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Contents contributed and discussions participated by Alyssa Westmeyer

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Alyssa Westmeyer

AHA NSW launches new HR system - The Shout, Hotel News, Liquor News, Bar + Club News - 0 views

www.theshout.com.au/...RLDMODOEMP.html

human resources HRIS tool cloud

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 30 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • allow hoteliers to immediately commence any employee action in a compliant and efficient way – from recruiting new employees to recording their training and qualifications and beyond
  • each employee has their own online employment file and every piece of correspondence, meeting notes, shift notes etc in the one place,
  • allows effective and efficient decisions regarding performance and behaviour at any tim
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 30 Nov 13
     
    Through a partnership between a tech company and a hotel association, a new HRIS specific to the needs of hospitality has been born. The system is cloud-based, providing full accessibility in a 24/7 industry. Not only does the system house compliance, training and employment files but it also provides templates for letters, contracts and policies. The system promises to enhance efficiency and streamline processes.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Energy-management systems, cleaning ACs, energy-management equipment, Smart Building pr... - 0 views

www.hotelmanagement.net/...nd-with-ptac-maintenance-19985

energy management

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 20 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • If an operator doesn’t have an energy-management program in place they might not be able to keep track of when it is most important to clean their devices
  • automatically generate reports summarizing issues within the hotel and direct staff to repeat offenders that might be costing the property more than necessary
  • Other methods for reducing energy costs include using systems that turn off climate control units when balcony doors are left open, or interfaces directly with the property by activating when a room is switched from vacant to occupied status.
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  • Climate control equipment is frequently the biggest purchase cost for a guestroom, and costs the most in energy usage throughout the year
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 20 Nov 13
     
    Energy management systems provide a number of benefits to a hotel property: - better tracking and targeting of preventative maintenance programs - extend the life of equipment through better maintenance - auto-off climate controls - direct interface with the PMS system All these factors add up to provide cost savings in energy usage, improvement in engineer efficiency and effectiveness and increased equipment longevity. An energy management system brings value to the property and likely pays for itself over time through these benefits.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Digital Hospitality, AKA Predictive Personalization | ClickZ - 0 views

www.clickz.com/...aka-predictive-personalization

digital marketing predictive personalization hospitality

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 17 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • marketers are afraid of using it in more consumer-connected ways because people might feel like their privacy has been violated
  • websites and devices are already collecting unfathomable amounts of data, but marketers are afraid of using it in more consumer-connected ways because people might feel like their privacy has been violated
  • everyone benefits from strong customer service, which is what brands can deliver online through predictive personalization
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  • Predictive personalization uses your visitors' implicit behavior to evaluate: Where in the buying process they are, then, The relevant messaging needed to move them further down the sales funnel and create an explicit behavior.
  • When brands and agencies employ this strategy, they create online hospitality that is in direct response to their customers' needs or wants based on those customers' website activity. They connect in meaningful ways with their consumers in real time with highly tailored offers or content that is relevant to their real-time activities.
  • As more and more businesses move into the direct-to-consumer space, they will need to improve their digital hospitality by predicting what consumers want based on what they already do online.
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 17 Nov 13
     
    The opportunity to improve utilization of predictive personalization in hospitality marketing is vast. A role that was previously fulfilled entirely by a human is now able to be translated into the digital world. There are a number of reasons that marketers are not yet excelling at the use of this data to provide results, the greatest of which is that clearly defined goals are necessary to narrow down the specific data that is needed in order to create a program that produces the desired result. We still have a long way to go before we know how to fine tune marketing according to digital activity but a starting off point is to use location markers to customize email and website marketing to the area in which the user is interested.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Freeman's AVT Event Technologies Introduces the Cumulus App for Meeting Planners - 0 views

www.exhibitoronline.com/...article.asp

app event free Freeman AVT Cumulus

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 05 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • a landmark mobile application (app) that allows meeting planners to create tailored event apps free of charge for their attendees
  • provide event attendees with convenient access to valuable event information from any Internet-connected smart device
  • quick and easy updates to content
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  • advantage in their sales cycle
  • available at no cost
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 05 Nov 13
     
