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Jennifer Koren

Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue - Charmed by Hospi... - 5 views

hospitality.cvent.com/...f-with-increased-group-revenue

IT Technology Hotels Hospitality

shared by Jennifer Koren on 18 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers?
  • Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue Tuesday, July 10, 2012 by Sarah Vining Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers? Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs At Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc., guests are able make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system, improving the venue’s departmental efficiency. All of these virtual functions are hoped to appeal to new markets and drive group business. More efficient billing In the article, “Insert IACC blog post title URL” we learn that in 2012, meeting and group planners are prioritizing finance as very important during in their planning process (which made the top 10 list for the first time). Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. Virtual business centers Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for TRYP by Wyndham in the NYC Times Square South property. Google TVs and access to Google Chrome laptops near the Gastro Bar in the hotel’s lobby offers guests an opportunity to enjoy a dining experience with the comfort of complimentary technology use. On-staff IT team When planners were surveyed, reliability was listed as a top concern of IT services in the white paper “What Do Planners and Trainers Really Want in Their Meeting Service?” All IACC-certified conference centers are required to have an on-site IT team to ensure technology functions properly. Now, the need for a knowledgeable IT team that really understands technology and can cater to individuals and group business is spreading to other hotel markets.   These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests. Want to learn about other ways hotels are using technology to build relationships? Check out Enhancing Your Social Networking Site with a Social Concierge! to maximize social media and connect with guests, attendees and planners!
  • More efficient billing
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system,
  • ensure technology functions properly.
  • Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs
  • On-staff IT team
  • Virtual business centers
  • To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience.
  • Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs
  • These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B.
  • On-staff IT team
  • Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center.
  • Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs
  • More efficient billing
  • As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests.
  • On-staff IT team
  • Virtual business centers
  • To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests.
  • Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center.
  • These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests.
  • Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties.
  • Mengchao Li on 18 Jul 12
     
    Hotels developing High IT technology have taken a great deal of advantages from it which makes prosperous business and better customer service with high efficiency and goal-achieving process. In this article, it proclaims some prevailing high-techs used in hotels. Such as the In-room HD TV in Hyatt properties. It provide almost all the online computerized services accommodating customers with document-printing service, in-room dining service, restaurant reservation service, and even the email-checking, weather checking service. The on-staff IT team would oversee the IT application over the whole property, including upgrading, maintaining, and functioning. the impressive technology tools would be inevitable trend developing hotel industry.
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  • Irine Wallace on 17 Sep 12
     
    "Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue Tuesday, July 10, 2012 by Sarah Vining Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn't just a hotel app. To invest in the property's overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers? Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs At Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc., guests are able make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system, improving the venue's departmental efficiency. All of these virtual functions are hoped to appeal to new markets and drive group business. More efficient billing In the article, "Insert IACC blog post title URL" we learn that in 2012, meeting and group planners are prioritizing finance as very important during in their planning process (which made the top 10 list for the first time). Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. Virtual business centers Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for TRYP by Wyndham in the NYC Times Square South property. Google TVs and access to Google Chrome laptops near the Gastro Bar in the hotel's lobby offers guests an opportunity to enjoy a dining experience with the comfort of complimentary technology use. On-staff IT team When planners were surveyed, reliability was listed as a top concern of IT serv
  • Irine Wallace on 17 Sep 12
     
    ARTICLE SUMMARY Hospitality industry is not only using technology to improve customers' experience but also to improve the bottom line as well as increase group use of the property. Hotels operators and owners are increasingly using conference centers and other meeting venues to attract business groups, seminars and conferences with new technology, and it isn't just a hotel app. Many of the branded hotels such as Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc. are using the technology to allow guests to make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Hotels are investing in technology to provide these services and to compete effectively.
  • yuzhu li on 24 Oct 12
     
    Due to the market segment of the Groups, hospitality industry has focused on the IT investment on Groups. And there are some technologies for leisure and business travelers like virtual concierge service on guest room TVs, more efficient billing, virtual business centers, and on-staff IT team.  All these implements can benefit hotels and customers with a convenient, reliable, and profitable outcome. Besides that, it is super cool. 
  • Qike Chu on 25 Oct 12
     
    Nowadays, technology becomes one of the most important issue in hospitality industry. More and more hotels are going to pay more attention to their technologies such as APP application. Besides those technologies benefiting leisure travelers, investment in hotel technology also pays off with increased group revenue. Conference and convention become important parts in hotels, which means lots of meetings or events are choose to be held in hotels and lots of hotels decided to target their markets as convention directly. As in this article, it is talking about creating cool technology to increase the revenue based on group business. It stated Hyatt Hotel as an example to put virtual concierge service on guest room TVs, which is object to attract new markets as well as group business. What's more, an on - site IT team are going to be required in order to ensure hotels' technology functions properly. Having this kind of IT team, any questions can be responded fast. Therefore, investment fo those kinds of technology not only can bring more new markets or customers but also lead to quick return on hotels' investments, especially in F&B. 
  • Michael Anthony on 26 Oct 12
     
    I don't understand where this document will print if you don't have a printer with you? Will it print at the front desk somwhere? What if it's confidential information and how secure is this system? If you put more technology and have it be so accesible even when your having a meal you would have to hope that dinners continue to order otherwise you'll never be able to turn the table. Also, some dinners must not be as savy as others and won't like this idea of being able to do everything from the TV in your Hotel room. I know I wont even use the feature at the end of the day I dont feel like playing with tech. Others may want to escape tech because they have been around all through the work day, it may feel like you never stop working.
  • Ting Li on 26 Oct 12
     
    This article talks about the benefit of investing hotel technology. As it mentioned, technology is another way of gaining group business and marketing the hotel and meeting center. Here are four of these new popular tools for travelers. They are Virtual conceirge service on guest room TVs; More efficient billing; Virtual business centers; and On-staff IT team. For the Virtual conceirge service on TV, guests can do many things and request services through this system immediately. It can improve not only the departmental efficiency, but customer satisfaction as well. By using the virtual business center, cutomers can enjoy a dining experience. These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment and they know that there's a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests
  • LU DENG on 26 Oct 12
     
    This is an interesting and useful article that reminds me of the importance of new technology investment in hotels' conference centers and other meeting venues. Technology has become an efficient method in winning group business and marketing a hotel. There are several new hot tools for leisure and business travelers. For instance the virtual concierge service on guest room TVs, efficient billing, and virtual business centers. If a guest is able to make service requests, check email, use the Business Center, print documents and receive customized messages from meeting planners through an in-room HD TV by Roomlinx, the whole departmental efficiency can be improved and the guests' satisfaction can be enhanced to a higher level. This is useful to attract business travelers who care about these areas of service and it also leads to a quick return on investment too. When the discussion of hotel Wi-Fi services has been outdated, the topic of investment in technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office is becoming another focus in hotel industry.
  • Yaping Li on 27 Oct 12
     
    This article introduces some new technology applied in the hotel. Nowadays, the hotel will adopt some new technology to attract more and more guest. Like the article said, "technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center". The article introduce the Hyatt Hotels adopt the virtual concierge service on guest room TVs that offer a good service for guest and try to appeal to new markets and drive group business. The article also involves the revenue management system that the hotels are investment can help the hotel deal with data effective and increase revenue for properties. The new technology that the hotel applied will not only improve the guest experience but also can increase the revenue of the hotel.
  • TIAN LIU on 06 Mar 13
     
    Further analyses of our data suggest that as industries become more competitive, the effect of IT on profitability increases. IT investments also had a greater effect on profitability in the service sector than in the manufacturing sector. A possible explanation for this finding is that services allow greater IT-enabled customization and professionalization. One key takeaway from our research: All other things being equal, executives should accord higher priority to IT projects that have the potential for revenue growth over those that focus mainly on cost savings.
  • Xueling Wang on 07 Mar 13
     
    Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology. To invest in the property's overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. There are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers. 1. Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs 2. More efficient billing: Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. 3. Virtual business centers: Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for hotel.
  • Jennifer Koren on 24 Oct 13
     
    This article examines the new technology that hotels are investing in. In room concierge, billing ease, on- staff IT team, and virtual business center all make the hotel guests experience more comfortable and easy. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the new technology is worth investing in for these hotels.
anonymous

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and O3b Networks Expand Business Partnership to Provide Gu... - 1 views

www.marketwatch.com/...ble-internet-access-2013-01-14

royal caribbean cruises networks partnership cruise ship internet hospitality technology

shared by anonymous on 21 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Royal Caribbean was the first to enlist O3b's new maritime offering O3bMaritime aboard, Allure of the Seas' sister ship, Oasis of the Seas when they signed a contract last summer. Now guests and crew aboard Allure of the Seas will be able to enjoy lightning fast download speeds and performance that is anticipated to also be four times more responsive than existing and planned GEO satellite systems. O3bMaritime will be the only satellite system capable of enabling cruise line guests and crew broadband services on par with onshore telecommunication standards.
  • Royal Caribbean was the first to enlist O3b's new maritime offering O3bMaritime aboard, Allure of the Seas' sister ship, Oasis of the Seas when they signed a contract last summer. Now guests and crew aboard Allure of the Seas will be able to enjoy lightning fast download speeds and performance that is anticipated to also be four times more responsive than existing and planned GEO satellite systems. O3bMaritime will be the only satellite system capable of enabling cruise line guests and crew broadband services on par with onshore telecommunication standards.
  • O3b Networks has signed a second historic, multi-year deal with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to provide high-speed satellite-delivered broadband service
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  • "The partnership between O3b Networks and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. continues to expand, and the real winners are the guests and crew aboard the most innovative ships at sea. The alliance is based on a shared mission built on the belief that the Internet should always be within reach - on land and at sea."
  • anonymous on 21 Jan 13
     
    Royal Caribbean and O3b Networks have again signed a multi-year contract. O3b will once again be providing "high-speed satellite-delivered broadband service" to the Allure of the Seas. The system used is O3bMaritime and Royal Caribbean was one of the first cruise lines to use this system. This system will be on their two largest ships the Oasis and the Allure based in the Caribbean. It is also the only system that is on par with telecommunication standards on land. Soon O3b will deliver more bandwidth on these two ships than on all other cruise ships in the Caribbean. I personally feel internet access really lacks on many of the cruise lines right now and feel Royal Caribbean is taking a step in the right direction with O3b. My family and I like to cruise a lot and have received very spotty internet access around the globe. In today's world many people still have to check up on work while on vacation or keep in contact with family, it only makes sense for cruise lines to start working on faster internet comparable to on land. I read various cruise line message boards and this is a common complaint about slow internet access or virtually none. In the current economy where all the various lines are in competition against one another, this gives Royal Caribbean a leg up in the competition. Additionally, my understanding the only region where satellite internet is unavailable is off the coast of Japan due to government regulations. This system makes sense to have available one day in more regions.
  • marylauren1717 on 22 Jan 13
     
    I for one am very happy to hear this news. I too have experienced the snail-paced internet "access" on cruise ships. With the high cost per minute and slow speeds, cruisers can't help but feel that they wasted their money. This definitely gives Royal Caribbean an advantage over Carnival, NCL and other large cruise lines. By implementing O3b networks on their two largest and most popular ships, they will reach their target consumer and help spread the word.
abroo041

Must-Know Event Technology Trends for 2020 | Social Tables - 3 views

www.socialtables.com/...event-technology-trends

shared by abroo041 on 09 Jul 17 - No Cached
  • In addition to speeding up registration time, incorporating RFID technology into events will help with both qualitative and quantitative data analysis, thereby making it easier for planners to target what worked during their event and what didn’t.
  • Though event apps are admittedly helpful, they now have a new hurdle to face. Producing an application to be used for one event is costly, time consuming, and inefficient, as users must learn how to interact with the app for each new event attended. Phone storage space is very important to consumers. Many are hesitant to download an application that they will only use once. Thus, event apps that can continue to deliver value to customers beyond the date of the event itself, are going to become a huge trend.
  • RFID also has the potential to allow attendees to become more engaged with the event across various social platforms.
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  • Menu options, travel directions, appointment updates, facial recognition software and contact information are just the beginning of the very real ways that event planners will soon be able to use wearable tech.
  • Event technology trends aside, the number one thing for any event professional to remember, is to let your tools work for you, rather than the other way around. The purpose of implementing advanced technology is to make your life, and the life of those whom you plan events for, as easy as possible.
  • 5G will also make it more feasible to incorporate the cutting-edge into event experiences.
  • Projection mapping is the act of creating an augmented reality experience with the help of projectors.
  • this visual technology proves to be an efficient and cost effective way to create optical illusions in nearly every location.
  • event technology adoption can increase attendance by 20%, increase productivity by 27%, and decrease costs by as much as 30%.
  • branded apps provide limitless opportunities to interact with consumers right on their own phones
  • Apps can be customized to appear as if they were created specifically for events or stays, while offering functionality that serves to enhance and personalize the attendee experience.
  • Planners can utilize branded multi-use apps to connect with attendees and engage them on a variety of levels before, during, and after the occasion.
  • Event spaces can create customized apps to enhance experiences and share things like helpful facts, historical tidbits, and even the personalities of their unique employees,
  • Because they’re often cloud-based, these programs also provide accurate, customizable, and collaborative project planning that’s accessible by all managing parties
  • With event diagramming software, both event planners and venues are able to map everything out visually
  • provides helpful tools like drag-and-drop diagramming, 3D walkthroughs, and seating software on a single platform.
  • Hotels especially can use apps in this way, allowing guests to control their rooms from their phones and even communicate with chatbots to find nearby attractions.
  • Projection mapping5GBranded multi-use appsEvent diagramming
  • It also opens up new possibilities for app developers to push the boundaries of current event tech trends
    • abroo041
      abroo041 on 23 Jun 20
       
