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Melissa Krajewski

Availpro and Premier Hotels of the World announce extended partnership - 0 views

  • CEO of Premier Hotels of the World™ Mr. Martin Fabiano states: "We are excited to announce the partnership with Availpro, which will give our Member Hotels a distinct advantage over other Groups."
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    The Availpro organization is the hospitality industry leader in online distribution. Its mission is to provide hotel owners with the most effective online sales platform. Using the tagline, 'The World is your hotel Marketplace,' Availpro has helped thousands of hotels worldwide sell over ten million rooms by utilizing a highly developed extranet channel. Availpro's extranet channels provide two-way connectivity to over one hundred distribution websites. With a larger scope of distribution the hotels using Availpro increase their sales and become more efficient. In addition, Availpro's management of these extranet channels saves hotels valuable time. However the reason Availpro is the leader in online distribution is not just its booking capabilities but rather its recent developments that together provide their clients an online distribution extranet solution. The booking engines that made Availpro successful expanded to include mobile applications and social booking with Facebook. Availpro also introduced important decision-making tools such as the Smart Channel Manager, Rate Screener and Guest Satisfaction. I was curious about the 'Rate Screener' so I read Availpro's article "Availpro rate screener allows Hotel owners to sell their rooms at best rate," published on October 17th 2011 (http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news//4053349.html). This tool was developed with user input and tested in real life rate decision scenarios. The all-in-one solution allows managers to see their rates, inventory and competitor rates on a central distribution schedule. By analyzing their competition in real time managers are able to optimize their rates. Long gone are the days when managers used to call the local competition and pretend to be walk-in guests to find out fire sale rates. This most recent article, published on the third of January 2012, discusses Availpro's growing partnership with Premier Hotels of the World™. By incorporating Availpro's ex
Xu Wang

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

  • 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.
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  • 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.
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    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.
Karin Goodine

HSMAI Article - E-Commerce Now And In The Future - 0 views

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    Electronic commerce is a booming business during these years. For example, the United States attributed $300 billion in transactions in 2002. There are two types of E-commerce through Internet, one is Intranet and the other is Extranet. Also, according to the former data, E-commerce is becoming more and more importance. Among e-commerce transactions, individual transactions donate a lot. There are lots of benefits about the E-commerce. Through selling on the Internet, they often have lower transactions costs. Also, E-commerce is faster and more convenient so that shoppers are able to take a lot of time to buy. Although there are lots of benefits, there are still drawbacks like searching better prices. Organizations usually go through four phases, including Web Presence, Web Service, Web Transactions and Integrated Web. The purpose of the first one is marketing enhancing. The second one is setting for responding to product and services inquires. The third one make company get their Web Sites ready for transactions. The last one creates the value chain among the customers. In the future, there will be greater integration of Web Sites with backend customer databases and other business information systems. The organizations are developing micromarketing decisions at individual level. At the end, the article also listed a lot of questions about the issues about the e-commerce in the future.
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    Did you know that by the year 2016 e-Commerce buying and selling online would have made over 8.6 billion dollars! This article discusses the e-commerce currently and its future trends in the hospitality arena, which is one of the fastest growing industries to date.
anonymous

HSMAI Article - E-Commerce Now And In The Future - 0 views

This article is about E-Commerce. E-Commerce also known as, Electronic commerce is steadily growing.We may want to keep in mind that if there will be a continuously steady path for E-commerce mark...

