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As the world becomes more dependent on technology, the opportunities to exploit or steal one's personal information becomes easier and easier. Passwords and pins can be stolen. Manager cards can be handed out or duplicated. Bio metric information is the one thing that remains a secure way to ensure proper protocols are being followed. Short of cutting off someone's finger, it is impossible to duplicate an individuals bio metric information. This is proving to be a very cost effective means of ensuring compliance to company procedures. The savings in time card fraud, or improper void protocol outweigh the expense of implementing the system. I believe that this is a sign of things to come, as our world transitions to a more electronic state; Bio metric information is the only secure means of insuring the actual "user" is the one performing the specific task.

This concept is very interesting as I deal with timecard fraud often. However, without the option of over riding or using a paper time correction, I wonder if it would actually waste some time waiting for a manager to come and fix the problem.

As a manager, I prefer the biometric option for punching in and out of employees. The only problem I have seen with this technology for employees is for those that work in laundry or dish washing areas. The constant exposure to heat and water on their fingers causes their fingerprints to distort temporarily. I find that I have to utillize less dominant fingers to make it work for these associates. I have made it mandatory for any associate to speak with a manager if they do not punch in or out correctly.

This article states the differences in job description of both digital marketing manager and revenue manager, but LaRose focuses on the importance of having them work closely to best reach their goals. Basically you cant have one without the other and each position has something unique to offer to the hotels growth and popularity. Every hotel must sell a story and meet the demands of their guests, consistently adapting and changing, adding and subtracting when needed in order to maximize revenue and continue to be attractive to its consumer.

This article lists a few additional items to consider when making software purchasing decisions. Many of the considerations were listed in the lecture, but there is an additional perspective to why that consideration is important listed here.

This article explains what the software can do and more importantly advises the client to really examine what they nee before purchasing a solution.

Human resources is a very important part of how businesses operate. In today's world, having HR systems in place is a must. But choosing the HR system to fit your need must be well thought out. It is not easy to choose what will be best for your business, but once you find the best option, it will assist in helping your business's success or better integrate your old system to new for maximized profits. A good HR management system allows for a lot of integration of information from your employees, time clock, taxes, monitor applicants,training and development and so much more. This article identifies how a good HR management system can assist your business's success as well as offers insight into ones that may be best suited for your business.

Hotels POS systems are at risk for customers. Hackers are using tactics like Phishing and ransomware. Hotels must take action and arm themselves with a "toolbelt" of security options to combat the hackers.

This article explores the issues with cyber security in the hotel industry. it is to be taken seriously because customer information is on the line and so is the company's reputation and revenue. Hotels must look into their POS systems because, according to the article, is a weak security point. However, it holds much of the consumer's information like credit card numbers, expiration dates, and etc. The POS system is vulnerable so the secuiry put in place to protect it must be updated. Personal details for hotel guests are stored in many different places in a hotel's many systems. This includes the restaurant, gift shops, billing, facilities, and etc. According to the article, hotels needs a "toolbelt" of various security technologies to prevent malicious attacks. The three mentioned in the article are File Integrity Monitoring, Unified Threat Management, and Security Information and Event Management. Please look into the article to read what each of these systems can do in regards to cyber secuity for the hospitality industry. A good way to implement these tools is to look into outsourcing a managing security firm that specializes in cyber security. This can help minimize and even diminish things that can cause breaches in systems. In my opinion, this article gives solutions to hotels in regards to cyber security. Sometimes installing a firewall or antivirus is simply not enough. A security firm that specializes in this area can be considered. It may be expensive depending on the business to do that, however, it will be even more expensive to have a tarnished reputation for not securing customer information and to deal with lawusuits.

The article overall discussed the the most necessary things one must observe when choosing a new PMS system. A PMS system must first of foremost be budget friendly. PMS system is the main software for a hotel so the cost is valued highly. Most companies would prefer a pms system that is cost efficient. A PMS system also needs to be easy to use, it must be able to be handle by employees and easy to read and maneuver. The PMS system must also be secure and have controlled access. It also needs to be able to mold to the hotels system.

The article overall discussed the the most necessary things one must observe when choosing a new PMS system. A PMS system must first of foremost be budget friendly. PMS system is the main software for a hotel so the cost is valued highly. Most companies would prefer a pms system that is cost efficient. A PMS system also needs to be easy to use, it must be able to be handle by employees and easy to read and maneuver. The PMS system must also be secure and have controlled access. It also needs to be able to mold to the hotels system.

This article is by hotel tech report which is a company that provides reviews of various hospitality technology products and allows users to compare an contrast a variety of software to determine which is best for their particular business.

The most important features of upselling software are as follows: --PMS integration (automated connection with database) --Exclusion lists (ability to exclude some guests from certain offers) --Cross-device platform (guests can redeem offers from various devices) --Customizable CMS (staff can customize and test offers) --Multi-language --Email automation for offers --Data security protections compliant

Hotels that wish to invest in this software can expect 25% increase in incremental revenue. Implementation takes from 7-30 days depending on the PMS being used by the hotel, which causes a variance.

Module 3: This article focuses on the importance of GDS systems during the challenges of COVID-19. With an emphasis on travel agents using the GDS, hotels will be able to continue to thrive and survive. According to the article, " travel agents will play a key role in connecting hotels and travelers, especially given the flexibility and changes that may be required of travelers in the coming months." This article provides insights for hotels to best optimize using a GDS for travel agents to find them. The article states, "Rate parity is important to 89% of travel agents worldwide - if they see a better rate elsewhere, they'll actively book away from your property." I believe using a GDS will be the only way in the future to continue to travel and save money. Tripadvisor is my go to when it comes to finding out about a resort and which website has the best rate for the same room.