      The world of technology is advancing every day. As technology grows and advances, so does its use in the events industry. This blog post discusses some of the technological advances that have made their debut in the events industry and how they can improve an event, how they help the event planner and venue, and even shows us examples of how they are used in real life. It gives statistics on how these technologies have benefit events. For example, when the blog post speaks about gamification, it mentions that "gamified events see a 44 percent increase in engagement". The post is not only suggesting to us that adding gamification is a good idea for future events, but it shows us how well gamification works.
  • Knowing event technology trends—and adopting the most valuable ones—gives planners and venues the competitive advantage
  • Studies show that using event technology can increase attendance by 20 percent and increase productivity by 27 percent. 
  • Each match automates personalized actions, such as printing a badge with the attendees name, sending an email with a scannable lunch voucher, and finalizing a swag bag for their ticket-tier (no sense creating swag bags for no-shows).
  • The technology speeds event check-ins, improves security, and helps businesses at tradeshows collect more valuable leads by tracking attendee visits to booths.
  • can also use facial recognition to watch for crowd flow bottlenecks and collect session attendance data so you know what worked—and what didn’t.
  • The ability to support advanced tech like facial recognition makes venues more attractive to corporate planners. The technology also allows automation at certain access points, which means lower manpower requirements and lower costs. 
  • Properly integrated apps add value to events, providing attendees with more opportunities for networking, interaction, and engagement with peers, speakers, and exhibitors.
  • Offering tech to support projection mapping provides bang for the buck. There’s no need to physically construct or deconstruct any part of your exhibit hall to add this fun, popular technology to your toolbox and draw more events. 
  • This visual technology is an efficient, cost-effective way to create optical illusions on anything—from cars to landmarks to stages.
  • With tradeshow or conference maps, speaker bios, and schedules in the event app, there’s no need for bulky information packets. Push notifications in the apps help keep attendees informed and on schedule. Planners can also use apps to personalize the event agenda through live polling and attract event sponsors with the option of targeted attendee surveys.  
  • Event spaces can create customized apps to share helpful info like maps, historical tidbits, and even the personalities of their unique employees
  • Easy-to-use 3D event diagramming software provides accurate, customizable, collaborative project planning regardless of venue design or size.
  • Give clients peace of mind and leave nothing to chance on the big dayUpload a floor plan to work with, so you know the diagram is to scaleTake clients and stakeholders on 3D ‘fly throughs’ to clarify your visionPlan seating charts and manage attendees’ meal choices or other preferencesHelp staff easily identify and accommodate VIPs and guests with special requests
  • Sales reps can collaborate with planners in real time, share variations on the event proposal, and visually portray upsells.
  • Attendees can use this tech to follow slide presentations, participate with quizzes and polls, take notes, and engage in text-based Q&A. They can also view graphs, tables, videos, and other content; and follow website and social media links. 
  • Any speaker can keep an audience attentive and engaged with this technology, leading to good reviews and a successful event.
  • Supporting second screen tech for presentations is much less expensive than making physical upgrades that aren’t in the budget. 
  • This data underscores the importance of social media sentiment analysis in monitoring your brand and messaging, keeping an eye on competitors, and making improvements to services during and after events.
  • Tracking attendee activity on social media during an event provides actionable data to help you make adjustments in real-time
  • Replenishing food and beveragesEasing show floor bottlenecksDriving session attendanceAddressing technology issues (mobile apps, Wi-Fi, or audio/visual)
  • Venues can social media sentiment to promote popular services and learn where there’s room for improvement:
  • Wristbands and smart badges using near-field communication (NFC) chips keep disruptions and lines to a minimum, thereby increasing attendee productivity and engagement.
  • Access different event areasExchange information with peersReceive exhibitor marketing materialMake cashless purchases
  • Wearable tech helps you speed-up check-in, control access, and monitor attendee behavior with less staffing. It also improves ROI for exhibitors, who can drive attendees wearing the tech to visit a booth of interest based on an individual’s profile.
  • On-site staff can use real-time data to learn when they need to offer overflow rooms or investigate security breaches, such as non-VIP guests in restricted areas. 
  • Indoor wayfinding helps attendees navigate exhibit halls with ease,
  • gather useful attendee behavioral data, send leads to sales team members in real-time, and build attendee profiles to send targeted messaging
  • You can also incorporate proximity advertising options as a value-add for exhibitors and sponsor
  • Post-event, you can utilize IPS data to see where attendees spent their time visiting booths and attending presentations.
  • Adding hotel bars, restaurants, spas, gift shops, and other amenities to the location map can help drive additional revenue during events while improving the attendee experience
  • store attendee admission information on their person, helping to detect fraud and streamline access
  • Attendees can review their travels throughout a tradeshow and see who they interacted with, while exhibitors are notified in real-time when sought-after prospects come into their booth.
  • Planners can generate pop-up directions for attendees based on their location at an event instead of investing in producing/shipping/replacing physical signage
  • validates your event and highlights improvement opportunities by tracking session popularity, length of attendee visits to exhibitor booths, and strong tradeshow traffic.  
  • RFID and beacon technology helps security and general event staff do their job better in real-time, which is essential for building trust and streamlining crowded events
  • event planners are turning to venue sourcing platforms to connect with the perfect site for their particular event.
  • discover detailed venue layouts, capacity ranges, and on-site services
  • Venue platforms offer exceptional ROI and generate more leads through improved discoverability.
  • Convey elements that make your venue uniqueShowcase your event spaces visually with accurate floor plans, 3D diagrams, quality photos, and videosLeverage the success of past events with testimonials and social media accolades
  • artificial intelligence (AI) tech is using badge scans, social media info, and other behavioral data to match attendees with people they should meet or seminars they may want to attend. 
  • Instead of taking-up significant time pre-event and on-site manually recommending seminars, exhibitors, and sponsors to attendees, AI can do it for you—even in real-time—based on their profiles and preferences captured during registration. 
  • it requires transparency and advance notice about how you may use data submitted by attendees. 
  • Attendees entering the geofenced area triggers predetermined actions, such as event check-in, push notifications, or advertising related to the event. 
  • Planners can sell geofencing to exhibitors and sponsors to reach attendees at events, or even promote their event on attendee devices at a competing event under a separate geofence. You can also provide attendees with a better experience via seamless registration and check-in, along with automatic app downloads as soon as they walk on-site.
  • provides analytics, both post-event and in real-time to help you better understand things like the duration of an attendee’s time at an event and overall peak attendance. 
  • Hotels can serve ads promoting their brand, facility, and services to attendees at events
  • once a prospect visits an event website, ads for that event will appear on any subsequent websites the prospect visits, in the form of website banner ads, search engine results, and pop-up or push ads on mobile apps. 
  • Event marketing teams should develop relevant and creative ads with clearly visible event dates to convince prospects who have visited an event website, but haven’t yet registered
  • venues can use it to generate return visits from event planners
  • retarget attendees during events with offers for in-house services like food and beverage, spa, and discounts on extending their stay.
  • Gameplay creates an immersive attendee experience, while generating leads and booth visits for exhibitors via quizzes, scavenger hunts, and trivia on mobile apps.
  • Gameplay fosters a sense of common purpose; creates an environment of collaboration and trust; facilitates easier communication; and boosts attendee confidence. You can also gather information about attendee engagement and interests via game choices.
  • Promoting the use of gameplay on-site showcases a venue to organizations looking for facilities supporting team building exercises as well as immersive attendee experiences.
  • Event technology is a term used to describe all of the digital tools and software used in the events industry. Everything from check in & registration, to diagramming, to social media tools, and more can be considered event technology.
  • kdibe001 on 09 Jul 17
     
    RFID, event applications, wearable technology, virtual reality, and social media are upcoming popular uses for event planners. With RFID event planners are able to keep better track of the guests attending the event as well as keeping them more involved. I first heard of this a few months ago when attending an event and it described that a chip with RFID was placed inside the wristband-type ticket. For me, the most interesting thing is the wearable technology! Imagine an event where you can have directions given to you or a layout of the event right on your wrist! Also, the watch can notify you of events happening within an event or you can see order your food or see the menu. To know that soon enough it will be a norm for everyone to have some type of wearable technology and that event planners can truly get the guests involved through this use is exciting.
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  • nicolettevelez on 25 Jun 18
     
    This article discusses five major event technology trends. The first is RFID, which can assist in registration time but even more important is being used to gather both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. This kind of data acquisition is great because it allows for planners to analysis, study and understand what worked and didn't work for their events. The second is multi-use apps. These apps allow the event to incorporate important aspects like activities, scheduled break down, and speaker info all at once. Additionally these apps allow attendees to socialize with other participants, and expand their network. The other technologies are some that can definitely change the industry once they are fully integrated. These include: wearable technology, virtual reality, and social media.
  • linanzhang on 29 Oct 18
     
    Nowadays the event planning becomes more and more popular. With the development of event planning, we have 5 event technology trends shaping the future of event planning. The first on is RFID-radio frequency identification. In addition to speeding up registration time, incorporating RFID technology into events will help with both qualitative and quantitative data analysis, thereby making it easier for planners to target what worked during their event and what didn't. In this way, it will be easier to foster repeat attendees. The second one is multi-use apps. It's easy to use apps to solve problems. event apps that can continue to deliver value to customers beyond the date of the event itself are going to become a huge trend. The third one is wearable technology. Like google glasses should be a trend in the future. Facial recognition and contact information make the event planning more easier. The fourth one is VR. VR is a great way to up attendee engagement during events. The last one is social media. Social media will be a really important trend. Social media is more than likely the way that investors and sponsors will advertise your event.
  • samanthapoorman on 28 Feb 19
     
    This article introduces four new advances to technology that help ease the process of event planning. Projection mapping, 5G, Branded multi-use apps, and event diagramming.
  • zxu009 on 23 Apr 19
     
    This article shares the technology innovation with meeting/convention operations and how these technology help offer better guest satisfaction.
ivonneyee

Modern Management Technologies in the Hospitality Industry - 2 views

The article talks about how it's worth investing in proximity marketing to increase the speed of a customer's decision, increase engagement, and eloyalty. The article states that marketers who know...

started by ivonneyee on 22 Nov 21 1 follow-up, last by ivonneyee on 22 Nov 21
Le Chai

Event Planning - Technology Solutions - 5 Technologies Event Planners Can't Live Withou... - 5 views

www.successfulmeetings.com/...nt-Planners-Can-t-Live-Without

event hospitality technology

shared by Le Chai on 03 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • 5 Technologies Event Planners Can't Live Without
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise
  • 1. Smartphones
  • ...54 more annotations...
  • This is the most obvious technology we can’t live without. Let’s be honest—-most of us are glued to our smartphones and our favorite apps 24 hours a day.
  • Chances are, if you walk around a convention center or hotel lobby, you will see people with their heads down, tapping away furiously on their smartphones
  • How did we ever find time to accomplish everything before smartphones came into existence?
  • your event management system with a customer relationship management (CRM) system such as Salesforce,
  • the benefits of the SaaS (software as a service) delivery model are becoming increasingly apparent.
  • These applications are advantageous to planners because they allow us to access all details and execution aspects of an event from any web-enabled device—be it a computer, smartphone, or iPad
  • With SaaS cloud apps, just provide end-users with reports-only access to what they need and nothing more. 
  • integration options available to planners, you are now blessed with the ability to link up your event management system with a customer relationship management (CRM) system such as Salesforce,
  • 2. SaaS Cloud Apps
  • With all of the information you  could ever need to access right at your fingertips through event management applications, you can ditch the millions of pieces of paper and now access contracts, registrations, room blocks,
  • Live and virtual events are about giving the attendee a choice as to how they spend their time
  • “webinars on steroids.” Live and virtual events are about giving the attendee a choice as to how they spend their time.
  • virtual events save the planner and attendee time, money, and resources.
  • virtual events save the planner and attendee time, money, and resources.
  • Virtual events are a great way for planners to fill seats at a cost that won’t make anyone wince.
  • This is the best tool in the box for improving future events.
  • 4. Social Media and Viral Marketing
  • Did you know that one out of three consumers is online for three or more hours per day? Or that 90 million tweets are sent out daily? What about this one: One of every eight minutes spent online is spent on Facebook
  • Some of the best traction you will get is from people sharing interesting tidbits they may have learned and enticing others to learn more
  • Today is the day of the iPad and the tablet, and a more simplified life.
  • 3. Virtual Events
  • In a world where everyone is always on the run, our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise—but what these tools can accomplish might impress you.
  • Smartphones
  • Chances are, if you walk around a convention center or hotel lobby, you will see people with their heads down, tapping away furiously on their smartphones. 
  • Whether the ubiquity of these devices is a blessing or a curse, the fact is, event professionals and participants alike would be lost without them.
  • SaaS Cloud Apps
  • SaaS (software as a service) delivery model
  • These applications are advantageous to planners because they allow us to access all details and execution aspects of an event from any web-enabled device
  • Additionally, with all of the integration options available to planners, you are now blessed with the ability to link up your event management system with a customer relationship management (CRM) system
  • Virtual Events
  • Virtual events are a great way for planners to fill seats at a cost that won’t make anyone wince.
  • Often complementing physical events, virtual events save the planner and attendee time, money, and resources.
  • There is word that the economy is making a recovery, but many of us have yet to see it.
  • Social Media and Viral Marketing
  • Did you know that one out of three consumers is online for three or more hours per day? Or that 90 million tweets are sent out daily? What about this one: One of every eight minutes spent online is spent on Facebook. 
  • So this should be a no-brainer
  • This marketing can come from either you or your attendees. Allowing attendees to share things that they like and getting them involved in hyping your event is a great way to spread the word. 
  • iPads and Tablets
  • Today is the day of the iPad and the tablet, and a more simplified life. 
  • When combining tablets with mobile event applications, planners can also communicate in real-time with participants and share or update information in seconds. Never leave home without one! 
  • 1. Smartphones
  • This is the most obvious technology we can’t live without. Let’s be honest—-most of us are glued to our smartphones and our favorite apps 24 hours a day. We get nervous when we can’t find the phone, and we feel phantom vibration rings. Chances are, if you walk around a convention center or   hotel lobby, you will see people with their heads down, tapping away furiously on their smartphones
  • Virtual Events
  • SaaS Cloud Apps
  • Social Media and Viral Marketing
  • iPads and Tablets
  • . Smartphones
  • Matt Turner on 03 Oct 12
     
    The author of this article, Tara Thomas, summarizes the top five technologies for event planners. The first technology that she mentions is smart phones. She writes that this is the most obvious technology that event planners can't live without. Planners can do things like set alarms, look up information, communicate instantly, and use social media to promote the event. The second technology that Thomas mentions is SaaS cloud applications. Software as a service allows planners to access all details and execution aspects of an event from any web enabled device, eliminating printed or emailed reports. Thirdly, Thomas talks about virtual events. Virtual events save the planner and the attendee valuable time, money, and resources. Thomas next talks about social media and viral marketing. Using sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to share event details is a great way to communicate to a very large group of people. The fifth and last technology that Thomas speaks of is Ipads and tablets. Through event management applications, planners have all of the information they could possibly need right at their fingertips. Ipads and tablets also make it possible to communicate in real time if needed.
  • ...11 more comments...
  • Jenna Rashbaum on 03 Oct 12
     
    I think this is a great article. I am a Marketing Manager but do events at my restaurant as well and even for me I need my smart phone at all times to look up stuff in emails or even have a remote log-in to my computer to check a contract if needed. Event planners really do need all of these technologies at all times and people may view it as rude to be on your phone at all times but in reality they are just doing their jobs to make your life easier and less complex.
  • Theodore Moore on 04 Oct 12
     
    "5 technologies event planners can't live without" was a unique read. The article begins with the number one technology the author designates as not being able to live without which are smartphones. Event planners are constantly in need to update their events, use the latest applications, set alarms for all events , look up phones number instantly by vendor and so on. What is then questioned is the systems in place before smartphones were introduced. Number two on the list is SaaS cloudapps better known as software as a service applications that are vastly on the rise. SaaS cloudapps enable meeting planners to access details and other aspects of events from any web device such as a smart phone or ipad. This is also valid with the ability to link event management systems to customer relationship management systems (CRM).Number three is Virtual events. The article presents many positives in hosting "webinars or live events" that include saving time, money and available resources. The meeting planner can fill "seats" easier and measure improvement for future events. Number four is social media and viral marketing. This is a major deal for event planners because not only they have the ability to market their events but attendees market for them: before, during and after. The article presents statistics about twitter, facebook and linkedin which support why social media and viral marketing are keys to success for event planners. Last but not least, listed as number five are Ipads and tablets. These devices simply allow event planners to have a bundle of information at their fingertips. In summary, event planners are constantly on the go and will always strive for perfection even during crunch time. Technology enhancements have allowed event planners to become more efficient and better resources for their clients.
  • Xu Wang on 08 Nov 12
     
    This article list five technologies event planners cannot live without, including the smartphones, SaaS Cloud Apps, virtual events, social media and viral marketing, and iPads and tablets. With more and more people adopting smartphones, ipads and tablets, event planners should look into purchasing a mobile event app for their attendees to use at their event. This not only reduces paper waste, it also reduces the high costs involved in printing event guides and brochures for the event. It is essentially a virtual event guide that's available in the palm of the attendee's hands.
  • haojingting on 12 Nov 12
     
    In a world where everyone is always on the run, our top five technologies for event planners are no surprise-but what these tools can accomplish might impress you. 1. Smartphones This is the most obvious technology we can't live without. Let's be honest--most of us are glued to our smartphones and our favorite apps 24 hours a day. 2. SaaS Cloud Apps In today's quick and chaotic world, the benefits of the SaaS (software as a service) delivery model are becoming increasingly apparent.With SaaS cloud apps, just provide end-users with reports-only access to what they need and nothing more. 3. Virtual Events There is word that the economy is making a recovery, but many of us have yet to see it. People are quickly catching on to the benefits of virtual events, or as we like to call them, "webinars on steroids." Live and virtual events are about giving the attendee a choice as to how they spend their time. 4. Social Media and Viral Marketing Sharing event details on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook is hugely beneficial because of the range of attention you can garner. People show up at events they've heard about, think good things about, and understand the value of. 5. 5.iPads and Tablets Tablet computers are revolutionizing the event-planning industry. The day of the binder stuffed with event details and spreadsheets is coming to an end. Today is the day of the iPad and the tablet, and a more simplified life.
  • Jianyi Wang on 13 Nov 12
     
    This article provides readers with basic information about the advanced five technologies event planners can not live without.Including smartphones,Cloud apples,Virtual Events, Social media and ipads.
  • anonymous on 15 Nov 12
     
    Here are the 5 espects for event planers development. In my opinion, the most important one in next several years is the smartphones. This is the smartphoe time. It make our life easy and convenient. If we do have an apps for event planning for smartphones, and make a good market planning, it will help the company find lots of potential customers and expanding the business not only on the computer internet.
  • Mikaela Vourtsis on 25 Mar 13
     
