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ravicka

TripAdvisor launches green initiative for sustainable travel - Blue and Green Tomorrow - 0 views

  • Jenny Rushmore, director of responsible travel at TripAdvisor, said, “We know a lot of travellers in Europe want to be savvy about the eco-friendly choices they make on holiday but they don’t always know where to go to find that information. “What makes TripAdvisor GreenLeaders so useful is that we are now providing travellers with an easy way to compare hotels’ green practices alongside the millions of reviews already on the site.”
  • John Alker, director of policy and communications at UK Green Building Council, added, “For the hotel and leisure sector, going green is not only the right thing to do, it’s just good business. Green should be viewed as another aspect of quality.
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    As people continue to move towards a lifestyle that is sustainable and eco-friendly so to are their choices re travel. Llaria Bertini in her ariticle "TripAdvisor launches green initiative for sustainable travel" highlights how the popular travel site TripAdvisor has launched an initiative to assist European travelers in making hotel choices that suit their lifestyle. The initiative called "TripAdvisor Green Leaders" came about as a result of travelers need to stay at more eco-friendly accomodation. Despite that need they had difficulty in obtaining information about hotel practices. Jenny Rushmore, director of responsible travel at TripAdvisor said "We know a lot of travellers in Europe want to be savvy about eco-friendly choices they make on holiday but they don't alwyas know where to go to find that information, " thus the initiative was born. Trip Advisor came on board to provide information for travelers re hotel Green practices , to compare offerings of various hotels as well as to provide reviews not only based on what the hoteliers would provide but from the perspective of persons who would have had a first hand experience at the property. As going green becomes a more acceptable approach for many things in various areas of our lives the hospitality and tourism industry is no exception. As John Alker,director of policy and communication at UK Green Building Council said " For the hotel and leisure sector, going green is not only the right thing to do, its just good business. " TripAdvisor initiative allows us to know which properties are taking the steps towards sustatainability in one place.
vincentsalazar

HNN - 0 views

  • Recent global data released by TravelClick projects 2015 to be a record year for bookings through global distribution systems, the channel used when guests book through traditional travel agents. TravelClick is projecting 62 million bookings through GDSes in 2015, which is up from 61 million in 2014 and 42 million during the depths of the recession in 2009.   According to the data, a total of $12 billion in revenue was booked across all channels in the second quarter in the top 50 global markets, encompassing 69 million roomnights. GDS bookings covered 16.3% of those bookings. The highest portion of bookings came through direct bookings (36.9%), followed by Web bookings (22.5%). Central reservations system bookings (12.8%) and OTA bookings (10.2%) represent the remaining portion.   GDS bookings have managed to hold their share of transient bookings through the past two years, staying steady at 19.1% during the second quarter of each year. The total revenue from transient bookings in the top 50 markets during the second quarter grew year over year from $11.5 billion in 2014 to $11.8 billion this year.  
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    "Recent global data released by TravelClick projects 2015 to be a record year for bookings through global distribution systems, the channel used when guests book through traditional travel agents. TravelClick is projecting 62 million bookings through GDSes in 2015, which is up from 61 million in 2014 and 42 million during the depths of the recession in 2009. According to the data, a total of $12 billion in revenue was booked across all channels in the second quarter in the top 50 global markets, encompassing 69 million roomnights. GDS bookings covered 16.3% of those bookings. The highest portion of bookings came through direct bookings (36.9%), followed by Web bookings (22.5%). Central reservations system bookings (12.8%) and OTA bookings (10.2%) represent the remaining portion. GDS bookings have managed to hold their share of transient bookings through the past two years, staying steady at 19.1% during the second quarter of each year. The total revenue from transient bookings in the top 50 markets during the second quarter grew year over year from $11.5 billion in 2014 to $11.8 billion this year. " This article elaborates the rise in current and predicted bookings by GDS systems in the Hospitality industry. Over 12 billion dollars in revenue has been recorded thanks to the rise of GDS systems. This revenue has managed to hold on to a steady rise since over the last 5 years. If projections are correct, revenue in top markets will only grow larger.
Emily Bova

