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Technology and trends in hotel energy management - eHotelier - 0 views

  • This means that hotels can be completely in charge of their own energy – and financial – output without compromising any part of a guest’s experience. It’s the technology that makes this all happen, however.
  • 60% of travelers make eco-friendly choices when booking hotels and 50% say they are willing to pay more for an environmentally friendly location.
  • LEED-certified hotels obtain superior financial performance compared to their non-certified competitors for at least the first two years after certification.
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  • LEED certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, have become a hot commodity for hotels.
  • Hoteliers should look for modern, wireless solutions that pay for themselves. In addition, as no one knows what the industry’s problems will be in five or ten years, it’s crucial to invest in a scalable system that upgrades itself to address the problems of the future.
  • With the advent of the “Internet of Things” (IoT), hotels can leverage technology that tracks temperature, room occupancy and more from any web based device and adjust as needed in real time. This translates into a huge win for properties. Due to IoT, energy controls, like thermostats and sensors that have typically been commoditized are now interconnected with other systems and provide valuable data back to the hotelier.
  • With effective, modern technology, hotels – and guests – can supervise and implement eco-friendly efforts with little more than the tap of a tablet – incredibly easy for staff, perfectly unnoticeable for guests.
  • BYOD allows the guest to download an application on their personal mobile device and control their room for the duration of their stay.
  • Another component driving the trend is the increased adoption of “smart home” technologies. If consumers can turn down their home’s lights or thermostat with a flick of their smartphone, they expect to be able to do the same when they travel.
  • Guests at luxury hotels have higher expectations, and for many, energy management has become a social motivator. Often, these consumers make “green” choices at home, so they value an “eco-friendly” hotel.
  • hotels consume an enormous amount of energy; 50 percent more than similar sized residential buildings, despite having only about a 65 percent occupancy rate on average.
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    This article discusses the reason hotels are shifting their focus on energy management. Hotels are adopting green practices that not only saves money but benefits the environment. One method is by controlling energy output. New technology allows the hotel management to have wireless control of the heating and cooling systems. If rooms are unoccupied they can turn off the cooling system to save energy which in-turn reduces cost. The invention of the "Internet of Things" (IoT), management can control, diagnose and operate AC and other systems from their tablets or computers. This advantage gives the hotels the need for less service calls and disruptions to guests. Also, the trend of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) gives the guest the option to control their room settings from their own phone. Lastly, hotels are building towards LEED certifications from the U.S. Green Building council. The certification is internationally known. It saves the company money and aligns to a lot of guests eco-traveling preferences.
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Impact Of E-Commerce On The Hospitality Industry | YOSAKI - 0 views

  • E-commerce has now become a very important and basic part of people’s lives and since it is the selling and buying of products and services via the internet it has not only impacted on the business industry but the hospitality industry as well.
  • The hospitality industry being one of the most essential industries must move together with the evolving world in order to fully satisfy consumers and this has brought an unavoidable combination of E-commerce and hospitality.
    • anonymous
       
      Society is constantly changing and a big part of that change is due to technological advancements. In order for the hospitality industry to move forward and keep up with society it must stay up to date with these changes and make constant improvements in the system.
  • E-commerce creates quick access to the hospitality industry as it markets the best services so that people don’t have to waste too much time looking for where the best hospitality services are.
    • anonymous
       
      People want to be able to access what they are looking for or what they need quick and easy.
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  • As tourists look for the best places to tour on the internet they are also provided with hospitality facilities such as accommodation (hotels), social functions, foods and cultural attractions among many others  that are displayed all over the internet.
    • anonymous
       
      The hospitality industry and tourism seem to almost work hand in hand through eCommerce as this example shows.
  • From a mobile phone or computer it is now very simple for to look up for where they can find the best services
  • The hospitality industry is majorly dependant on wildlife and natural scenes which are very easy to advertise through E-commerce
    • anonymous
       
      Being advertised through the internet gives them a better chance of having more people find them and want to use their services. People expect to find everything online.
  • Since customers can know whatever they need to know through internet, all extra costs have now been eliminated yet made everything more convenient and thus leading to a really drastic rise customer satisfaction.
    • anonymous
       
      eCommerce makes transactions faster by allowing guests to pay immediately for their services and since all information is available online they can have anything they need to know available for them right there. Thus it is understandable why customer satisfaction has increased.
  • When using the internet it is super fast and easy for a customer to get into contact with the supplier of the particular service or product that they need. Using emails and different social media app chats communication which is one of the key issues in developing the industry has greatly been simplified.
    • anonymous
       
      For customers it is very important as well to get in touch with their suppliers for any questions or concerns that they may have. When they contact them they expect to be able to do so fast and just like that they also expect a quick response from them.
  • Through the various web services, customers have been motivated to try out the most famous hotels and inns no matter how far they are and also people who were never interest in travelling are encouraged to go to destinations far away.
  • Everyone loves to have various options to pick from in order to have their needs perfectly satisfied and that is exactly what e-commerce has brought into the hospitality industry
  • All a company needs to reach out its ideal customers is create a website through which it can offers its services directly to customers, display each and every service they offer and also the necessary conditions and requirements without having to pay extremely high costs for it.
    • anonymous
       
      This reduction in cost makes more hospitality industry want to try eCommerce. Then with this extra money that was saved up, the company can invest it in something else to improve their services or to add things to their inventory.
  • Most of the companies that deal in hospitality services now allow customers to have their places of stay booked earlier, they make the payments online and have all of the details including where to find tickets, how they will be welcomed, what is required of them and so much more.
    • anonymous
       
      Now that all the information is available online it makes it easier for the guests to be informed beforehand and have some knowledge as to what to expect. eCommerce makes finding information about the services effortless.
  • Much as they work hand in hand with other industries it is now an independent industry of its own
  • Each and every company puts out their rates in the open giving customers the advantage of comparing prices before they can actually go on to spend the money.
    • anonymous
       
