 hotels around the world reviewed and classified using the company’s industry-standard consumer classification hotel rating system. Northstar Travel Media is the leading provider of news, information and data for the travel, meetings and hospitality industries and parent of brands Travel Weekly, Business Travel News, Meetings & Conventions, Successful Meetings, Incentive and TravelAge West. NTM’s electronic directories — Travel Weekly’s Hotel & Travel Index and M&C Facilities Search — provide in-depth data on hotels, meeting and convention properties, and business travel in the United States and internationally. In addition to its directories and periodicals, NTM publishes a number of online subscription information resources, including travel42, Weissmann Reports, STAR Service Online, Intelliguide Corporate and BTP24. Northstar also is an industry leader in marketing services, custom communications, content licensing and database management serving the travel and meetings industries. Additionally, Northstar recently acquired PhoCusWright, the premier global travel, tourism and hospitality research and event business at the intersection of the Internet and the global travel industry. Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, the company also has offices in New York, Glen Ellyn, Illinois; Los Angeles; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Northstar Travel Media, LLC is a portfolio company of BV Investment Partners, a leading private equity investor in the media and communications sector.
    • yuliannab
      yuliannab on 24 Jan 17
       
      This article circles back to our discussion board about issues in the hospitality industry. 200,000 hotels is not nearly enough and I am certain that there are many more. The idea is wonderful; however, if this is not backed up by the government, then it would not be created as an industry standard. The big companies, such as Marriott, Hilton, etc would most definitely be part of this initiative; however, what about the smaller motels, bed and breakfasts, etc? If there is a fee associated with this (which there would probably be because the database needs to be maintained) then smaller less profitable ones will opt out. - I hope other classmates have updates.
Irine Wallace

Opera Property Management System - 0 views

www.micros.com/...OPERAPropertyManagementSystem

Property Management System (PMS)

shared by Irine Wallace on 10 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Reservations ― features are integrated with other functionality such as profiles, cashiering and deposits. This property management software module provides a complete set of features for creating and updating individual, group and business block reservations, including deposit handling, cancellations, confirmations, wait listing, room blocking and sharing.
  • Reservations ― features are integrated with other functionality such as profiles, cashiering and deposits. This property management software module provides a complete set of features for creating and updating individual, group and business block reservations, including deposit handling, cancellations, confirmations, wait listing, room blocking and sharing.
  • Reservations ― features are integrated with other functionality such as profiles, cashiering and deposits. This property management software module provides a complete set of features for creating and updating individual, group and business block reservations, including deposit handling, cancellations, confirmations, wait listing, room blocking and sharing.
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • Reservations ― features are integrated with other functionality such as profiles, cashiering and deposits. This property management software module provides a complete set of features for creating and updating individual, group and business block reservations, including deposit handling, cancellations, confirmations, wait listing, room blocking and sharing.
  • Profiles ― complete demographic records for guests, business accounts, contacts, groups, agents and sources. Profiles include addresses, phone numbers, membership enrollments, stay and revenue details, guest preferences and additional data that make reservations handling and many other activities faster and more accurate.
  • Back Office Interface ― revenue transfers, market statistics transfers, daily statistics transfers, and city ledger transfers can be easily made from OPERA Property Management System to a back office system.
  • Rooms Management ― handles all facets of room supervision including availability, housekeeping, maintenance and facility management. The Queue Rooms feature of the property management software coordinates Front Office and Housekeeping efforts when guests are waiting for rooms which are not immediately available for assignment.
  • Cashiering ― posting guest and passer-by charges (including taxes and other generates), making posting adjustments, managing advance deposits, settlements, checkout and folio printing are a few of the many activities handled by OPERA Cashiering. Cashiering accommodates multiple payment methods per reservation including cash, check, credit cards and direct bill. In multi-property environments, guest charges can be cross-posted from any property in the hotel complex
  • Cashiering ― posting guest and passer-by charges (including taxes and other generates), making posting adjustments, managing advance deposits, settlements, checkout and folio printing are a few of the many activities handled by OPERA Cashiering. Cashiering accommodates multiple payment methods per reservation including cash, check, credit cards and direct bill. In multi-property environments, guest charges can be cross-posted from any property in the hotel complex
  • Cashiering ― posting guest and passer-by charges (including taxes and other generates), making posting adjustments, managing advance deposits, settlements, checkout and folio printing are a few of the many activities handled by OPERA Cashiering. Cashiering accommodates multiple payment methods per reservation including cash, check, credit cards and direct bill. In multi-property environments, guest charges can be cross-posted from any property in the hotel complex
  • Cashiering ― posting guest and passer-by charges (including taxes and other generates), making posting adjustments, managing advance deposits, settlements, checkout and folio printing are a few of the many activities handled by OPERA Cashiering. Cashiering accommodates multiple payment methods per reservation including cash, check, credit cards and direct bill. In multi-property environments, guest charges can be cross-posted from any property in the hotel complex
  • Cashiering ― posting guest and passer-by charges (including taxes and other generates), making posting adjustments, managing advance deposits, settlements, checkout and folio printing are a few of the many activities handled by OPERA Cashiering. Cashiering accommodates multiple payment methods per reservation including cash, check, credit cards and direct bill. In multi-property environments, guest charges can be cross-posted from any property in the hotel complex
  • Cashiering ― posting guest and passer-by charges (including taxes and other generates), making posting adjustments, managing advance deposits, settlements, checkout and folio printing are a few of the many activities handled by OPERA Cashiering. Cashiering accommodates multiple payment methods per reservation including cash, check, credit cards and direct bill. In multi-property environments, guest charges can be cross-posted from any property in the hotel complex
  • Your front desk often makes the difference between ‘never agains’ and ‘long-term relationships.’ At the core of the OPERA Enterprise Solution is our premier property management software, the OPERA Property Management System (PMS). Designed to meet the varied requirements of any size hotel or hotel chain, OPERA PMS provides all the tools a hotel staff needs for doing their day-to-day jobs – handling reservations, checking guests in and out, assigning rooms and managing room inventory, accommodating the needs of in-house guests, and handling accounting and billing. The property management software is configurable to each property’s specific requirements and operates in either single-property or multi-property mode, with all properties in an enterprise sharing a single database
  • Irine Wallace on 10 Sep 12
     
    SUMMARY OPERA Property Management System is fully integrated with all the OPERA modules and offers the most extensive list of certified interfaces in the industry. FEATURES: Reservation, rate management, profiles, front desk management, back office interface, room management, cashiering, account receivables, commissions, reporting, fully configurable, global perspective, hospitality system interface, opera express, tailored to fit hotel's operational business needs, scalable to suit the size of the hotel, helps operators to become more productive, profitable and professional, and delivers fast, accurate and online information on property
  • Jenna Rashbaum on 10 Sep 12
     
    A lot of hotels use OPERA as their property management system. I have never personally worked in a hotel so I am not familiar with PMS's but from everything that I have read and heard from people is that OPERA is very efficient with everything. This system seems as though it can do everything for your property just the way that you would like it to. OPERA is customizable to your company's needs which seems great. This is a great website that you posted as it informs all of us exactly what this PMS is capable of.
marilyn diaz