    Freeman AVT, a provider of integrated event marketing services, has created a fully customizable app that is available for free to any planner who uses Freeman's other services. The app is functional with the ability to add or remove session topis, speakers, multimedia material and includes technical support. This is a great benefit to any meeting planner who does not have the budget to pay a separate company to develop an app for a one-time event. It also allows planners earlier access to their attendees so they can increase revenues and attendance through marketing products within the app.
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 05 Nov 13
     
    Freeman AVT, a provider of integrated event marketing services, has created a fully customizable app that is available for free to any planner who uses Freeman's other services. The app is functional with the ability to add or remove session topis, speakers, multimedia material and includes technical support. This is a great benefit to any meeting planner who does not have the budget to pay a separate company to develop an app for a one-time event. It also allows planners earlier access to their attendees so they can increase revenues and attendance through marketing products within the app.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Arabian Aerospace - SITA sees the airport future - 0 views

www.arabianaerospace.aero/a-sees-the-airport-future.html

smart glasses wearable technology airport scanners

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 30 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • Technology observers are touting wearable computing as the next big thing that could re-define how we use and interact with information.
  • SITA Lab was one of a few selected developers to receive both the Google Glass and Vuzix M100 devices before their public launch, in order to evaluate them. It carried out tests for a variety of uses in airline and airport settings. 
  • Wearable devices like Google Glass offer new opportunities to mobilize staff, keeping their hands free, while keeping them connected to the traditional check-in and reservation systems.  Interaction can be via video analysis of what a staff member is looking at, like a boarding pass or bag tag, or voice recognition, or a combination of both.
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  • SITA Lab developed an application called SWIFT Boarding using the smart headgear’s built-in camera as a scanner and the heads-up display
  • Both documents are held side by side while the app matches the two to ensure they belong to the same person
  • Travel documents and loyalty cards can be scanned by smart glasses. However, the devices are not fast enough yet to be able to meet the high speed passenger processing requirements needed at airports.
  • the technology needs to be more robust to avoid breakages and the cost will have to come down. The camera quality will also need to be enhanced
  • Other areas to be addressed include bandwidth for widespread use, battery life and of course the cultural and social issues both for passengers and employees
  • wearable computing promises may lead to new and innovative uses by the air transport industry
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 30 Oct 13
     
    Google glass has provided the opportunity to explore more efficient ways to process air travelers. SITA, the air transport's IT provider, has quickly produced the first app to do so with wearable technology. The glasses are worn by the security agent and used to compare and legitimize the security documents used for travel. While the technology is not yet fast enough to be put to practical use and remains quite expensive, it is certain that price and quality will improve in the future and provide value to the air transport industry.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Briggo coffee robot: Should Starbucks replace baristas with machines? - 0 views

www.slate.com/..._baristas_with_machines.2.html

beverage coffee technology robot barista

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 22 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • It’s too soon to tell whether the system is a hit.
  • Robots may be more reliable than humans, in the sense that they can work around the clock without a break and achieve levels of precision and consistency that no Starbucks employee can match. But when something goes wrong, robotic systems tend to be less resilient than those that include humans, because humans are far better at reacting to novel circumstances—not to mention soothing the feelings of unsatisfied customers.
  • robots can also excel in controlled environments, like factory production lines, by performing rote tasks with higher levels of precision and consistency than humans could ever achieve.
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  • it’s the grab-and-go crowd that helps subsidize their leisurely habits. Perhaps, then, the robots could ultimately displace Starbucks baristas after all, whether Starbucks likes it or not. And the more people obsess over the perfect cup of coffee, as opposed to a friendly coffee-shop ambience, the more likely it is to happen.
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 22 Oct 13
     