technology business software

started by anonymous on 19 Sep 13 no follow-up yet
sbarr011

Expedia Leads $26 Million Alice Investment in Hotel Tech Push - Skift - 0 views

  • Alice, a startup that sells operations software to hotels, has raised $26 million in a Series B funding round led by online travel giant Expedia.
  • It has since evolved into software that aims to provide the first unified platform for a hotel to run its entire back-end operations, such as housekeeping and customer service communication.
  • The company “is now at a completely different level,” when it comes to putting into place a set of tools that are broad and comprehensive and that are responsive to what hotels have said their needs are, he claimed.
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  • A key part of Alice’s system is its ability to let guests, front-of-house workers, and back-of-house staff communicate and track requests. For instance, a guest request via a text message for, say, more linens, can be conveyed to the right worker using Alice, the company said.
  • It now processes more than 50,000 requests a week, up from the 10,000-a-week pace it had a year ago. The company anticipates hotels will handle more than two million requests on its platform over the next year.
  • Alice has more than doubled its count of hotel clients this year.
  • Expedia’s interest in Alice suggests that the online travel company is curious about possibly providing more back-end software services for the hotels that use it to market and distribute their inventory globally.
  • Expedia officially began to market a series of new tools for hoteliers that it has been adding to its extranet for suppliers since 2015 under the name Expedia Powered Technology. Tools include help with revenue management and messaging with guests.
  • There are other hotel tech brands that offer software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions that overlap with what Alice’s platform provides, such as the housekeeping-focused services of Amadeus Hospitality’s HotSOS. Other potential players in the market include Sabre Hospitality Solutions and Oracle Hospitality.
  • Expedia’s suite of data analytics tools includes a free service that aims to help hotels set their rates to command the most revenue and Expedia’s first meetings-and-events booking tool to help hotels automate requests for proposals — which today is still, largely, a manual process.
  • Priceline Group has, since 2015, been investing in business services for its hotel partners under the BookingSuite brand. The tools include revenue management software and digital marketing help for a property’s own branded website.
  • Trivago, the hotel metasearch brand that is backed by Expedia (but operates independently), is also offering hotel services, such as for revenue management and hotel management (like Base7booking).
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    Alice, a relatively new start-up which sells operations software to hotels, had a significant investment from Expedia in the previous round of funding. Alice has become a software that provides "the first unified platform for a hotel to run its entire back end operations, such as housekeeping and customer service communication". The system allows guests to send a text message with a request for more pillows or towels, for example, which will be directed to the proper the hotel employee department. Customers can track their requests and both the front and back of house staff can receive communications from guest requests. This IT platform has seen 5 times the amount of requests being generated. Also, the platform has partnered with double the number of hotels and they project more than two million requests will be communicated through this software in a year. Expedia is the largest shareholder in Alice currently. Alice suggests that this is because Expedia could be more interested in "more back-end software services for the hotels that use it to market and distribute their inventory globally." Expedia currently markets tools such as revenue management under the name Expedia Powered Technology to hoteliers. Expedia also offers meetings and events booking tools for hotels. Priceline, which is a competitor to Expedia, also has invested in tools and services that include revenue management software for their hotel partners. Trivago is also offering these services. Alice believes that the size of the market will allow for many other companies to work in this space, and is even open to partnering with other firms to expand. Alice also plans to expand their own business and add personnel with the new funds.
sbaut010

GDS, OTA and Meta: What's the difference? | HotelMinder - 2 views

  • GDS, OTA and Meta: What’s the difference?
    • ansonj55
       
      The article covers the topics discussed in this week's topics related to Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and Online Travel Agency (OTA). It goes in detail regarding the difference and benefits of each. The landscape of the traveling industry changed in the late 1900s with the introduction of the GDS from the airline industry. Although costly, hotels are able to provide unsold rooms at a cheaper rate in order to secure bookings. Similarly, OTAs have gained popularity with the rise of use and reliance of the internet. Most beneficial of a OTA is more visibility for the hotel, since they invest a significant amount of capital in advertising. Whether a hotel is deciding whether or not to invest in a GDS or OTA, it is important to do a cost benefit analysis in order to determine which may be more beneficial to the property.
  • how can they help your hotel gain more online visibility and sell more rooms?
  • Hotels usually sell their rooms for 30% cheaper on GDS
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  • GDS is a rather costly selling channel that mainly allows the sale of rooms in larger quantities to bigger companies (for corporate guests) or travel agencies (leisure travellers). Thus, small independent hotels usually do not need GDS.
    • ansonj55
       
