Hospitality Technology

This article is really interesting because it incorporates two concepts that we have touched on in class, cloud systems and Points of Sale (POS) systems. Cloudtise, is a type of cloud advertising service that is part of the new online marketing trend that allows businesses use real time data for advertising to consumers. Its versatile form allows both users and consumers to instantly update and gather information. By partnering up with Revel System's cloud based Apple iPad POS system, it will help businesses obtain data about client trends. The coalition enables Cloudtise to mold their data based on the geographical area and use data to create ads in real time for specific areas. Using the POS system, Cloudtise will be able to give businesses information so that they can target ads to demographics in local and specific areas that are the most likely to buy the products. Businesses will be able to track inventory levels, customer characteristics, and details from local competitors that will boost their knowledge of what products sell best and to whom. The overall advantage will be providing information what advertising campaigns work and which do not. I think this is a great way for businesses to gain a competitive advantage in their market because consumers are moving toward an instant gratification plane, where they expect products and services immediately. Using cloud and POS systems as an advertising tool will enable users to specifically target consumers and adapt to them instantly.

This is a great article about relatively new point-of-sales systems, that are implemented in a number of places worldwide. Have you ever experienced your card being swiped on iPad of a server when you ordered a coffee? No? And how about your iPhone to become a POS? You walk in a mall, scanning stuff, getting your groceries and the devise is offering you recipes with the food you're getting. The other trend is social POS. It post automatically on a facebook whatever you got in a mall in order for you to remember your shopping history in case you lose the track of your purchases.

It is amazing that all the customer transactions can be done through Ipad or Iphone. This technology create new shopping experience and may attract more young customers.

There are three reasons why point of sale retail systems are easy to use, first of all,this software was designed with merchants like you in mind, not computer programmers or web designers. Once you have the hang of it, you may find that the program is almost intuitively simple. All you have to do is follow the instructions. seondly,.These programs were created to make running a retail operation as smooth and seamless as possible. Rather than making your day more difficult, With an Internet-based system, you can even manage your store remotely, from any computer with an online connection. Finally, your software provider to offer hands-on guidance and support. If you have any further questions down the line, call or email them for instant support.

Interesting article. I agree with you its easy to use.

Choice Hotels International has deployed its cloud-based property management system ChoiceAdvantage to Comfort Hotel De L' Europe of Saint-Nazaire, France. This systems allows franchisees to fully operate every stage of the guest interaction process due to the linkage between the central reservation system and the customer relationship management system on the internet.

More hotels will start using a Cloud-Based Hotel PMS because of low cost and variety of functions.

MICROS began a partnership with Trump Hotel Collection which will start using in all its properties MICROS OPERA and MICROS POS to provide a unique and superior guest experience. The main focus is that MICROS states that with MICROS OPERA AND MICROS POS will provide to Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto the most advanced technology for operating the premises, managing accurately customer data, and consolidating Customer Relationship Management. One of the factors why MICROS RES was selected was because of the great operation performance "MICROS RES was selected for its rich restaurant operations functionality." The Corporate Director of Finance of TRUMP HOTEL COLLECTION, Mike Straube, is very satisfied with this new partnership with MICROS because of all the services the company provides "We are pleased to have a single partner that can provide us with the most advanced technology in the industry for both our hotel and restaurant operations. By standardizing on MICROS technology, we are able to replicate our processes to become more efficient and secure, and provide a consistent and superior experience to our clientele."

I-pad POS system may become a future trend of the hospitality industry.

In 2012, with an eye on becoming more competitive, hotels are looking in to becoming more effective in their revenue management strategies and maximizing business efficiency by integrating their online distributions with their PMS and RMS systems.

SiteMinder is the world's leading online distribution company used by thousands of accommodation providers. It helps increase revenue through online services, and lower acquisition costs. Online bookings sites like Orbitz, Expedia, and Booking.com can be accessed for a monthly flat rate and 0% comission fee. This article also discusses the importance of social sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and an increase in consumer sites like Groupon.

StarwoodMeetings.com is a new simple website that can provide all the useful information about the meeting planning in Starwood hotels. This website can give the planners full property details such as the hotel feature, integrated maps, photos and floor plans, on-site meeting service, and meeting management tools for event planners to plan their events easier. A compare view tool which provided by this website can helps planners to compare hotels and their special offers. This new site also includes information on signature services like Starwood Preferred Planner and On-site Specialty Event. The Starwood hotel listens to customers' feedback and tries to provide all the useful information which needed by the event planners throughout the planning cycle. What's more, planners can get special offer which available at more than 350 Starwood properties in North and South America when they book event through this website. In order to encourage planner to book meeting on this new web, hotel provide bonus for those planners. Those bonuses include a welcome reception, percent off master-billed rooms, or complimentary room upgrades.

This is a great tool for event planners and a very smart move on Starwood's part. By giving the event planners access to this software they avoid unnecessary phone calls asking basic questions and save valuable time that could be used for something else. If it enhances Starwood's productivity and does not frustrate the event planners (user friendly/ user acceptance) it should become more prevalent in other hotels as well.