7 reasons to switch to a point-of-sale system - 0 views

www.microsoft.com/...to-a-point-of-sale-system.aspx

pos saving tools good reasons system switch

shared by marilyn diaz on 10 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • If you're a veteran retailer, you know the problem: Your inventory doesn't match your tallies. Sales are going unrecorded. Your staff is spending far too much time chasing mistakes instead of tending to customers.
  • These and other snafus suggest that it's time that your business did away with its cash registers and stepped up to a point-of-sale (POS) system
  • A POS system is a computer software and hardware network that records sales as they're occurring; it solves a variety of operational and rec
  • ...22 more annotations...
  • 1. Your "sudden shrink" no longer goes undetected.
  • Rather than wrestling with cash-register receipts at day's end, a POS automates the process of introducing markdowns and, in turn, tracking them accurately.
  • "Almost every modern POS has a receiving and inventory module that, when used properly, can help pinpoint the cause of the shrink."
  • 2. Markdown management is much easier.
  • record any and all sales. Not only does that mean timely and accurate sales tracking, but a POS system also lets you readily identify inventory levels, particularly when what you have on the books doesn't jibe with actual stock.
  • Whether through coupons, special discounts or other vehicles, promotions can be central to attracting and retaining business. Trouble is, managing and reconciling short-term specials
  • a point-of-sale system ensures pricing consistency.
  • The POS store can pretty much tell you to the penny how they did."
  • You may be surprised to discover that you actually run two businesses: one when you're there and its evil twin when you don't happen to be around.
  • 4. You can maintain control in absentia.
  • Many operations suffer in employee efficiency and customer service when the boss is away
  • You simply can't be there all the time,"
  • 5. Your prices are consistent from one location to the next.
  • Nothing can prove more embarrassing than having a customer question why one item has one price at one store, yet a different price at another
  • 3. Promotions can be tracked more successfully.
  • 6. You get many tools in a single package.
  • If you find your checkbook wearing thin from the expense of software and other gear, a comprehensive point-of-sale system may include them in a single package.
  • "Most POS systems have add-on modules like payroll time clocks and customer preference databases
  • 7. You can make better use of your personnel.
  • Little is more maddening to a business owner than watching his or her staff bogged down with inefficient, unproductive responsibilities, from double-checking inventory disparities to seemingly endless cash-register reconciliation.
  • Perhaps the greatest advantage to a comprehensive point-of-sale network is the freedom it can afford your personnel to devote their energy to what genuinely matters the most: helping customers
  • That means they no longer have to be counting, calculating, ordering, and checking cash-register accuracy."
  • marilyn diaz on 10 Sep 12
     
    This article deals with the seven main reasons on why a company should switch to a point of sales system. There are a few different systems for example Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System. There are seven signs that your business can boom if you consider using pos. POS allows you to always know your inventory going out and in stock. Marking down merchandise is always correct and accurate. Promotions can be tracked more successfully, especially if you have more than one location. You can always have some sort of control, even when the boss is away. The business can also get m multiple tools with pos, such as payroll time clock and customer preference databases. Last, businesses can place their human employees where they really need to be, helping customers.
Xin Jing

Guest-Centric Maestro PMS Selected by 3 Multi-Property Groups and 6 Independent Operato... - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4054483.html

PMS maestro

shared by Xin Jing on 30 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Xin Jing on 30 Jan 12
     
    3 Multi- Property Goup and 6 Independent operators select Guest-Centric PMS. This PMS help hotels increase revenue by cross-selling from single database. By using this system, the hoteliers can operate two hotels through one system to increase more business for both. It also provide more personalized service to the guests by integrated PMS and Spa and Activities Management System. Moreover, Maestro was the only vendor offering the total integration which maximize sales and efficiency of the hotels.
  • Xin Jing on 30 Jan 12
     
    here is the highlight part: Maestro True Multi-Property PMS increases revenue by cross-selling from single database. 'No other system was able to provide the flexibility and functionality we needed' Total integration and the best multi-property tools to maximize sales and efficiency
Jia Kim

TSA Begins Security Check Long Before Your Flight -- Security Today - 0 views

security-today.com/...k-long-before-your-flight.aspx

'TSA' 'airport security'

shared by Jia Kim on 31 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • According to TSA, their goal is to streamline security procedures to all passengers who pose no risk, so before you even arrive at the airport, it is likely that TSA is searching through government and private databases trying to locate information about you.
  • allows the government more authority to use traveler data for domestic airport screenings.
  • it is unknown exactly what information TSA is using to make risk assessments
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • identify low-risk travelers so that lighter screening can be done at airport security checkpoints
  • Jia Kim on 31 Oct 13
     
    This article is about how TSA begins to security check. The goal of TSA is to simplify security procedures to all low risk passengers, so it is likely to that TSA searches through database which is provided by government and others even before the passengers arrive at the airport. In order to do thorough security check, there should be more authority of the government. Actually TSA did not undisclose the information that are using to identify the low risk passengers. However, it can be predicted such as follows; Tax identification numbers, car registrations, employment information,past travel itineraries, property records, physical characteristics, law enforcement information and intelligence information.
sliu043

eMarketing Do's and Don'ts | Top Stories | Hospitality Magazine (HT) - 0 views

hospitalitytech.com/emarketing-dos-and-donts

Hospitality e-marketing

shared by sliu043 on 02 Apr 18 - No Cached
  • The Do's: 1. Follow the rules of spam filters and the Can Spam Act, which applies to all marketing and promotional e-mail distribution, except transactional e-mails such as confirmations or thank-you correspondence.
  • 2. Play the keyword game.
  • The Don'ts: 1. Avoid messaging without a purpose. Inundating customer mailboxes with generic and too-frequent messaging dilutes the program's value and can be interpreted as spam. Sign-ups without an explanation of the program garner little participation.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • 4. Tap e-marketing's immediacy. Among the benefits of e-marketing is the ability to cut the cycle time from offer to close.
  • 3. Make your customers feel special.
  • 2. Don't overwhelm.
  • 3. Don't overuse e-coupons, an easy temptation to succumb to when early campaigns boost business. Making a special offer in every e-mail trains guests to wait for the offer and diminishes the full price value of the product. Narrow e-mail coupons to a few per year and always for a particular reason, and make it time sensitive, tied to a purchase and personalized.
  • 4. Don't forget surveys.
  • Surveys can also flesh out information garnered through earlier solicitations, making for a richer database to mine for marketing uses (and avoiding appearing too intrusive at sign-up).
  • sliu043 on 02 Apr 18
     
    In this article, the author pointed out that nowadays the Internet has played a prominent role in the lives of most consumers, so hotels and restaurants must make the good use of the Internet to send their marketing messages. Through the e-marketing experiences, the article has introduced some best practices as well as tactics for hotels and restaurants, revealing a list of e-marketing Do's and Don'ts. In one word, the author believed that striking the right tone is essential in an e-marketing program. Be clear, straightforward, respectful and fun to score points with recipients, and offer things they value: exclusivity and meaningful rewards. In addition, use database analysis tools to make the most of the data collected: to cater to specific groups and even personalize messages.
gulsevim

