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The right property management system plays a key roles in the success of any hotel. Property management systems store guests' information which helps make for a pleasurable stay at the hotel. On the back end having the proper property management system can be key tool in making a successful stay at the hotel. The front end has software that handles the point of sale, account receivable, banquets, conferences, restaurant, housekeeping, inventory, payroll, among other apps and modules that connect to make the hotel run successful smooth. The information that is stored in these systems generate reports that the hotel can review for decision making. Much like other software, technology can be exhausting at times when it doesn't do what we want it to do. The hotel software market is full of many different option management can choose do off with. A few things a hotel should consider when choosing software should be: How many modules will your new hotel software offer? Does your new property management system have third party products merged into it? Is your hotel software compatible with third party software? Does your property management system help you enhance revenue? Considering all these questions while choosing a new property management system can help management choose the best system that will be most beneficial for the hotel. As someone who has been part of choosing a PMS it is very important to consider everything. Every vendor tells you why theirs is the best. It takes a lot of time to review everything and determine what system will work best for the company. I think where companies go wrong when getting a new system is training. The companies I've worked for often do very little training. I think lack of training for employees contributes to employees not using systems correctly and to full capacity which causes errors in reports. As a sales director, I often read reports and knew the information wasn't correct and it was due to input error. This

This article was very interesting and it gives advice to any person thinking about opening a hotel in what software you can use. A hotel software is extremely important because that has all the guest information and store there experience that they had at the hotel. You have to see what software you want to implement when changing the hotel management system or property management system you need to know who is selling it to you and what is included in the software. If you are just getting a new system, you have to make sure that everything you already have is included and more. You also have to make sure that the software you get is compatible with a third party hardware. A hotel software system can make you or break you in a hotel. You really have to know the vendor that is selling you the software and make sure that they have experience with the software. The better the software that you have in the hotel, the smoother the hotel will run.

The article talks about the importance of using a PMS or Property Management System. The use of a property management system is very important to the success of a property. The article is also able to aid those who looking to implement a property management system by helping them narrow down what they will need. The article poses questions toward the reader to see what they are looking for in a PMS.

Lawrence Cohen, an Executive Consultant and Hospitality Group Leader recently examined the conflicts of interest that hotel owners face when hiring third party management companies. According to Cohen, owing a hotel requires both strategic and operational decisions to be made in real time. The problem occurs when real estate owners go from owning commercial property to owning hotels and are not used to making decisions on a daily basis. As a result, the most critical daily decisions that determine the success of the hotel do not fall into the hands of ownership but rather to a third party management company. These third party relationships may result in hotel management staff being loyal only to the management company rather than the hotel itself. Hotel owners could benefit by building a team with experience in the hospitality industry and hiring individuals loyal to the owner. 

In the United States, hotels represent more than 5 billion square feet of space, nealry 5 million guest rooms and approxiamtely $4 billion in annual energy use. As of January 2010, there were only 40 hotels that were LEED certified. The acronym LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is a voluntary, third party green building certification program that awards points to buildings depending on their sustainable practice being implemented which includes building improvements, environemntal footprint and water and energy use. LEED was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization. Its main purpose is to provide building owners and operators with a basic framework for developing and implementing sustainable practices. The first hotel to ever be certified according to LEED criteria was the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, NC. This hote received Platnium status for being able to recycle 87% of its construction debris, purchasing 40% of the building materials and 90% of its furniture locally. Installation of 100 solar panels, use of geothermal energy for the restaurant's refrigeration equipment and instllation of a Regenerative Drive model for its elevators made the Proximity Hotel a benchmark hotel. There are several practices that can make a hotel conserve energy and make it sustainable such as using flourescent lightbulbs, offering linen and towel reuse programs, paving parkig lots with highly reflective materials or open grid pavers, installing high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, landscaping with native plants and using local materials and goods. These will not necessarily lead to LEED certification but will definitely earn points towards obtaining that accredidation. The use of sustainable practices not only helps conserve the environment but also saves money in the long run. Through water conservation techniques, recycling and linen and towel reuse programs, the hospitality industry wins two-fold,