      This a very important thing for customers. People like being able to compare prices in order to choose the one that saves them money. They also want to be able to make the right choice in terms of what is really worth their money. But of course this means more competition within the hospitality industry.
  • Through the bookings and reservations done from the internet customers end up giving out way too much information something that has become overly dangerous as it exposes innocent customer’s information to unauthorized that end up using it for in wrong ways and for the wrong purposes.
    • anonymous
       
      Some people may also have their concerns and preoccupations about eCommerce and how safe it is. Nobody wants their personal information to end up in the internet for everyone to see and possibly steal/use.
  • E-commerce has created a world where it is extremely easy to rob, steal, kidnap and even more criminal offences such as killing among so many others.
  • The owners of such places must put strict security and warning on such attractions or else suffer with the unruly members who may use them recklessly.
  • Marketing countries with overly attractive facilities has become a threat as it has overly attracted the wrong crowd, not everyone that travels into a country come into the country with the best of intentions.
    • anonymous
       
      This is another possible side effect of advertising in the internet. Everyone nowadays has access to the internet and therefore can see all this information and as is mentioned here not everyone has good intentions and could turn something pleasant into something offensive and hateful. One just has to be very careful with these things.
  • The internet attracts all sorts of people since it puts out way too much information and the same way hackers get into other online businesses they have also managed to get into the hospitality industry and caused innocent countries to face huge problems with such people.
  • Since the customer never gets to meet personally with the owner of the service, a seller can easily provide them a service different from what they actually wanted, some do this by mistake while others do it intentionally due to lack of ethics.
    • anonymous
       
      This a very common things that does happen maybe very often depending on how well the communication between the customers and the suppliers goes. Sometimes customers end up paying for a service that wasn't exactly whet they wanted or whet they needed. This then leads to customer dissatisfaction and to poor service.
  • Service providers need to check their services to ensure that they deliver customer satisfaction
  • In conclusion, e-commerce has increased the popularity of the hospitality industry through the different ways of marketing its facilities and making them more accessible to the customers who are mostly tourists and people who enjoy lives of leisure and luxury.
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    This article talks about both the pros and cons of eCommerce in the hospitality industry. It talks about how it has changed and helped the industry but also the side effects that it may have.
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3 Reasons Why Unattended Retail Is The Future | Global Payments - 1 views

  • To many consumers, the future of being able to walk into a store, pull something off of a shelf and leave without the hassle of the checkout process sounds like Jetsons-futuristic-type stuff
  • For example, Uber lets consumers get a ride to wherever they want to go without ever having to pull out their wallet to pay.
  • Because customers enrolled in your loyalty program may permit you to acquire data about their purchases, you can personalize your customer's shopping experiences even more while they’re right there in the store with specific offers that complement their buying preferences.
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  • Not having to staff employees during your hours of operations results in a cost savings that could go straight to your bottom line. Having the flexibility to reallocate staffing and potentially lowering labor expenses opens up opportunities to extend your hours of operation creating more cash flow, meaning more revenue in your pocket
  • unattended retail can lower the instances of shrinkage because the technology provides real-time inventory tracking
  • To help wrap your mind around the future of retail, look at Amazon Go, a brick and mortar retail and grocery store powered by Amazon, which allows shoppers to "Grab and Go" without ever having to wait in line to pay for their items.
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    It seems that stores have just begun to jump on the self-checkout process. However, the self-checkouts are old news, the technology that is coming out now, known as "Grab and Go" is creating an even more automated process. This technology can allow you to take an item off the shelf (update inventory immediately) and simply walk out of the store, without ever having to take out your wallet. Spending money is becoming easier and easier, allowing consumers to consume more than ever. Some pros of this technology include, customer loyalty (personalizing the customers experience), lower overhead (saving money on labor costs and extending hours), and reduces shrinkage (real-time inventory tracking). Technology is improving so quickly that it is hard for companies to keep up and stay up-to-date. For example, the self-checkouts have just become a norm; how long until they are fully replaced by "Grab and Go?"
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17 Must-Know Event Management Automation Tips | Cvent Blog - 0 views

  • meeting and events industry is big business, providing upwards of six million jobs, almost every one of them requiring some type of logistics management skills.
  • The U.S.
  • Maximizing your operational efficiencies during events — whether they're large, small, or in-between — can mean the difference between success and failure.
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  • Take capacity management, for example. If a room is unoccupied, or event space empty, a hotel or conference center loses money. Or food and beverage planning. In addition to having the right staffing for food preparation, service, and cleanup, you need accurate guest data to avoid costly over-ordering. 
  • Read on to explore automation’s impact on marketing, sales, and operations so that you can narrow down the best options for your hotels.
  • Marketing your event space is key to helping event planners, businesses and organizations discover your facility and services, especially when you consider 67 percent of the buyer’s journey is now conducted digitally.
  • Social media automation software is used to automate or semi-automate the process of sharing posts and content on social media channels to promote events.
  • For example, you could have one Facebook page for your hotel, and one for your event spaces
  • There are many benefits to email marketing, from saving money on printing and mailing to increasing attendee engagement and generating buzz.
  • Event planners begin researching venues online before contacting your sales team, and 3D floor plans help them visualize how their conference would fit your location
  • RFP management tools automatically prioritize and send responses to event planners and group business leads. This will help you reduce a major pain point for planners: the length of time it takes to receive hotel responses on RFPs
  • The meetings and events sector is competitive — drawing and landing group sales requires hotel CRM software that automatically scores leads and supports lighting-fast responses to RFPs
  • Think like an event planner when it comes to your meeting facility ingress and egress; give them access to electrical outlets and secure Wi-Fi networks to hook-up wireless printers that produce name tags as attendees sign-in
  • On-site meetings at events are important for attendees for many reasons, including cost.
  • Hotels such as Caesars have been testing mobile ordering technology for food to better cater to guests. Have event attendees share F&B preferences during check-in and automate push notifications to remind them of onsite cafes and restaurants before breaks. 
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    The event management space is more becoming more competitive. Now hotels and event planners are seeing these as an additional source of revenue. This article focuses on tips how events and conferences can use strategies to automate certain practices to capture a wider target audience all while spending less time and money.
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What is workplace and facilities management? - 0 views