      GDS is costly so it is not really beneficial for smaller, independent hotels.
  • With the rise of the internet, many websites began selling rooms without the need for human interaction. These sites very quickly gained important market share,
  • Metasearch engines are becoming important in the travel industry
  • We do encourage hotels to use OTA to be more visible online
  • many different accommodation options at one glance
  • Rather than trying to compete with them, it would be better to see them as another selling distribution channel instead.
  • OTA’s invest a lot in online marketing
  • developed metasearch engine tools.
  • With travellers using the internet more than ever to search and book hotels
  • hey usually do many different searches and visit several websites.
  • Increasing your online hotel visibility can be done in many ways.
  • OTAs: Online Travel Agencies
  • GDS: Global Distribution Systems
  • GDS stands for “Global Distribution System”
  • Travel agencies use GDS to get real-time availability, and preferred rates on flight tickets, hotel rooms and car rentals all over the world as it allows them to be very reactive when asked for a quote.
  • OTA stands for "Online Travel Agency"
  • They were first created by airline companies during the 1950’s to broaden hotel and car rental businesses by enabling automated transactions between travel service providers and travel agencies (traditional and online).
  • The three biggest GDS systems are: Amadeus, Sabre and Galileo (now owned by Travelport)
  • real-time availability
  • Central Reservation Services (CRS), such as Sabre, allow hotels to sell their rooms to all GDS simultaneously. However, it is up to the hotel whether to connect with only one or two GDS directly, without the need for a CRS. The good news is that some channel managers are also able to connect with GDS systems.
  • The most popular example is Booking.com, although Expedia (for corporate guests) and Hostelworld (for more economical accommodation options) are also well-known.
    • sbaut010
       
      GDS has become an industry of its own with its own markets.
  • Your hotel can usually be listed on an OTA free of charge by adding your hotel photos, descriptions, rooms, rates, etc. You can then choose how many rooms you’d like to sell through the OTA. The availability you’d like to sell as well as the room rate is your decision, and although appearing on the OTA is free, you will have to pay a commission of approximately 15% to 20% every time you get a booking.
    • sbaut010
       
      Through this system OTA, the middleman, will always take a form of commission.
  • Although they produce rather time-consuming work as you need to log into each of their extranets to update daily availability and rates, you can very easily connect an OTA to a channel manager to automate, or at least greatly facilitate these tasks.
  • They were created shortly after OTAs and display the current rates of many different hotels in a given destination.
  • Today, OTA’s are a must, and although metasearch engines are slightly more technical to manage, they can also be an attractive selling channel to consider.
  • For small independent hotels, GDS is usually too costly to be considered.
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    This article introduces GDS, OTA and Meta in a short space. GDS stands for Global Distribution System, GDS is a rather costly selling channel that mainly allows the sale of rooms in larger quantities to bigger companies. Small independent hotels usually do not need GDS. OTA stands for Online Travel Agency. meta stands for Metasearch Engines. For small hotels, the cost of GDS is high and it is generally difficult to adopt. OTA and meta are two methods worth considering.
leahesper

(PDF) THE IMPLEMENTATION OF E-MARKETING IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY: THE CASE OF ISTRIA COUNTY - 0 views

  • e research was conducted using a survey method. e research results show that hotel companies in Istria County have achieved a medium or even high level of implementation of e-marketing practice. e companies with a higher level of e-marketing practice also achieve better business performance. However, the survey also revealed the constraints to the widespread application of e-marketing in the hotel industry.
  • e increasing presence of the Internet in daily lives has resulted in the Internet an essential media in marketing communication.
  • To gain competitive advantage in the demanding tourist market, it is important nowadays for a hotel company to have its own website, promote its products through social networks and mobile applications, use e-mail as a channel of communication with its business partners and customers, and apply all available information-communication technology (ICT).
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  • Some authors emphasize the role of the Internet in the application of e-marketing, while others perceive that term broadly, including the application of other ICT solutions.
  • consider the concept of e-marketing as a means of moving products or services from producers to tourists, and using the Internet as a means of promotion and a sales channel.
  • the use of electronic data and applications for planning and executing the conception, distribution and pricing of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goal
  • Internet marketing, e-mail marketing, mobile marketing, intranet marketing and extranet
  • marketing, as well as dierent e-marketing forms
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    This article is actually based on a case study on the implementation of e-marketing in the hotel industry. This article examines the level of implementation of e-marketing practice in the hotel industry. It is an empirical research article conducted in Istria County, the most developed tourist county in Croatia.
nbakir