E-Commerce News: Ghost of Christmas Past Haunts Amazon - 0 views

  • Amazon's net income was US$177 million, or 38 cents per share, a 57 percent percent drop from a year ago.
  • Sales for the three months before Dec. 31 came out to $17.4 billion, lower than Wall Street expected over the traditionally busy holiday season.
  • Flooding in Thailand slowed down production for many tech companies this year
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  • The company used more third-party vendors than usual, which helps margins but cuts down drastically in revenue.
  • The world's largest online retailer has also been using promotions such as the Amazon Prime program, where customers can pay $79 a year to receive unlimited two-day shipping. The offer draws customers to the site, but over a busy holiday season, the shipping costs hit the retailer hard.
  • lower demand than it expected for video game sales and European currency fluctuations
  • A lot of people underestimate the profit of the e-book. You don't have to pay money for delivering or printing, so you can get tremendous revenue,"
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    In Amazon's last quarter, net income dropped by 57 percent from a year ago. Sales for the three months before December 31 came out to $17.4 billion, lower than Wall Street expected over the traditionally busy holidy season. It is predicted that for the next quarter outlook, there could be anywhere from a gain of $100 million to a loss of $200 million. While Amazon continues to profit in sales of its best selling Kindle devices, there were a variety of factors that contirbuted to its losses. The flooding in Thailand slowed down production for many tech companies. Third-party sellers (which give a 13% commission to Amazon as oppsoed to 100% commission when Amazon sells themselves) were used more than usual. Promotions such as the Amazon Prime program which allows the customer to pay a fixed rate and get umlimited two-day shipping hurt the retailer hard over the busy holiday season with shipping costs. Other reasons were lower demand for skimwords
laura kaczkowski

What is a Hotel Management System? - 3 views

  • Technology is making deep inroads into the hospitality industry, and hotels across the world are looking to use technology to make operation smooth and efficient
  • These are also popularly known as Property Management System (PMS), and Hotel ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) – if you are looking at a larger, more comprehensive management system.
  • came up with the term ERP to denote enterprise management software which automates a large number of business function such as human resource, finance, accounting, supply chain management etc.
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  • many hospitality properties especially those that are growing chains or planning a global presence, have upgraded from smaller, simpler property management systems to the larger hotel ERP.
  • A hotel is a hive of numerous operations such as front office, booking and reservation, banquet, finance, HR, inventory, material management, quality management, security, energy management, housekeeping, CRM
  • With growing competition in the industry it’s important for a hotel to understand the needs of their guest,
  • what guests demand for most
  • A property management system (PMS) usually consists of front office software and other best of breed solutions. The PMS served hotels well for a reasonable among of time until now, when hotel operations have grown in complexity.
  • As complexity of hotel operations increases, a PMS is woefully inadequate and often results in integration issues to
  • Things are different for an ERP which is usually a comprehensive solution from a single vendor. Although the concept of an ERP in the hospitality industry is still new, it offers numerous advantages in terms of smooth seamless use of technology, greater automation, greater visibility into hotel operations, optimized use of manpower, reduced revenue leakages and higher resultant profits.
  • When a hotel is looking to upgrade their software the natural question that comes to mind is which Hotel Management System should I choose?
  • Make a list of the features you are looking for. One of the main deliverables of a hotel ERP is its business intelligence. Does the ERP you are evaluating give you a bunch of in-depth reports that assist decision making?
  • Always check if the hotel ERP provider has been in the business for a considerable amount of time, has tested the solution across market segment and geographies if possible. A hotel cannot afford downtime, and so ensure your ERP provider also delivers high quality customer support
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    The article I read was called, "What is a Hotel Management System?" In the article it states that in the early 90s Gartner came up with the term ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) that automates a large number of business functions such as finance, accounting, and human resource. "A hotel is a hive of numerous operations such as front office, booking and reservation, banquet, finance, HR, inventory, material management, quality management, security, energy management, housekeeping." All of these activities need to be taken care of at hotels and doing so can sometimes be a lot of work. This led to the introduction of property management systems, an automated software which can optimize hotel operations and keep a tight control on costs. It important for hotels to understand the needs of their guests, if they want them to come back to their hotel, they need to know what they like and dislike. Using the PMS it allows them to make a profile of each guest and they write in if they want a beach view room or if they want a mini bar in their room. There is a difference when it comes to PMS and ERP. "A property management system usually consists of front office software and other best of breed solutions." The ERP, is usually a comprehensive solution from a single vendor. I really enjoyed reading this article and it helped me get a better grasp on how hotels use property management systems.
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    I completely agree that technology is making deep inroads into the hospitality industry, and hotels across the world are looking to use technology to make operation smooth and efficient. Any operating system that can help optimize the hotel experience is going prosper in their business.
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    I didn't really care for the passage that talked about PMS vs ERP, I though they could have been more specific... they just said ERP is better, could someone provide an example? Also, they mentioned how when a hotel becomes more complex problems arise in the PMS, how? All the hotel would have to do is come up with another PMS system that would provide them with greater resources, etc whats the problem??
anonymous