    This article discusses how technology can assist in event planning. It lists the five technologies that can sincerely facilitate event planners with their day to day tasks and responsibilities. The five technologies include smart phones which are life savers when it comes to trying to find phone numbers, respond to email inquiries, and keeping a clear and adequate schedule. The Saa S Clould App lends a hand to event planners so they can link up their systems for customers using software as a service tool. Third, they discuss virtual events, which give key data and facts about events and help the planner and client save time, money, and resources. The forth technology is social media and viral marketing which is enormously helpful and saves money. As a final point, ipads and tablets save paper and are of assistance to event planners to be more structured.
  • Adam Herrmann on 27 Mar 13
     
    This article highlights the 5 technologies that are vital to the success of event planners. The first piece of technology that event planners cannot live without are smartphones. With the introduction of the smartphone, event planners can now do mutliple things at once while on-the-go. While moving from event to event, event planners can check their emails so they are not overwhelmed, review and add postings to social media pages, and check their to-do lists for the day. The second piece of technology that are key for all event planners are SaaS Cloud Apps. With these new cloud systems, event planners can now access any information and details about an event from any web-based product making life a whole lot easier. The third piece of technology are virtual meetings. With the cost of travel increasing everyday virtual meetings gives event planners the opportunity to hold events online saving them time, money, and resources, as well as getting immediate feedback from attendees. The fourth piece of technology is social media marketing. With the popularity of Facebook, Twiiter, Instagram, etc going through the roof, event planners are taking advantage of this by being able to have access to a wide variety of potential clients. The last piece of technology that is vital to the success of events planners is IPads and Tablets. No longer will event planners have to deal with file cabinets and binders filled with contracts and invoices. Now, event planners can do everything through a tablet and keep their business more organized. http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Event-Planning/Technology-Solutions/Articles/5-Technologies-Event-Planners-Can-t-Live-Without/
  • Panpan Xie on 29 Mar 13
     
    Nowadays, there are 5 technologies that event planners cannot live without. They are smartphones, saas cloud apps, virtual events, social media and viral marketing, as well as ipads. With a smartphone, the event planner can respond to emails in time, add new postings on the event page, etc. Saas cloud apps allow the event planners or guests get the event details from any web-enabled device. Virtual events is an effective way for organizers to get the data for future events. With social media, event planners can share their experience through twitter or facebook, which is a great way to spread the market. With ipads and tablets, one can make contracts, register or other things online.
  • danielle caskie on 04 Apr 13
     
    This article discuses how these 5 technologies help to make planning events easier. 
  • Kai Zhang on 05 Apr 13
     
    This article picked five technologies that event planners must have, and they are smartphones, SaaS Cloud Apps, virtual events, social media and viral marketing, and iPads and tablets. In detail, the arthor mentioned event planners should link up the event management system with a customer relationship management system such as Salesforce. Also, when talked about the virtual event, the author mentioned it can help to save time, money and resources, and it is a high recommonded tool for improving future events.
  • Katie Gallagher on 30 Jun 13
     
    This article was about the 5 technologies event planners can't live without. These technologies are: smart phones, SaaS cloud apps, virtual events, social media and viral marketing, and finally iPads and tablets. Smart phones are important to the daily activities of an event planner because they are able to look up phone numbers, response to emails, update a status on a social media site, review or add to lists for events, and so much more all on the go. SaaS cloud apps let planner take advantage of accessing all devices and execute aspects of an event for any web enabled device. With SaaS cloud apps you are also able to link up your event management system with a customer relationship management system. Virtual events allow planners to fill seats at a cost that won't cost a burden. Social media and viral marketing allows event planners to market themselves and get event details to different consumers. iPads and tablets get rid of the need for a large heavy binder stuffed with event details. Now event planner can carry a tablet that allows you to access anything you need. In conjunction with the SaaS cloud apps you can also access contracts, registrations, and room blocks and also link up a CRM system as mentioned before. The technology advances we have now let event planners do even more on the day to day, but also make it easier for them to do so.
  • Le Chai on 08 Nov 13
     
    The article lists five technological necessities that used by the event planners. They are smartphones, SaaS cloud apps, virtual events, social medial and viral marketing, ipads and tablets. All of these technologies can save time and costs for the event planners. What`s more, they provide a more simplified life for the human beings. 
haelidenton

Hotel Industry Embraces Green Revolution - 0 views

www.entrepreneur.com/...201838

shared by haelidenton on 17 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records."
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records."
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records.
  • The green economic revolution is impacting the $90 billion U.S. hotel industry
  • the hotel's adoption of native gardening also gives guests a compelling reason to eat at the hotel and accounts for 15 percent of hotel guests' revenue stream.
  • Cost-competitive advantage . Saving green by going green is where most of today's business focus is directed. In these recessionary times, going green can make the difference in being able to compete on price.
  • Green revenue growth . This is where the green economic revolution is heading, growing revenue by going green. This is a multi-trillion-dollar global opportunity for building or cementing customer loyalty as consumers focus increasingly upon sustainability and wellness.
  • Green entrepreneurship . In every economic revolution, there is opportunity for the entrepreneur as the traditional big players struggle to adopt their legacy systems and business practices. Customers are looking for businesses that offer fresh solutions that support their quest for "going green."
  • The green economic revolution is impacting the $90 billion U.S. hotel industry
  • Food grown in the hotel's native garden provides hotel guests with a healthy dining experience. In fact, the hotel's adoption of native gardening also gives guests a compelling reason to eat at the hotel and accounts for 15 percent of hotel guests' revenue stream. According to a recent report published by the Green Hotels Association, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records
  • Ruth James on 17 Jan 12
     
    The Hotel Industry and its vendors are acknowledging and taking a keen revenue advantage, because their customers are supporting a green environment focus. This green economic revolution has impacted the $90 billion dollar Hotel industry. The article describes a hotel in Austin Texas profoundly in regards to their property having the "largest solar system in the continental U.S.". The hotel goes as far as creating their motto, which gear guest towards a green environment focus; their motto states "Environmental consciousness in action." The hotel grows its own food and vegetables, in which they serve the guest with, and they also give some of their produce to local food banks. The hotel guest often brag about how well they slept in the night, this might be caused by the toxic free chemical environment they are in. The lodging have refrained from using chemical pesticides 20 years ago, which may have added to the result of guest sleeping well; stated the general manager. The Ritz-Carlton program "Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment program" was originally for the children that were staying on the Kapalua in Hawaii. The children enjoyed it so much, and their parents became very inquisitive; that the program emerged into the entire property focus. This program gives guest the opportunity to have involvement with the native forest; native nature walk and the hotel also harvest a native garden. This is almost the same idea as the hotel located in Austin Texas. There are many valid reasons for the reason why the Hotel Industry should be green conscious. The Green Hotels Association states that "Companies with proactive environmental strategies will make 4 percent higher investment, 9 higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental practices.". If I was a general manager, this would be one of my main concerns and focus. Going green is cost effective, but the ending
  • ...4 more comments...
  • ying jiang on 07 Feb 12
     
    Getting green could enable the hotel be competitive on price and grow the revenue. There are already several hotels going green and receive positive feedback from their guests.
  • Marcia Brown-Kelly on 09 Feb 12
     
    Going green is a great initiative within hotels. having worked with resorts implementing green initiatives, I would say one of the biggest challenge is changing the culture of employees to start doing things differently in order to maintain a sustainable program. Hotels in my experience that are successful employs environmental officers who educate and monitor various areas of the green initiatives. Going green can have huge capital investment in the initial stages but have huge gains especially in energy conservation in the long term. Our guests are also more socially conscious and will respond well to green hotels though they may not always practice conservation during their stays.
  • Gerardo Collado on 05 Jun 12
     
    This article explains the green revolution pertaining to the hotel industry with an estimated $90 Billion. Consumers are becoming conscious of the Earth's finite resources, thus, the green revolution is coming about slowly but without a doubt making an impact in the way the economy works. This is allowing an opportunity for hotels to increase revenues and gain market share due to this niche on catering to such consumers with a green initiative lifestyle. For example, the Ritz Carlton- Kapalua Hawaii, is combing fun and green education to educate children of the unique local surrounds found within the region, encouraging to frequent business by the wonderful experience. As well, it is interesting to learn that companies engaged within the strategies focused on the environment are experiencing high growth regards return on investment, sales growth and operating income. In every spectrum of hotel building and operating, the green initiative is possible from construction and architectural planning to hotels free of chemicals and property-developed horticulture gardens. The full capacity of the green revolution has not been seen to its full potential only leaving to wonder the full extent of its possibilities.
  • luis capote on 10 Jun 12
     
    This article talks about how the eco-friendly environment concept is helping the hotelier industry achieve higher revenues and market shares. This whole concept is an ample opportunity for hotels to compete, stay on business and raise awareness to consumers about green resources that can be used to save our planet. People show interest in collaborating with the going green concept and learn more, however businesses need to be more conscious about the environment. For example, The Habitat Suites in Austin Texas is using the largest solar system in the continent to provide power. It is also a toxic free chemical environment and reproduces in own its own fruits and vegetables gardening. Three main factors are impacting the green revolution's hotel industry; cost-competitive advantage, green revenue growth, and green entrepreneurship. Feel free to read more about the article to have a deeper understanding.
  • anonymous on 22 Sep 12
     
    nowadays, more and more hotels attending to join the green army. one of the most important reason is this kind of hotel will have a better market. because of the education level of the guests, their invironmental awareness become stongly. so the guests want to do more to make a contribution the the environment protection. on the other hand, the customers all knows that even the price of the green hotel is higher, but it is more health and safe. it will make them feel better and have a good experience in the hotel. as we know, a good experience is the final goal of hotel. so, the green hotel must have a bright future.
  • haelidenton on 06 Sep 14
     
    The green economic revolution is impacting the $90 billion U.S. hotel industry. There is an opportunity to increase revenue and market share by "going green". Habitat Suites in Austin, Texas is a leader in this area. The hotel's motto is "Environmental consciousness in action." Habitat Suites has an environment that is free of chemicals, has the largest hotel solar system, and uses their own organic fruit and vegetable garden for food in the hotel. Due to this environmental consciousness, the customers are reacting positively. Commenting on how great they slept, due to the ecologically fresh rooms. Many hotel chains are jumping on the green revolution bandwagon. At the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Hawaii, they started an environment program that was originally designed to provide fun for kids. But after positive feedback from the children, this has grown from just learning about local marine life to educational nature walks. These walks go through Maui's native forests and a garden that grows native foods and has community engagement in order to preserve their island's culture and environment. The food that is grown in the native garden is used in the hotel to provide guests with a healthy dining experience. Because of this, it has increased guests' reason to eat at the hotel and is 15 percent of the hotel guests' revenue stream. This environmentally friendly program increases the possibility of repeat business and attract new travelers who search for these types of experiences. A report published by the Green Hotels Association states, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records." Even non-hotel-industry entrepreneurs are realizing business opportunities in the green vacation industry. Patricia Griffin, president of the Green Hotel Association, started the associatio
natyangel

How IT Can Go Green | Top Stories | | Hospitality Magazine (HT) - 1 views

hospitalitytech.com/how-it-can-go-green

shared by natyangel on 25 Sep 17 - No Cached
  • In the world of information technology (IT), the green movement is taking shape.
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • The environmental focus is here to stay and must be embraced.
  • Clearly, hotels and resorts are in the business of making money, but they must do so in a conscientious manner
  • The focus on sustainability or "going green" is quickly becoming a major trend. But let’s face it, being environmentally conscious is the right thing to do, and it should be a business imperative for everyone. After all, a significant portion of the hospitality and tourism industries rely on the natural beauty and desirability of destinations: beach resorts, mountain ski lodges and canyon-land ranches
  • Deploying effective technology practices such as Energy Star compliance to power down computers automatically after periods of inactivity and server virtualization: This means having applications which share a common server rather than each application hosted on a separate server.
  • There are numerous opportunities for IT professionals to take leadership roles in helping their organizations to adopt sustainable practices.
  • Using IT responsibly and effectively to reduce energy, water and paper consumption: Energy management systems are effective at controlling guest comfort while saving energy consumption and costs.
  • Tackling e-waste and deploying recycling technologies to reduce environmental waste and impacts: Many electronic firms offer responsible recycling programs for used hardware. Technology can also be utilized to assist in the recycling process
  •  Digital marketing practices: Using digital media instead of print media is a great way to save money while reducing the impact on the environment. By tapping into social media, you can let guests be involved in green practices and spread the word virally about all the good the organization is doing
  • There is a growing environmentally conscious market, a profitable segment to tap
  • .    Educate employees and guests to improve awareness of environmental issues and green practices in your organization and the industry.
  •    Conduct an energy audit to see where and how energy is being consumed and to establish a baseline. Continue these audits on a regular basis.
  • Seek suggestions from employees and guests, and offer rewards for ideas that get implemented.
  • Celebrate and market key successes
  • denisedantas on 25 Sep 17
     
    This article emphasizes the positive and negative aspects of the hospitality industry adopting to sustainable practices. It recognizes that this industry is in the business of making money, while appoints the importance of doing so conscientiously, respecting the environment. It shows the steps that the organizations should take on its journey to action. I believe that sustainability should be a business imperative and not a lifestyle choice, as the sustained interest among consumers in tourism products and services are continuously increasing. That should be beneficial for the organization, positively affecting the operating revenue.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • ruchit0622 on 01 Oct 17
     
    The articles describes, how technology helps a hospitality firm in conserving non renewable resources. It focuses on sustainability of hospitality industry. The article describes one interesting point, educate the employees and the guest, employees and guest are the pillars of any hotel. If they understand the concept of going green, it would be easy for the organization to conserve energy. use of E marketing by the hotels has reduced the use of paper, which mean many trees are being saved from getting cut. Use of recycle bins by the firms makes people aware of the waste which an be recycled should be disposed off separately. The use of tablets in the rooms is another way which the hospitality firms have adapted to go green, it not only saves paper but also gives a new amenity in the rooms.
  • bdolman on 05 Feb 18
     
    The emphasis on sustainability and going green is everywhere, including hospitality and tourism industries. Within the scope of information technology, there are numerous opportunities to becoming greener and more sustainable both in the short and long term. First, using IT responsibly and effectively to reduce energy, water and paper consumption are advantageous and can also be seen as consumer driven. For instance, if a hotel offers a guest the convenience of controlling temperature through their smartphone or using their smartphone as the room key, not only is the hotel becoming greener but also the guest will appreciate these value added features. Instilling technology practices such as Energy Star compliance will lead to less consumption. Additionally, addressing the issue of e waste and creating recycling technologies to reduce environmental waste and impact adds on to the sustainable strategy. Lastly, with the growing environmentally conscious effort, creating marketing strategies to promote green practices improves the company's image, increases awareness on becoming more sustainable, and educates the public on becoming greener. It takes time, as employees need to be trained in order to become aware of environmental impacts (such as printing less paperwork and shutting off a printer when idle), track energy consumption, and instill these behaviors on a day to day basis. According to this article, it was noted that " for many guests, particularly Millennials, environmental stewardship is a key topic that resonates with them. It has become one of the decision-making criteria used to select companies in which they do business, including hotels and resorts". I believe that sustainability and the promotion of green practices is not a fleeting trend, but rather it is a change in mindset in which younger generations appreciate this adopted conscientious value.
  • gabybilk on 26 Sep 19
     
    The article discusses the many ways the IT world is finding new ways to be sustainable in the hospitality industry. Changing the way a hotel runs by introducing e-mails to guest and other companies to reduce the paper flow or allowing guest to do mobile check-ins can reduce a lot of paper waste. Also, having guest use their phones as key cards for their rooms can aid in avoiding wasting and needing to create key cards. By hotels having an energy saving system, they reduce electrical waste by having computers on low power consumption mode. One main thing the article mentioned that I personally see a lot of hotels doing is digital advertising. Instead of relying on paper advertisement, hotels rely heavily on ads on social medias, facebook, google, and third party vendors.
  • natyangel on 30 Sep 19
     
    This article discusses the IT green movement that has been in action since the rise of technology and ways on how IT can go green. Some opportunities in the green IT movement include the following: - Using IT responsibly and effectively to reduce water, energy, and paper consumption. This gives IT teams to take advantage of a few technical enhancements within their hotels to provide key cards available on smart phones, email to reduce paper, and digital signage. - Deploying effective technology practices such as Energy Star compliance to shut down computers automatically after periods of inactivity and server virtualization. This would mean for everything to be on one common server, and companies can save money on computer hardware and power consumption. - Tackling e-waste and deploying recycling technologies to reduce environmental waste and impacts. This could be implementing by introducing a safe recycling system for used hardware. - Digital marketing practices. This could be like using digital media to save money or using social media to encourage guests about the green practices that the hotel is implementing. - Marketing strategies to report and promote green practices. This could be having the business properly use marketing strategies to target these environmentally conscious market and find ways to promote green practices to this market segment. These are all very effective ways for IT teams to go green within their hospitality businesses. These green IT projects will need approval from top management and investment in time and resources.
marble_bird