    Briggo has invested greatly in new technology that is estimated to be a game-changer in the coffee service industry. New 'robot baristas' do everything from grind coffee beans to fill the espresso cup and the customer doesn't have to do anything but order on their smartphone and pick up the coffee. Preferences are saved for convenience and the brew is precise each and every time. While the success of this technology is uncertain, it is promising. Time will tell what the market reaction will be long term but the initial feedback has been positive and certainly if the technology works some section of the existing coffee market will suffer.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Page 2 - Avero Partners With BinWise To Automate Beverage Inventory Management - TheStreet - 0 views

www.thestreet.com/...rage-inventory-management.html

Avero inventory management restaurant beverage

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 15 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • Avero is the leading provider of cloud-based insights and solutions to the hospitality industry having seamless integration with more than 40 of the largest POS systems worldwide
  • The cloud-based software links purchasing, barcode inventory management, point of sales and real-time wine lists, available on pdf, html or iPad, on one platform
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 15 Oct 13
     
    Avero, one of the top analytic tools in the industry, has partnered with BinWise, the leading beverage inventory management system. Together, they provide great value to restaurants in that they ensure the most current inventory levels and accurate sales information at all times. The streamlining of these processes saves the property time, money and space while controlling inventory and beverage costs. It is clear that, while many companies use one or the other (or both), they will now benefit even more from the partnership between these two systems that have both been proven to save money and improve efficiency.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Using technology to stop restaurant theft | FastCasual.com - 0 views

www.fastcasual.com/...ology-to-stop-restaurant-theft

POS theft restaurant technology employee

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 08 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • losing money at the POS can be a serious problem for restaurant operators
  • internal employee theft is responsible for 75 percent of inventory shortages and about 4 percent of restaurant sales
  • restaurants using NCR Restaurant Guard to monitor employee interactions with the POS systems not only reversed theft losses, but also led to more profit: From minus-3 percent in losses to plus-7 in gains.
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  • The cloud-based system, which now has a real-time mobile app to alert managers when suspicious activity occurs, gives managers hard data on their employees
  • The system, Kittle said, not only flags mistakes and suspicious activity, it also ranks employees based on things they do well. For example, it tracks when employees sell add-on items like desserts or sides, so managers often use it to motivate employees with contests or calling out who is selling the most.
  • The platform features the ability to integrate digital video with the POS system as well.
  • Nine months after rolling it out in 900 stores, Subway franchisees have seen savings above $1.6 million.
  • "This integration saves time and energy in researching problematic and profit draining activity. It's a 'game changer' in reducing losses, increasing profitability, and providing an advantage in the marketplace.
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 08 Oct 13
     
    Theft is a huge challenge in the restaurant industry and it's an expensive one. Now the POS system can assist with security by flagging suspicious transactions and identifying theft behaviors and flagging on video. This is an enormous help to the industry. The greatest area of impact is that having a system with this capability deters theft. The second area is that managers do not have to be present in order to catch theft and can do so at any time through device notifications and internet-based cameras. Video is flagged so there is now no need to watch hours of tape in order to find suspicious activity. Simply by the fact that Subway is now recovering $1.6 million in less than 1 year, it is clear that this system has huge value and will continue to positively affect finances in the restaurant industry as technology advances.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Hotel technology trends that are changing how hotels do business - 1 views