  • “organizational function which integrates people, place and process within the built environment with the purpose of improving the quality of life of people and the productivity of the core business.” 
  • Workplaces represent a large proportion of any operation’s costs, so when organisations bring people together in them there must be a value to doing that
  • Workplace professionals interconnect between specialisms to optimise business performance; they empower work wherever it takes place and to make workplaces productive. 
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    Like discussed in this weeks lesson, it is hard to justify spending money when money is tight. But as stated in this article, when facilities function properly and effectively through maintenance of facilities management, it optimisms business performance and makes the workplace productive.
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How IT Can Go Green | Top Stories | | Hospitality Magazine (HT) - 2 views

  • In the world of information technology (IT), the green movement is taking shape. There are numerous opportunities for IT professionals to take leadership roles in helping their organizations to adopt sustainable practices. Technology is a tool to provide solutions, but regrettably, technology can also be a source of the problem due to factors like energy consumption and the environmental impacts when disposing of obsolete or broken technology (i.e., e-waste). Therefore, we will need to look at situations and technology usage via multiple lenses to try to assess the net impact to determine if the outcomes are truly desirable and positive versus negative. This often requires asking tough questions and looking for possible unintended consequences before decisions are being made
  • Like any business initiative, green IT projects will require strong commitment from an organization’s top management and investment in time and resources at all levels.
  • In order for tourism to prosper, we cannot afford to let our environment erode.
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    Green information technology(IT), referred to as green computing, is a term used to describe the application of automated resources in an efficient manner. Green IT originates with system manufacturers producing environmentally friendly products and encouraging users to adopt eco-friendly practices such as reducing paper usage through minimal printing, operating more efficiently with power management,and exercising proper recycling habits.As global information technology environmental standards continue to expand, it is highly likely that guidelines governing product life span, power consumption and recyclable resources will be in the forefront.
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    This article shares how IT is going green in several areas including hospitality. It speaks to digital marketing, e-waste, and appealing to employees to aid in using technology responsibly. The use of energy saving techniques and energy star products.
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    As our natural resources are being depleted rapidly and technology is changing faster than ever resulting in mountains of "e-waste", I believe the IT industry should focus a vast amount of their efforts in the area of sustainability or going green. In the hospitality and tourism industry maintaining natural resources and cutting down on the consumption of water, energy and paper is an IT issues that we can all support. The focus of this article was about revealing opportunities where IT can go green. Sustainability is good for the environment, the viability of the hospitality industry, the guests, and the bottom line. According to the article, IT leadership needs to take "a leadership role in helping their organization to adopt sustainable practices". Some of the areas where IT can look at going green are as follows (information taken directly from the article): * Using IT responsibly and effectively to reduce energy, water and paper consumption * Deploying effective technology practices such as Energy Star compliance to power down computers automatically after periods of inactivity and server virtualization * Tackling e-waste and deploying recycling technologies to reduce environmental waste and impacts * Digital marketing practices * Marketing strategies to report and promote green practices A commitment of time, money, and resources will be required from all levels of leadership in order for green IT projects to work. Companies have to educate their employees and guests to create awareness, implement practices such as energy audits, device shut downs to force people to use media, and give rewards to get the buy in. Even though the payback of green initiatives may take a long time, the upside is that you are being environmentally conscious and doing the right thing.
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    I highlighted in blue the sections I was most interested in, I found the passage about reducing faxing and photocopying to be most interesting. There is no reason to be so reliant upon these when you can send attachments through your smart phone. Hotels and other properties can unplug these machines to save money on the electric bill. There are otherways to be paperless, for example.The article I spoke of was about how hotels can limit the need to priint itemized bills and reciepts, all charges can be posted right to the mobile app on the smart phone. The mobile app on the smart phone will even unlock and lock your room doors and allow enterance to the spa and fitness center. There won't be a need for plastic room keys anymore either.
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    In hospitality industry, IT technology brings many benefits to us, but it is also a source of pollution when disposing of broken technology. There are many advantages of green IT movement such as reducing energy, water, paper, environmental waste and impacts, etc. Although it has many benefits, green IT projects need support from company's top leaders in both time and resources. The ROI of green IT is a little bit longer than other types of projects, but it has upside potential and intangible benefits. Green IT practices are not contrary with making money, so hoteliers should take measures to lead the organization on its journey to green action.
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Twitter accounts of Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and others apparent... - 0 views

  • Twitter (TWTR) accounts belonging to Joe Biden, Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Apple, among other prominent handles, were compromised on Wednesday and posted tweets that appeared to promote a cryptocurrency scam.
  • Twitter's support account said: "We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter. We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly."
  • A little more than an hour after the attack began, Twitter apparently moved to prevent holders of verified accounts from tweeting.
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  • A hack like this is particularly concerning not just because of any financial scam that can be run, but because so many world leaders use Twitter -- and some, like President Donald Trump, use it to announce major policy decisions. A hack that took over an account belonging to one of those leaders could have devastating consequences.
  • "We are aware of today's security incident involving several Twitter accounts belonging to high profile individuals," the FBI's San Francisco field office said in a statement. "The accounts appear to have been compromised in order to perpetuate cryptocurrency fraud. We advise the public not to fall victim to this scam by sending cryptocurrency or money in relation to this incident."
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    The article is about what was happening today with some Twitter accounts, such as Former President Barack Obama, Mike Bloomberg, Bill Gates, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, Warren Buffett, and Jeff Bezos. Apparently the accounts were hacked and were asking people for money. It is a clear example of cyber attack with Twitter's account.
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Tech on the Cheap - Meetings And Conventions - 2 views