How Your Face Will Become Your Ticket to Event Success - Eventbrite UK Blog - 3 views

www.eventbrite.co.uk/...cognition-tech-for-events-ds0c

shared by gulsevim on 23 Feb 18 - No Cached
  • When you smile for the camera next time you’re at an event you might get more than a souvenir photo – you could even be handed your favourite tipple without having to ask for it.
  • facial recognition technology is making it possible to personalise the event experience more than ever before.
  • A little further off is the ability to measure the emotions of crowds, but when it does become possible, it means organisers will be able to understand how much attendees enjoyed their event or individual keynotes, without having to survey them.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • Another way the tech can be deployed is to reduce queuing to pay for food, drinks or merchandise by scanning people’s faces at check-out and automatically charging their registered payment method.
  • The possibilities for the development of facial recognition is certainly exciting, but perhaps even more interesting, from an event planner’s perspective, is what you can do with it right now.
  • The core application that Zenus has been focused on is event registration and check-in. The tech can be used to replace ticket scanning and speed up the entry process
  • In terms of accuracy, Zenus’ software is extremely high. “Our system can search the database of 1,000 faces and find the most likely match 99.4% of the time. The attendee or host can then tap on the face to confirm it is correct,”
  • “All the registration company sends us is anonymous images,” he explains. “This happens over securely encrypted channels. When we receive the images we are processing them to extract the face measurements and then we immediately delete the image. We then send back a unique identifier that’s associated with each image without ever having accessed personal information. It gives the event planner peace of mind that the data is being handled properly. After the event, we completely delete the entire database associated with the event.”
  • Crowd analytics will be able to scan faces in a space and tell you how many people are in there. It is also possible to extract demographic data such as age or gender, and so forth. We are going to do all of these things in the future but we prefer to do one thing at a time and make it perfect before we move onto the next thing.
  • gulsevim on 23 Feb 18
     
    Facial recognition technology is not meant to replace the human factor. Rather, it can boost existing processes by improving efficiency, identification and convenience. Technology such as "face geometry" brings a lot of excitement to the events industry. Zenus facial recognition software allows event planners to identify attendees by searching a database of faces in real-time. The main idea is to make the check-in process faster, provide higher security and receive some feedback in a unique way. Neither attendee's e-mails or names, or any personal information is transferred. Human face emerges as a key to security for distinguishing individuals. The registration platform makes images anonymous and sends them to a cloud-based service, where de-identified images are processed and therefore instantly deleted. All data is also discarded after the event, which gives a peace of mind to the event planners and attendees, because of identity theft concerns. With some adjustments and further developments, Zenus facial recognition software will be able to determine emotions of crowds and extract demographic data such as age or gender. With this cloud-based facial recognition software, event planners will be able to quantify whether your guests were interested in one speaker over another, or whether they were engaged or if they were really a good target market for the event.
sbarr011

Using data mining and analytics to your hotel's advantage - eHotelier - 3 views

ehotelier.com/...ytics-to-your-hotels-advantage

#datamining #ebuisness #hoteltechnology #guestexperience

shared by sbarr011 on 27 May 18 - No Cached
  • Hire a well-trained staff and a knowledgeable IT manager.
  • Refine the process.
  • . Demand timely output
  • ...15 more annotations...
  • . Select the appropriate tools for analysis and prediction
  • Collect data to support the models.
  • Build segmentation and predictive models.
  • Match your IT priorities with a skilled provider
  • Over the next decade, an evolution is predicted such that more attention is paid to data mining, both the onsite experience and customers social media profiles in order to integrate them into CRM activity and better target marketing communications, offers and rewards.
  • Data mining involves a continuous cycle of inputs and outputs based on models that must be modified and refined as conditions change in the competitive environment.
  • The hospitality industry is known as a highly customer-centered business and accumulates large amounts of customer data from central reservation systems (CRS), property management system (PMS), point-of-sale (POS), and guest loyalty program databases. Therefore, data mining application can play a huge role in the hospitality industry by assisting managers formulate marketing strategies, enhance guest experiences, increase retention and loyalty and ultimately, maximize profits.
  • Deviation detection
  • Clustering
  • Classification
  • Once data-mining is properly managed, the tasks performed can be grouped into five categories
  • Without data mining, valuable marketing insights about customers’ characteristics and purchase patterns may remain largely untapped. Success or failure often depends not only on how well you are able to collect data but also on how well you are able to convert this data set into knowledge that will help you better manage your business.
  • Forecasting
  • Association
  • Association
  • sbarr011 on 27 May 18
     
    This article discusses the use of data mining and analytic techniques to create a competitive edge for companies in the hotel industry. Hotel companies are a customer centered business which accumulate large amounts of data on customers from various databases. Implementing a data mining system will improve profits, loyalty and retention and enhance guest experiences by helping the marketing and management teams create focused policies. The article discusses seven guidelines that create appropriate use of data mining technology. These guidelines include synching your IT infrastructure with the right data experts. Also, creating accurate segmentation and predictive models of the customers information or profile. As well as gathering the correct data for use in the system's models. Also utilizing the proper methods to collect and sort relevant data. Another important guideline is to have a speedy turnaround of the data. Also, continuous improvement is important find better ways to implement the processes. The final guideline mentioned is to find the proper IT employees to manage the data. The article proceeds to discuss five categories to utilize the information. These are classification, clustering, deviation detection, association and forecasting. The article predicts that over the next ten years there will be more attention paid to data mining to improve the guest experience and focus marketing initiatives. Data mining will be a critical tool to understand and utilize customers behaviors and patterns.
kaylaabad

Features and the Importance of a Property Management System | Blog - DJUBO - 0 views

djubo.com/...nce-property-management-system

shared by kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20 - No Cached
  • Your property management system is and should be, well equipped to handle the entire guest journey – from the minute they start searching for a room on a website to the moment they check out from their room.
  • Your property management system is and should be, well equipped to handle the entire guest journey – from the minute they start searching for a room on a website to the moment they check out from their room.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Great point: Your property management system is and should be, well equipped to handle the entire guest journey - from the minute they start searching for a room on a website to the moment they check out from their room.
  • Having a framework that makes frontdesk work processes simple, will make a consistent visitor experience
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Property Management Systems facilitate front desk work, in turn making a visitor experience more consistent.
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • It is now an important system that enables hoteliers to deliver a faultless guest experience.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Pro of PMS - Faultless guest experience
  • It further helps the hoteliers to stay in touch with their guests even after they have checked out to make a good brand image into the minds of the guests, guaranteeing repeated visit and thus helping in developing the business.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Pro of PMS - Helps hotels stay in touch with their guests guaranteeing repeat visits.
  • he most integral function of a property management system is to help the hotelier in managing the bookings that he gets, right from the point where a customer is searching for a hotel to the point the customer checks out from the hotel.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Most important function of a PMS - It helps hotels in managing the bookings that they get, from the point where guests search to when they check out
  • An efficient hotel PMS will allow you to get listed on and manage multiple online platforms.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Bigger online presence
  • Larger online presence will consequently reap bigger revenues for the hotels. Also, it will increase a hotelier’s online presence and help a guest during their journey of booking a hotel.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Pros of having a bigger online presence - hotel will see more revenue and guests will find it easier to make a reservation
  • You can limit the measure of time spent on authoritative errands. The correct hotel PMS will complete a great deal of the work for you, enabling you to focus your attention and your vitality on the more important tasks
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Lesser time spent on administrative tasks
  • With a Property Management System in place, you will have a great flexibility in deciding what rates you want to throw in market for your property at any given point of time.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Flexible rate management
  • It gives the hoteliers, the ease to see their reservations and availability in a very convenient and different way.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Feature of PMS: Smart Calendar - It gives the hoteliers, the ease to see their reservations and availability in a very convenient and different way.
  • A decent hotel PMS will enable you to make rate designs and inferred rate designs and afterword effortlessly appoint them to reservations. Not only this, the most advanced PMS will allow you to plan multiple rate plans for deep into the future so that you don’t have to manually interfere every now and then to throw new rates.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Feature of PMS: Rate Planning - A decent hotel PMS will enable you to make rate designs and inferred rate designs and afterword effortlessly appoint them to reservations. Not only this, the most advanced PMS will allow you to plan multiple rate plans for deep into the future so that you don't have to manually interfere every now and then to throw new rates.
  • A channel manager is a platform wherein a hotelier can update the inventory and prices on each OTA from a single place.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Feature of PMS: Channel Manager - A channel manager is a platform wherein a hotelier can update the inventory and prices on each OTA from a single place.
  • A propelled property management system will make sure that the hotelier gets daily/weekly/monthly reports like the sales reports, manager reports, account receivable reports, inventory availability reports etc.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Feature of PMS: Reports and Analytics - A propelled property management system will make sure that the hotelier gets daily/weekly/monthly reports like the sales reports, manager reports, account receivable reports, inventory availability reports etc.
  • A good POS will enable you to keep the guest satisfaction in mind and help you settle their dues from any service shop at the stage as preferred by them.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Feature of PMS: POS - A good POS will enable you to keep the guest satisfaction in mind and help you settle their dues from any service shop at the stage as preferred by them.
  • good cloud-based software will have customer databases in place to help the hoteliers keep a record of all the customers that have at their property and what their preferences are. This lets them help those return customers with their choices and build a good relationship with them.
    • kaylaabad
      kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
       