Location-based marketing is mobile marketing in one specific geographic region to the target customers. It uses location data, and this marketing is used based on the proximity to the store, deals, and events. The drawbacks of this are the opt-in requirements. It only works when the user uses the location technology on their phone, and the user allows the app to access the data. This type of marketing does not guarantee results, it has to be done correctly to work. There are also times where the recording of the customers location is not accurate and can have the opposite effect on the consumer if the marketing ads are at the inappropriate times. Overall, this type of marketing has proven to be really effective and is successful in driving more traffic to the business.

Social media is an incredibly effective way to attract new business. It's cost effective and easy. Your can use apps like tiktok and instagram that are very picture/video driven to showcase your business, but also blog posts can be great to boost your SEO.

This article goes over some of the most important things to consider when thinking of investing in a property management system (PMS). It first mentions making sure the the interface is pleasant to look at and easy to use. As most PMSs are the same, design is one of the main differences between the many options someone has. The easier to use and nicer to look at a software is, the easier it is to train employees. It then talks about the importance of maintaining guest privacy and security, especially involving guest payments and sensitive gust information. Automating processes and making sure the technology of the PMS keeps up with guest expectations, as well as procuring a system that is able to work with your existing systems. The integration can sometimes can be expensive, but a hotel systems integrator can work as an alternative if necessary. One of the last points it mentions is to make sure it has streamlined reporting to save time and make sure other necessary tasks can get handled in a timely manner. The last touch point when looking into a PMS is making sure the price also includes a good customer support system. If a PMS is cost effective, but leaves you without answers if the system encounters issues, it's not worth the cost. Cloud-based functionality and keeping up with real-time occupancy are more functionalities that a hotelier could research when choosing the best available PMS for their company.

Technology such as unattended POS systems, contactless payments, self-order kiosks etc., are helping restaurants to secure orders and payments more quickly and efficiently. They are helping to limit physical contact between people and allowing people who still want to to social distance when they are in a restaurant setting.

Hospitality employees are faced every day with multi tasking which can lead to human error. AI has many benefits in making the majority of these tasks automated. Hatboxes will take a guests information, and record it into the database which will allow the staff to make the stay more personalized with information at hand.

The article simply describes the ways in which AI is apart of our everyday lives and how it has not only impacted us as individuals but in the hospitality industry. Years ago, when we thought of AI we would think of big robots but now AI is as small as a chip in an iPhone, or as intangible as data on a software. AI has enabled a deeper level of personalization to guest experience as well as added close to maximum efficiency in the data and intelligence realm. It allows for multiple processes to be happening at the click of a button, lessening the potential exhaustion of our human resources in these businesses. In my opinion, AI has brought exponential convenience to our everyday lives and although sometimes intrusive, it makes life easier. Being able to rely on a piece of technology to remember certain patterns and trends is convenient and efficient.

In this article, the author thoroughly discusses how artificial intelligence has severely impacted the hospitality industry. The author begins with a short description of what AI really is, stating "The term "AI" doesn't have to refer to an autonomous robot that handles the cleaning in your home. It can just as easily refer to the algorithm used to personalize the marketing emails you receive". They then go on to explain how AI can be and IS extremely helpful to the operations side of the hospitality industry. For example, when the front desk phone rings, AI can be implemented to intelligently reroute incoming calls to the correct department's line, alleviating some of the work off of the front desk staff who would've otherwise needed to stop what they're doing to answer the phone for something as simple as a transfer to a different department. Next is a section dedicated to how AI can personalize the guest experience. By collecting data on guests while they're using your website, you can show them offers and amenities at your hotel that are tailored to them. The example in the article states "You might make special offers that speak to their unique needs, such as child-friendly rooms, all-inclusive stays, or experiences that include a room at the hotel, but also tickets to events or shows in the surrounding area". All in all, AI is vital to the hospitality industry. It not only helps guests have the best experience they possibly can, but it also helps the staff with providing the best service they possibly can to the guests.

This article is based on how we can improved e-wastes on doing little changes that will benefit on our future. Most of the e-waste is not recycle properly, we buy things after things and more after more, every time a new technology comes up there is the motivation on buying what is the lasted cool technology, and what about what we have , where does it go ? to the trash or recycle, but we do not know where that recycling goes, I believe learning more about it will help on our routine of how to recycle better and help with this process to proceed right.

We quickly move to 'next' as far as technology goes and rarely think about how to get rid of it when obsolete. In the Caribbean for example, there are not may recycling plants for e-waste, in fact, many rarely do recycling on a whole. In the Turks and Caicos, disposing of a television or a phone is as simple as throwing it in the trash among everything else. What happens next? It goes into the landfills and there they lie. Imagine the toxic waste from over 40,000 inhabitants on a small island. While moving with the crowd seems to be the way of the world, I believe government entities must act swiftly in ensuring e-waste is disposed of correctly to preserve this island and its inhabitants for generations to come. The technology should not outpace the disposal thereof.

Opt-In Requirements When learning about location based marketing, I immediately thought about the opt-in requirements that many shoppers would not agree to. Because our phones are sued for everything, allowing such access can pose concern for privacy threats.