  • Many planners are drawn to the high-tech allure of hybrid events, mobile apps or even video production, but they just can't squeeze any more out of their budgets.
  • On the contrary, low-cost solutions make it easier than ever before to get great results from little investment.
  • Make the most of what you already have.
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    This article introduces some ways to reduce cost and low budgets during create hybrid events meeting apps and more. The author points out that many planners are drawn to the high-tech allure of hybrid events, mobile apps or even video production, but they just can't squeeze any more out of their budgets. However, smart person can give solutions to use less money finish better events or apps. Author gave the successful examples about how to create those kinds of tech with low budgets. Scott Lim who works at Microsoft has added the online component with very little additional investment. Also author told how keep apps' cost on a low level. In addition, the author said video is a useful method in marketing. The person found the reader more like video than traditional email. Then author introduced basic method to save money in creating video.
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3 Ways to Save More Money with Predictive Staffing - 1 views

  • Imagine a situation where you could consistently save up to 5% on your weekly labor costs.
  • When it comes to saving on labor costs, the data that your POS system and scheduling software generate can help you determine the optimal number of staff members you need at any given time.
  • To get a quick and accurate picture of your labor effectiveness, sales per man hour (SPMH) is a great technique to employ. By calculating how much revenue is generated by a certain number of employees in an hour, you can optimize the staff needed to match your hourly revenue. The higher the productivity of your team, the lower the hours – which results in a lower labor percentage.
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  • To determine your restaurant’s SPMH, divide your projected gross revenue per hour by the total number of employees hours scheduled in the same hour. This information can easily be exported from your smart POS system.
  • Forecasted revenue is one of the most common and accurate ways to ensure staffing at a labor cost percentage that is profitable for you. Revenue forecasting is accomplished by looking at your POS data from past periods to make an educated guess on what your future revenue will be on a weekly, daily or hourly basis.
  • If you have smart employee scheduling software you can automate these forecasts from your POS system and have them match them up with your target labor costs.
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    This article talks about how you can improve your restaurant operations and save money using a POS system. The system helps in Sales per Man Hour and Forecasted Revenue.
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As vacations resume, here's why you might want to pay a travel advisor - 0 views

  • The pandemic ruined travel for travel advisors and their clients the last 15 months. However, people who didn’t book with an advisor had no advocate and were much worse off.
  • A survey from Sandals Resorts and the American Society of Travel Advisors found that 94% of customers will use them again and 44% of all travelers are more open to the idea post-Covid.
  • we were just refunding and refunding, and we were fighting for our clients
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  • people forgot about the other side of the hospitality industry, from the flight attendant and travel advisor to the [hotel] housekeeper,” Griscavage said. “It impacted our industry in a really bad way.”
  • Using the internet cut out “the middleman” — i.e., the travel advisor, who was paid a commission by airlines, hotel chains and tour operators — so suppliers could offer seeming bargains at their own self-service sites or at online travel agencies. Problems arose, however, with unforeseen bumps in the road — natural disasters, political crises, industry strikes — and then travelers largely had to fend for themselves.
  • “The future is bright,” Kerby said. “If you didn’t understand the value of a travel advisor before, you certainly do now because you realize how thin the response mechanisms are for some [travel] suppliers.”
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    This article talked about the importance of travel agents. Before the pandemic people often thought that travel agencies weren't necessary was a dying career, however since this past year they have really proven their worth and won't be going away any time soon. Travel agents were able to cancel trips and get their customers money refunded or switched gears and planned a different trip for the future. Using the internet to cut out the middleman and save money isn't always the best way to plan a trip and the pandemic proved this.
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Accounting technolog Used in the Hotel Industry | - 5 views

  • Hotels rely on different tools, including their accounting software, to increase their effectiveness and make them more competitive in their core business.
  • Hotels can decide to purchase accounting software dedicated solely to one function or can invest in enterprise software. Some chains have opted to outsource their accounting operations to major computer companies and accounting firms.
  • The percentages of room-rate vacancy and seasonal trends are evaluated and measured against the best establishments to assess hotel performance.
    • Juan Du
       