CloudBasedvsDesktopBased_PMSHotels.pdf - 0 views

shared by marble_bird on 09 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • Even though keeping up with the modern developments in IT sector is crucial for the success and competitiveness of a hotel, it is usually very hard for new technologies to be accepted and implemented.
  • On the example of hotel property management system (PMS) and comparison between features of its older desktop-version and new web-based programs, this research aims at finding out at which stage and how effective is usage of cloud technology in hotels.
  • Constant innovation in hardware, software, and network developments and applications means that only dynamic organizations that can respond efficiently and effectively to these innovations, will be able to outperform their competitors and maintain their long-term prosperity.
  • ...42 more annotations...
  • It is crucial for tourism and hospitality practitioners to proactively incorporate new technologies into their businesses as these will improve service quality and differentiate their products and services.
  • In order to be able to follow the increasing guests' requests for qualitative services, it is mandatory for hotel management to constantly work on improving its functions and operations. For this it is necessary to keep track of innovations in sectors outside the hospitality, like IT sector that works on creating, developing and introducing new technologies
  • Hospitality is one of targeted sector that is considered appropriate for application of cloud technologies and services. Hotel Management System or widely known as Property Management System (PMS) is one of the system where IT practitioners saw the chance for improvement by ''moving it to the cloud''.
  • Hotels will be forced to upgrade their current systems so that they can respond to various and changeable guests' habits and requirements. However, until today, there was not enough academic papers related to usage of cloud technology in hospitality industry even though this sector is under continuous changes caused by usage of new technologies which made search, evaluation and payment of the hotel rooms easier than ever.
  • After comparing the two groups of hotels, from which one was using desktop PMS and other group cloud- based PMS, the results of the research were derived and presented. In conclusion of the paper, challenges with which the hotels are facing and which affect their decision of starting to use cloud- based technology as well as recommendation for future work will be discussed.
  • As stated by the Sharif (2010), cloud computing is the latest technology that is being introduced by the IT industry as the next (potential) revolution to change how the internet and information systems operate. The term “cloud” was probably inspired by IT text books’ illustrations which depicted remote environments (the Internet) as cloud images in order to conceal the complexity that lies behind them (Sultan,2010).
  • The goal of a new computing world is to develop software for millions to consume by easily accessing it over a network. Cloud service providers are making profit by charging consumers for accessing these services.
  • Products offered via this mode include the remote delivery (through the Internet) of a full computer infrastructure (e.g., virtual computers, servers, storage devices, etc.); the building blocks of an IT enterprise.
  • Services provided in this category include CPU processing on demand, virtual Web hosting, and storage on demand. The most notable vendors are Amazon’s EC2, GoGrid’s Cloud Servers, and Joyent.
  • With cloud computing, services and applications that were managed locally in the past requiring hardware, operating systems, web servers, as well as teams of network, database and system management experts are now provided remotely by cloud providers under this layer.
  • Cloud computing services can be adopted by firms in three different forms (Goscinski and Brock, 2010):
  • Public clouds - online applications that are open to everyone for free, such as Google
  • Private clouds - involves firms deploying key enabling technologies, such as virtualization and multi-tenant applications, to create their own private cloud database
  • Hybrid clouds - mix of the previous two types that are emerging with the intention of providing clients with a level of “control” over their resources
  • The cloud offers enterprises the option of scalability without the financial commitments required for infrastructure purchase and maintenance.
  • Reallocating information management operational activities to the cloud offers businesses a unique opportunity to focus efforts on innovation and research and development. This allows for business and product growth and may be even more beneficial than the financial advantages offered by the cloud.
  • These investments and efforts for a new technology to be presented open a new progress circle of technology advancements and it continues in the same way.
  • When creating software or an application for a hotel, IT personnel have to possess a certain level of flexibility, openness and creativity. On the other hand, hotel employees are expected to have more insightful and openminded approach towards new ways of performing business operations, sometimes take risks and have experiences with using different programs and applications.
  • A hotel's PMS can gather and keep valuable information about hotel guests by incorporating business intelligence tools which help hoteliers organize and make sense of the gathered data. Regardless of whether room reservations come from Online Travel Agency, Global Distribution Systems or by telephone, all of them are gathered, stored and managed in the PMS.
  • low investment costs were main reason for hotels from Group B to decide in favor of cloud based version.
  • Business intelligence options provide hoteliers with a threedimensional view of guest data, which allows easily statistical reporting and increased hotel management efficiency.
  • The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in practical usage of the two types of PMS systems – cloud based and classical (desktop) ones.
  • On the question about the reasons for using the current PMS type in hotels, answers of Group A were based on usage of their current PMS for years and on the fact that employees in all hotel departments were used to work on it. As time passed by, hotels upgraded their system to new versions for several times and additional customization was implemented with regard to hotel preferences.
  • Hotels from Group B were consisted of relatively new boutique hotels that operate for more than a year and from those that were not using any kind of PMS solution (they were using Excel tables and creating reservation records manually). The reason why hotels from this group wanted to use cloud PMS was a desire to try the latest technology used in hospitality industry.
  • Other reasons for using it were: PMS could be reached from any place where Internet connection is available, simple but effective design with lots of visual solutions, more options to enter the important information and the fact that it is working not only on any PC but also on any mobile device due to its mobile applications.
  • Simplicity of the cloud based property management system allows it to be productive. Cloud based PMS's can operate on any advice that has a web browser and the companies are putting their efforts to make it even more friendly on smaller devices like tablets and smart phones.
  • The similar amount of initial investments were confirmed by the Group A. Being considered as great amount of money for newly opened and small sized hotels to invest, management decided to try out the cloud version which allows access to this system based on monthly subscription with very little or no investment cost, depending on the solution provider.
  • After initial investments in the system implementation, hardware, software and training of employees, every year hotel makes a one-year-based contract for additional support services and, if needed, extra training. Support is provided any time a hotel reports an issue or malfunction by directly connecting to hotel's computer through remote programs.
  • Changes are made either for each hotel at a time, or after releasing new version, when provider try to convince all the current users to upgrade to it. Upgrade is provided by the extra charge, so these costs should be also considered during planning investments in classical PMS.
  • Regardless of which type of system they used, all participants were very careful about and interested in the matter of data security.
  • However, it is totally different situation with cloud based system, which is mainly open system where all authorized users and providers from outside have access to. Of course, it is up to hotel management to whom the authorization rights will be given and being an open system it makes support, development and innovation activities much easier. Cloud based PMS are hosted on some of the world's best known servers so there is no need for additional computers to be used as servers.
  • Although there are some great differences in functions and way of managing regarding classical and cloud based system, both have their advantages from which hotels do not want to give up.
  • One of the biggest advantages of cloud based PMS for the Group B is the fact that this system can be directly integrated with hotel online booking engine. This is considered as a great advantage for the hotels that besides having functional web site, wish to maximize use of its online booking engine, receive more online reservations directly from the guests and gain more profit.
  • Such a functional connection between hotel’s PMS and online reservation system allow hotels to have a social media integration as well. This means that hotels are able to receive online reservation through their Facebook page as well as receive direct links to its page from the biggest review sites such as TripAdvior.com.
  • In this paper two different approaches and perspectives on usage of cloud based and classical hotel management systems were exposed. Hotels from Group B have shown a tendency for usage of new technologies and readiness to adopt and continuously learn about them.
  • Among factors, affecting why hotel prefers one system over another, are type and size of hotel, through which channels are guest reservations coming, previous experience with IT stuff and different programs, etc.
  • Cloud based program can help them in order to update prices and room availability information to hotel's booking engine. This prevents overbooking, provides easily management of CRM functions and information, with no first investment costs or extra expenses which results in revenue increase.
  • Hotels that use classical PMS pay a great attention to the security issue because they do not want to risk opening their hotel for external intervention. In recent years we can find in media lots of evidence of information linkage from system that had much higher security measures than an average hotel.
  • Measuring the performance of cloud-provided services is another challenge for the hotel management, primarily due to the lack of measurement standards.
  • While investigating the previous knowledge about the other system solutions, hotels in Group A have claimed lack of information about the cloud technology and its solutions.
  • Even though IT stuff in these hotels has some basic knowledge about it, it is still not enough to convince the other managers about its benefits. Therefore it may be concluded that, besides trying to overcome the above mentioned challenges, developers of cloud based solutions to hotels should also work hard on training the potential clients about the positive aspects and correct usage of cloud technologies.
  • Lack of measurement standards for cloud-provided services in general as well as for hotels is another important limitation due to which qualitative research was conducted. Authors’ recommendation is that academicians should focus more on topics of cloud computing, cloud solutions for other business operations and on defining measurements standards for cloud services.
  • marble_bird on 09 Jul 20
     
    This article, published in 2015, covers a study performed in Turkey to analyze factors in hotels that lead management to prefer desktop-based PMS over cloud-based PMS or vice versa. The study uses qualitative research to determine the reasons for the usage of PMS and the advantages and disadvantage of either system. The study found that, among others, significant factors that contribute to the form of PMS implemented by mangement may include the size of the property, reservation channels, and prior level of IT experience.
nbakir

New Study Reveals Technology Investment Priorities for Hotels - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4095301.html

hospitality technology hotel

shared by nbakir on 05 Feb 20 - No Cached
  • Chain hotels 77% more likely to increase technology investments, while independent counterparts prioritize room renovation
  • Reliance on technology is becoming increasingly important in the lodging industry as hotels begin to recognize how they can gain key competitive advantage with strategic technology investments.
  • cost continues to be the key barrier with technology adoption for many hoteliers
  • ...24 more annotations...
  • technology investment decisions are based on affordability and value.
  • more than half of the chain hotels prioritize technology that seamlessly integrates with their existing systems.
  • small independent hotels surveyed, 1 in 4 cited complexity as their biggest challenge when adopting technology, with 1 in 3 saying ease of use is a priority when evaluating solutions.
    • Angelica Saez
      Angelica Saez on 07 Jul 20
       
      Technology in the hospitality industry is very important. Technology is always used in the hospitality industry and it is evolving more everyday.
  • The study polled 1,215 global hotelier participants in July 2019 for a choice based study to determine how hotel properties are prioritizing their technology investment spend.
  • Partner Central Mobile App improvements
  • New "Rooms and Rates" overview page
  • New "Marketing" overview page
  • New adaptive home page
  • Multi property portfolio dashboard
  • According to a new survey of more than 1,200 hoteliers by Expedia Group, the world's travel platform, chain hotels1 are nearly twice as likely as small independent properties2 to prioritize technology investment. Alternatively, small independent properties are 1.5 times as likely as chain hotels to prioritize room renovations - indicating a gap in technology investment strategies among different hotelier segments.
  • 54% of hotels plan to increase their technology budgets for 2019, while only 8% plan to decrease.
  • Expedia Group is making enhancements to its platform so partners not only have the right resources whenever and wherever they need it, these solutions are delivered through intuitive and easy to use tools.
  • Chain hotels are classified as properties self-selected as part of a chain affiliation or group of properties with more than 100 rooms, while small independent properties are classified as properties with no chain affiliation and 100 rooms or less.
  • with nearly half of the small independent hotels surveyed i
  • chain hotels place significant investments in technology
  • nvest in how best to serve all our partners
  • prioritize with easy to use filters.
  • the simplified view streamlines information
  • new page reduces the number of links
  • managing rooms and rates easier with modified calendar navigation
  • view inventory and availability and make real time updates to reduce errors
  • he page brings the top five countries with the greatest booking opportunity
  • This personalised experience that enable suppliers to identify certain time-sensitive tasks they should take to accelerate booking potential on Expedia Group's marketplace.
  • msbode on 05 Feb 20
     
    This article summarizes the findings taken from research done within the Expedia Group's global hotelier panel consisting of 1,215 hotelier participants that used a choice-based study to compare technology investments between defined hotel chains and small independent hotels. In summary, chain hotels were likely to invest twice as much in technology when compared to small independent hotels. Conversely, small independent hotels were likely to invest more in rooms reservations than chain hotels. The I.T investment strategy varied among the two hotel segments. Small independent hotels choose technology based on affordability, value, and complexity of technology, whereas chain hotels bought technology based on its ability to integrate into their existing systems, the price was not mentioned.
  • ...4 more comments...
  • hectorpachon on 10 Mar 20
     
    I think the biggest reason for the percentage of small hotels to not be thinking (as much as big hotel chains) for technological improvement is ROI. The small hotel chains mindset is to improve their rooms because they are going to give them faster results on the ROI than being edgy on technological advancements. While on the long run, big chains know that they are competing against other big brands to stay ahead on their technological improvements for their guests Even though the difference from big chains to small chains percentage in regards to "planning on increasing budgets on technological improvements for the hotels" is twice as much as small chains plans to increase budgets on "room improvement" which is 1.5. Hector Pachon
  • edagt001 on 17 Mar 20
     
    This article is about chain hotels 77% more likely to increase technology investments, while independent counterparts prioritize room renovation.
  • patrick021 on 08 Jul 20
     
    Technology investment is likely to increase at about 77% in large chains properties. Many properties are investing based on affordability and pertaining to their budgets. Some of them are relying more on their existing systems to integrate with the newer to remain cost efficient. Large hotel groups such as Expedia is taking large risks and movement into investing with properties of small and large chains to help grow the industry along with the development of I.T investments.
  • zihanwang on 30 Jul 20
     
    Reliance on technology is becoming increasingly important in the lodging industry as hotels begin to recognize how they can gain key competitive advantage with strategic technology investments. The study polled 1,215 global hotelier participants in July 2019 for a choice based study to determine how hotel properties are prioritizing their technology investment spend.
  • jasdhami95 on 28 Sep 20
     
    My opinion on this article surrounds my personal experience in the way I have been able to experience third party extranet portals and because of these enhancements that Expedia has developed for hotel partners, I have seen a tremendous amount of return on investment that goes into technology development. Many consumers have been influenced by these third party sites because they offer a type of experience that is different from traditional booking methods and often times consumers are able to snag cheaper rates than they would with booking hotel direct. I would like to see how this trend goes on in future years because I have seen more third party bookings in recent months and it should follow that trend for years to come.
  • nbakir on 21 Oct 20
     
    The article focuses on applying technology in the hospitality industry, based on the study conducted by Expedia Group (Big Think). The article summarized the research study conducted on 1215 hoteliers worldwide, assessing the focus and prioritization of technology investments by these businesses. The study provides that Chain of hotels are twice as likely to invest in technology than SME in the hospitality industries, with these SMEs being 1.5 times more likely to invest in renovations. In the year 2019, approximately 54% of hotels focused on increasing their technology investments, with only 8% focusing on reducing the same. This provided that more hoteliers were willing to "stay ahead of the curve" than those that focused on adopting the "wait and see" approach. In this respect, hoteliers identified that their main technology investments were influenced by the value and affordability of the same and the capacity to integrate them with existing technologies. On the other hand, the main challenges associated with the technologies were complexity, affecting 25% of the respondents, and ease of use, affecting 33.33% of the respondents (Big Think). In focusing on technological advancement, the Expedia Group focused on technological elements such as Partner Central Mobile Application improvements, new "rooms and rate," page improvements, new "marketing" improved pages, new homepages adaptive, as well as multiple-property portfolio dashboards. With regard to the market perspective, digital marketing/website optimization, smart room, reputation management, revenue management, guest check-ins, and payment solutions were the main technological focuses for the hoteliers. Focusing on the reasons hoteliers were motivated to invest in technology, the study established that improving productivity, improving loyalty and repeat visits, improving guest experiences and reviews, reducing costs, and improving revenue generation topped the list.  
Xu Wang