www.lodgingmagazine.com/...2

pms cloud

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 03 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • Choice created the software in 2003 as an inexpensive solution for franchisees of its economy brands.
  • The PMS had a lot of growing pains at first, but eventually it became more and more cloud enabled and was adopted across the company.
  • “A lot of companies had outsourced their IT and now they’re bringing it back in house because they can do almost everything they need on the cloud or through software as a service.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • pects of a franchisee’s business, from guest check-ins and housekeeping services to billing and finances. Over time new features have been rolled into the software platform making it more robust and useful for hotel owners—it’s currently distributed in eight countries and available in four languages. And while plenty of cloud-based PMS packages are now available from third-party vendors like Micros, Maestro, and RoomKey, Choice’s internal solution has garnered its fair share of attention. “We had been getting knocks on the door from IT vendors at other hotel companies and individual Choice franchisees that own other brands, saying they were interested in our product,” says Pacious, “So we set up a new division so we could take a look at other opportunities we could develop.” This led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system. Pages: 1 2 3 4 2013-06-18 Sean Downey !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); (function() { var li = document.createElement('script'); li.type = 'text/javascript'; li.async = true; li.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//platform.stumbleupon.com/1/widgets.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(li, s); })(); inShare0 Related Articles attachment-3
  • Switching to the cloud from a client server platform pays off with a big drop in both the initial capital outlay and the ongoing operating costs for the property management and other systems.
  • his led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system. Pages: 1 2 3 4 2013-06-18 Sean Downey !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); (function() { var li = document.createElement('script'); li.type = 'text/javascript'; li.async = true; li.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//platform.stumbleupon.com/1/widgets.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(li, s); })(); inShare0 Related Articles Hotel Market Insight: Cleveland a
  • This led the company to launch SkyTouch last year, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based software solutions to hotels inside and outside the Choice system.
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 03 Oct 13
     
    Choice Hotels has been a industry leader in the cloud PMS movement. They identified the opportunity to create their own platform 10 years ago when cloud was barely on the radar and have now successfully distributed it to 5,500 of their properties. Unique functionality built into the system is internet redundancy via cellular data plan, company-wide campaign pop-up messages to staff, interface to Pegasus and revenue management through predictive analytics. The platform has been so successful that, in response to inquiries from other companies who wanted to use Choice's proprietary system themselves, they created an additional revenue stream by establishing a separate company that sells and creates custom cloud PMS systems. One advantage pointed out is that managers no longer need to be on property to access and make changes to their PMS. While this is hugely beneficial to the majority of the industry (who already work long hours and visit the property on their day off), there may be some who take advantage of the situation. If this becomes the case, less oversight at the property means that operations has the potential to slip. It doesn't seem that this is a concern for Choice Hotels but it should be considered.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Futuristic, sustainable hotels the next frontier for hospitality | News | Eco-Business ... - 1 views

www.eco-business.com/...tels-next-frontier-hospitality

sustainability grand cancun castillo green

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 27 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • built on one common principle - climate resilience
  • designed to withstand the future threat of worsening climate change such as sea level rises
  • Both projects integrate sustainable energy sources and systems, and are
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • contain several hotel amenities as well as a wind farm, desalination plant, and ocean waste facility among others
  • offshore marine platform that will enable the Mexican city to address their energy problems and reduce their fossil fuels dependency
  • alleviates water scarcity, minimises overdevelopment on the coast and helps control marine pollution
  • avoid damaging the underwater ecosystem
  • covered with solar panels
  • Rainwater and wastewater will also be collected and respectively reused and purified through recycling facilities
  • underwater energy farm that will harvest 47MW of tidal, current and wave energy
  • can extract, clean and purify waste gathered from the ocean
  • contains wind turbines that can generate 40MW/h of renewable energy
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 27 Sep 13
     
    The Grand Cancun has been designed to anticipate natural disasters climate change, as well as incorporated amenities that will make it self-sustaining and even beneficial to the city in which it resides. Including a wind and underwater energy farm, desalination plant, ocean waste facility, wind turbines and solar panels. Not only this but its design will avoid destruction of the underwater ecosystem during development and construction. This is not only a hotel but also it incorporates a facility for marine research. The design appears expensive but it has the opportunity to recapture its investment through the building's own energy savings, the sale of the energy it generates to external users, its ability to remain largely unaffected by rising sea levels or other climate change and the incremental business related to the research laboratories.
Alyssa Westmeyer

SiteMinder Named One of Australia's 50 Fastest Growing Technology Companies for Second ... - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4058721.html