      Hotel managers are often faced a lot of problem to deal with the accounting system. Now hotel manager can manage all of the accounting responsibilities by use hotel accounting technology. Using Web-based hotel accounting software can save your business money . The functions covered in all of the accounting systems.
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  • Decisions governing selection of accounting programs depend on multiple factors including the uses of the accounting programs.
  • Hotel managers are often faced with the challenge to propose and procure the appropriate technology and software to run their operations.
  • This article describes major factors to weigh in selecting accounting software for the hotel industry.
  • Decision Criteria Used in Selection Process: Major factors identifying selection of accounting programs used in hotels are: ---Annual revenue ---Budget ---Location ---Multiple sites ---National or international location ---In-house vs outsourced operations
  • Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking the hotel's profitability.
  • Functions covered in accounting software programs include: --Accounts payable --Accounts receivable --Budgeting --Cash management --General ledger --Sales analysis --Payroll --Procurement --Order entry --Fixed assets --Inventory management
  • Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry.
  • This article describes major factors to weigh in selecting accounting software for the hotel industry.
  • Decisions governing selection of accounting programs depend on multiple factors including the uses of the accounting programs.
  • Hotels rely on different tools, including their accounting software, to increase their effectiveness and make them more competitive in their core business.
  • Accounting software is used to track room-rate revenues and identify any discrepancies that require remediation and corrective actions.
  • Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry. Careful consideration of the purpose, functionality and desired results from accounting software must be taken prior to selection and purchase.
  •    This article describes major factors to weigh in selecting accounting software for the hotel industry.
  • Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry. Careful consideration of the purpose, functionality and desired results from accounting software must be taken prior to selection and purchase
  • How to Select Hotel Accounting Software:     Decisions governing selection of accounting programs depend on multiple factors including the uses of the accounting programs
  • Decision Criteria Used in Selection Process: Major factors identifying selection of accounting programs used in hotels are: ---Annual revenue ---Budget ---Location ---Multiple sites ---National or international location ---In-house vs outsourced operations
  • Accounting software incorporates the widely used Generally Accepted Accounting Standards (GAAP) and focuses on key measures unique to the hotel industry, such as revenue per room (RevPar)
  • Accounting software encompasses multiple functions of a hotel's operations, ranging from data mining to running financial reports.  Functions covered in accounting software programs include: --Accounts payable --Accounts receivable --Budgeting --Cash management --General ledger --Sales analysis --Payroll --Procurement --Order entry --Fixed assets --Inventory management
  • Print this article DartUtils.loadGoogle160 = function() { dmjs.runInlineAd = true; $('.AdUnit160').hide(); $('.AdWrapper').addClass('no160'); }; dartAds.renderiFrameAd([{ sz: '160x600' }], 160); How to Select Hotel Accounting Software:    Decisions governing selection of accounting programs depend on multiple factors including the uses of the accounting programs
  • Hotels rely on different tools, including their accounting software, to increase their effectiveness and make them more competitive in their core business.
  • Hotels can decide to purchase accounting software dedicated solely to one function or can invest in enterprise software. Some chains have opted to outsource their accounting operations to major computer companies and accounting firms
  • Accounting software is used to track room-rate revenues and identify any discrepancies that require remediation and corrective actions.  The percentages of room-rate vacancy and seasonal trends are evaluated and measured against the best establishments to assess hotel performance.
  • The hospitality industry has had steady growth, with increasing demands for internal controls and financial accountability.  Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking the hotel's profitability
  • Areas of Functionality in Hotel Accounting Software
  • Areas of Functionality in Hotel Accounting Software
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    This article describes accounting software functions within the Hotel industry. The article states that "Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry". It is said that when selecting accounting software, you must identify what results you are looking for from the software; and also the functions that you are able to receive. You must also understand the needs of your property, and industry. The article also discusses various decision criteria, which is a part of the selection process. Some of these criteria's that you must look out for are: annual revenue, budget, location, multiple sites, national or international locations, in-house verses outsource operations. I love the fact that this article also discusses the functions of hotel accounting software. Some of those functions that were stated are: account payable, account receivable, and payroll. The article also brought up some trends about hotel and lodging accounting software. One of the trends that stand out to me was the fact that some companies hand over their entire accounting responsibilities to major accounting companies or, accounting firms; this is referred to as outsource. Having a accounting software is a very beneficial asset for a company.
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    This article talks about the importance of choosing the right accounting software for hotels. Hoteliers need to take into consideration the purpose, functionality and desired results before selecting accounting software which "is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry." In order to select a hotel accounting software it has to match the needs and functions of the premise. Some of the most important factors in the selection process are annual revenue, budget, location, multiple sites, national or international location, and in house vs. outsourced operations. "Accounting software encompasses multiple functions of a hotel's operations, ranging from data mining to running financial reports." Some of the major functions in accounting software are accounts payable, accounts receivable, budgeting, cash management, general ledger, sales analysis, payroll, procurement, order entry, fixed assets, and inventory management. The hospitality industry is reporting increasing demands for internal controls and financial accountability therefore is very important that hotels select the right accounting software because is in charge of keeping records of the hotel's profitability. In addition accounting software reports room rate revenues and discrepancies and use the Generally Accepted Accounting Standards.
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    Accounting software programs are essential to the hospitality industry because it helps organize and keep track of the hotels operations and its profits. It's important to select the right accounting software that will help tie in the needs and concerns of your hotel. The significant factors to look upon in choosing the best program for your business are annual revenue, budget, location, multiple sites, national or international location, and in-house verses outsourced operations. Accounting software incorporates multiple roles of a hotel's operations such as data mining and running financial reports. Hotels can choose to purchase accounting software devoted exclusively to one purpose or can invest in enterprise software. The hospitality Industry counts on the different tools, as well as their accounting software, to increase their usefulness and creating them to become more competitive in their central business.
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    I believe one of the most critical items missing from the selection process when purchasing accounting software is the need have interface with the PMS system. This would be a more integrated approach for the smooth transition of front and back of house operations.
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    Marcia, you are right! Its a very important idea, to have interface with the PMS system. As for the main topic of this discussion accounting is a step for understanding the factors which influence your business positevly and negatively, in order to use proactive or reactive strategy. Some things that should theoretically work in your business can actually be unsuccessful, so financial data analysis is a key for problem-defining and therefore for finding solution.
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    This article gives some useful hints on how to choose an accounting software for your hotel business and what are the tips and tricks. There are lots of accounting software packages in the market which has a number of different options but the point is that each of these features will match a specific  need.  
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    This article is about choosing the correct accounting software for the hotel industry. Through different types of software you are able to track the profitability of a hotel.
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    This article is about how a hotel should choose their accounting program. There are many things to consider when choosing the right program for your institution. It is not just what is more cost effective, but what does it include and are they things your hotel needs. It is like a PMS system, you get some basics, but you also may need to be able to add more options, or none at all. Another factor when selecting this program is the size of your hotel. If it is one hotel or a chain. Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking a hotel's profit. In conclusion, when hotel management buys an accounting program, they must analyze the software, and not just buy the first one they come across.
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    This particular article discusses the need for accounting software programs within the hospitality industry. These programs can do just one thing or be all-encompassing, such as an enterprise program. Accounting programs still have to follow the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), which regulate the accounting industry. They help track the profitability of the company, amongst other things. Additionally, hospitality companies must be very careful in choosing the right program. These programs can help managers run a business more effectively but it has to be matched with the right program. There is also the option of outsourcing the accounting function to a third party, which could save a lot of time and money down the road. Erica
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    Hotel software is designed for all areas of hotel operation including property management, accounting, GDS reservations, central reservations, reception, POS, spa/club/golf management, guest management, inventory management, yield/revenue management, accounting, and web site design. Small hotel software is available for properties with less than 100 rooms and focuses on basic front and back office functions and/or reservations and guest management. One of the major types of hotel software used by the hotel/motel industry is accounting programs. Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry. To select good accounting software for the hotel depends on multiple factors including the uses of the accounting programs. Accounting software incorporates the widely used Generally Accepted Accounting Standards (GAAP) and focuses on key measures unique to the hotel industry, such as revenue per room (RevPar). Knowledge experts should be familiar with both general accounting rules as well as industry specific guidelines.
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    This article describes major factors to weigh in selecting accounting software for the hotel industry. And Major factors identifying selection of accounting programs used in hotels are: ---Annual revenue ---Budget ---Location ---Multiple sites ---National or international location ---In-house vs outsourced operationsThe hospitality industry has had steady growth, with increasing demands for internal controls and financial accountability. Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking the hotel's profitability. And besides the normal functions, the advanced accounting software can be used to track room-rate revenues and identify any discrepancies that require remediation and corrective actions. The percentages of room-rate vacancy and seasonal trends are evaluated and measured against the best establishments to assess hotel performance.
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    The article demonstrates that accounting software in hotels is used to track data of hotel operations, to make future decisions and some other functions related to finance and daily operations. So hotels should consider several aspects while establishing accounting software. Such factors affecting decisions are like: Annual revenue, Budget, Location, Multiple sites, National or international location and In-house vs outsourced operations. Regarding the trend of accounting system, the article says that accounting software can make the hotels more competitive and more effective.
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    The article describes major factors to weigh is selecting accounting software for the hotel industry. Accounting Software is used to track the profitability of hotel operation and identify trends in the hospitality industry. Hotel industry carefully finds out what will be a great functionality and result before purchasing accounting software. First of all, selecting hotel accounting software and the uses of the program. Secondly, identifying the selection of accounting program, used in the hotel. For example, annual revenue, budget, location, multiple site, etc. The article discusses the function of hotel accounting software. Some of the functions are hanging from data mining to running financial report. Also, the article discuses about lodging accounting software, one of the example that they used is that they really on different tools including their accounting software to increase their competitive in their core business. The article talks about accounting Software Metrics in the hotel industries. They use this Metrics by tracking room rate revenues and by doing the room- rate vacancy and seasonal trends. Having the accounting software in hotel is very important for the industry
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    The hospitality industry has had steady growth, with increasing demands for internal controls and financial accountability. Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking the hotel's profitability. Accounting software is used to track the profitability of hotel operations and identify trends in the hospitality industry. So it's important for hotel manager to choose the suitable accounting software. This article tells how to select hotel accounting system properly. Including the decision criteria used in selection process, areas of functionality in hotel accounting software and standards used for accounting and auditing in hotel industry, etc.
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    Hotel managers are often faced a lot of problem to deal with the accounting system. Now hotel manager can manage all of the accounting responsibilities by use hotel accounting technology. Using Web-based hotel accounting software can save your business money . The functions covered in all of the accounting systems.
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What will ChatGPT mean for the travel industry? | PhocusWire - 1 views