Sabre Technology, based in Southlake, an affluent suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, recently acquired neighboring technology company Genares. Genares now provides GDS connections to Sabre, in addition to other major players, including Apollo, Worldspan, and Amadeus. Genares provides CRS, hotel marketing, and revenue management solutions, particularly to independently-owned hotels and chains, with a network that is over 2,300 strong. This will provide Sabre some control of the market as new competitor Booking.com, owned by The Priceline Group, enters the B2B arena with its recent acquisitions of Seattle-based hotel digital marketing startup Buuteeq and Barcelona-based Hotel Ninjas. Genares became a part of Sabre Hospitality Solutions, a subsidiary of Sabre Technology, which generated $711.7 million of the $3.04 billion in revenue that Sabre made in 2013. The acquisition of Genares will give Sabre more avenues to access independent and boutique hotels. It is worth noting that Sabre Hospitality Solutions already controlled "approximately 27% share of third-party hospitality CRS hotel rooms distributed through [their] GDS," making it the largest third-party provider in this space last year.

This article provides an overview of the importance for hotels to have a centralized function and not outsourcing the hotel accounting, meaning that hotels should not use a third party provider. Companies are compelled to change, to innovate, and in need to keep up with the competition. It says that some hoteliers are choosing to outsource because is trendy, but not always function in their best interest. This article emphasizes the pros and cons, but mostly all the negative results of outsourcing, using other companies to do the work that should be centralized.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4083889.html My article highlights the cons of outsourcing a hotel's accounting system from a third party provider. The author mentions that in the hotel industry, technology is constantly changing and every hotel is trying to stay on trend and "keep up with Jones'". The main issue with outsourcing is the reduced level of service. "In a full-service hotel, the accounting department provides a long list of services: receivables, payables, payroll, revenue control, cash management, systems oversight, audit, food and beverage controls, purchasing, receiving, general accounting and budget/forecasting to name but a few." When you outsource, there is reduced attention to these details. If a hotel's own accounting department handles these daily operation segments, there is less likelihood for error and they will be able to work with the various departments to correct the issues. It also saves tons of money to handle accounting in-house. Another important issue that was raised is that if accounting is outsourced then there is no room for development for an accounting department; no growth, no promotions. A pro is that outsourcing gives a financial manager the ability to focus on the bigger picture and see where changes can be made. If they are bogged down with little details, they might not be able to be the leader the hotel needs.

The article discussions the pros and cons of whether a Hotel should out source their accounting to a third party. The author of this article strongly agrees that Hotels should not out source their accounting. The author finds it "unintelligent move". Many Hotel owners believe it's "trendy" and necessary to out source their accounting to keep up with their competitors. I agree with the author, that Hotel should do their accounting on site. Management would have better control over functions and departments such as; payroll, auditing, food and beverage management.

This article discusses the increasing demand for e-commerce and third party delivery in the food and beverage industry, as well as the costs associated with it. Restaurants are currently facing a growth problem in the United States as foot traffic has declined due to a "millennial generation shift" that sees diners doing more in their homes, while third party companies like Grubhub have seen it's stock rise 141 percent from a year ago. For many restaurants, it is a matter of opportunity cost. As explained in this article by Warren Solocheck, a restaurant industry analyst at NPD, "We're going to see more and more quick-service chains begin to try out delivery," he said. "The margins associated with third-party delivery may be slimmed down. But, the question for restaurants is, 'If I don't do it and I'm not delivering my food, am I in the game anymore? Am I in people's consideration? It boils down to being an opportunity cost. The hope is that at some point people will like the food enough to come in and sit down." I found this article very interesting as a General Manager. We recently decided as a brand to begin offering delivery through third party services as we noticed a decline in covers leading to a decline in revenue. This new revenue stream, although at a higher cost, still brings in revenue that we would be missing out on either way. We also offer free appetizer cards for a consumer's next in house visit to help attract new guests.

According to this article, Shearings Holidays has deployed SoftBrands Classic Starlight Property Management System(PMS) to standardize and streamline operations across its 48 properties. The ultimate goal of the implementation is to drive growth by enabling independent and third party bookings. Starlight will help open the market by integrating Shearings' systems with third party websites, as well as enhancing online, telephone and face to face bookings direct from holidaymakers. SoftBrands Classic Starlight will also provide a centralized view of occupancy rates, facilitating cross selling opportunities across the organization to maximize revenue.