      Feature of PMS: Databases - good cloud-based software will have customer databases in place to help the hoteliers keep a record of all the customers that have at their property and what their preferences are. This lets them help those return customers with their choices and build a good relationship with them.
  • kaylaabad on 09 Feb 20
     
    This article is helpful in understanding property management systems (PMS), while providing beneficial features that they provide. A PMS should be "well-equipped to handle the entire guest journey." These systems enable hotels to provide a faultless guest experience throughout. A PMS offers features that facilitate processes for the hotel. For instance, this system provides a smart calendar giving hotels easier visibility to their reservations and availability. This system also provides reports and analytics for the hotel, such as sales reports, manager reports, and inventory availability reports. This system facilitates the jobs of the hotels employees, in turn creating a more consistent experience for the guests.
agrie013

Hotel Operations in The Cloud: What Are Your Options? - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4096735.html

shared by agrie013 on 02 Feb 20 - No Cached
  • The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, and the Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas have relied on Maestro's Multi-Property Cloud PMS for more than five years. How has it worked for them? Jack Moyer, Vice President and General Manager for both properties said, "Our hotels are unique destinations. We run each as a separate independent brand on one Cloud Maestro PMS with one database.
  • One big Cloud benefit is that Maestro hosts our system so we don't have to worry about servers, backups, or system maintenance." Moyer said another Cloud benefit is that he can operate his two hotels as one business with one call center, one sales office, and one accounting office without complex infrastructure. "Managing both properties in the Cloud simplifies our entire operation. Maestro Multi-Property Cloud PMS is a powerful system with excellent support." But the Cloud will not be right for every operator.
  • "Our company provides a flexible PMS with a browser user interface option that runs on a property's on-premise network. This option simplifies infrastructure needs for an on-premise system and gives you the best of both worlds without compromising PMS features." Dehan noted that Maestro is also available as an on-premise Windows-based solution. Maestro PMS offers a sophisticated feature-equivalent browser-based cloud solution. "Maestro is Maestro, with the full complement of features and capabilities, whether a hotel is using it on-premise or in our hosted cloud."
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • We are on 723 acres with six separate lodging buildings, each with its own amenities," said Dace Starkweather, General Manager of Glen Eyrie Castle & Conference Center. "Most of our guests are repeat visitors with specific requirements. We wanted a Cloud system based on the latest technology that would make it easy to provide the highest level of guest service and create the most efficient operation. We selected the Maestro Web PMS Cloud Hosted Solution."
  • Maestro's networked single-image database lets us recognize guests at any property whether they are with a group or on vacation, and deliver personalized service when they return.
  • The Canadian Rockies of Alberta Canada may not have the same high-speed internet reliability as other areas. "Banff Lodging Company uses Maestro's multi-property centralized on-premise single-image database system.
  • "Maestro Web PMS was better for us than an on-premise system. It reduced our overall IT requirements and ensured that all data was securely managed and backed up in the Cloud by a proven system company."
  • agrie013 on 02 Feb 20
     
    This article is a perfect example of a cloud based PMS company also offering an onsite solution for locations that might not have a reliable internet connection. This article does have testimonials from clients that use both solutions. Maestro the PMS company has a image data base so it lets them recognize returning guest to the proprieties there systems are in. to personalize the service the guest receives. One client says the cloud PMS make it easier for managing multiple properties from one central office. Maestro is a unique company by offering solutions that can meet any proprieties needs with cloud or on-premise solutions.
nashalsiddiqi

Take It From Ritz-Carlton: Data Is Nothing Without the Personal Touches | CustomerThink - 0 views

customerthink.com/_nothing_personal_ritz_carlton

shared by nashalsiddiqi on 24 Aug 21 - No Cached
  • the Ritz-Carlton uses a CRM system. Coined “Mystique,” the Ritz-Carlton database is used to track information such as guest preferences, frequency of visits and issues that have come up for guests during their previous stays.
  • While the data is helpful in understanding an individual guest’s relationship with the brand, the data is only as good as the staff’s willingness to leverage it to create ongoing, memorable and unique experiences for the guest.
  • according to NPD Group, a market research company, almost 50 percent of the consumers who described themselves as highly loyal to a brand were no longer loyal to that brand a year later. So how does a business maintain loyal customers? In a nutshell, by not leaving it solely to technology, such as complex CRM databases, but instead making loyalty and customer engagement an integral part of each employee’s daily focus and communicating about it daily
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • At line-up, the Ladies and Gentlemen celebrate stories of exceptional service; share new information from the Mystique CRM database; hear presentations on business success factors, such as the importance of driving customer engagement is presented, and research results from customer engagement surveys. And they discuss the information on the Credo card.
  • nashalsiddiqi on 24 Aug 21
     
    The article discuss Ritz Carlton experience with their own CRM system called Mystique, it also argues that a CRM system and technology are not enough to gain customer loyalty but also needs a different level of customer engagement.
  • nashalsiddiqi on 31 Aug 21
     
    The article discuss how did Ritz Carlton introduced a new CRM system named mystique to develop a more personalized service for the clients focusing mainly on data collected through the hotel employees by observing guests behavior or by asking the guest directly. However, the article also discusses the importance of human interaction regardless to the system it self.
armanyleblanc767