  • ChatGPT (which stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a free artificial intelligence chatbot that has incredibly human-like communication skills (and a fee-based premium version in development)
  • Microsoft is reportedly considering a $10 billion investment in ChatGPT owner Open AI according to multiple media outlets.
  • Because of this, tech companies are seeing value in data-driven personalization solutions and ChatGPT fills that need. It can help save companies time and money to allocate resources to solve more complex and specific problems.  
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  • With a large dataset already in place, integrating this technology into our platform could hyper-personalize search results for travelers and supports our vision of offering open-ended, flexible search options. 
  • saved more than eight million hours in agent time, allowing travelers to resolve issues faster with self-service. 
  • but the technology is still in a relative state of infancy
  • ChatGPT really captured everyone's attention when it launched,
  • - it's already dividing opinion with responses that can range from entertaining and creative to glaringly inaccurate
  • It's too early to say whether the likes of ChatGPT can truly emulate those very human instincts.
  • First, people need to recognize that it's not generating anything new as much as scraping and regurgitating the internet
  • Every single tour operator, even single hotel, every transport company now has the same opportunity to be as productive as a company much bigger than themselves. I see that as a commodity – everyone has access to it therefore, in some ways, where’s the value. But it’s the most productivity-enhancing thing I’ve ever seen. 
  • However I don’t think that’s the real impact. I think that’s just the start of the game. Once AI starts to get into the actual experiences – not just tour experiences but hotels, airports… the ability to speed up and enhance the actual experience, especially in something that is not a good experience at the moment like an airport, is going to be quite dramatic.And the real game changer... is once the general public has it, it changes everything. You are a tour operator, and you create itineraries. The consumer can now do exactly the same thing as you and do it in real time. And 1,000 people can create 1,000 different experiences tailored to what they like. So the creation of a travel experience on the ground, which tour operators have dominated, is going to be disrupted by travelers being able to do it themselves. 
  • it’s not the live data, it’s not up to date, the facts may not be 100% and it doesn’t have geolocation.
  • The weakness at the moment is it’s only scraping data through 2021. So
  • This could make entirely new businesses or it can destroy businesses.
  • will save hundreds of thousands of dollars on freelance costs, so there's big disruption to come.
  • For basic service copy – simple product descriptions, basic articles, email campaigns, that sort of thing, it's going to be very useful for brands and very painful for content creators.
  • There’s some interesting use cases that we hope to explore such as improving automation and responses for common customer service requests through chat (and eventually even speech and video), as well as concierge-like services to recommend travel destinations, create personalized itineraries and the like.
  • . So there are issues with accuracy and truthfulness, and it needs human expertise to fact-check the output.
  • ChatGPT might herald a revolution in automated content creation, but I also think it could create a new premium for genuine human expertise too.
  • ChatGPT has been trained with information existing until end of 2021. Travel is a super dynamic category where this morning’s information is no longer relevant a few hours even minutes later. Inventory availability, prices, category of rooms/seats/cars change by the minute. You need good old-fashioned technology like CRS, WBE, RMS, etc. to handle these dynamics, not ChatGPT.
  • Google can provide a much better AI-powered chatbot than ChatGPT that spews much better answers in milliseconds, but how are they going to make money?
  • Specific to ChatGPT, I believe that this technology will eventually be used in conjunction with a brand’s own content, in addition to the internet as a whole, so that it can be trained and customized by the brand to answer questions.
  • What’s also really interesting is how this once again demonstrates that the most disruptive innovations often come from outside the travel industry.
  • ChatGPT is gaining that trust in its ubiquity and daily usage, so I think travelers could be much more likely to accept its itinerary recommendations without nearly as much research and shopping around. This has implications for human agents too.
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    ChatGPT is a new technology that is hoping to take over the travel industry. It is an AI product, similar to google, which will generate answers to questions that travelers may have via a chat service. It is meant to replace tour guides, travel agents, and concierge experts and can either save business time and money, or create chaos and the need to speak to an expert human instead. Like all technology products, there is always room to improve and grow in the initial stages, and not all roles are better off being completed by a computer, rather than a human. Although AI may have access to more information at a quicker pace, and may even be able to write better than most people, some companies believe that the possible errors and inaccuracy provided by ChatGPT will make content creators and human expertise way more valuable. ChatGPT accesses data from 2021 and prior, which means it is not current and up to date. This is a major flaw that will need to be improved.
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Reduce CAPEX at your hotel chain with a cloud solution - 0 views