Revealed: Marriott's 500 Million Hack Came After A String Of Security Breaches - 0 views

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    This article explores multiple hacks of different Marriott networks that led to guest and employee security breaches. More specifically the hacks include a third party IT security who downloaded malware that ended up allowing access to internal Marriott email. Another involved hackers stealing the starwoodhotels.com domain which allowed them access to consumer information thinking they were booking rooms. Another beach came through the use of an insecure password for one of their cloud networks.
kristenagosto21

Nine High-tech Solutions to Explore in the COVID-19 Era - Event Marketer - 0 views

  • In fact, in a survey of our audience, 96 percent of respondents said their agencies shifted products and services due to the impact of COVID-19.
  • 67 percent said they are focused on new virtual event services, 24 percent said they’re developing new medical-grade products, four percent said they’re specifically exploring on-site tracing technology (more on that in a bit), while the remaining 50 percent said they were exploring “other” new areas such as touchless modifications to on-site technologies and appointment-based experiences. Overall, 35 percent of respondents reported that COVID-focused products and services currently account for 50 to 75 percent of the overall business.
  • That live-guide component came into play recently for a program in the Faroe Islands tourism arm’s “Remote Tourism” campaign, which in June allowed travelers with itchy feet to control live people on the ground in various parts of the region by using their phone or computer keypad.
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  • That live-guide component came into play recently for a program in the Faroe Islands tourism arm’s “Remote Tourism” campaign, which in June allowed travelers with itchy feet to control live people on the ground in various parts of the region by using their phone or computer keypad.
  • That live-guide component came into play recently for a program in the Faroe Islands tourism arm’s “Remote Tourism” campaign, which in June allowed travelers with itchy feet to control live people on the ground in various parts of the region by using their phone or computer keypad.
  • In addition to shifting into virtual events and building custom digital platform solutions for clients, Sparks opened a  shoppable Social Distancing Store online, complete with directional graphics, touchless utility tools, sanitizing stations, sneeze guards and partitions, and other customizable options.
  • ting events and helping offices and other businesses reopen and maintain key social distancing protocols.
  • supporting
  • In addition to shifting into virtual events and building custom digital platform solutions for clients, Sparks opened a  shoppable Social Distancing Store online, complete with directional graphics, touchless utility tools, sanitizing stations, sneeze guards and partitions, and other customizable options.
  • n addition to shifting into virtual events and building custom digital platform solutions for clients, Sparks opened a  shoppable Social Distancing Store online, complete with directional graphics, touchless utility tools, sanitizing stations, sneeze guards and partitions, and other customizable options.
  • players
  • social
anonymous

Juice it Up's new CEO Susan Taylor on the chain's mobile app - 0 views

  • thinks it’s easier.
  • past nine to 10 months looking at what are the systems that still are relevant, and are cornerstones of our operation and what are the things that need to be changed or updated,
  • launching mobile ordering and finding a way to bring in more customers.
    • anonymous
       
      company goals
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  • brand didn’t need to change its business model because most of their business came from to-go orders already. But the brand was seriously lagging on technology
  • how much tech really can help,
  • The app allows users to see the entire menu complete with nutritional information, order ahead, leave a tip and schedule a pickup at their preferred location. This allows guests to bypass the line at the actual store.
    • anonymous
       
      benefits
  • personalized and convenient ways to enjoy our menu of functional products,
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    Juice it Up's new CEO started right before the corona virus hit. And while at first that seemed to be a daunting task, her goals ended up aligning with the needs of this new era: get better technology. For a mostly franchised brand, Taylor new that getting this tech up and running was going to be difficult, but also that it was going to be necessary to the success of the company. The "brand didn't need to change it's business model because most of their business came from to go order already," but Taylor found the company to be seriously lacking in technology. Her goal: a mobile POS system that would offer menu information, nutritional elements, the ability to order ahead, leave a tip, and schedule a pick-up. What is unique about this app and this system, is that it is not through a third-party system, which is what most restaurants are currently using. It opens up the potential for more companies, specifically large brands, to begin to do a similar thing. This will be an incredible save for profit margins if it proves to be successful, as the current crisis of third-party delivery and POS systems is wreaking havoc on our nation's restaurants.
Xu Wang