When you think of where point of sales systems are typically used you think of a restaurant, hotel, stadium, retail store, etc. A medicinal marijuana store is the last place that would come to mind, at least for me personally. I think this article really shows how common and wide spread POS systems have become. MJ Freeway software tracks the sales and inventory of medical cannabis dispensaries. Their tagline is encouraging better business practices because their software is "guaranteed to always be state compliant." I love the literal naming of their software. GrowTracker and GramTracker are the inventory tracking tools that address discrepancies due to issues such as spillage or even evaporation. The incorporation of WeedTracker, WeedMaps, and Quickbooks also makes life a little easier for their clients and patients. Having a product specific point of sales which tracks patients names, status and transactions is very important in the medicinal cannabis industry and MJ Freeway delivers. The one thing I don't quite understand is how the POS allows for flexibility at POS for "buds that weigh heavy." However if that is an issue it is good that this advance system already has a solution. I found it refreshing to read about a POS in a completely different environment then a hotel yet with very similar capabilities.

As the world develops, more and more restaurants use e-menu to order food. Ipad, the fashion of technology also attract restaurants eyes. Some owners invest into Ipad menu in order to attract more customers and make more gross profit. Also, many owners are worry about security risks, maintenance, education, and so on. Here are some advantages of ipad menu such as paperless, electronic receipts, tips, categorized menu, suggestions, reports, inventory, speedy orders and picking a plate. Because of eliminating print, there are no more receipts or written signatures. It is the reason of paperless. And customers can quickly calculate their waitress tips on the ipad. Also, the guests can use the ipad to design their own meal. If guests have some questions about the wine according to the food preference, Ipad menu will answer it. Another reason is the ipad menu should increase the speedy orders. The orders will transfer to kitchen in seconds and save the time for waiting the waitress to order the food. At the same time, if the restaurant is busy, guests will play some games on Ipad to wait for their food, which instead of complains. At last, because of saving time and labor cost, the restaurant should be save cost and easy to collect data of the restaurant. There are still some disadvantages. For example, every customer wants an individual iPad as their own menu, so restaurants must purchase numerous iPads with one per seat. Because of this reason, the restaurant should be care for the thefts. And the managers need to train every waitress to use the ipad menu. The expense should increase in training.Also, some guests do not know how to use ipad menu and the technology is not suit for them. At last, you need to pay more in maintenance.

This article basically talks about four different types of POSs for restaurants, a brief overview of the main contenders and considerations.  The one of the interesting POS systems in the article is The Rail which is introduced last month, a digital bill folder that enables restaurant customers to self-swipe credit or debit cards at the table without the cards ever leaving their possession, thereby protecting against credit card and identity theft.  The basic Rail system includes POS integration, the BaseStation, a secure wireless system, a set of Rail devices (generally 1 device per every 3 tables), and monthly maintenance. Basic Rail devices incorporate a credit card swiper with encryption, billing touch screen display, bill splitting, tip calculator, signature field, NFC payment capabilities, LED stage lights, and receipt email program. The other POSs in the article are Card Case, Tabbedout which are a mobile payment system with smart phone, Square which is mobile card reader, and Chain-Specific Apps which permit the patron to call up menus, locations and nutritional data, as well as to order and pay on-line. Nowadays, many mobile payment systems tailored for restaurants and other food vendors are being introduced. Since they are new and challenges to restaurateur, considering what the pros and cons are and what kinds of POSs best fit to their establishments will be necessary and critical to remain competitive with others.

At the company I work for we, are getting ready to implement the Kronos Time and Attendance and HRIS system. Having worked with Kronos time clocks for a while, I can attest to the reliability of this product. Although Kronos targets small to midsize companies, it also provides enterprise solution to larger companies. Some of the applications within the HRIS system include strong HR and payroll interface, time and attendance management, employee data management, employees benefits administration, training and career development. The benefits of Kronois HRIS system includes reduction in labor cost in HR, proper maintenance and tracking of employees activities and the ability to get reports that can greatly assist with company and government compliance. Kronos comes with very practical user friendly training and set up application. The support offered by Kronos implementation team from my experience is great. Two of the major products offered by Kronos include the workforce central offering all the application mentioned above and the Kronos Iseries offing analytical capabilities. Kronos time clocks are used by many companies, but many other time clocks also interfaces the Kronos payroll system. For example the hand punch 4000 clock which uses 3D imagery verification eliminating the need for time cards.