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    In this part of the class we talked about spending capital expenditures on technology. This article talks about how to save money in the IT are in hotel chains by investing in cloud computing. This can save you a ton of money because you do not have to buy new hardware every time the technology improves. Instead you just pay a monthly subscription.
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Integrating Technology to Improve Event Production - 0 views

  • GPS technology is a huge time- and money-saver.
  • Barcode scanners make credentialing and other tasks much easier.
  • automated external defibrillator (AED), which can restore a normal heart rhythm in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.
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  • Google Earth is the most accurate tool for route planning and site scouting that we've tested.
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    To improve the efficiency of event managing, event managers need several technology. This article introduced GPS techology, which can used to track vehicle and participants. Barcode scanners are also the important tools that can be used in printing the credentials in advance and check it to the event faster. Because most of the staff and volunteers have smartphone, smartphone based technology such as Excel spreadsheets and google Earth can also useful in sharing information and siting address. In addition, supported by cloud technology, staff can access to their event data from anywhere, which bring huge convenience to event managing, and allow managers effectively control the large event.
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    There are countless forms of technology that can help event professionals do their job better. GPS technology is a huge time- and money-saver. In the old days, we had to print out hundreds of pages with directions to rest stops along our events. Barcode scanners make credentialing and other tasks much easier. Participants can print their credentials in advance and check in to the event faster. Checking participants in and out of rest stops and main sites is faster, too.Another potential lifesaver is the automated external defibrillator (AED), which can restore a normal heart rhythm in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.Besides being free, Google Earth is the most accurate tool for route planning and site scouting that we've tested.
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Aeroseal's Director to Speak at Green Hospitality & Tourism Conference - 0 views

  • aeroseal technology allows users to 1) save money by sealing old ducts instead of investing in new ducts, (2) perform sealing that is impossible or inefficient from the outside, (3) significantly lower energy costs and meet aggressive energy-savings goals, (4) address serious indoor air quality issues associated with airborne contaminants that spread through leaky ducts and (5) remedy airflow/comfort issues associated with ductwork.
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    This article introduces aeroseal technology, which could bring a lot of benifits to hotels. By using this technology, hotels can save money and time, as well as improve indoor comfort and air quality. I think all hotels should pay more attention to save energy and be more envionmental friendly. This kind of technology should be heavily promoted and implement in order to build a green hospitality industry.
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Back Office Intelligence | Top Stories | Hospitality Magazine (HT) - 0 views

  • when deciding to invest in technology, restaurant operators look for a quick return
  • innovation in the back office
  • New features usually cost money, but for me, the ROI is definitely there
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  • Before, we had to dial into each location to send menu updates, and I had two or three people sending updates. Now I only need one
  • The system also allows franchisees to gain control over their food costs
  • test a snack combo pack at its more than 400 locations and realized they needed to run one report at a time in order to analyze its effectiveness
  • RedPrairie's Performance Management
  • It literally took me three weeks and 270 individual reports," says Paul Mullin, business analyst at Culver's. After implementing the RedPrairie solution, the same scenario can be accomplished in five minutes, he says
  • As a result of this one report, the company saved $45,000 per year
  • able to see real-time information about what was going on in my restaurant, including open checks, servers logged in or out and even sales
  • Another sign that technology is changing is the ability to combine accounting, inventory and point of sale into one solution without the old challenge of interfacing disparate systems
  • The system integrates with the POS, and deducts ingredients based on recipes created using the system.
  • I can look at inventory counts and on-hand counts at each location, which allows me to move things around if we are running out of something at one location
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    This article is about the innovation in the back office arena. When many managers are still doubting back office technology efficiency, at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, based in Destin, Fla. with 275 franchise locations, operators there are adding up money saved by setting up RedPrairie's Performance Management (RPM). Benefits could be like control labor cost and food cost, especially for those franchise companies with hundreds of hotels or restaurants throughout the country even the world, RPM will provide a complete compared among different locations reports in a few minutes. Besides, back office begins to meet iPhone, which make it possible to see real-time information about what was going on in the restaurants, including open checks, servers logged in or out and even sales for the managers. Another sign that technology is changing is the ability to combine accounting, inventory and point of sale into one solution without the old challenge of interfacing disparate systems. In a word, it is really convenient to get the back office intelligence.
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Hotel Med Park Chooses CloudPM & ProfitWatch - 0 views