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

www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm

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

Six Technology Trends Revolutionising The Hospitality Industry | By Calum McIndoe - 1 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4060662.html

technology trends hospitality industry

shared by jazminesnyder on 10 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • Firstly, upfront investment is lower with the cloud as there are no initial hardware costs or associated expenses such as full time, in-house IT staff to maintain the system. Secondly, hotels like the idea of taking the headache and distractions of IT off their site, leaving them free to focus on the day-to-day business of looking after their guests.
  • tablets and smartphones revolutionise the way we interact with technology.
  • City Nites accesses its hotel management system on Apple iPads to eliminate old-fashioned, manual registration desk processes. This enables hotel team members to 'meet and greet' their guests at any location, improving the personalisation of the check-in experience and reducing the costs associated with static reception desks and all their technology at each location.
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • The online reputation of a property is business critical. It does not however, stand alone as a marketing department concern, but relates directly to daily operations.
  • the technology systems in use - especially those in large chains - must account for the global perspective.
  • Integrating these systems can provide more comprehensive management information, faster reporting and a truly comprehensive view of profitability.
  • Elsewhere, integration offers the possibility of being able to "revenue manage" the guest across all areas of their stay: this requires transaction level interfaces but need not be complex to use. Critically it aligns the marketing -based personalised offering with the financial outcome of the revenue secured.
  • Customers expect their experience within a hotel to be totally personalised to them:
  • However, the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • However, the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • However, the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • All of these trends have already brought about a profound change in the hospitality industry - and they will continue to disrupt and redefine operations. From the back office to front of house, from the hotel to the corporate office, the technology that underpins these changes will deliver a sharp competitive edge at all levels.
  • All of these trends have already brought about a profound change in the hospitality industry - and they will continue to disrupt and redefine operations. From the back office to front of house, from the hotel to the corporate office, the technology that underpins these changes will deliver a sharp competitive edge at all levels.
  • However, the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • However, the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • the savings and improvements that technology can deliver mean that managers and directors really need to keep one eye on these six trends.
  • All of these trends have already brought about a profound change in the hospitality industry - and they will continue to disrupt and redefine operations. From the back office to front of house, from the hotel to the corporate office, the technology that underpins these changes will deliver a sharp competitive edge at all levels.
  • around 85% of the queries we see from hospitality companies and hotels include a serious look at cloud computing.
  • The sum total of these drivers is that cloud technology is no passing fad: for the hospitality sector it is the new norm.
  • the low capital expenditure investment for mobile hardware and much reduced software costs mean that mobile is a viable option for small independent properties, looking to develop customer service as a competitive edge.
  • As such, social media monitoring MUST be interfaced with the hotel management systems so that swift, appropriate action can be taken.
  • it is embedding the process of capturing guest preferences and proactively using that data.
  • ypere044 on 10 Jun 14
     
    This article gives us a glance at six different technological trends being used and "revolutionizing" the hospitality industry. The six trends are cloud/software services, mobility, social media, personalized systems, integration, and globalization. The trends are all seen across the board in hospitality nowadays and are making huge changes in the industry. We have been talking about cloud computing and the pros and cons of using a cloud to store information and even with all the controversy, companies are investing and using the cloud. The use of tablets and smartphones has changed the way we interact with technology and the hospitality field is not staying behind. They are developing mobile sites and apps to help customers look at pictures and reviews about a place, check in and check out or make other arrangements. Social media is also revolutionizing hospitality by creating a reputation for businesses whether they be positive or negative. People can freely post about whether they enjoyed their stay at a certain hotel and helps build the online reputation of the company. In addition, more and more companies are looking to become more personalized experience. When I think about this part, I think mostly of the new systems rolling out at Disney World that scream personalization, guests can select their Fastpasses ahead of time, can use MagicBands to purchase things, get into their hotel, get into the park as well as to utilize the Fastpass system and every time a MagicBand is scanned at a touchpoint, the cast members know the person's name and whether they are celebrating something. With integration, customers and staff can access information from different departments all on one system and with globalization companies are trying to use systems that are global and used worldwide. 
  • ...1 more comment...
  • haelidenton on 30 Aug 14
     
    As technology continues to grow, it's hard for hotels to keep up. But, there are six trends that could be very beneficial to hotels. The first being the Cloud/Software as a Service. If hotels begin to use a cloud based hotel management system, it would reduce cost of ownership by minimizing property hardware. As well as take the burden of maintaining the system off IT. Another trend that is growing is using mobile devices, such as tablets, to interact. Some hotels have recently decided to use Apple iPad's at the registration desk. This is an idea that needs to grow in the hospitality industry, because it increases the personalization of the check-in experience and reduces costs involving technology at the reception desk. Social media has a huge impact on the hospitality industry. There are reviews, referrals, and other types of communication about hotels on every type of social media. It is crucial that hotel management monitors and addresses every type of social media, in order to respond appropriately and take action. Being able to integrate the operating systems of all the amenities of a hotel (accommodation, event catering, the spa, etc.) is another tool that would be beneficial to the hospitality industry. This would provide better management information, faster reporting, and will allow management to view profitability. Last but not least, the last major trend the hospitality industry needs is globalization. As international travel, trade, and business grows, hotel companies will need to create different management tools in order to survive. International links are important for the hotel industry. Which means technology systems, need to be global.
  • ravicka on 15 Jan 15
     
    Technological developments continue to have a great effect on all aspects of our lives, the hospitality industry not being an exception. Calum McIndoe in his article "Six Technology Trends Revolutionising the hospitality industry" outlines areas of technology that managers within the industry need to take advantage of. Cloud technology, though this concept is fairly new it can provide great financial benefits to companies as it cuts cost greatly due to the fact that it eliminates the heavy hardware requirements traditional technology offered. Mobility, the fact that portable devices can add a competitive edge to the service offered. Think traditional services being provided on the go away from a fixed station. Social; the popularity of social networking sites have changed the face of hospitality and tourism marketing completely. Properties are now forced to monitor social networking sites to learn about customer demands and to also learn about the image their company has out there and how they can improve it. According to Mr. "for any hotel to not at least monitor social medis is tantamount to willingly flying blind." Personalized systems; value for customers within this industry has to do greatly with the personal touch added to the service delivered. These merged systems allows properites to use data to ensure that guest needs are met. Integration; the joining of isolated systems used in all areas of operations on the property. The use of integrated systems allows for the pulling of data from the different departments thus ensuring proper management of services delivered and revenue management. Globalisation; It is important that hospitality companies adapt to changes and trends brought about by globalisation. Whether the current global outlook is taken into consideration when considering how a company operates can greatly impact the final product.
  • jazminesnyder on 26 Aug 15
     
    ((NOTE: The author already highlighted the article in yellow when I found it, my personal highlighting is in PINK. Sections 5 and 6 are not highlighted in pink because I agree with the parts that the author highlighted yellow in those sections; Diigo toolbar will not let you highlight over something that has already been highlighted.)) This article mainly focuses on the technological changes in the hotel industry in pertinence with storing hotel information versus the traditional method(s) used by hotels that involved little to no technology at all. The article lists six different points or examples and states that businesses, especially small or upcoming businesses, need to follow by these six trends. The part of the article that stood out to me the most when reflecting on the lectures and power points for this week is the first trend. The first trend speaks about a "cloud" software (which I am not really familiar with so excuse me if my explanation is not 100% sound) and announces that "around 85% of the queries we see from hospitality companies and hotels include a serious look at cloud computing". The author lists a few reasons why such a high percentage of hotels are doing it this way. He basically says that you do not need special staff or special training to maintain the system; the system maintains itself so you can have more time to focus on your guests and trends in their patterns. Also, as far as the cost is concerned, "upfront investment is lower with the cloud as there are no initial hardware costs or associated expense…". Even though I am not very familiar with this service just yet, I like the idea of freeing up employee time to go and interact more with the customers; attending to the customers' needs is the most important thing in my eyes. The article goes on to list mobility, social media, personalized systems, integration, and globalization as all equally important parts to this revolution of technology pertaining to the hospitality industr
Hanlu Hu

E-Commerce for the Hospitality Industry | The Moscow Times - 6 views

www.themoscowtimes.com/...449373.html

technology

shared by Hanlu Hu on 30 May 12 - No Cached
  • E-commerce has been defined as "the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the Internet."
  • Accelerating Internet usage worldwide The Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel Most travelers research hotel reservations on the Internet Social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor The web is the preferred media source for travel information, favored 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines.
  • Adding real time search functionality to your site, capability to generate user reviews, launching contests helps to build fresh content and quality links
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • Heavy graphics, animation and flash demos cause your site to perform slowly. Sites that are built keeping these guidelines in mind will deliver better user experiences, will perform better on search engines, and ultimately drive higher ROI.
  • As things stand now, mobile queries represent about 10% of all queries made on Google. People are using mobile devices to conduct searches, as well as share content, connect with friends and browse the web
  • Embracing social media. 93 percent of social media users expect companies to have a social presence. 85 percent of social media users want companies to interact with them on social sites. A well-planned social initiative can turn fans into brand evangelists.
  • The Internet has consolidated itself as a very powerful platform that has changed the way we communicate, and the way we do business.
  • The growing importance of e-commerce in the modern hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple solutions to manage companies' online presence. Now that each hotel is involved in e-commerce, why is hotel e-commerce so important today?
  • We forget that the human brain can only consume limited information. It is important to take a holistic approach and prioritize information. Good web site architecture and organized content improves site usability and its efficiency when used with search engines.
    • yan xie
      yan xie on 03 Jun 12
       
      It is true that we always forge how many information the human brain will take at once. Although the e-commerce is the good way for customers to know the new products and new service from the hotels, sometimes the hotels provide so much information to customers. It lets customers confused and does not know what the specifice products can meet their requirements. And sometimes, they feel some hard to understand your service so that they give up hotels service or new products to choose the one they are familiar. So how to make e-commerce usability and efficiency is a new point, which the hospitality industry company need to consider.
  • make sure your ad groups are made up of tightly knit keyword themes and that those keywords are reflected in your ad copy; ensure that your landing pages clearly reflect the offer promoted in the ad copy and includes clear calls to action and conversion factors.
    • yan xie
      yan xie on 03 Jun 12
       
      As the point two mentioned, the customers cannot get so many information at once, and they also cannot search lots of information at once. So the keyword themes is also another important thing for company to do the promotion and ads. This ads need to have the keywords to clearly reflect the offer promoted for customers. In this way, the customers will catch the information as possible as they can.
  • Top e-commerce sites are continually testing new things. It's the only way to achieve continual improvement.
    • yan xie
      yan xie on 03 Jun 12
       
      To do the continually testing new things is always a best development way for the developing company. If the company cannot test the new things in their e-commerce sites and e-commerce process, the e-commerce of this company will be far away from other companies. Company need to have the innovation to make some new things for their e-commerce and do the test all the time to select the best way for the business and customers' expericence.
  • hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies
  • Gerardo Collado on 30 May 12
     
    The hospitality industry along with the resourcefulness of the Internet has allowed the Russian hospitality industry to benefit and grow with the technology of e-commerce. E-commerce is defined as "the buying and selling of products and service by businesses and consumers over the Internet". This technology is significant due to its beneficial factors of lowering costs, accessibility, decision-making, and media exposure. As well, the article provides for methods and advice regards effective strategies to utilize the Internet. Primarily, the speed of the website's functionality is essential, along with providing compatibility of browsers, thus, allowing for a better experience for users. The information in the website should be efficient, allowing for real time search whether using a mobile phone or a computer. It was informative to read the multiple functionality, that social media is playing in the hospitality industry regards the exposure and marketability. E-commerce has change the market of goods and services, from a tangible experience to digital experience, through the use of online shopping estimated at $228 Billion in 2010, a third derived from the purchase of travel and flight websites, thus, demonstrating the importance of the Internet in relation to consumerism.
  • ...7 more comments...
  • Avril Emmanuel on 01 Jun 12
     
    This article talks about why hotel E-commerce is essential today and how to go about having E-commerce work for your business/hotel. The article says, "The internet has consolidated itself as a very powerful platform that has changed he way we communicate, and the way we do business." This is the reason why businesses need to utilize the internet. According to the article these are the reasons that hotel e-commerce is important today: the internet is being used worldwide, the internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking medium, the internet is used, by travelers, to research hotels and their reservations, the internet is the home of social media and hotel reviews and the internet is preferred 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines for travel information. It would be at a hotel's detriment if they do not utilize the internet and e-commerce. It isn't enough to use e-commerce for business but there must be an upkeep. It is extremely beneficial to research or monitor how customers and potential consumers are seeking information and what attracts them to a site. According to the article, e-commerce strategies that would 'help get the best from the internet world' are: 1. Search-friendly website design 2. Improving Conversion and Usability 3. Paid Search 4. Real time Search 5. Mobile Device Market 6. Social Media 7. Testing
  • yan xie on 03 Jun 12
     
    This article mentioned why the ecommerce important for the hospitality industry. And also there are more things they hospitality industry companies need to know. Although the e-commerce is the good way for customers to know the new products and new service from the hotels, sometimes the hotels provide so much information to customers. It lets customers confused and does not know what the specific products can meet their requirements. And sometimes, they feel some hard to understand your service so that they give up hotels service or new products to choose the one they are familiar. So how to make e-commerce usability and efficiency is a new point, which the hospitality industry company need to consider. As the point two mentioned, the customers cannot get so many information at once, and they cannot search lots of information at once. So the keyword themes is also another important thing for company to do the promotion and ads. This ads need to have the keywords to clearly reflect the offer promoted for customers. In this way, the customers will catch the information as possible as they can. It is true that we always forge how many information the human brain will take at once. To do the continually testing new things is always a best development way for the developing company. If the company cannot test the new things in their e-commerce sites and e-commerce process, the e-commerce of this company will be far away from other companies. Company need to have the innovation to make some new things for their e-commerce and do the test all the time to select the best way for the business and customers' experience.
  • xiyu wang on 16 Sep 12
     
    This article discusses about the application of e-commerce in hospitality industry. Internet has become a very powerful tool for customers when they are planing their travels. As the same time, it has become an important media for hotelierss to improve their businesses. Internet can provider a lot of online sources to customers when they make any dicisions. And how to make your web site become more competitive and attract more customers is the topic of this article. First of all, a good design for the web site is the most important thing for hotelierss. And the download speed is the basic factor. Quick download speed brings a good experience to users, and improves the ranking in organic search. Secondly, improving usability needs to be focused on by hotelierss. Large imformation may not be took in by users. You need to make your customers seethe most important information first. In other word, you need to prioritize your web site and make the imformation more understood. Paid search and real time search are also focused on by the author. Sometimes, paid search can make your hotel more compelling on the search engine. And some tips have been given in this articel to help the hotelierss to maximize conversions. Real time search is similar with paid search, and it needs compelling fresh content and quality incoming links on the web site. Maps, photo galleries, videos and press releases are creative ways to distrivute content on different channels. With more mobiles customers using, mobile represent about 10% of all queries make on Google. Hotels can exand the mobile market and improve the download speed of their site by avoid heavy graphics and flash, making their site is mobile compatible. Social media is in the same condition with mobile. Customers need more connections on social sites, so they want companies to interact with them through the social media. The last point is testing. Every new thing needs a lot of tests. It can provides changes and improvement for
  • Gaby Belardo on 16 Sep 12
     
    The article discusses power of internet and how different it is from magazine and television ads. "In terms of time your travel websites are available for are accessible for a longer period of time, the flexibility that the content can be changed without asking someone,if you have a content management system." Also travel websites will help your business potentially reach a wider audience. Another big advantage of having a travel website is it's availability even when your business is closed or no one is available to answer your phone. Everyone knows that there are so many time zones, and the visitors can come from any part of the world. So having a travel websites gives your travel business visibility for all 365 days of year 24x7.
  • Xiameng Zheng on 30 Jan 13
     
    In hospitality industry, customers are constantly seeking new sources of information to help them make decisions before purchasing services. E-commerce in hospitality industry is about the online buying and selling services. And it's become such an important source for the company and customer. Hospitality businesses are all involved in the trend. Smart hoteliers need to keep a sharp focus on the fundamental shift in ways customers are seeking information and channels that drive maximum return on investment. This article listed several basic e-commerce strategies that will help hoteliers to get the best from the Internet world.
  • Marcos Oliveira on 31 Jan 13
     
    As new technological advances are being made, the hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies. The term e-commerce has been defined as the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the internet. Now that hotels are involved directly with e-commerce it becomes even more important today because of the accelerating internet usage worldwide,the internet is still the lowest cost channel for booking, many travelers make their travel decisions via the internet. Embracing social media, 93% of social media users expect companies to have a social presence and 85% of social media users want comoanies to interact with them on social sites. A well-planned social iniative can turn fans into brand evangelists. This article dealt mainly with a brief introduction of what e-commerce is in terms of its defining and what it means to the hospitality industry. With more and more people utilizing the internet each day, the potential to have a person book a hotel room greatly increases. Several search engines have advertisements relating to many hotel companies offering specials and customers will see these ads and book. With more technological advances bound to come into play, its only a matter of time before the practice of e-commerce is taken to another level.
  • Ling Xiang on 31 Jan 13
     