As the iPad achieves success in the market, there has been increasing interest in using the iPad as POS devices in the restaurant businesses. This article introduces some advantages and disadvantages of an iPad POS system. First of all, with the iPad POS system, restaurant servers could use their time more efficiently because they don't have to go to POS terminal to punch orders or print receipts, saving much time. This may result in enhancing customer satisfaction because servers can spend more time with their customers. Another advantage can be security. Since servers carry POS devices, they are able to swipe customers' credit cards in front of customers. Therefore, customers would not have to worry about their identity theft. Lastly, the iPad POS system is cheaper than the traditional one, so it may be appealing to small restaurants. On the other hand, there are some cons of using the iPad as POS devices. Most of all, the iPad devices are sometimes unreliable since they rely on wireless Internet. Needless to say, there will be huge confusion to not only servers but kitchen staff if there is no wireless connectivity. In addition, the iPad should be handled with care as it is vulnerable to being dropped or hit. Also, restaurant managers and servers should keep their eyes on the devices since they can be stolen sometimes. Overall, the iPad POS system could be an innovative tool that may change the way restaurant businesses are now. However, restaurants should carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages before installing the new POS.

Technology researcher, Greg Buzek is interviewed by Nation's Restaurant News about the future of Mobile POS among restaurants. He says that Mobile POS will be the fatsest penetration of any technology in the hospitality industry since the introduction of internet connectivity. We see that the fastest growing market for this technology are the smaller bussinesses such as food trucks and fast food restaurants where the speed of the transaction is critical, but eventually will find itself popular amongst larger restaurant chains. The appeal for smaller bussinesses is the price point, since it's cheaper than installing $2000.00 traditional POS.

This article tells us some important factors in meeting planning. One of the most important ones is technology. Event and meeting planners regard meeting technology resources as one of the top five vendors they are going to seek. They author gives some data, which are very good and useful. 57.5% event and meeting planners are incorporating technology into the meetings with using "online registration", "video conferencing" is 20.4%, "social networks" is 17.7% and "blogs" has a proportion of 14.2%. Besides technology, there are other factors in the meeting planning. They are economy and sustainability. They economy results in the increasing costs that have cut into budgets for other meeting items. Sustainability lets event and meeting planners to focus on recycling such as reducing waste and decreasing on-site materials. This relies on technology as well. If the technology is good, the event and meeting planners will accomplish their goals of going green.

Network File System introduces a room layout software which can help event planner to maximize use of space and get the very best layout. It does not need the planner to draw himself, once you enter the data on a simple form the software requires, it will automatically generates an accurate and professional diagrams for planner. This software is simple to use, and also simple to customize. After it automatically offers the primary layout, planner can use the convenient shape toolbar to change the basic layout. It is just several clicks of the mouse. You do not need to master comprehensive plotting skills. Even thought the physical barriers or your real event rooms are some strange shapes, this software can use its room schematic feature to avoid all such barriers. Also it can automatically change the units of measurement if you plan overseas. And if the layout you want violates the fire regulations, it will warn you.

I think this system is useful for the hotel. I found so many benefit of this system. First, hotel can save a lot of budget by using this system because hotel does not hire professional IT employee to plot. Also this system can use hotel space effectively. Security is important for hotel, hotel should avoid hotel fire. This system can help hotel avoid violation of the fire regulations.

This article provides a new information for me. The room layout software mentioned in this article is really a great and useful software for event planners, which could offering planners an accurate, professional view of the room to present to clients. But I have a question that, the guests may have some special requirements, and after the software gives a suggestion, how to fix it to satisfy the guests. What should the planners do if the suggestion provided by the software is far from the guests' requirements?

More and more retail stores are converting to iPad tablets as their POS software. Some stores are using them only for customer internet searches and product display capabilities but many are starting to use them for bigger tasks such as checking inventory and entering product orders. This takes away the need to run back and forth between the stock room and sales floor with pen and paper. As a result, customer service is increased because sales floor presence is greater. Some benefits of order management using the tablets as their POS software are increased employee productivity, reduced out-of-stocks, and more payment flexibility. Now you can use tablets as payment devices with credit cards.  DecisionPoint Systems, a leading provider of mobile and wireless systems for retailers, is now offering an application to help retailers personalize their customers' shopping experience. Aruba Networks has recently presented a new tablet-based software that allows customers to check out from anywhere in the store. Having worked in the retail industry for many years, I think this technology for back-office purposes is very useful. One of my employers had started using tablet technology during my time there and I can attest that it does increase employee productivity. It makes doing inventories, size checks, and ordering management so much easier and faster. Employees are able to stay on the sales floor longer which is especially beneficial in the case of being short-staffed or during shift changes. However, I am a bit skeptical about using these tablets as a form of check out from anywhere in the store. Unless the store has security measures in place for this, it does not seem very theft resistant. Especially in a clothing retailer in which sensors need to be removed. The cashier would have to be carrying around a sensor remover at the time of check-out to make this system really time-saving. 

The hotels of Hilton launched an electronic event planning tool: complimentary Personalized Group Web Pages. This was a new generation of evet planning online, and many other hotel chains followed with them. The features include: no cost for creating, event planner control it, display information in one place, even planner select their own choice, and directly links for more information. It gives more choice and control for hotels' to take control of their evetn booking at their convenience. And online efficiency eliminates the need to call the hotel or wait for the hotel to upload rooming lists manually.