New Study Reveals Technology Investment Priorities for Hotels - 0 views

  • 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
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  • 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
       
      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.
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    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.
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    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
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    This article is about chain hotels 77% more likely to increase technology investments, while independent counterparts prioritize room renovation.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.  
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  • Much has changed in the business world since the birth of technology and the subsequent discovery of the world wide web (www) in 1989.
  • Much has changed in the business world since the birth of technology and the subsequent discovery of the world wide web (www) in 1989.
  • According to South African Tourism (2015), more than 180 million bed nights were sold in 2015, making the hotel industry an attractive client of e-commerce.
  • ...58 more annotations...
  • suppliers and customers meet in a virtual space to perform transactions using Internet technology as it has the potential to add substantial value to business operations and competitiveness of a business.
  • scene of the famous lion-buffalo-crocodile battle watched more than 75 million times on YouTube)
  • e-commerce has not only
  • changed the way business is conducted, but has increased the revenue of organisations tremendously, in particular that of the travel and tourism industry.
  • The top three visited travel sites include Booking.com, Expedia.com and Hotels.com.
  • survey conducted in Hong Kong of 249 leisure travellers, 80% searched for hotel information using Web tools, with more than half making their bookings through hotel host websites or third-party websites
    • anonymous
       
      They wouldn't be able to gather this information on technology unless they had the proper technology to do so.
  • right: © 2016 A
  • understand how the various online sales platforms interconnect.
  • the internet consumer of today assumes all businesses worthy of trade have a website;
  • it is not enough for hotels to rely on their web pages alone for room sales.
  • An aspect of e-commerce revolves around how social media affects a hotel’s online presence, and how it is used as a tool for gaining a notable share in the e-commerce market for hotel room sales.
  • In an increasingly competitive market place, tourism products require an effective distribution strategy for a firm to reach its target tourists and local markets
  • E-commerce mainly helps in the generation of leads, presenting information about the tourism product to the customers, and facilitating the transaction process electronically
  • The Internet is an ideal platform for the tourism industry
  • 1) they are intangible, 2) their production and consumption cannot be separated, 3) they are perishable, and 4) they are seasonal
  • online travel booking is the specific business-to-consumer (B2C) transaction in the context of online tourism
  • Social commerce should be considered broader than the act of sharing shopping experiences with others, as it has challenged and redefined traditional vendor-push business models and marketing strategies (Gonçalves Curty & Zhang, 2013:260-261).
  • E-commerce allows the tourism consumer to purchase tourism products and packages online and act as his or her own travel agent by building personalised travel packages and eliminitaing the need for traditional processes
  • From a hotel business perspective, e-Procurement is a good example of the innovative use of technology in the lodging industry
  • 2B
  • E-procurement can be defined as a business-to-business (B2B) tool that supports the buying process
  • implementing e-procurement has become an important enabler for achieving a flexible and responsive supply chain.
  • An example of e-procurement or a business-to-business transaction would be a hotel selling its rooms to OTAs on a wholesale or commission basis.
  • e-commerce in the modern tourism and hospitality industry is important because the Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel, most travellers research hotel reservations on the Internet, and social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor.
  • there are three most common retail sales channels – brick-and-mortar, catalogue and the Web – across the elements that characterise the shopping and business ownership experience
  • Travel services are categorised into Accommodation and Airlines, as these two components constitute a large part of the hospitality industry.
  • This research study is focused on room sales, therefore the distribution channels used for this purpose will be explained, namely, Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and merchant sites.
  • Today, e-commerce focuses on profitability.
  • challenge for retailers is to attract the attention of the digital natives (consumers who have grown up in the digital world) and persuade them to spend more, as well as to attract digital immigrants (consumers who are presumed to resist new technology or at least have trouble accepting it) to this way of shopping.