    Over the last decade the population of Internet users has increased rapidly. The hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies. E-commerce has been defined as "the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the Internet." With hotel e-commerce, the landscape of the hospitality industry is forever changed. Online sales are an important part of the business. The growing importance of e-commerce in the modern hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple solutions to manage companies' online presence. Now that each hotel is involved in e-commerce, reasons why is hotel e-commerce so important today may because the accelerating internet usage worldwide, the Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel, and social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor.
  • Panpan Xie on 31 Jan 13
     
    E-commerce has become more and more important in our daily life, because many customers today prefer to use internet to help them make decisions. In hospitality industry, e-commerce also plays an important role, as internet is a very cheap and convenient booking channel and many people use the internet intensively. There are many e-commerce strategies for hoteliers, such as making friendly web site design, embracing social media, etc. As e-commerce has so many advantages, I think e-commerce is an opportunity for hoteliers to grasp. It is important for hoteliers to use different strategies to get the best from the internet world.
  • Hanlu Hu on 02 Feb 13
     
        This article introduced the function of ecommerce and the ecommerce effect for the hospitality industry. The author listed some important reasons about why hotel ecommerce is so important:1)Accelerating Internet usage worldwide.2)The Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel. 3) Most travelers research hotel reservations on the Internet. 4)Social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor. 5) The web is the preferred media source for travel information, favored 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines. This article also listed some basic e-commerce strategies that will help hoteliers to take advantage of ecommerce from the Internet world. 1) Search-friendly web site design.2) Improve conversion and usability 3) Paid search. 4) Real time search - natural ranking.5) Mobile.6) Embracing social media. 7) Test, test, test. Top e-commerce sites are continually testing new things.      In a summary, the author suggest smart hoteliers need to keep a sharp focus on the fundamental shift in ways customers are seeking information and channels that drive maximum return on investment. Moreover, hoteliers have to constantly learn and look for ways to harness the power of new developments and trends.
Jing Huang

Property Management System- The Future of Hotel Industry - Tourism and Hospitality - Zi... - 1 views

www.zimbio.com/...t+System+Future+Hotel+Industry

property management

shared by Jing Huang on 12 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • They work completely on the web and are based on the cloud.
  • It is the age of the Internet, the age when many businesses solely run on the Internet. From marketing to reaching new people, there is a lot that can be done with the help of this medium.
  • one of the major boons of Internet on the hotel industry has been the web based property management systems. Unlike previous applications which would burn a hole on the pockets, these online hotel software are user-friendly and do not need any additional hardware or software expenses. They work completely on the web and are based on the cloud.
    • Juan Du
      Juan Du on 14 Feb 13
       
      "Property Management System" play an important role in Hospitality management. Because the Internet plays a major role in improving the sales and customer relationship. The hotel need collect data to analyze the market and make the market plan. Property management system have a lot advantages. It is easy to make a reservation, the system can control the over booking. Use this system can keeping a check on the add-on services. Also PMS has its own system to operate the whole things. PMS is able to provide some basic function: enable guests to make reservations, enable guests to check-in/register when they arrive and check-out/pay when they leave, enable staff to maintain guest facilities. And it is easy to use, especially for employees.
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • Property Management System- The Future of Hotel Industry
  • Property Management System- The Future of Hotel Industry
  • Property Management System- The Future of Hotel Industry
  • It is the age of the Internet, the age when many businesses solely run on the Internet. From marketing to reaching new people, there is a lot that can be done with the help of this medium
  • Central Reservation System: One of the greatest advantages of using an online hotel software is that you do not have any more headaches about reservations.
  •   Numerous Point of Sale: Keeping a check on the add-on services your hotel provides can easily be done with the help of the numerous points of sales.
  • Sales and Marketing Console: To help popularize your hotel and make it known to people from across the globe, many PMSs have a dedicated sales and marketing console.
  • Travel Agents and Corporate Clients:It is also important that you properly deal with travel agents and corporate clients as they play a very important role in bringing in more guests to the hotel.
  • Connected to 1000s of Travel Portals: These property management systems  help you get connected to many travel portals like Travelocity, Tripadvisor and Expedia helping you reach more people. 
  • Karl Koenitzer on 12 Sep 12
     
    This article particularly caught my attention because it points out the major advantages of web-based PMS, but it does not mention the risk of transfering such sensitive guest information over the unsecure and unregulated Internet. Surely there are great cost-related and operational advantages to web-based PMS and that alone often motivates hotels to upgrade in that general direction. Afterall, the reason why the hotel is operated is to generate revenues. However, is risking the identity of thousands of your guests worth the money you will save? That is what this article does not cover. As the title points out, web-based PMS is the future of the industry, but securing the identity of the biggest drivers behind all revenue for your hotel is arguably more important. Is the risk worth the reward? I believe the Internet needs to become a more secure highway of information before the industry can fully embrace this new technological advancement. My thoughts on considering an upgrade to web based PMS: Research and proceed with caution.
  • ...5 more comments...
  • Jenan Williams on 13 Sep 12
     
    Karl- Valid point in saying is the "risk worth the reward", with all the viruses, glitches and hackers sensative information floating around in cyber world ready to be attacked and stolen. I feel its up to the cloud computing companies to set the security parameters to run their systems and for the industry to enforce them, so that we can embrace the growth of technology in hospitality.
  • jie shen on 25 Sep 12
     
    This article shows a lot of advantages of using online hotel software. Better Reservation system can be found on a cloud based PMS. More factors of hotel can come out to be a famous feature when they all come online. Much easier for a hotel to deal with travel agents and corporate clients when they using a cloud-based PMS.  The cloud-base PMS can bring the hotel to more travel portals which will lead to more clients. 
  • Mikaela Vourtsis on 12 Feb 13
     
    This article focuses on the numerous advantages of a Property Management System. It summarizes the fact that it makes a business more proficient and how a company can save by not spending money on additional software or hardware expenses. The main benefits that this article gives attention to is the fact that it assists in the reservation process and point of sale process, helps market and target the correct people, positivity deals with travel agents, and connects to several travel portals. All in all, a Property Management System is a great tool and advantage in the hospitality industry because it facilitates in all operations and helps companies with daily challenges.
  • Patty Ferrer on 12 Feb 13
     
    The hotel industry is crossing over to web based PMS and this article states that because it works off a cloud its less headaches and more user friendly. There are many reasons why a web based PMS can be beneficial and why the hotel industry is swithcing over. It can be used for multiple properties and reduce double booking. Another great feature is you can have numerous points of sales and it all interconnects. This is the future of our industry.
  • Juan Du on 14 Feb 13
     
    "Property Management System" play an important role in Hospitality management. Because the Internet plays a major role in improving the sales and customer relationship. The hotel need collect data to analyze the market and make the market plan. Property management system have a lot advantages. It is easy to make a reservation, the system can control the over booking. Use this system can keeping a check on the add-on services. Also PMS has its own system to operate the whole things. PMS is able to provide some basic function: enable guests to make reservations, enable guests to check-in/register when they arrive and check-out/pay when they leave, enable staff to maintain guest facilities. And it is easy to use, especially for employees.
  • Hanlu Hu on 16 Feb 13
     
    This article indicated the importance of Internet for hotel industry and also assumed that web based property management systems will widely used in future. The author listed some advantages of web based property management system:1) Central Reservation System: One of the greatest advantages of using an online hotel software is that you do not have any more headaches about reservations.2)   Numerous Point of Sale: Keeping a check on the add-on services your hotel provides can easily be done with the help of the numerous points of sales.3) Sales and Marketing Console. With the help of this console, you can access the database of your customers get in touch with them notifying them of special offers and discounts. 4)Travel Agents and Corporate Clients:It is important that you properly deal with travel agents and corporate clients as they play a very important role in bringing in more guests to the hotel.5)   Connected to 1000s of Travel Portals: Web based PMS help you get connected to many travel portals like Travelocity, Tripadvisor and Expedia helping you reach more people. 
  • Jing Huang on 17 Feb 13
     
    t is the age of the Internet, the age when many businesses solely run on the Internet. From marketing to reaching new people, there is a lot that can be done with the help of this medium. The hotel industry too is not insulated from its effect. Almost all kinds of hotels, from inns to bed and breakfasts to resorts, everyone is trying to tap the energies of the Internet and make optimum use of the medium. The Internet plays a major role in improving the sales and customer relationship.
Chris Cardoso

Hotel Telecommunications Strategies - 6 views

www.hotel-online.com/...Mar03_Telecommunications.html

shared by Chris Cardoso on 28 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • No matter what telecommunications strategy a property takes, one thing is for certain, it needs to be a different one from the past.
  • The guest now has a variety of choices for communicating including fax over the Internet, e-mail, cell phones, calling cards and now even Internet-based phones. 
  • Assuming that the wireless reception quality is acceptable, it is very difficult for the hotel to compete on a cost basis.
  • ...18 more annotations...
  • Given the hotel’s advantage in quality over the guest’s portable devices, the proper packaging of services will lure even the most avid self-contained guest back to using the hotel’s telecom services.
  • Hotels are unable to compete on price with devices that the guest has brought with him.  What the hotel can do is offer a better experience at a reasonable price to entice guests to use the hotel’s telecom infrastructure.
  • Attracting the Guests to Use the Hotel’s Telecommunication Services
  • The guest now has a variety of choices for communicating including fax over the Internet, e-mail, cell phones, calling cards and now even Internet-based phones.   All these alternatives offer a less expensive means of communicating than using the traditional hotel guestroom phone and other services such as fax.
  • No matter what telecommunications strategy a property takes, one thing is for certain, it needs to be a different one from the past.
  • The guest now has a variety of choices for communicating including fax over the Internet, e-mail, cell phones, calling cards and now even Internet-based phones.   All these alternatives offer a less expensive means of communicating than using the traditional hotel guestroom phone and other services such as fax
  • No matter what telecommunications strategy a property takes, one thing is for certain, it needs to be a different one from the past.
  • Attracting the Guests to Use the Hotel’s Telecommunication Services   Hotels are unable to compete on price with devices that the guest has brought with him.   What the hotel can do is offer a better experience at a reasonable price to entice guests to use the hotel’s telecom infrastructure. No matter what cell phone the guest may carry or what service provider is used, no wireless connection is as good as a land-line connection
  • Guests had little choice back then but to use the guestroom phone and grumble about the cost.
  • Assuming that the wireless reception quality is acceptable, it is very difficult for the hotel to compete on a cost basis .
  • Assuming that the wireless reception quality is acceptable, it is very difficult for the hotel to compete on a cost basis
  • Another concern among hoteliers is what can be termed the self-contained guest
  • Another concern among hoteliers is what can be termed the self-contained guest
  • Theoretically, the self-contained guest needs no hotel telecommunications services .  
  • Theoretically, the self-contained guest needs no hotel telecommunications services
  • Guests had little choice back then but to use the guestroom phone and grumble about the cost.
  • Hotels are unable to compete on price with devices that the guest has brought with him.   What the hotel can do is offer a better experience at a reasonable price to entice guests to use the hotel’s telecom infrastructure. No matter what cell phone the guest may carry or what service provider is used, no wireless connection is as good as a land-line connection
  • The early 1980s marked the beginning of an era of profitable hotel telephone departments.  The advent of call accounting systems (thanks to deregulation) enabled hoteliers to easily mark up calls to a profitable (some say too profitable) level.  Guests had little choice back then but to use the guestroom phone and grumble about the cost. This era has come to an end.  With few exceptions, most hotels have seen between a 15 percent and 25 percent drop in telephone revenues over the last five years.  The main reason for this decrease is guest choice.  The guest now has a variety of choices for communicating including fax over the Internet, e-mail, cell phones, calling cards and now even Internet-based phones.   All these alternatives offer a less expensive means of communicating than using the traditional hotel guestroom phone and other services such as fax . A fax machine in the guestroom was considered a premium amenity for many years.  With the Internet explosion, however, the machines have seen less use.
  • weiwei lu on 28 Jan 12
     
    No matter what telecommunications strategy a property takes, one thing is for certain, it needs to be a different one from the past. The early 1980s marked the beginning of an era of profitable hotel telephone departments. The advent of call accounting systems (thanks to deregulation) enabled hoteliers to easily mark up calls to a profitable (some say too profitable) level.
  • ...6 more comments...
  • Qianlin Wang on 04 Sep 12
     
    Nowadays, people have many choices for communicating including fax over the Internet, e-mail, cell phones, calling cards and now even Internet-based phones. Hotel guests are restricted by the largest telecommunications service providers from making long distance collect and credit card calls to countries other than their home country. The guest is not able to complete his desired call from the guest room telephone. In addition to frustrated guests, this generates absolutely zero revenue to hotels. What the hotel can do is offer a better experience at a reasonable price to entice guests to use the hotel's telecom infrastructure. The hotel can use some systems to reach this goal, such as the BBG Communications. It can increase revenue for every international operator assisted call. It assumes all responsibility for billing and collection of all calls. It has over 500 multilingual, live operators servicing customers. The most important thing is there is no cost and risk to the hotel, because the BBG assumes all associated cost and responsibility.
  • Shuqiong Huang on 05 Sep 12
     
    This article is talked about hotel telecommunications in the 21st Century. No matter what telecommunications strategy a property takes, one thing is for certain, it needs to be a different one from the past. The early 1980s marked the beginning of an area of profitable hotel telephone department. Few years later, this area has come to an end. The main reason for this decrease is guest choice. Later on, guests have a variety of choices for communicating including fax over the Internet, e-mail, cell-phones, calling cards and even Internet-based phones. All these alternatives offer a less expensive means of communicating than using the traditional hotel guestroom phone. With the time passed by, hotel telecommunications update and improve better and better. Nowadays, High-speed Internet access is fast becoming an expected amenity. This the revolution for hotel telecommunications in the 21st Century.
  • rebecca Bonet on 08 Sep 12
     
    This article that is written by Geoff Grisworld. Talks about how telecommications has changing in the 21st century. One of them being hotel. Hotel takes a big advantage in telecommication because there is always a change in the communication system. That is why hotel have to upgrade their system often. This is why hotelier organizes packaging deal when it comes to communication system from using the phone to HSIA. This is a few system that is always need to be change constantly, so the hotel can offer a better experience at a reasonable price while they are enjoying their stay.
  • Paige Hanna on 09 Sep 12
     
    This article speaks about the growth and development of telecommunication within the hospitality industry in the 21st century. "No matter what telecommunications strategy a property takes, one thing is for certain, it needs to be a different one from the past," the article states. Since the 80s hotels utilized their telephone department to offer a service for a profit. Because there was little to no competition with communication, this was profitable as guest pretty much had no choice but to use the phone service provided at a set cost by the hotel. Today, however, we see a shift in technology now where everyone has communication at their disposal via smart phones, Internet and other communication tools. With this happening, "it is very difficult for the hotel to compete on a cost basis." (Griswold) It also explains how high-speed Internet access (HSIA) is almost seen as an amenity anticipated by the guest and has worked in the hotels' favor. The article goes on to describe the "self-contained guest" that carries a smart phone, small printer, notebook computer and technology of their own which allows them to virtually have no use in the hotel telecommunications services. So what does this article suggest for concerns as such? Hotels are to attract guests to use their telecommunication services. By offering packaged deals at affordable prices, Griswold believes hotels will be able to be the ideal option for telecommunications services. After viewing this article, I realize how hospitality industry workers think about those they serve all the time and should always display it. Even though the hotel is trying to make money by charging for Internet and phone services, they wish to market the service as the best option for the guest. The Internet connection would be faster provided by the hotel over a smart phone is one feature they wish to advertise. This type of mentality is smart yet should be withheld throughout the industry and always show that the
  • Ling Xiang on 24 Jan 13
     
    The early 1980s marked the beginning of an era of profitable hotel telephone departments, because guests had little choice back then but to use the guestroom phone and grumble about the cost. Nowadays, guest has a variety of choices for communicating including fax over the Internet, e-mail, cell phones, calling cards and now even Internet-based phones. All these alternatives offer a less expensive means of communicating than using the traditional hotel guestroom phone and other services such as fax. And high-speed Internet access (HSIA) is fast becoming an expected amenity in 21st century. Today hotels are unable to compete on price with devices that the guest has brought with him. What the hotel can do is offer a better experience at a reasonable price to entice guests to use the hotel's telecom infrastructure.
  • Karin Goodine on 26 Jan 13
     