For that e-tourism technology, the greatest benefit for them is it can cut down the third party dependency, which can reduce a lot of cost (third-party fee, advertising cost, etc) and attract more kinds of customers.  It can offer direct booking, and the data could be collected real time. Especially it would connect to PMS, and when at night do the night audit, the process is simple but it can save a lot of time and maximize offline revenue. An it can easily for owners to see what the profit margin and other marketing analysis. 

During the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, restaurants have been searching for ways to make profit now that many of them have been closed, or are operating on 25% or less. DoorDash, the leader in online ordering platforms, is determined to assist these failing independent restaurants the best they can. To help, they have established the DoorDash Storefront, which is a

POS breach at White Lodging, huge important personal information was stolen and was able to access for over 7 months. White Lodging hire third party security firm to protect customers.The key to managing the risks are keeping monitoring systems and updating software. Besides, insurance is available to protect against costs for data breaches.

Compared to large hotel chains and airlines, the GDS can play a different role for businesses of smaller sizes. For small hotels, it may be beneficial to make use of a channel manager instead of depending on sales from a GDS. The article suggests to smaller hotels that channel managers, who work directly with travel agents, can mean more profit for your business. Using the GDS and a travel agency, you are technically paying 2 commissions. With a channel manager, you would only be paying one. Having this business relationship will cut out a middle man, and hotels with smaller budget will find this strategy more efficient.

I find this article a little misleading. The GDS are channels, can be managed by a channel manager, or in conjunction with, or separately but usually for smaller hotels require an intermediary. Accessing the GDS(s) are used less by smaller hotels for two main factors: 1. Costs and Fees 2. Scope of demand (driving the right customers). 3. Program Fees The article cites figures which have changed substantially since 2015, as of Q4 North American GDS growth was up 6.4% and ADR was up 4.2% YOY with 18.4% of all bookings coming through GDS. TravelClick, Inc. (2019, March 4) What isn't highlighted in the article was the fact that margin agreements with OTAs for smaller independent hotel range anywhere from 20-35% . If the article had done an actual cost comparison (access through intermediary to GDS instead of OTA) the 10% commission + access and delivery fee may have proven more profitable. It would have been better if they had done a little more comparative cost analysis. TravelClick, Inc. (2019, March 4). GDS Booking and ADR Growth Drive Strong Q4 2018 RevPAR Performance in Hospitality. Retrieved from https://www.hospitalitynet.org/performance/4092226.html

This article from the Little Hotelier talks about what exactly is GDS and the Channel Manager and which on is better for Small Hotels. Small Hotels should opt for the system that gives them what they need, but in their price range and for the size of their business.

This article deals with cloud PMS and its advantages. Some of the advantages stated by the article are efficiency, low cost, and provides guest with more contactless experience. This is a new trend we are starting to see emerge into the industry especially now more than ever after the events that have occurred due to the pandemic.

Seems to me this took a lot longer for companies to start getting onboard then I would have anticipated. The cost perspective and ease of use should have attracted people right away. Not having to house or protect on site servers from damage and theft is also a critical point. Not to mention the ability to grow the system when necessary.

The article discusses traditional PMS, an on-premises software platform that can range from very basic to extremely powerful and complex. Installation, training and maintenance are expensive for such platforms, and they stifle innovation by not allowing third-party integrations, applications, and solutions. Cloud-based hotel management systems with Open API integration platforms are the future of hotel management software. They are cost-effective and offer many operational benefits. Operating expenses such as the OPERA Cloud PMS improve cash flow, are easy to install, train personnel, and automate many administrative processes. Also, it provides easy access to reporting and performance analytics, as well as contactless guest experiences and mobility.