  • Metropolis Technologies, Inc., a premier telemanagement and call accounting solution provider, is proud to announce Hotel Med Park’s decision to utilize ProfitWatch Call Accounting to provide accurate call reporting and billing. The deployment of the new system, implemented and managed by Metropolis partner Multi-Systems, Inc (MSI), has been designed to save the property money and simplify management for the hotel.
  • When the hotel terminated their franchise with Best Western in 2012, they had the opportunity to find a web based PMS that could integrate with their Global Distribution System (GDS) and Online Travel Agencies (OTA). They chose CloudPM, a new offering from MSI that provides hotels an affordable cloud-based property management system with full functionality and features. The system offers Med Park substantial savings in capital expenditures, increased operating efficiencies, and lower recurring expenses.
  • In addition to customized rate tables and dynamic guest call bill back, ProfitWatch includes features such as 911 triple alerts, which immediately alerts key personnel of an emergency incident, along with location details of the caller, for any emergency calls placed on the property.
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    As this article mentioned, Hotel Med Park chooses to use ProfitWatch to provide accurate call reporting and billing. This system is designed to save the property money and simplify management. They also choose CloudPM to provide hotels an affordale cloud-bases property management system with full functionality and features. In my opinion, this system is very convenient and correct to use for hotels. It can help minimize liability and boost revenues.
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Restaurants, Beware: Hackers Want Your Customer Data - 1 views

  • The simple fact is that cyber criminals today want information that they can use to make money
  • We found that nearly 90 percent of attacks were designed to steal customer information including cardholder data, e-mail addresses and account information.
  • many restaurants and franchise businesses, unsecure and public WiFi networks are conveniently (for the criminal) connected to point of sale systems.
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  • but the number one is that they all process credit cards.
  • assets targeted by criminals were point-of-sale software systems
  • Think of the scenario of a hotel that maintains a restaurant, a spa, as well as other services all connected to one POS system
  • The risk is even greater when hotels are part of a hotel chain with interconnected systems.
  • Franchise businesses are particularly at risk primarily because franchises tend to have the same POS system duplicated at all locations
  • Most of the time these business don’t have trained security professionals on staff; instead most assume their IT personnel are taking care of all of their security needs.
  • 76 percent of environments we investigated had a third party introduce a security flaw within the environment that contributed to criminals being able to compromise data.
  • Another alarming trend we found in our investigations was that self-detection of breaches decreased in 2011, and only 16 percent of victimized organizations actually detected the breach themselves.
  • The best intrusion detection systems are neither security experts nor expensive technology, but employees.
  • Very often businesses ignore that fact that while their employees might not be security experts,
  • the POS screen looked differently than it had the day before.
  • The cashier reported it to the company’s security hotline and sure enough there was a cybercriminal on the system.
  • When working with third parties, always build in security requirements into the contract and impose policies and procedures such as good password policies to ensure tight control and better security.
  • The quicker an organization can identify an issue and respond to a breach, the less likely they will experience the deep penalties, both financial and to their brand.
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    The article I read was called, "Restaurants, Beware: Hackers Want Your Customer Data." In the article it talked about how cyber criminals want credit card information from people so that they can make money off of them. Criminals find new ways everyday to breach systems and steal information from guests staying at hotels or eating in restaurants. It states that many restaurants and franchise businesses use unsecure and public WiFi networks are connected to the point of sale system. "Franchise businesses are particularly at risk primarily because franchises tend to have the same POS system duplicated at all locations." A lot of times businesses don't have trained security on staff, they just assume that their IT person will be talking care of the security. According to the article the best detection systems are neither the technology nor the security but it's the employees who work there. The employees can tell when something has changed in the system and as soon as they realize that, they need to report it to their manager. I never even considered people breaking into the systems and stealing credit card information but it does happen and it's important to know what to do in these kinds of situations.
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Ipad Restaurants, Ipad POS, Ipad Point of Sale, Ipad for Restaurants, Restaurant Softwa... - 2 views

  • ISPOS delivers on all fronts an iPad Point of Sale system for restaurants that is completely mobile and offers the restaurateur a unique tool set and a truly mobile experience that is easy to use, reliable and affordable
  • Hundreds of amazing features await you. With our easy-to-use interface, amazing features, and rock-solid stability, ISISPOS is quickly becoming the new standard in restaurant POS
  • Included with your ISISPOS purchase, 365 days of service.
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    Hey all, Here is an article I found about a POS system that is supported by either an IPAD or an Iphone device. There are many pros to buying a system like this for a company that is just starting out. If someone is having problem you can call and the ISISPOS system will provide 24 hours a day customer service. Because the world is getting faster and more demanding, it is becoming necessary to find other ways of pleasing the customer in a more efficient manner. With this technology, one has the ability to be completely mobile and is not restricted to conventional forms of typical POS problems. It is affordable and easy to use. With cloud computing, your business can save an enormous amount of money versus sticking to the traditional infrastructure. Instead of buying new hardware and software every so often, one can now rest easy with cloud computing technology because it updates on its own and has the ability to be accessed from anywhere, even home! It is literally like having your business in the palm of your hand.
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    Great Post! Two days ago, I had the opportunity to visit a restaurant where the staff utilized an iPad to take the orders. This was a non-franchise restaurant; I can't imagine how much money the owners spent on such technology. The food came out quickly, I am not sure if the utilization of the iPad helped expedite our order, however it was done quickly. Once we asked for our check, the server was able to send the request to a printer and brought the ticket very fast. I wanted to play with it, but didn't feel comfortable asking the server.
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    I really enjoyed getting to know more about these POS systems that are supported by Iphones and Ipads. They seem to be very advantageous to restaurants, and I agree with your point that they do not provide the typical POS problems. I feel that the cloud computing technology has really made these systems entirely beneficial. These systems are getting closer to becoming virtually perfected.
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