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

  • 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.
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  • 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.
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    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.
Yuting Peng

Tech-Laden Hotels Call for Modern Disaster Plans - 0 views

  • the plan has assumed a new life as both a disaster prevention and action schematic for all physical plant systems, computer systems, appliances and all normal uses of the facility. The plan revolves heavily around backup generators and battery power for electricity, as well as services that run on electrical power.
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    It often happen in hotel that the physcial plant system has some problem.The plan resolves heacily around backup generators and battery power for electricity. Lota's plan contain every system, if hotel obey the plan I think they can operate better.Make sure every physical plants in a good working condition.
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    It is realize that the potentially harmful effects that utility service interruptions can have on the hotel's many operating systems. With the Y2K threat just a memory, the plan has assumed a new life as both a disaster prevention and action schematic for all physical plant systems, computer systems, appliances and all normal uses of the facility. The plan revolves heavily around backup generators and battery power for electricity, as well as services that run on electrical power. If a fire, earthquake or other disaster causes a blackout, guests will most likely have to be alerted via the intercom. That system has a battery backup. The phone system also uses backup generators, which can also power message lights on the individual units if there's a problem.
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    The duty engineer is also supposed to walk through all machinery spaces to check for any flooding or hazardous conditions. If the outage is of an unspecified "long duration," the duty engineer is also bound to continually check the fuel level of the emergency generator and request that the manager call the contractor for more fuel when the fuel level reaches half-full.
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    The Sheraton hotel in California is the place for business travelers in the high-tech and government sectors. And to avoid the potentially harmful effects that the utility service interruptions can have on the hotel's many operating systems, the manager came out with a detailed engineering contingency plan. This plan is originally intended in prat to address potential Y2K woes. The plan assumed that a new life as both a disaster prevention and action schematic for all physical plant systems. 
Yuting Peng

Get More from Your PMS - Hotel Management Network - 0 views

  • For most hotels the key technology is the Property Management System (PMS). Often, it is referred to as the single most important IT application for hotels.
  • PMS is the central data infrastructure of the hotel, handling the administration of all of the guests, their profiles and bookings, as well as the revenues generated.
  • a large under-use of the range of the PMS functionalities, and consequently a low return on investment from the PMS software. This may be explained by the lack of training or could be explained by lack of access to other data/functionalities (perhaps, controlled by other departments) or the complexity, albeit perceived complexity, in attempting to extract cross-functional / departmental data.
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    Nowadays, most hotels are using PMS as their key technology in property management, which referred as the single most important IT application for hotels. PMS works as the central data infrastructure of the hotel, handling the administration of all the guests, their profiles and bookings, as well as the revenues generated. Besides PMS, hotels also use CRS and EPOS to fully maximise the benefits of the system. To obtain the maximum function of PMS, we came up with some ways to solve the problem. Firstly, there are already many PMS providers available on the market that provide various solutions with a large number of functions based on the changing needs of hotels. Many hotels today do not use all the functions of PMS, which will lead to low return on investment of the PMS software. Secondly, hotels are lack of awareness and exploitation of the full range of PMS functionality. This under-utilisation inevitably costs hotel operators in financial terms, as they are paying for functions that they do not use. 
Joshua Frost

Onity releases firmware upgrade, mechanical cap for its locks to address hacking vulner... - 0 views

  • Onity provides lock upgrades following hack
  • Black Hat cyber security conference in Las Vegas
  • According to a story published by Forbes, the hacker, using less than $50 worth of equipment, was reportedly able to exploit a port located underneath each lock to read their memory and find a decryption key, at which point he was able to gain access to the lock’s firmware.
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    As close to home as this hits, with a security breach at my hotel recently, I'm happy to see that companies are upgrading their systems. The Black Hat cyber security conference in Vegas had a hacker present how easy it was to gain access into a hotel room. He had less than $50 in equipment that he used to infiltrate the locks on the hotel doors. In response to this, Onity, the company whose locks were tested, came out with a plan for a "two-tier" security upgrade. This makes me feel a little bit better but at the same time, it seems like hotels aren't being proactive about protecting their customers, so maybe more hotels needs to be exploited.
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    I don't see this how it make anyone feel a little better, all the company is doing is giving price discounts and tightening up some locks, make it harder to pick apart. The problem is the avg their or experienced theif can take a part a lock in minuets if not seconds. Chances are you wouldn't even hear it if you were asleep, on the phone, watching TV. The system isn't very good if it can be hacked with up to 50$ of equipment
anonymous