PMS CRS integration RDX connectivity online booking channels reservation

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 18 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • Room Distribution Exchange (RDX) platform that directly connects hotel reservation systems and online booking channels over the web
  • eliminated the gap between hotel reservation systems and booking channels, making the online booking process faster, more efficient and more lucrative for hotels than ever before.
  • "The RDX platform has helped bridge the widening gap in connectivity and turned distribution into a commodity item that can be accessed by hotels of all sizes around the world," Mr Ford said. "RDX allows PMS and Central Reservation Systems (CRS) vendors to operate and fully support their own branded distribution platform, providing full, two-way, seamless connectivity to hundreds of channels including OTAs (online travel agents), wholesalers, Global Distribution System (GDS) networks and social media channels.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • the inherent complexity of connecting and maintaining hundreds of channels is elimated for both technology providers and hotels globally
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 18 Sep 13
     
    One of the greatest challenges a hotel faces is ensuring that all of its booking channels are updated on a real-time basis. With this tool, a Revenue Manager can quickly manage all inventory from a single place. With instant 2-way integration, On the property side, changes can be made easily and efficiently and applied to all sites. The reservations will also be dropped directly into the PMS or CRS so there is no more manual input necessary. On the consumer side, every booking will reduce inventory across all sites so that there is no chance of overbooking. This is a very valuable tool.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Marriott Offers Option to Bypass Front Desk with Mobile Check-in App | News | Hospitali... - 3 views

hospitalitytechnology.edgl.com/...-with-Mobile-Check-in-App88149

marriott mobile app check-in front desk

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 13 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • Adoption has been rapid as one-quarter of Marriott Rewards guests with reservations at those hotels used the Marriott Mobile app to check-in. 
  • Marriott plans to add mobile checkout in November
  • Mobile is Marriott’s fastest growing consumer channel
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Marriott recently launched a new website – www.travelbrilliantly.com – revealing innovations under development, as well as a co-creation platform to solicit future-forward ideas from influencers, experts and traveling consumer enthusiasts
  • Alyssa Westmeyer on 13 Sep 13
     
    The launch of a mobile check-in app is one of the most innovative developments in recent hospitality history. This is what consumers have been asking for for years and it eliminates the need for expensive and maintenance-laden kiosks. This is clearly a result of Marriott's recent commitment to innovation through its Innovation Lab - a subterranean space that functions as a technology design board. On the website listed in the article, www.travelbrilliantly.com, you will find so many more intriguing ideas and unlikely but brilliant partnerships. Contributors are even encouraged to submit their own ideas so that the public can vote on them, engaging users. Marriott, once considered a but stuffy and cookie-cutter has once again transformed itself and taken a leading role in the industry.
Alyssa Westmeyer

Non-guests driving incremental revenues - 1 views

www.hotelnewsnow.com/...s-driving-incremental-revenues

revenue generation driving revenue local guests revenue share

shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 05 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • The necessary equipment is installed by partner LiquidSpace, which takes a commission of each booking fee. Hoteliers are required only to pay for marketing materials up front, the costs of which are recouped in two to three bookings
    • Alyssa Westmeyer
      Alyssa Westmeyer on 05 Sep 13
       
      Although I don't know the cost, it seems there is very little investment required for what is a potentially great revenue source. Revenue share is required but it seems there is an ROI if marketed appropriately.
  • Marriott expects to have introduced the Workspace concept into as many as 400 hotels by year end
    • Alyssa Westmeyer
      Alyssa Westmeyer on 05 Sep 13
       
      This is a significant technological innovation that is integrating into the market quickly due to this large primary adopter - Marriott. Because this meeting room booking function is currently handled on property via phonen/email by F&B or Convention Services, having an online booking tool will make it easier, faster and more effortless to generate revenue in unused spaces. Eventually larger companies may even be able to work this function into their proprietary booking tool if they wish to avoid getting into another OTA revenue share situation.
  • Roof draws 90% of its guests from the local community
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Roof draws 90% of its guests from the local community
    • Alyssa Westmeyer
      Alyssa Westmeyer on 05 Sep 13
       
      This is an incredible number. Many properties struggle to maintain local business because they know it is crucial to their long-term success. Locals provide consistent revenue when visitor traffic wanes. That is why opportunities like LiquidSpace can be so impactful. They embrace the local community and provide it with a benefit.
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