  • Social media can increase communication for a website and create brand awareness.
  • a social network is a virtual community, profile site or website on the Internet that brings people together in a central location, to talk, share ideas and interests or make new friends.
  • platforms such as social network services (
  • is one of the main reasons for advancement in Web 2.0 technologies and developments in e-commerce.
  • social commerce providers started their businesses by combining group-buying with selling discount coupons offered from their partners over the Internet.
  • Although the statistic does not identify the specific modes used to make room reservations, it can be presumed that electronic sales made up a considerable percentage as sales method.
  • consumers have become the storytellers and are the new brand ambassadors.
  • social media is driven by word-of-mouth and if done properly can improve positioning in the market
  • e-commerce is still new. Getting (2007), maintain that most online communities are free and are growing at a rapid rate.
  • An online rating site is a system of ranking places, products and services via customer reviews based on past experiences.
  • TripAdvisor is classified as a meta-search engine, which is defined by Webopedia (2015) as a search engine that queries other search engines and then combines the results.
  • the prevalence of traveller reviews had a significant impact on the online sales of hotel rooms and that hotel managers should seriously consider the impact that online reviews of their hotels on these websites have on the consumer.
  • Online channels allow the potential customer to see the location details and compare hotel prices easily, as well as read online reviews which have a wider reach and are less ephemeral than traditional word-of-mouth reviews.
  • Figure 1 further illustrates the direct booking channel guests have to hotels via the Internet.
  • Reservation System (CRS) in the 1960s to the Global Distribution System (GDS) in the 1980s and the advent of the Internet in the early 1990s, the tourism industry has always been confronted with the rise of new technological developments
  • rapid growth of online travel agencies caused traditional indirect distribution channels through tourism intermediaries to decline
  • The Internet has become an integral part of everyday life. In order for businesses to be sustainable, they need to have an e-commerce presence
  • it is a service that can be readily offered to global markets and it can become a trade platform joining suppliers and buyers from around the world
  • with technological advancements, firms are increasingly reaching out to their customers through a variety of channels such as e-commerce, m-commerce and brick-and-mortar establishments. Heinemann and Schwarzl (2010:1) contend online retail today is taking place at a higher level of evolution than in the initial years of e-commerce.
  • there are technical and non-technical aspects associated with e-commerce
  • How can hotels compete in a digital world and what will their future business models look like?
  • an intranet as a private network, operated by a large company or organisation, which uses internet technologies, but is insulated from the global Internet by a firewall (a system designed to prevent unauthorised access). An extranet, however, is an intranet that is accessible to some people from outside the company
  • studies in the tourism and hospitality arena have indicated that ICT is a tool particularly suited to this industry for a variety of reasons.
  • The Internet has become an integral part of everyday life. In order for businesses to be sustainable, they need to have an e-commerce presence
  • The hospitality industry is an ideal trade for making use of e-commerce and the social web.
  • Reputable booking sites such as Booking.com, Expedia.com and Tripadvisor are visited by over 300 million online visitors each month.
  • Internet users have become demanding in their expectations of company presence online.
  • “if I can’t find enough information on your hotel it’s probably not a good choice.”
    • anonymous
       
      BOTTOM LINE
  • E-commerce is expected to reach global sales of $1.5 trillion by 2018 (Statista, 2016), and therefore hotels in CT will need to increase their presence on the internet, not only on booking sites, but also on the social web in order to receive a sizable share of electronic sales.
  •  
    This article talks about where the internet has brought us in the business world and where it is taking us. There are other articles included to support the idea that hospitality businesses need the internet inorder to successfully reach out to and market toward customers. Along with the idea that if a business does not have an online presence,that, is an untapped stream of revenue. As well as the combined business efforts that go into delivering a flawless product to its customers via the web. There were two case studies that took place in order to understand the role e-commerce has played and will potentially play in the hospitality industry.
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