Fast Food Chain Arby's Acknowledges Breach - Krebs on Security - 0 views

  • Sources at nearly a half-dozen banks and credit unions independently reached out over the past 48 hours to inquire if I’d heard anything about a data breach at Arby’s fast-food restaurants.
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    In recent news, Arby's acknowledge a data breach within its restaurants. "Arby's said the breach involved malware placed on payment systems inside Arby's corporate stores, and that Arby's franchised restaurant locations were not impacted." Once figured out the company hired security experts to solve the problem. The initial sign of breach came from a service organization that serves more than 800 credit unions called PSCU. An alert was sent to all cardholders that a fast food chain had been compromised, but no specifics were mentioned. This article points out that, "point of sale malware has driven most of the major retail industry credit card breaches over the past two years." Monitoring your credit/debit card transactions is the best way to be safe in this situation- as long as you report the fraudulent charges you aren't liable. While IT has many positives for any organization, it's not risk adverse. Once a system is hacked all information of company and past users is up for grabs, and credit card companies are forced to take the blow.
sophia edwards

What is VoIP and Can You Benefit? - 0 views

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    After looking at telecommunication, i came across this article which broke down what Voice over Internet protocol (V.O.I.P) is. The article tells us with VoIP service, you are making and receiving telephone calls using the Internet.You do not have to be connected to the telephone company in order to make or receive a telephone call, as long as you have VoIP services and a high-speed Internet connection. I believe using VOIP can help save companies money on long distance and local calls depending on the company they decide to use. Do you feel VOIP will take over land phones? Take a look at this video it explains more to you about VOIP. http://youtu.be/o6CmqaVAf74
yongwei hao

Why POS Software Is Important In Hospitality Industry? Article - Computer Software Arti... - 2 views

  • The basic use or function of this software is to facilitate the user to credit money from his account to the account of the place whose services he or she is availing.
  • prefer not to carry cash with them
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    Software in todays society are given customers the access to be more flexible while on vacation. The only concern with this type of software is the security. what is behind the customers information for these services they receive that will be automatically deposits without the hassle of theft.
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    The design of POS system is applied for hotels. The basic function of this software is to facilitate the user to credit money from his account to the account of the place whose services he or she is availing, The reason why it came out is that people prefer not to carry cash with them. Nowadays, more and more people are using cards more frequently than before. So in order to make sure that the business is still on, the inclusion of POS Software in the functioning of the hospitality industry is very important. All the transaction is done in front of the client itself and there are no chances of any sort of discrepancies.
Jenna Rashbaum

Hotel systems weighed down by booking requests - 0 views

  • The ratio has been growing at an average pace of 20% year over year and continues at a steady climb
  • Travelers are increasingly looking for value in their travel experience and continue to do more shopping before booking, meaning the number of information requests is expected to continue rising
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    In Dallas, hotels are trying to bring in technology to make things easier while bringing in a CRS system has just made it more complicated. Since there are so many online requests for hotel rooms the Central Reservation System cannot necessarily keep up with that which could be problem because if it cannot keep up then it is not going to be in a search for a new guest. InterContinental Hotels Groups is updating their CRS with a newer one that can handle the large amount of requests at one time but there is still a problem of speed. We like to see things happen immediately when we want it done and if it does not happen like that we might decide to leave the page and go somewhere else to book causing the company to lose out business. Before the internet when people needed to book hotel rooms and they went to a travel agent the agent would have to call around to see which property had availability, then find out if they property they wanted had specific rooms and rates they are looking for and then finally book the room at the specified rate. As soon as the internet came along the process became easier because it was all right there except not that much easier because it still could not do everything that we wanted it to.
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    Central Reservation Systems via the internet are good when they want to be and bad when they want to be. If there is a huge meeting booked last minute in a popular city during peak time there is going to be a huge influx of people trying to book hotels online at the same time and the CRS might not work as people would like it to causing people to get angry and not want to go to that specific hotel.
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    Central Reservation System is really a very good system which can improve the efficiency and speed of the hotel reservation.
Yekaterina Ponomareva