Data Security in Hospitality: Risks and Best Practices - 0 views

hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu/-in-hospitality-best-practices

technology hospitality hotel software business tech

shared by armanyleblanc767 on 14 Mar 20 - No Cached
  • Best practices for companies in the hospitality sector to protect data include:
  • Always encrypt payment card information. Operate a continuous training program in cybersecurity to maintain a well-trained workforce. Always adhere to relevant regulations, such as PCI DSS. Use cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, network monitoring, anti-malware, and traffic filtering to protect against common threats. Conduct tests against your organization’s cybersecurity defenses in which you mirror the behavior of an actual hacker. Know where your data is and enforce the principle of least privileges to limit access to sensitive information.
  • groups may use different computer systems to store information, and the information can also frequently move across those systems.
  • ...23 more annotations...
  • five of the biggest data security concerns in the hospitality industry and highlights some best practices for protecting hospitality data.
  • Data Security Concerns in Hospitality
  • complex ownership structures
  • From the perspective of cybercriminals, hospitality appears to offer an ideal target vector for conducting crimes such as identity theft and credit card fraud due to the existence of multiple databases and devices containing both Payment Card Information (PCI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
  • challenge to maintain teams of well-trained staff.
  • t was reported in 2017 that out of 21 of the most high-profile hotel company data breaches that have occurred since 2010, 20 of them were a result of malware affecting POS systems.
  • can go unnoticed for months.
  • High Staff Turnover
  • In the U.K., for example, the job turnover rate in hospitality is as high as 90 percent.
  • Reliance on Paying By Card
  • t involves employees selling data to third parties without the knowledge of the organization that employs them.
  • Insider Threats
  • Compliance
  • Hotels, motels, resorts, and rented apartment complexes all gather and electronically store a range of sensitive personal guest data, such as names, phone numbers, addresses, and credit card details.
  • The high level of turnover and high degree of staff movement between different locations makes it a real challenge to maintain teams of well-trained staff
  • Each of these groups may use different computer systems to store information, and the information can also frequently move across those systems.
  • ospitality appears to offer an ideal target vector for conducting crimes such as identity theft and credit card fraud due to the existence of multiple databases and devices containing both Payment Card Information (PCI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
  • ybercriminals use this reliance on cards to infect point-of-sale (POS) systems with malware that steals credit and debit card information by scraping the data
  • A case in point was the Wyndham Worldwide breaches of 2008 and 2010. Hackers gained access to the systems of an individual operating company through easily guessed passwords, and the attack easily proliferated through the entire corporate network, with the result that 619,000 customers had their information compromised.
  • While GDPR protects individual data within the EU and EEA, its ramifications have rippled through industries globally, and organizations are realizing the need to put greater compliance measures in place. PCI DSS is another important global regulation that protects credit card data, and fines for non-compliance begin at $500,000 per incident. The risk here is not just to data security but to the future survivability of hospitality companies, many of which would not be able to absorb the s
  • This type of data risk is more subtle and it involves employees selling data to third parties without the knowledge of the organization that employs them
  • Always encrypt payment ca
  • rd information. Operate a continuous training program in cybersecurity to maintain a well-trained workforce. Always adhere to relevant regulations, such as PCI DSS. Use cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, network monitoring, anti-malware, and traffic filtering to protect against common threats. Conduct tests against your organization’s cybersecurity defenses in which you mirror the behavior of an actual hacker. Know where your data is and enforce the principle of least privileges to limit access to sensitive information.
  • duyingli on 14 Mar 20
     
    This article highlights several important security issues in the hospitality industry, followed by the practice of protecting data from loss. The data structure of the hotel industry is complex, customers mainly use bank cards to pay, and the staff turnover rate is high. There are certain internal threats. In order to solve these problems and avoid data loss, it is not enough to strengthen network security. It is also important that employees are trained and familiar with and comply with relevant regulations.
  • ...3 more comments...
  • cdamo003 on 23 Feb 22
     
    Data security is a major issue in the hospitality industry. A lot of personal information is stored on the computers specifically credit card information of the guests staying at the hotel. It is the responsibility of the hotel to ensure that the data is protected. High turnover rate in the industry can make this an even bigger challenge. Ensuring that your staff is properly trained to ensure the highest level of security is maintained is highly important.
  • Danaisy Abascal-Yero on 17 Jun 22
     
    This article speaks about the data security concerns in hospitality. Restaurants, hotels, and other companies in the hospitality sector often have complex ownership structures in which there's a franchisor and a management company that acts as the operator. Businesses use different computer systems to store information. The nature of the hospitality industry is such that it is extremely reliant on cards as a form of payment. Cybercriminals use this reliance on cards to infect point-of-sale (POS) systems with malware that steals credit and debit card information by scraping the data. A vital part of protecting data is training staff to securely gather and store personal information. Well-trained staff also know how to recognize social engineering attempts and they understand an organization's compliance requirements. Data security risks in the hospitality industry extend far beyond the reputation hit that a hotel can take if guests' data is compromised. Industry and political regulators are becoming stricter in governing how organizations process and store personal data. Some of the best practices for companies in the hospitality industry to use are: always encrypt payment card info, operate training programs in cybersecurity regularly to keep everyone informed, adhere to regulations, know where the data is, and enforce limit access to sensitive info, and more.
  • slain006 on 03 Oct 22
     
    This article explains how data security is at an all time high in the hospitality industry. Focuses on the 5 security concerns and what are some practices that leadership can help employees detect when someone is trying to hack into sensitive information. Also, making sure employees are in compliance with company policy when leaving the company if they have access to sensitive data and making sure employees are not using to their advantage when leaving the company.
  • kspac001 on 04 Oct 22
     
    Hospitality offers an ideal target vector for conducting Cyber crimes such as identity theft and credit card fraud due to the existence of multiple databases and devices containing both Payment Card Information (PCI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Restaurants, hotels, and other companies in the hospitality sector often have complex ownership structures with an individual owner or group of owners, and a management company that acts as the operator. Each of these groups may use different computer systems to store information, and the information can also frequently move across those systems.
  • armanyleblanc767 on 23 Jan 23
     
    In this article, we learn about the top five data security risks as well as best practices to help prevent data breaches. According to the article, the hospitality industry is a prime target since it stores a vast amount of sensitive guest information like names, phone numbers, addresses, and credit card numbers. Some of the five risks included complex ownership structures, reliance on paying by card, and insider threats to name a few. In order to avoid these threats, the article suggest that companies become PCI compliant, use cybersecurity measures like firewalls, and know where exactly their data is stored.
amajo017

Hotel Technology Challenges for Every Hospitality Business - 2 views

blog.advhtech.com/y-challenges-for-business-2019

hotel hospitality tech

shared by amajo017 on 17 Jan 20 - No Cached
  • Interoperability Data Management Security & Privacy Responsiveness
  • ue to the lack of standardization and specialized hospitality technology solutions, most hotels tend to develop their own proprietary solutions to manage assets.
  • Non-standardized technology can induce added learning times & on-boarding periods for guests.
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • This issue readily highlights the significance of applied technology management.    
  • Knowing and understanding customers is essential in predicting their behavior, future visits, and demands.
  • As the amount of data grows within hotel databases, the responsibility of back office management is quadrupled.
  • Authorization for data access, network & database security, and centralized database management are major concerns for hotels in the coming age. 
  • everal news outlets and hospitality professionals have already identified that hospitality companies are one of the most susceptible to data breaches. 
  • Hotel technology infrastructures must ensure that all digital interactions with guests are reinforced through robust security tech & privacy rules
  • Most hotels are handicapped by the knowledge and expertise they carry on the subject. A more reasonable idea is to consult with a technology management company that offers better insights, suggestions, and security framework designs for hotels. 
  • Advanced Hospitality has helped various hospitality ventures take root and develop their competency with technologies.
  • Hotels also need to enhance responsiveness for renovations and routine maintenance.
  • A responsive hotel tech infrastructure demands stronger resources, simpler network mapping, and seamless synchronization with hotel back office systems. 
  • Hospitality technology may be the most amazing transition to occur in the hospitality industry but remember it does come with a cost.
  • An efficient & effective hotel technology must be responsive and should acknowledge guest requests instantly.
  • thering gue
  • Gathering guest data is essential to the success of any modern business, hotels are no different.
  • Data management carries great emphasis in European countries, more so than their North American counterparts. While the current US government believes in a more lenient approach towards data retention and privacy,
    • amajo017
      amajo017 on 01 Jul 23
       