    This article explains how much are creating incentives for hotel guest in an effort to get them to use the technology that the hotel provides.
  • Yawen Zheng on 26 Jan 13
     
    In modern society hotel need more attrahent thing increase revenue. The traditional way may lose competitiveness, like telephone services. Because almost everybody using personal cell phone and more and more people prefer to use internet to communicate such as email and skype. In my opinion if hotel build some telecommunications use internet such as physical skype phone and provide cheap service that may be attract more people to use that.
  • Chris Cardoso on 15 Sep 13
     
    With the emergence of "self-contained guest," hotel telecommunications departments must change its offerings because old strategies no longer apply. A self-contained guest is one that does not need the traditional amenities hotels would offer for telecommunications, such as fax machines and printers. Guests now look for a fast, free internet connection as an amenity. Some may not even need wifi, because they have a faster mobile service that they use. Even hotel telephones, guests no longer want to use the land line and pay hotel fees to make a call. Cell phones have eliminated that need (even for international calls). So hotels must not stay the same, and must change their strategies for producing revenue from their telecommunications department.
agrie013

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

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

shared by agrie013 on 02 Feb 20 - No Cached
  • The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, and the Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas have relied on Maestro's Multi-Property Cloud PMS for more than five years. How has it worked for them? Jack Moyer, Vice President and General Manager for both properties said, "Our hotels are unique destinations. We run each as a separate independent brand on one Cloud Maestro PMS with one database.
  • One big Cloud benefit is that Maestro hosts our system so we don't have to worry about servers, backups, or system maintenance." Moyer said another Cloud benefit is that he can operate his two hotels as one business with one call center, one sales office, and one accounting office without complex infrastructure. "Managing both properties in the Cloud simplifies our entire operation. Maestro Multi-Property Cloud PMS is a powerful system with excellent support." But the Cloud will not be right for every operator.
  • "Our company provides a flexible PMS with a browser user interface option that runs on a property's on-premise network. This option simplifies infrastructure needs for an on-premise system and gives you the best of both worlds without compromising PMS features." Dehan noted that Maestro is also available as an on-premise Windows-based solution. Maestro PMS offers a sophisticated feature-equivalent browser-based cloud solution. "Maestro is Maestro, with the full complement of features and capabilities, whether a hotel is using it on-premise or in our hosted cloud."
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • The Canadian Rockies of Alberta Canada may not have the same high-speed internet reliability as other areas. "Banff Lodging Company uses Maestro's multi-property centralized on-premise single-image database system.
  • Maestro's networked single-image database lets us recognize guests at any property whether they are with a group or on vacation, and deliver personalized service when they return.
  • We are on 723 acres with six separate lodging buildings, each with its own amenities," said Dace Starkweather, General Manager of Glen Eyrie Castle & Conference Center. "Most of our guests are repeat visitors with specific requirements. We wanted a Cloud system based on the latest technology that would make it easy to provide the highest level of guest service and create the most efficient operation. We selected the Maestro Web PMS Cloud Hosted Solution."
  • "Maestro Web PMS was better for us than an on-premise system. It reduced our overall IT requirements and ensured that all data was securely managed and backed up in the Cloud by a proven system company."
  • agrie013 on 02 Feb 20
     
    This article is a perfect example of a cloud based PMS company also offering an onsite solution for locations that might not have a reliable internet connection. This article does have testimonials from clients that use both solutions. Maestro the PMS company has a image data base so it lets them recognize returning guest to the proprieties there systems are in. to personalize the service the guest receives. One client says the cloud PMS make it easier for managing multiple properties from one central office. Maestro is a unique company by offering solutions that can meet any proprieties needs with cloud or on-premise solutions.
jessielee214

2019 Hotel Accounting Trends Are All About the As | Hospitality Technology - 1 views

hospitalitytech.com/ccounting-trends-are-all-about

shared by jessielee214 on 08 Feb 19 - No Cached
  • From an industry perspective, the next chapter of hospitality accounting will be all about the three “A’s”: apps, automation and analytics. Faced with greater demands in 2019, hoteliers will be forced to find new forms of automation to speed up financial processes and improve visibility on the backend, while enticing guests to utilize mobile apps through enhanced personalization on the frontend.
  • Mobile app reporting not only streamlines efficiencies and allows easier access to data, it also allows today’s hotelier to be more agile. GMs and other personnel can be on the go and still have KPIs, productivity data and real-time stats in the palm of their hand.
  • Good data supports good management. As more guests tap into hotel apps on the front end, hoteliers can track, analyze and adjust their offerings on the backend to meet guests’ needs, all while supporting a business synergy and strategy that makes sense.
  • ...31 more annotations...
  • Increased automation will remove manual workloads and streamline processes. Putting the right industry-specific accounting software in place will be a game-changer for hotels looking to pinpoint inefficiencies and significantly reduce expenses across property lines.
  • As we continue to live in an increasingly customized world, hoteliers will seek targeted accounting tech partners to replace one-size-fits-all solutions.
  • Hotels have already begun replacing front-desk employees with apps, robots and automated kiosks. As a result, finding high-quality labor (at a reasonable cost) is no easy task.
  • During the next wave of hospitality technology, more and more hoteliers will recognize the power of analytics and adapt their strategy accordingly. Smart operators will seek out the most versatile technology on the market to collect and store information through data warehousing, which enhances data mining, analytics reporting, decision support and business forecasting.
  • Apps/AI Over the last decade, the hospitality industry has developed a fixation on mobile technology that has revolutionized hotel management. In the next phase, this trend will continue with full force—and any service that is currently delivered using pen and paper will eventually make the shift to mobile.
  • Hoteliers are already using their mobile apps for real-time data analysis, allowing them to make informed decisions whether they are on property, near their work areas, in the field or on the fly.
  • Predictive analytics and forecasting tools will continue to allow management teams to better anticipate and adjust decisions to meet future guest needs without sacrificing bottom-line results.
  • While there has been significant introductions with regard to guest-facing apps, and apps focused exclusively to enhance the guest experience, the untold value in mobile apps, for the operator, is behind the curtain
  • Automation Rising demands from guests will require hotels to be more responsive than ever. To keep up with the pace, managers will need to access an array of critical information on-the-fly, from in-house guest preferences to upcoming reservations, restaurant volumes, spa bookings and so forth—with automatic alerts set up that notify staff members when there’s a deviation from the plan related to forecasts or scheduling changes.
  • By combining varied data sources into one centralized location, or data warehouse, an API-powered data system will provide a holistic snapshot of entire portfolio raw data into a user-friendly format with gauges, dashboards, trendlines and more to equip hoteliers with the answers they need to impact bottom-lines.
  • Analytics The phenomenon of “big data” has infiltrated the professional world, spanning industries and transforming all facets of business, from accounting and operations management to marketing and business development. No longer bogged down by paper and binders, today’s hoteliers can access numerous data sets at every turn, from STR reports to PMS documents and guest satisfaction surveys.
  • On a micro level, big data will help property managers faced with countless day-to-day decisions make more informed choices on the floor, from keeping track of labor expenses to assessing the cost of a new light fixture.
  • On a macro level, corporate and regional managers will have the extended oversight necessary to ensure the right decisions are made at every level of the company from the ground-up.
  • And finally—partnering with a hotel-specific provider will continue to be invaluable for hoteliers to speed up their internal processes, minimize investment, reduce errors, and increase overall performance to make more informed decisions on the horizon.
  • the next chapter of hospitality accounting will be all about the three “A’s”: apps, automation and analytics.
  • Apps/AI
  • this trend will continue with full force—and any service that is currently delivered using pen and paper will eventually make the shift to mobile.
  • significant introductions with regard to guest-facing apps, and apps focused exclusively to enhance the guest experience, the untold value in mobile apps, for the operator, is behind the curtain.
  • Mobile app reporting not only streamlines efficiencies and allows easier access to data, it also allows today’s hotelier to be more agile.
  • interact with and enhance the guest experience by being more available and more attentive on the floor. Removing the chains and restrictions of the desktop and expediting report compilation, hoteliers can truly begin to refocus on delivering the best experience possible without worrying about becoming mired in the weeds of business ineffeciencies.
  • Predictive analytics and forecasting tools will continue to allow management teams to better anticipate and adjust decisions to meet future guest needs without sacrificing bottom-line results.
  • Good data supports good management. As more guests tap into hotel apps on the front end, hoteliers can track, analyze and adjust their offerings on the backend to meet guests’ needs, all while supporting a business synergy and strategy that makes sense.
  • Automation
  • managers will need to access an array of critical information on-the-fly, from in-house guest preferences to upcoming reservations, restaurant volumes, spa bookings and so forth—with automatic alerts set up that notify staff members when there’s a deviation from the plan related to forecasts or scheduling changes.
  • Increased automation will remove manual workloads and streamline processes. Putting the right industry-specific accounting software in place will be a game-changer for hotels looking to pinpoint inefficiencies and significantly reduce expenses across property lines.
  • Analytics
  • Smart operators will seek out the most versatile technology on the market to collect and store information through data warehousing, which enhances data mining, analytics reporting, decision support and business forecasting. These capabilities will result in increased efficiencies, reduction of expenses and improvement of overall performance and profitability.
  • Over the next five years, the advantages of having a big data strategy will be infinite. Hoteliers who decide to apply big data in a meaningful way will reap the rewards in every facet of their business, from sales and marketing to guest satisfaction. On a micro level, big data will help property managers faced with countless day-to-day decisions make more informed choices on the floor, from keeping track of labor expenses to assessing the cost of a new light fixture. Using consistent data monitoring and evaluation, hotel teams will be able to deliver a higher level of service while making informed strides every day.
  • Technology and Labor
  • Effective labor management technology can help proactively notify management when there’s an issue and eliminate overtime before it happens to ensure that guest satisfaction remains high while balancing profitability. Mobile and dashboard data related to key functions that consume labor will become the GM’s best friend.
  • finally—partnering with a hotel-specific provider will continue to be invaluable for hoteliers to speed up their internal processes, minimize investment, reduce errors, and increase overall performance to make more informed decisions on the horizon
  • tricc003 on 08 Feb 19
     
    Accounting trends in the hospitality industry are always evolving with technology. Hotels are looking for technology that will catch their data and analyze it all while delivering it in a more user friendly app. Apps, Automation & Analytics are the A's of hotel accounting and technology.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • anonymous on 12 Jun 20
     
    Currently, accounting is about three different things. First, there are apps. Apps can be used to help hoteliers make informed decisions based off the analysis of real-time data. They are able to make these decisions from basically anywhere. Second is automation. Automation helps get rid of the looming manual workloads most hotels endure. The third thing is analytics. In today's hospitality industry, hoteliers are able to access data sets from wherever they may be. According to this article, apps, robots, and automated kiosks have already started to replace front-desk employees.
  • hankunli on 15 Jun 20
     
    Accounting cannot be without data. In my opinion it is mainly about data analysis. With automation and analytics, it will be more reliable and descriptive. Apps helps mainly in its portability and time efficiency.
  • jessielee214 on 23 Sep 20
     
    The article talks about three future trends called A's - apps, automation, and analytics. It makes examples of their function and works. In my opinion, the A's can use in any industry, not only in hospitality. They can help us work more efficiently and shorter working hours.
biancafavilli

How Cloud-based Hotel Software is Changing the Industry - 8 views

www.cloudbeds.com/...nging-the-hospitality-industry

shared by biancafavilli on 01 Sep 19 - No Cached
  • Couple that with the fact that in the next two to three years hoteliers are expected to invest seven to eight percent more on cloud technology
  • Additionally, increased accessibility, greater profitability, and user-friendly dashboards make cloud-based software enticing for hoteliers
  • For starters, cloud-based hotel software has the ability to host a property management system (PMS) from a remote location, allowing hoteliers to access their property data from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This feature is unique to cloud-based software and eliminates the need for hoteliers to be physically present at their property to be able to check in on daily management operations.
  • ...22 more annotations...
  • Cloud-based hotel software has been shown to boost productivity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness
  • Additionally, through the centralization of operations, hoteliers can eliminate the need for on-premise servers at each property
  • In fact, the hotel group, Triple C Hotels and Resorts, reported a 60% savings on software costs when they switched to Cloudbeds’ cloud-based hospitality software
  • For example, Cloudbeds hospitality software implements periodic auto-logoff features that require users to re-enter their password, two-factor authentication for an added level of user verification, and automatic removal of guest credit card data after 14 days
  • The high-level security standards followed by cloud-based hotel software is due in part to its rigid compliance with PCI requirements.
  • Unlike locally installed software, one of the more attractive elements of using a cloud-based hotel software system is the ability to adapt, grow, and integrate with future trends
  • Unlike conventional hotel software models that require hoteliers to purchase licenses and hardware, cloud-based hotel software is sold as a service that enables clients to add on as many or as few tools and features as needed.
  • In fact, a study by Frost and Sullivan showed that businesses can cut IT costs in half by implementing cloud-based computing solutions to customer support.
  • ability to host a property management system (PMS) from a remote location, allowing hoteliers to access property data from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This feature is unique to cloud-based software and eliminates the need for hoteliers to be physically present at their property to be able to check in on daily management operations.
  • Eliminate the need for manual data sharing and processing
  • Give staff more mobility and accessibility around the property
  • next two to three years hoteliers are expected to invest 7-8% more on cloud technology
    • cleon087
      cleon087 on 25 May 20
       
      This could be a determination if a hotel succeeds. It is important to not lag and instead adapt to the times.
  • an spend more time attending to guests
  • ransitioning to a cloud-based hotel software solution can seem like a daunting task at first
    • cleon087
      cleon087 on 25 May 20
       
      Not all bosses are even comfortable with technology to begin with so it would be difficult for them to spend the money to transition.
  • Accelerate hotel check-in / out
    • cleon087
      cleon087 on 25 May 20
       
      People value fast check in, especially someone that came to the hotel on a business trip and just wants to get to their room.
  • Eliminate the need for manual data sharing and processing
    • cleon087
      cleon087 on 25 May 20
       
      This saves a lot of time because you wont have to manually record data.
  • customizable
  • In an industry that is always changing, this kind of flexibility is priceless.
  • across multiple properties simultaneously
  • faster for operations, online booking and customer service.  
  • frequent security updates t
  • Cyber attacks and tighter regulations on privacy policies have made the need to protect guest information more important than ever. This topic is a main concern for those considering switching to a cloud-based PMS system since data servers are hosted off premises.
  • anonymous on 01 Sep 19
     
    Cloud-based hotel software is able to host a property management system from a remote location which therefore allows hotel staff to access data from wherever they are in the world. It is showing positive signs of increased efficiency and overall cost-effectiveness.
  • ...4 more comments...
  • gaston326 on 08 Sep 19
     
    Cloud-based software is the future of the entire hospitality industry. The benefits of having this software heavily outweigh the cons. It would allow employees to better assist guests with check-in/out processes and it would also give them increased mobility throughout the system, accelerating the services we can offer to our guests. In addition, cloud-based systems allow for better data storage, giving us the tools we need to be prepared for returning guests and their accomodations.
  • dsada005 on 08 Jan 20
     
    Providing the best customer service is the goal of any hotel. It is what attracts your guests to return and suggest your hotel to others. Imagine a software that eliminates the need for hoteliers to be physically present to check on daily management operations or even automate mundane daily tasks, allowing staff to spend more time attending to guests and improving the customer service experience. This software is known as cloud-based hotel software. This software is not sold as a product; it is sold as a service that allows hoteliers to add on as many or few features as needed, making it completely customizable. Cloud-based software is hosted by a vendor's server and gives hoteliers a scalable system that is flexible and easily updated across multiple properties simultaneously. A great key feature to this software is that the system is able to adapt, grow, and integrate with future trends. Flexibility is so important in this generation because new technologies are constantly being innovated and staying up with trends is a great way to satisfy your guests. Cloud-based software has shown to boost productivity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. What more could you ask for?
  • jeanique13 on 19 May 20
     
    The cloud based hotel software is a great addition to he hospitality industry because it gives the hoteliers a chance to be flexible with their stay. It gives the staff member a more relief on updates of property housekeeping status. Cloud based technology gives advantages of moreover frequent updates and enhancements for hoteliers inquiring.
  • cleon087 on 25 May 20
     