How to Run Business Software Between Macs and PCs | Entrepreneur.com - 0 views

  • How to Run Business Software Between Macs and PCs
  • The age-old debate has been Mac versus PC but, increasingly, small business owners must think Mac and PC
  • That means business owners need to ensure that their software, documents and files can be used in-house and by clients -- no matter which operating system they are created on
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  • "Dual boot" your Mac
  • dvanced tactics: Install a virtual desktop
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    With Apple came a new era to the contemporary technological world in which some people and businesses can not operate with PC, because Mac interface and overall features seem to be more user-friendly, but however most of those people and businesses want to operate Mac, using PC features. So, this article suggests how to keep both systems working and what are the means, advantages and disadvantages to that
Kassandra Baumgardner

Sales and Event Management Web Application Boosts Sales and Productivity for Restaurant... - 1 views

  • Tripleseat, a cloud-based Sales and Event Management application for the Hospitality Industry, announced they have recently achieved the milestone of having over 400 restaurants, hotels and unique venues as customers.
  • delivered over $200M in leads
  • managed over $500M in events
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  • private parties and events represents over 30% of a restaurant’s revenue but it requires a coordinated sales effort to be successful
  • result has been chaotic events, lost sales and not enough time to grow the business.
  • The event business is a $26 billion a year industry and it is being run on post it notes and ad hoc technology.
  • To fix the problem, I had to develop a easy-to-use, no hardware/software solution that was fast and intuitive."
  • he web application can easily integrate with existing websites and social media channels
  • stores all of the past client data
  • Tripleseat, a cloud-based Sales and Event Management application for the Hospitality Industry, announced they have recently achieved the milestone of having over 400 restaurants, hotels and unique venues as customers
  • Founded in 2008, Tripleseat has delivered over $200M in leads and managed over $500M in events in cities like New York, Boston, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Chicago. Jonathan Morse, a former Event Sales Manager, founded Tripleseat after he realized that restaurant Event Sales Manager were still using paper and pens to manage their banquet business.
  • Morse explained that private parties and events represents over 30% of a restaurant’s revenue but it requires a coordinated sales effort to be successful.
  • Tripleseat, a web based sales and event application that can deliver and capture leads while simplifying the booking and planning of events, ranging from conferences to banquets to private dining affairs.
  • Tripleseat has enhanced my ability to service customers fast and efficiently with all of the tools right at my fingertips. The integrated system stores all of the past client data and has helped me reduce paperwork and focus on sales."
  • Tripleseat is a Sales and Event Management web application that increases event sales and streamlines the planning process
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    Tripleseat offers a cloud-based system that keeps client information-even little details- and can be used to assist event planners. Private parties/events represent over 30% of a restaurants revenue and event managers lose time and money conducting their planning the way that they have before. Tripleseat streamlines the process and makes finding leads and simplifying the planning process. 
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    The event planning industry was seen by Morse as a billion dollar industry so he decided that the planning and booking process had to be streamlined. The result was a "web based sales and event application that can deliver and capture leads while simplifying the booking and planning of events." The application makes the business more efficient as it stores clients data, so that more emphasis can be placed on sales. "The web application can easily integrate with existing websites and social media channels," so that leads and proposal requests can be made easier.
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    This article talks about a Tripleseat company a cloud base sales and event management application for the hospitality Industry, announced they have recently achieved the milestone of having over 400 restaurant hotel and unique venues as costume. Tripleseat has delivered over 200m in leads and managed over $500 million in event in cities around the country. THE EVENT BUSINESS IS a $26 billion a year industry and it is being run on past it notes. Tripleseat, a web base sale and event application that can deliver and capture leads while simplifying the book and planning of event
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    This article discusses a program called Tripleseat that was created in 2008 as a way to better organize sales and even planning within the hospitality industry. The program is a cloud-based software that provides a competitive edge that event managers need. The founders of the software said that the idea came when he realized that Event sales managers were still using paper and pens to organize their events. He said that event planners were losing sales by not having a simple organized system to track their events. The point of Tripleseat is to provide a fast yet simple to learn program that allows event sales managers to easily book and plan any sort of event no matter the size. It keeps track of little details as well as past client information, there is less paperwork, and managers are able to focus on sales. Since this is a web application it can easily be integrated with other websites as well as social media. It is a sophisticated event planning system, but is also offered at a manageable cost. This type of system sounds like a great system to use. I only wonder if it is able to interface with a property management system of a hotel? Especially one that isn't cloud-based.
angelamenoher