      Will be useful with regards to the lack of data privacy in US
  • With multiple point-of-sale (POS) touchpoints, an even larger number of smart devices, and that data from both demands a secure hotel network. Denying cybercriminals access to the network and preventing them from spying on guest devices is now essential for every business.
  • Highly optimized & synchronized systems leave almost no gaps when fulfilling guest requests. These technological marvels can even complete guest requests faster than hotel staff at times. This efficiency delivers a seamless guest experience while improving the responsiveness of technology. 
  • sherylvelazquez on 17 Jan 20
     
    This article discusses research that shows four hotel technology challenges in 2019. These challenged include Interoperability, Data Management, Security & Privacy, and Responsiveness. It argues that hotel management should be aware of these technologies because they can either help or hinder your business.
  • Luis Valdivia on 17 Jan 20
     
    This is an excellent article that explores that businesses in the hospitality face in their day to day running. The challenges that the article points out identifies include the interoperability of hotel technology systems, the management of data, the security and privacy of data, especially in the current era of cloud computing, and the responsiveness of hotel technologies. Although hotel technologies improve guest experience and foster efficiency in hospitality companies, such challenges may adversely their efficiency, and thus, adversely affect guest experience.
  • amajo017 on 01 Jul 23
     
    This article discusses what we talked about this week in regards to the different types of technological disruptors in the hospitality industry. It discusses data management issues, privacy issues, and how responsiveness can be improved within hotels. This article will be useful for future research as I look more into artificial intelligence within the hotel industry.
akopp008

What Hoteliers Want from Their PMS in 2021; Top Features Requested by Hoteliers as They... - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4104099.html

Technology hospitality hotel software pms

shared by akopp008 on 08 Jul 22 - No Cached
  • current property-management systems do not have the breadth of features or the contactless tools needed to support returning guests along their journeys.
  • current property-management systems do not have the breadth of features or the contactless tools needed to support returning guests along their journeys.
    • akopp008
      akopp008 on 08 Jul 22
       
      Because of the pandemic, hotels realized their PMS could technological evolve more and offer more
  • run multiple outlets from a single solution with one database.
    • akopp008
      akopp008 on 08 Jul 22
       
      Hotels want to run multiple outlets from one database to make it easier on employees, more efficient and less likely to commit errors
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • offer a contactless and touch-free guest experience
  • Giving employees a single solution and a single login to learn and operate the technology, and the ability to cross book and view activity for all outlets, arms them with the ability to focus on their important tasks and not struggle with disparate systems and user interfaces
  • Selecting the right PMS Partner speaks directly to attracting and retaining hotel employees for the long term.
  • modern browser solution with the choice to deploy self-hosted, private cloud, or on premise as well as cloud hosted.
  • finding a single PMS provider that offers flexible PMS deployment options.
  • multi-property functionality.
  • PMS platform that's easy to use with built in tutorials and learning materials,
    • akopp008
      akopp008 on 08 Jul 22
       
      Hotels are looking for a PMS that makes it easier on the operations, flexible, provides learning, 24/7/365 customer service, centralized data bases and more control over it
  • centralized chain wide database
  • single client profile
  • corporate collection and individual property performance metrics and guest behavior reporting from a single central data repository.
  • PMS companies to offer eLearning,
  • want 24/7/365 responsive, LIVE, and affordable customer support.
  • akopp008 on 08 Jul 22
     
    Since the Pandemic hit Hoteliers realized that their PMS could be giving them more and making their operations easier. They have been asking since that their PMS should be able to run multiple outlets from one single data base, to give employees the ability to work in different departments without having to learn how to work different systems, have a PMS with the options of flexible deployment, having a PMS that works in multi-properties, has one client profile across all properties, provides elearning and built in tutorials for employees to use at their own pace, even at home and lastly for PMS to provide 24/7/365 customer service. These are all changes that hoteliers are asking from PMS companies to develop and i think would be ideal to ease and help hotel operations. PMS should be more developed and should be able to keep up to pace and speed of the ever evolving technology.
Qianlin Wang

The Evolution of HR Systems: Update from HR Technology Conference 2010 - 0 views

www.bersin.com/...echnology-Conference-2010.aspx

Technology hotel software HIRS

shared by Qianlin Wang on 21 Nov 12 - No Cached
  • "Integrated Talent Management" is officially the new product category
  • With the exception of Softscape (which was built to work together), most of the product sets in the market come from multiple acquisitions, so each vendor is going through a range of product roadmaps to build an end-to-end solution.
  • As the market shifts in this direction, companies are now differentiating themselves with the newer areas of talent management:  analytics, workforce planning (a new beachhead), onboarding, and social networking.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • The Next Generation HRMS Market is Emerging
  • There are three real ways companies upgrade or replace their HRMS.
  • They do a "forklift" replacement.
  • They build a mid-level software layer to slowly replace the HRMS.
  • They build a middle-ware solution that co-exists with the HRMS.
  • First, the market for integrated talent management software has now taught all HR departments that data integration is far more valuable than we might have believed.  
  • Second, there is a tremendous amount of innovation now flowing into the HRMS market.
  • Qianlin Wang on 21 Nov 12
     
    There are few processes about how to select a HRIS technology. What is the degree of flexibility and scalability that the HR information technology software provides? HR professionals should determine if the software can import data from multiple Excel spreadsheets, databases, and paper documents and the level with which it can interface with all kinds of systems and data. Will the HR information technology be able to grow and scale with the organization? Is the HR information technology software able to integrate with other systems? HR can obtain greater efficiencies when data and other employee information entered into one system can be shared with another system. Who is responsible for implementing, or building, the solution? What level of training is involved? HR should have a clear understanding of the level of training and technical expertise that will be required and the amount of time expected. If training is involved, is there a charge? What types of maintenance and upkeep are required? What security measures are built into the HR information technology? If the software is available online, through an ASP or SaaS model, the provider should offer daily backups, backup servers, and added protective layers. Will employees be able to enroll in benefits plans and make changes in real-time to their personal data and plan choices? The system should clearly present the plans available and enable employees to make selections at their convenience, simplifying these actions throughout the process with wizards.
Manali Rabari