    This article highlights the benefits of switching to Cloud-based hotel software. One of the highlights is the reduction in cost, by switching it allows employees to focus more on service then repetitive tasks. This is also an attractive deal for hoteliers because they're allowed to check on important data from their house. This software makes it more efficient and soon all hoteliers will have to invest in a innovative software.
  • hankunli on 24 Jul 20
     
    A general trend is that hoteliers are considering to use cloud-based systems more. Data have proved that hoteliers will invest more in cloud technology. Cloud-based hotel software can provide its users with many benefits like cost-efficiency, increased accessibility, and user-friendly dashboards. Furthermore, it makes remote/offsite information sharing and real-time offsite management possible. With a cloud-based system, staff can spend more time on guests and improving service. For security issues, cloud-based systems upgrades often and therefore reduce the risk of being hacked. Cloud-based systems are also enough flexible to meet the future needs of users. In sum, cloud-based technologies can help the hospitality businesses to deal with the changes better.
  • biancafavilli on 30 Aug 20
     
    Hotels are beginning to transition to cloud-based software because they are realizing the great impact it has caused on their business. The article mentioned, "in the next two to three years hoteliers are expected to invest 7-8% on cloud technology". This percentage exhibits how hotels are going to be ran in the future. Cloud-based software has brought positive impact to a hotel business such as "increased accessibility, greater profitability, and user-friendly dashboards". All of these benefits have caused hotels to run their business smoothly bringing back satisfied guests. This software allows check ins/out to be more quick and gives easy access to areas in the hotel for employees. Another gain received by using this software is that its cost-effective. It has been disclosed that a hotel has saved "60% on software costs". Using this software has saved a hotel a lot of money that can be used to satisfied guest more. Security on data is more secured using cloud-based software because the vendors take it seriously making it harder for hackers to retrieve information. Some hotels may halt to install new technology such as cloud-based software but with all the benefits it has given to other hotels, this is going to be the future for the hospitality industry.
Juan Du

Accounting technolog Used in the Hotel Industry | - 5 views

www.ehow.com/grams-used-hotel-industry.html

shared by Juan Du on 07 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • 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
      Juan Du on 28 Feb 13
       
      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.
  • ...25 more annotations...
  • 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
  • Ruth James on 07 Feb 12
     
    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.
  • ...12 more comments...
  • Ligia Elizondo on 01 Mar 12
     
    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.
  • Diane Cacho on 02 Mar 12
     
    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.
  • Marcia Brown-Kelly on 02 Mar 12
     
    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.
  • Ganna Gorbachuk on 05 Mar 12
     
    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.
  • samira sobhani on 30 Jun 12
     
    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.  
  • Chelsey Alvarez on 01 Jul 12
     
    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.
  • marilyn diaz on 18 Sep 12
     
    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.
  • Erica Davis on 23 Sep 12
     
    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
  • Qianlin Wang on 16 Oct 12
     
    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.
  • haojingting on 20 Oct 12
     
    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.
  • Xue Yan on 20 Oct 12
     
    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.
  • rebecca Bonet on 20 Oct 12
     
    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
  • Xiameng Zheng on 19 Feb 13
     
    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.
  • Juan Du on 28 Feb 13
     
    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.
Gabriela Moreno

5 pressing hotel security concerns for 2012 - 2 views

www.hotelnewsnow.com/...tel-security-concerns-for-2012

SECURITY technology hotel business mobile

shared by Gabriela Moreno on 27 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • areas of top concern for 2012, the usual suspects still top the list: information-technology breaches and terrorism, hoteliers said.
  • 1. IT
  • 2. Terrorism
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • 5. Security as taboo
  • 3. Skimmers
  • 4. Liability and insurance fraud
  • A related threat is that of “skimmers,” or devices that catch credit card numbers when consumers use them for payment. The problem primarily is contained to the restaurant industry, but Callaghan is concerned it could spread to hotels.
  • Ironically, one of the main reasons terrorism tops the list is because it has become less of an issue in recent years, sources said.
  • “The greatest business risk, as I see it … is insurance fraud. And it’s the most expensive,” he said.
  • The hot-button issue within the realm of hotel-information technology is mobile and cloud technology.
  • “Liability” as a general label refers to hoteliers being held liable for the acts, which are often criminal, of third parties, the AH&LA’s Callaghan said.
  • “Security” still is something of a taboo in the global hotel industry, said Paul Moxness VP for corporate safety and security at The Rezidor Hotel Group, a Brussels-based hotel management company, with more than 400 hotels and nearly 90,000 rooms in its portfolio.
  • boyan yuan on 27 Mar 12
     
    1. IT The hot-button issue within the realm of hotel-information technology is mobile and cloud technology.A company could have tens of thousands of smartphones or laptops in the field at any given point-each a potential gateway to hackers and other criminals. To the problem the core principle is to provide end-to-end data protection with looking at cost and benefit and how it's supports the business. 2. Terrorism Ironically, one of the main reasons terrorism tops the list is because it has become less of an issue in recent years.Hoteliers need to keep their staffs and travelers mindful of possible threats, but they don't want to scare them. 3. Skimmers A related threat is that of "skimmers," or devices that catch credit card numbers when consumers use them for payment.The best prevention measure is to have an investigative team or third party on hand and making that known to employees. 4. Liability and insurance fraud These two related issues can double, triple, quadruple and quintuple corporate insurance premiums in the blink of an eye. The advisement is hoteliers to educate themselves on the issue, consulting with an attorney, if necessary. 5. Security as taboo "Security" still is something of a taboo in the global hotel industry.Hoteliers need to do a better job of "turning on the light" by talking about security openly and regularly at staff and association meetings, and hotel executives should insist their GMs make security a priority
  • ...9 more comments...
  • gaby bestulich on 31 Mar 12
     
    The first security matter that is brought up in this article is the cloud computing mobile devices on cell phones and laptops. With each device its own danger center of being hacked into a company's systems. The second point is "terrorists." Even though there has not been an issue with terrorists for about 10 years now it is still a big issue. According to the article companies are slacking on being vigilant because of the lack of activity.The third is what are know as skimmers, they are devices that gather information like credit card numbers.The last two issues are liability and security itself. Hotels claim to have security matters under control but when it comes to it, it is for show. Hotels need to buckle down on their security measures.
  • Fei Qi on 01 Apr 12
     
    "Terrorism and information technology breaches are familiar areas of concern on hotel security professionals' 2012 to-do lists."
  • Fei Qi on 01 Apr 12
     
    This article talked about five important hotel security concerns in 2012. As more and more new technology applied in the hospitality industry, IT professionals now face with challenges and risks associated with the new technology. When asked for the areas of top concern for 2012, hoteliers consider the usual suspects still top the list: information-technology breaches and terrorism. Hoteliers interviewed for this report recommended focusing on t five areas during 2012. The first concern is IT. The hot-button issue within the realm of hotel-information technology is mobile and cloud technology. Hotels have to protect data and information, especially the financial data. The second concern is Terrorism. Hoteliers need to keep their staffs and travelers mindful of possible threats, but they don't want to scare them. Thirdly, a related threat is that of "skimmers," or devices that catch credit card numbers when consumers use them for payment. The problem primarily is contained to the restaurant industry, but it could spread to hotels. The forth is Liability and insurance fraud. These two related issues can double, triple, quadruple and quintuple corporate insurance premiums in the blink of an eye. The fifth concern: Security as taboo. "Security" still is something of a taboo in the global hotel industry. Hoteliers need to do a better job of "turning on the light" by talking about security openly and regularly at staff and association meetings
  • Priscilla Moreno on 06 Aug 12
     
    In the top 5 hotel security concerns, number 1 is IT Security. Many businesses now are working off of laptops and smartphones which is making it easier for hackers to get in to and steal information. The same goes for hotels which are becoming more hands-free, eco-friendly which is working off of computers. The hotel industries are spending more and more money on making sure that they are secure from any hackers logging in to their computers to get their guests information.
  • Jenna Rashbaum on 25 Sep 12
     
    When thinking about hotel security we do not necessarily jump to anything other than terrorism or things like that but in this article it talks about five different things that can be issues in hotel security. IT is a large issue due to mobile and cloud technology. There are so many devices used that it is easy for hackers to get in the system. Terrorism is of course an issue even though it is not so prominent as it has been in the past. Skimmers are becoming more popular in hotels and restaurants having someone working on the inside who swipes the credit card though a machine before processing the payment to take all of the information off of it. Liability and Insurance Fraud can be something as little as stubbing a toe to a large workers comp case. This is the most expensive security issue hotels face. Security is still taboo in hotels because it scares some guests but at the same time once one thing happens all of the bad things will happen. If nothing happens than it will stay like that.
  • Jenna Rashbaum on 25 Sep 12
     
    This article makes great points that we do not think about as normal people. Before taking this class I would never think of all of these issues that could be happening to me while at a hotel or restaurant but anything is possible.
  • Jenan Williams on 27 Sep 12
     
    This article really made me think outside the box in order to enhance security, specially when in regards to IT, skimmers and liability/insurance fraud. All too common are people looking for ways to beat the system, we hear about it constantly but don't pay attention. From worker claiming worker's comp, foreign fingers and hazardous items in food, to Publix's ATM being the victims of attached skimmers and hackers attacking sensitive information transmitted by the world wide web. The best solution is to be proactive with training and technology and the benefits of being ahead of the curve.
  • Nelson Placa on 30 Sep 12
     
    Great Article...hotel security is so important not only for the company but also for its stakeholders and consumers. It is the responsibility of the company to ensure that the correct steps are in placed to ensure guests and company information is secure. At my current job, it is my responsibility to ensure that employees are not utilizing credit card devices to catch customer's credit card information. We also address any possible theft concerns with the employees to ensure these issues are avoided.
  • Jenan Williams on 30 Sep 12
     
    Great Article- There are so many security issues that we usually don't think about on a daily bases and this article highlights them well. Terrorism is something that has become rather laxed over the the last five years and usually the last security concern in the hospitality industry instead of the first that we process as a true risk. Concerns should also be focus on liability and insurance fraud from both guest as well as employees; a slip and fall and bed bugs can result in costly lawsuits.
  • Gabriela Moreno on 04 Nov 12
     
    1. ITAccording to the article, most mobile devices that are used for business are unprotected. Meaning that the devices if the device even have a password and if it does the password is not very complex. There could be thousands of employees accessing company information via the cloud through unprotected smart phones or other mobile devices. This could organizations at risk to hackers and other criminals  2.  TerrorismAlthough terrorist threats are less of a concern nowadays, that does not mean hotel managers should discontinue stressing the importance of security within their establishments. Keeping employees aware and diligent can prove to be a delicate assignment but it is a necessary of part of maintaining a safe work environment in the twenty-first century. 3.  SkimmersSkimmers are devices that steal credit card numbers when consumers use them for payment. Unfortunately, it is most commonly an employee on the inside who is committing the crime.  A third party investigation team will be needed to prove who is stealing from the establishment.  4. Liability and Insurance FraudCombined, these two issues could sky rocket a company's insurance costs through the roof. It is crucial that hoteliers be aware of the legal system and educates themselves on issues concerning liability. Both patrons and employees alike could potentially file claims against an establishment and entitlements can quickly get out of hand.    5.  SecurityDespite the best security measures, there is always the possibility of unforeseen danger. This fear of the unknown is a concern for hotel workers. To confront this fear of the unknown managers must regularly and openly discuss security with employees.  Security should be held as a top priority. 
  • Gaby Belardo on 04 Nov 12
     
    This article discusses five main concerns brought on by the current state of hotel security. I must say that some of this information surprised me. Something that especially surprised me was learning that mobile devices that are used for business hardly use passwords. The article states, "Amplifying the problem is the sheer number of devices, he added. A company could have tens of thousands of smartphones or laptops in the field at any given point-each a potential gateway to hackers and other criminals." This piece of information is very unsettling to me. How could such valuable information not be protected? The article suggests the solution to this problem is PCI DSS. Terrorism as number two on this list also surprised me because that is not something that would first come to mind for me. The article states that it is ironically on the list for becoming less of an issue. I suppose this reminds hoteliers to never let their guard down when it comes to issues of safety and security within the hotel. However, "skimmers" and liability on this list does not really surprise me. The article suggests that hoteliers be educated about these issues to protect the hotel against them.
ravicka

E-Commerce for the Hospitality Industry | News | The Moscow Times - 0 views

www.themoscowtimes.com/...449373.html

shared by ravicka on 02 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • a list of the basic e-commerce strategies that will help to get the best from the Internet world.
  • Site download speed is one of the most important ranking factors in organic search.
  • We forget that the human brain can only consume limited information.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • ensure that your landing pages clearly reflect the offer promoted in the ad copy and includes clear calls to action and conversion factors.
  • Maps, photo galleries, videos and press releases are creative ways to distribute content on different channels.
  • 93 percent of social media users expect companies to have a social presence. 85 percent of social media users want companies to interact with them on social sites.
  • changing one word in a headline increased sales over 3 times
  • Search-friendly web site design
  • Improve conversion and usability. With the increasing volume of information that hoteliers are trying to provide travelers, it is key for hotels to focus on usability and conversion.
  • Paid search. This instantly drives targeted, qualified traffic to the web site and increases conversions.
  • Real time search — natural ranking. Building strong sites with compelling fresh content, and quality incoming links will always be essential for any site.
  • Hotels can leverage the mobile market by optimizing their site for mobile phones, improving the download speed of their site by avoiding heavy graphics and flash, making sure their site is mobile compatible, and promoting mobile sites across all platforms including paid, social and local.
  • Embracing social media.
  • A well-planned social initiative can turn fans into brand evangelists.
  • Hoteliers need to ensure that they are using the full potential of the Internet.
  • nadiatc on 02 Jun 14
     
    With the rapid growth and increased use of the Internet over the past 2 decades, industry professional Andrey Smirnov gives 7 tips to other industry leaders on maximizing their presence in e-commerce and in consumer minds: (1) make your website quick to download and easy to find; (2) organize content by prioritizing information; (3) when offering promotions, clearly reflect it with a call to action; (4) distribute 'fresh' content on different channels (i.e., photo galleries, press releases, etc.); (5) maximize on mobile marketing; (6) embrace social media; and (7) continually improve by testing new things.
  • haelidenton on 13 Sep 14
     
    The internet is constantly changing, the way we communicate and they way we do business. The hospitality industry is always quick to capitalize on new technologies. However, the e-commerce growth in the hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple changes to companies' presence online. So when every hotel is involved in e-commerce, why is it so important today? It is simple. Today, the internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel. As well as now, most travelers are searching and making hotel reservations online. Lastly, social media and online hotel reviews are increasing and have made an important decision factor. Now, hoteliers need to keep focus on what information customers are seeking and what they are looking for online. There are a few basic strategies that will help drive usage from the internet world. Some of those are: vave a search-friendly website, focus on usability and conversation taking a holistic approach and prioritize information, and lastly make websites compatible for mobile phones. If hoteliers can use the full potential of the internet, they will maximize their return on investment in e-commerce. The hospitality industry needs to constantly learn and look for ways to use the new developments and trends.
  • ravicka on 27 Jan 15
     
    Andrey Smirnov in his article "E-Commerce for the Hospitality Industry highlights how the internet has changed the way business is done not only in the hospitality industry but as a whole. He stresses the importance of e-commerce in the hospitatlity industry and why hoteliers must utilise strategies to ensure they make the most of the marketing and sales opportunties the internet provides. There are a few things that hoteliers must do to make the most of what the internet provides. They include: (1) Search Friendly Website Design - "site download speed is one of the most important ranking factors in organic search" says Smirnov therfore hoteliers must ensure that their site is properly designed and compatible across any browser, any items that causes the site to perform poorly shoud be eliminated as internet users similar to hotel guests tend to only visit sites where they can receive the best experience yet. (2) Improve conversion and Usability - content on website must be properly organised and users must not be bombaded by information. (3)Search - Hoteliers must focus on Paid searches as well as Real time search to increase traffic. Paid searches ensure that your targeted traffic are directed right to you. Whereas with a great web design with strong content that is also timely the natural ranking of the oranisation website can be increased thus increasing tracffic to it. (4)Mobile - Mobile devices have become a popular means of conducting e-business related activities for consumers therefore the hotel that ensures that their online services are accessible from mobile devices will be putting themselves ahead of the game. (5) Embracing Social Media - According to Smirnov 93 percent of social media users expect companies to have a social presence and 85 percent of social media users want companies to interact with them on social sites. With this being said one can see why a social media presence is one that cannot be overlooked. It is important that co
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