New Age CCTV Systems, Now With Brains - The Shout, Hotel News, Liquor News, Bar Club ... - 0 views

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    Security and POS wrapped up in one tight little bow. Vectron has came out with a new cctv system that integrates to the hotel or bars POS system. Now the security system time stamps all images linked up to transactions. GM's can set up alerts to be sent to their mobiles or emails. Why is this important? Incidents like employee theft, fraudulent credit card use, guest intoxication, credit card disputes and underage service can all be tracked, imaged and time stamped to serve as evidence. This can help in insurance claims, police reports, reporting credit card fraud or dismissal of employees. There are many times where customers dispute there bills after they have received services in Miami and linking the POS to the security system would be a tool in fighting for payments deserved. Too bad this is a Australian Device and not in America.
Hyeyoung Jang

Green Hotel Sustainability Plan, Strategies to Keep in Mind | ehotelier.com News Archives - 1 views

  • Measuring the hotel property's current consumption of energy, water and production of waste (also commonly known as "benchmarking") is essential to the start of any sustainability plan.Once the baseline has been established, owners and management companies should work with their investors to identify strategic sustainable goals and objectives. It's essential to outline specific quantified projects and resources necessary to implement those projects. Keep in mind there are many rebates, incentives and funding opportunities available through federal, state and local government energy programs as well as utility companies. From my experience, it is very common for operators to overlook these rebates and incentives when implementing changes as part of normal renovations or capital improvements - there by leaving money on the table! Also, when hoteliers think of sustainability projects they often think of renewable energy, energy management systems, and lighting - but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Don't forget to explore other hotel incentive programs for various other sustainable initiatives. Take for instance, the backup generation or demand shedding programs, which typically have no participation costs and you can earn energy credits every month while helping to ensure reliable power for the community.
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    Many hotels and restaurant have embraced the green movement, but many are still trying to sort it all out. Too often being good steward of the environment is perceived as a bleeding heart issue and the cost conflicts with the financial goals of the hotel property owner and operators. As author mentions that, he was former hotel operator over 14 years ago, he was looking for opportunities to increase GOP and cash flow. It only made sense to sort through innovative energy solution and operational changes to find the right solution that improved profitability as well as protect the environment. He came to the conclusion very early on the owner and operators could indeed build a viable business case for integrating sustainability into the operation of individual hotels. However, with countless options from energy management technology to green hotel certification, the process has become confusing more than ever.
Kamini Ramsaran

Microsoft Teams Bing With Yelp to Enhance Search Results - Search Engines - News & Revi... - 0 views

  • Microsoft has announced a deal with the community review site Yelp to add its reviews of restaurants, stores and other businesses to Bing search results.
  • Microsoft has partnered with Yelp to integrate its reviews into Bing search results.
  • Bing and other search engines have struggled to grow in comparison to the dominant Google
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  • Google acquired Zagat in September 2011 for $151 million as a way to compete against Yelp in the ad-supported review business.
  • Google in May rolled out the Google Knowledge Graph, which helps a user refine their search results.
  • In the Bing redesign that added the Facebook integration, Microsoft also added a middle column to the results page called “Snapshot.”
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    Microsoft announced that they have partnered with Yelp to enhance their search results.  Google being the number 1 search engine, others are always looking for new ways to compete and possibly take over the number 1 spot.  Yelp is a website that provides users with reviews on businesses such as restaurants, hotels, bars, etc., like most free search engines, Yelp makes their money based off of advertising on their page. Aside from the addition to Yelp, Bing also added a Facebook connection to their search results.  If someone looks up a certain company that has a Facebook page, that page and user reviews will also come up in their search.  Recently Google added a feature called "The Knowledge Graph".  This feature can help distinguish the difference amongst your search if the topic you are researching has various meanings.  Bing came up with doing a "Snapshot" of the pages you search for to help you see more information about what you are searching for.    
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