Steps to Buying a Human Resources Information System - Featured Article - Workforce - 0 views

www.workforce.com/...n-resources-information-system

shared by Manali Rabari on 24 Nov 12 - No Cached
  • she urges HR professionals to first look for a tool that will integrate with any existing systems, including payroll, then make a list of the features they want to automate, including recruiting, performance management, time entry and compensation.
  • Fewer data errors, more-efficient recruiting, better performance management tracking and shorter time to fill vacancies are also measures that define the business value of an HRIS, Carney says.
  • The actual cost of your HRIS will vary wildly depending on the modules you choose, number of employees, the vendor, the robustness of the offering and whether you go with an installed or software-as-a-service model.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Software-as-a-service products are another option.
  • These systems require no maintenance and come with automatic upgrades, making them a cheaper and easier choice.
  • "Pay close attention to the support features when reviewing HRIS demos," she says. "Otherwise on Day One, you might find out you don't have the technical skills to use it."
  • Manali Rabari on 24 Nov 12
     
    This article discusses the factors that are considered when deciding on selecting a human resources information system. They are extremely useful for streamlining processes and maintaining a database on employees and policies and procedures of a company. They are easy to integrate with other existing systems such as a PMS system of a hotel. Depending on the features and services chosen the costs will vary among systems, it all depends on the customization done on the system. The system can include such features as payroll, recruitment and compensation. It can also cut down costs on keeping a full HR staff.
Xu Wang

Emerald | Have human resource information systems evolved into internal e-commerce? - 0 views

www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm

shared by Xu Wang on 01 Dec 12 - No Cached
  • Human resources (HR) have been a well-established function in organizations for decades,
  • the department was typically perceived by many organizations as a “necessary evil,” that is to say, as an essential but in no way profitable or advantageous element,
  • even at the current time HRIS is not limited to technological elements alone, such as computer hardware and software applications, but also includes the people, policies, procedures, and data required to manage the HR function.
  • ...55 more annotations...
  • Nevertheless, these well-accepted attributes of HR have been challenged in the past few years, as several indicators reflect fundamental changes within the HR function,
  • although little has changed in this function over the past decades, there are growing expectations that HR will improve corporate competitive advantages by adding real measurable value to the organization.
  • The apparent difficulties in upgrading HR to a strategic position in organizations result in missed opportunities especially in hospitality and tourism, where the human capital has substantive potential to improve the competitive advantage of enterprises, particularly due to the growing competitiveness of the industry, as well as the centrality of the human element in the delivery of hospitality products and services
  • The second change in contemporary HR which, interestingly, is closely related to the previous one, is the growing trend of incorporating advanced information technology (IT) in HR practices.
  • There is extensive evidence to the growing transfer of HR functions to digital formats, as can be seen in the growing popularity of human resource information systems (HRIS) among organizations. HRIS is currently perceived as one of the important factors influencing the role of the HR function, as well as the workplace as a whole. Although in many aspects, technology remains under-utilized in HR functions (Jones and Hoell, 2005), recently its effects have begun to be evident in many organizational aspects,
  • Furthermore, it is widely argued that the adoption of HRIS is likely to promote HR to the awaited position of strategic partner in the organization. The main reason for this is that by using HRIS, HR professionals can improve their performance by gaining better knowledge of the organization and its employees, thus facilitate participation in strategic planning and implementation. In addition, by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the HR day-to-day administrative tasks, HRIS allows the HR staff to dedicate more time to strategic decision making and planning, which consequently provides more value to the organization to enhance its position within it
  • modern HRIS make optimal use of internet and web capabilities for performing their tasks
  • successful HRIS support the planning and implementation of managerial key processes in the organization, such as executive decision making, technology selection, interdepartmental integration, and organizational reporting structures.
  • Intranet-based employee self-service (ESS) provides employees direct access, mainly through a web browser but also through a centralized kiosk, to personal HR-related information. Thus, the employees can individually handle transactions that used to be carried out by HR personnel,
  • Both MSS and ESS create a trend of delegation of responsibilities and activities that were once considered to be the domain of HR professionals and administrative personnel, directly to employees and managers
  • HRIS was seen mostly as a special form of office automation systems, the emphasis being on reducing costs and staff while making the standard HR tasks more efficient
  • In addition, in today's workplace the HR tasks have become more complex, along with organizational trends such as globalization, consolidations, strategic partnerships, and greater than ever governmental and regulatory reporting requirements for employees.
  • Therefore, from the administrative perspective, by providing powerful computing capabilities, HRIS are changing and improving procedures and processes that were carried out less efficiently before,
  • the automation of routine transactions provides HR professionals with time to perform strategic functions related to the human capital
  • HRIS allow the firm to be proactive in HR planning, by giving managers a constant flow of employee information
  • since HRIS can significantly improve the way employees and managers communicate with each other through various communication channels, this improves the flow of information and expertise throughout the organization, thereby enhancing the firms' strategic capabilities
  • Another prominent perceived characteristic of the HR function has been its reliance on relatively low-tech methods in implementing its tasks
  • Although HRIS can provide both administrative and strategic advantages, it should be noted from the onset that they are usually expensive systems to purchase and implement. Designing and implementing customized HRIS, adapted to the specific needs of the organization, will significantly enhance its functionality, but will result in increased software and hardware costs, as well as time-to-deployment
  • the initial costs of developing such HRIS are high,
  • In order to reduce the costs of HRIS, an organization can purchase off-the-shelf applications composed of HR database programs, aimed at meeting the general needs of HR functions
  • These findings point to the vital need of the HR function to provide evidence of the effectiveness of HRIS, for the purpose of attaining the executive management support for the change.
  • for a successful implementation of HRIS, it is no less important to obtain the support of managers and employees in the organization. Although modern HRIS offer clear advantages to managers, through the use of MSS, for better management of their staff, the implementation of such systems is likely to be followed by a certain level of resentment on the part of the managers. Since MSS transfer the responsibility of performing employee HR-related transactions from the HR staff to the direct managers, many of them are frustrated since they feel that additional administrative tasks are being imposed on them
  • Another relatively common problem, concerning both the implementation and the flowing management of HRIS, is the question of who is in charge of the system. Since the successful development of HRIS requires the input of both the IT and the HR departments, it is not uncommon for disputes over areas of responsibility to break out between these departments.
  • Other territorial conflicts around HRIS may arise when departments feel that the system expropriates some of its authorities; for example, the payroll department might resist HRIS that combines payroll functions. A possible solution to such a problem can be the establishment of cross-functional teams that run HRIS projects
  • the implementation of HRIS raises both ethical and legal issues that need to be addressed by the organization. First, the use of relational database technology provides access to more detailed employee information than ever before.
  • Second, HRIS usually contain private information on the employees, while the access to this information is often allowed to employees outside HR, as well. As a result, some employees feel that their private lives are not protected adequately.
  • The hospitality industry is characterized by a higher turnover rate than other sectors of the economy
  • Traditionally, HR in organizations has utilized low-tech methods in recruitment.
  • Internet recruiting benefits both the organization and the job seeker's perspectives (Pearce and Tuten, 2001; Singh and Finn, 2003). The benefits to the recruiters include: Cost savings, as it is significantly cheaper to advertise on the internet than in a newspaper. Compared to the use of professional search firms (also known as headhunters) the amounts saved are even higher. Recruiters generally receive more applications, which results in a greater pool of candidates from which to choose. Recruiters may receive applications faster, often even on the same day a position is announced. Improved ability to target a specific audience, thereby decreasing future turnover. Time saving, as more unqualified or unfit applicants can be eliminated, through online contact, in the initial phases of the recruitment process.
  • On the other hand, internet recruitment is not without limitations.
  • Once the recruitment process has ensured a large pool of applicants to choose from, the next phase is to select the most suitable candidates.
  • Traditionally, these selection methods involve the visit of the candidate to the organization or, to a lesser degree, to an assessment center, for interviewing, pen-and-paper testing, or situational testing, including group dynamics.
  • The use of advanced technology allows the selection process to complete the widespread online recruitment methods.
  • Nevertheless, the main impact of technology in selection procedures is in relation to employee interviewing and testing.
  • Anderson (2003) broadly described the prominent technology-based selection procedures, along with an assessment of their acceptance and effectiveness.
  • Adequate training is essential in providing quality services, yet traditionally hospitality organizations have not invested adequate resources in training their employees (Conrade et al., 1994). Most of the knowledge and skills of hospitality employees is transferred through on-the-job training,
  • However, as noted by Collins (2004), delivery of organized and structured training programs in the hospitality industry is a constant challenge, mainly because of the size and geographical dispersion of the workforce, as well as the extensive resources – financial, work, and time – needed to establish in-house training programs.
  • Although technology-based training methods have been available for a long time, the hospitality industry has usually lagged behind other sectors in adopting them.
  • Web-based training (WBT) can deliver courses nationwide or worldwide at all time zones to any connected computer, and is easy to update and monitor.
  • Effective performance evaluation plays a critical role in the successful implementation of organizational strategy and in gaining a competitive advantage. Therefore, in addition to important HR decisions that greatly rely on performance evaluation, such as promotions, outplacements, dismissals, many organizations link performance to compensations and rewards. As noted by Bowley and Link (2005), a performance-based compensation plan, often known as “pay-per-performance,” should reflect the organization's goals.
  • the traditional methods, based on a disconnected blend of discrete applications, spreadsheet programs and paper-based systems, to communicate goals, track employee performance and manage compensation, are insufficient in the contemporary challenges of linking performance evaluation to organizational strategy (Bowley and Link, 2005). Yet, although sophisticated HRIS were developed to meet these contemporary challenges, Ensher et al. (2002) found little effect of HRIS on the process of performance management among HR executives, who still rely on paper-and-pencil administration and hard copy documentation of employee evaluation.
  • Nevertheless, CPM has drawbacks that are highly relevant to a service industry such as the hospitality industry (Miller, 2003). The main concern that CPM raises is that reliance only on quantitative criteria is likely to lead to the neglect of more qualitative aspects of performance.
  • Consequently, an effective CPM must be followed by the establishment of an employee development plan, designed in collaboration with his/her supervisor. The second application of technology in appraisal management is online evaluation and appraisal software (Miller, 2003). In contrast to the aforementioned CPM, in these cases technology facilitates delivering performance feedback, rather than generating the actual evaluation outcome.
  • 360° feedback,
  • In addition, evaluation software packages can be used as stand-alone applications or as an integral part of the organization's HRIS, which offers computerized standard evaluation forms. The use of user-friendly software in evaluating employees allows managers to focus more on the contents of the evaluation, rather than on the forms.
  • Therefore, the use of computer software programs allows better coping with these challenges, while saving time and money.
  • While the organization enjoys the reduced need for complex bureaucracy, the employees enjoy better control and enhanced anonymity, as there is no need for dealing directly with HR staff on personal financial matters.
  • The use of HRIS has significant impact on the current affairs between the management and the employees, as well as the characteristics and the environment of the contemporary workplace. From the administrative perspective, through the HRIS the managers and the employees have access to relevant information on employee work rules, policies, and regulations on issues like privacy, illegal discrimination, and work diversity. In addition, the HRIS can assist discharged or displaced employees in finding alternative employment, by providing links to career counselors, training programs, and information, all of which are required for a successful and effective job search
  • technology has changed the nature of the workplace and employer-employee relations more fundamentally than just providing more accessible information.
  • Traditional e-commerce technology provides product/service, promotion, placement, and pricing strategic initiatives to external constituents through the use of extranet platforms merged with intranets (for instance, customer relationship management). HRIS technology provides the same initiatives through the use of intranets merged with extranet platforms (for example, recruitment). Thus, HRIS technology may be considered to represent internal e-commerce systems, which are crucial to the alignment of HR functions within strategic initiatives aimed at sustainable competitive advantages.
  • The evolution of HRIS platforms provides a range of tools for use by enhancing employee-employer relationships. The full service range of HRIS functions brings human capital closer to the strategic direction of the organization.
  • However, the technology is merely a tool that may enhance strategic alignment.
  • There is also evidence from the literature that a disengagement of the HR function from strategic initiatives exist in many hospitality enterprises.
  • It is common knowledge that the hospitality industry is labor intensive with many points of intimate service interactions of long duration. HR will produce sustainable competitive advantages for those firms that include the HR function in a united strategic direction.
  • The literature identifies the advantages of aligned human capital as a means to accomplishing sustainable competitive advantage for enterprises.
  • Xu Wang on 01 Dec 12
     