SocialTables is one of the latest and most successful hospitality start-ups. It is essentially a hospitality SaaS. It was founded by Dan Berger, an event-planner turned programmer. Founded in 2012 and based in Washington D.C., one of the premier corporate hospitality locations in the US, the start-up has recently raised $8 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, and followed by Thayer Ventures. This funding adds to the previous $1.6 million the company raised, which helped them streamline their event planning tools. According to its website, SocialTables is a cloud-based solution that offers event diagramming, seating, and check-in tools for event planners. The software can make room layouts that event planners can use to show clients, compose detailed seating charts and arrangements, and it offers a fast check-in app. All of this is done on a colorful, intuitive, cloud-based site with mobile integration. In two years, SocialTables has grown considerably. It has over 2,500 customers and 30,000 users. Additionally, two-thirds of its customer base is actually composed of venue-owners, including major corporations like Hyatt Hotels and Caesar's Entertainment. Academic institutions like Harvard Business School and The Ohio State University also subscribe to SocialTables. Additionally, one-third of its customers are private party planners. SocialTables is becoming an affordable, customizable, tech-progressive solution for event planners of all levels. Industry leaders like Hyatt and Caesar's already subscribe to its services. In the future, I think that the start-up should focus on increasing its ability to provide affordable and capable solutions for private event planners, particularly in the wedding category. While that is an extremely competitive and saturated market, SocialTables could provide an industry-leading software solution and use its credibility to entice private planners into its cloud-based ecosystem.

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

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. 

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.

E-commerce has been going through a faster, sustainable and overwhelming developing era, particularly in China. Within over 450 million of people using internet to communicate, China has been potential to lead the development of E-commerce and E-business. This article talks about 3 proven strategies helping China to well improve the E-commerce industry which are to build our own networks, outsource to third-party providers and form partnerships or acquire existing firms. i do believe these kind of methods will boost a brand new ending for our E-commerce development.

This article introduces three reasons to upgrade POS system. Most restaurant owners think traditional POS system is good enough to use because they already used to the system and it has not bothered their business seriously. Even though there are some malfunction problems on POS machine, they just chose to keep using them. However, below three reasons support why restaurant owners need to upgrade POS system. First, owners sometimes neglect small hardware malfunctions such as fuzzy monitors, printers, or connectivity issue. Yet, it will not be fixed automatically and it might cause the worst scenario which affects business negatively. Not only this reason but also the advantages of cloud-based POS system can give more efficiency and safety. By easily replacing the hardware in the event of damage or failure, information can be stored safely. Second, upgraded POS provides the unified system. Even though it still needs third-party apps, these resources are well unified into the core POS software and owners can operate system seamlessly based on user-friendly, and on-brand manual. Third, it is a security issue. Traditional POS system requires simply login/password combination, but advanced system can be protected with stronger security system such as fingerprint scanner or ID card logins. Therefore, important business information can be secured safely and it can prevent the possibility employee accidentally change key settings or information. To sum up, customers demand is changing fast and technology is developing fast to meet the new trend, so it is the time for restaurant owners to check their POS system and update it when it is needed.

Juice it Up's new CEO started right before the corona virus hit. And while at first that seemed to be a daunting task, her goals ended up aligning with the needs of this new era: get better technology. For a mostly franchised brand, Taylor new that getting this tech up and running was going to be difficult, but also that it was going to be necessary to the success of the company. The "brand didn't need to change it's business model because most of their business came from to go order already," but Taylor found the company to be seriously lacking in technology. Her goal: a mobile POS system that would offer menu information, nutritional elements, the ability to order ahead, leave a tip, and schedule a pick-up. What is unique about this app and this system, is that it is not through a third-party system, which is what most restaurants are currently using. It opens up the potential for more companies, specifically large brands, to begin to do a similar thing. This will be an incredible save for profit margins if it proves to be successful, as the current crisis of third-party delivery and POS systems is wreaking havoc on our nation's restaurants.

The article talks deeply in NDC from the past to now and is very clear about how it works. NDC can help airlines to know the need for customs and without the commission. I think one day, NDC can instead of GDS, but it still needs to take such a long time.

This article outlines some of the main cyber attacks on the Hospitality industry. It exposes the threats due to the wealth of data stored in PMS, POS and CRM and suggests steps to take to protect against malware and randsomeware. The article further highlights the necessity for antivirus software on all devices.

The article describes the five most common cybersecurity risks for hotel brands such as ransomware, remote hacking and DDoS attacks. The operational elements of each risk have also been discussed. It also covers best practices that hotels and other hospitality organizations can adopt to curb breaches.