    This article is a research paper did by Amir and Beer-Sheva. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of technology on the human resources function in organizations, in general, and in hospitality firms, in particular. At the beginning, it introduced the role of human resources department in organizations for decades. And the trend or changes in contemporary human resources. Then it came out that we cannot skipped the effect of technology on the HR function, especially in tourism and hospitality industry. So, next it gave the definitions of HRIS by introducing technology. And list some advantages and challenges of using HRIS. In the end, it listed how technology put infusion across HR function, including recruitment, selection, training, performance evaluation and compensation, payroll, benefits and pension administration, labor relations and outplacement.
Sasha Bravo

Despite the Mobile Hype, Fixed POS Continues to Grow | News | Apparel Magazine(AM) - 0 views

apparel.edgl.com/...xed-POS-Continues-to-Grow85033

shared by Sasha Bravo on 01 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Much has been made about the replacement of traditional point-of-sale terminal devices by mobile phones and tablets, but the overall penetration of POS devices continued to expand 3.9 percent in North America and 4.6 percent around the globe in 2012,
  • The company released the latest results of its POS Vendor Shipments Database, showing growth in all four major worldwide regions
  • Despite challenges from mobile devices and e-commerce growth, new store concepts and greater penetration of PC-based POS continue to offset those challenges as the point-of-sale remains the center of the customer interaction
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • We are seeing the greatest changes occur not between the technologies but between the vendor composition and market share positions
  • HP is now the second largest supplier of POS Systems worldwide, rising from the #20 position just 10 years ago. Add to HP's share standard PCs purchased and repurposed by small businesses for POS and the company would have the #1 position.
  • The value of the North American POS Market topped $7.8 Billion for the first time in 2012 Brazil, Mexico, China, India and certain Middle Eastern countries are driving POS adoption at the fastest clips. The POS Vendor Shipments Database and other research reports on the POS industry are available immediately from the company website. Rate this Content (5 Being the Best) RatingRatingRatingRatingRating 12345 Current rating: 0 (0 ratings)  
  • Sasha Bravo on 01 Mar 13
     
    This article shows how despite the trend into mobile devices and tablets, the industry growth of fixed POS system is still ahead. it is very interesting to see these findings, since nowadays all one seems to see or read about is this addiction to mobile devices and tablets. The article found growth in all the major regions of the world, which clearly states that this is not a random occurrence.
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