More than ever before people now can travel to different parts of the world to experience new cultures, to see the sights and to conduct business. Tourism is a major industry that generates billions each year. Every traveler needs to sleep somewhere and they need to eat. The hospitality industry is one of the fiercest in the world, everybody vying for a bigger slice of the tourism cake. Establishments catering for tourists can only remain competitive and profitable if they use a sophisticated hotel property management system.
One of the main components of any managing system is its booking facilities. Bookings are not as straight forward as one may think. If mistakes such as double bookings are made, the reputation of the establishment will take a serious knock. It is also very important to keep record of special guest requirements such as the need for special diets or access to facilities for the disabled.
No hospitality establishment charges standard rates to all their guests. Repeat guests and tour operators, for example, are often offered better rates. It is vital to keep track of the various rates applicable to every booking. If this is not done the client may feel inconvenienced and this needs to be avoided at all cost. A good managing system will have a customer database that keeps track of the rates as well as special requirements.
Guests do not want to deal with time consuming administration and they do not want to be kept waiting either when arriving or departing. A managing program should therefore be able to keep all information relevant to every guest up to date at all times. This means that various departments such as the restaurant, bar and housekeeping departments must be able to update guest records.
Most of the large hospitality groups use custom designed managing programs. However, there are several excellent of the shelf packages available. The most important consideration when evaluating the various options is to make sure that all the components of the software is fully integrated. This will make sure that no duplication of effort is necessary. Care should also be taken to purchase a system that can be upgraded on a regular basis.
In the fiercely competitive tourism industry reliable and accurate management information often means the difference between failure and success. Managing programs must be able to produce reports that can portray information in any format. This information is vital in making strategic and marketing decisions. The scheduling of major maintenance tasks, for example, depends upon accurate occupancy information and forecasts.
One of the biggest catastrophes that can hit a hospitality establishment is to be off line. It is therefore vital that one of the prime considerations when evaluating software must be the level of support that can be expected. In fact, there should be a written agreement with the supplier and training should be part and parcel of the deal.
The days of keeping a register on the counter are long gone. In this sophisticated world hospitality establishments must have access to trustworthy and up to date information at all times. It is only with such information at hand that important decisions can be made and steps be taken to ensure maximum efficiency and profitability.
One of the main components of any managing system is its booking facilities. Bookings are not as straight forward as one may think. If mistakes such as double bookings are made, the reputation of the establishment will take a serious knock. It is also very important to keep record of special guest requirements such as the need for special diets or access to facilities for the disabled.
No hospitality establishment charges standard rates to all their guests. Repeat guests and tour operators, for example, are often offered better rates. It is vital to keep track of the various rates applicable to every booking. If this is not done the client may feel inconvenienced and this needs to be avoided at all cost. A good managing system will have a customer database that keeps track of the rates as well as special requirements.
Guests do not want to deal with time consuming administration and they do not want to be kept waiting either when arriving or departing. A managing program should therefore be able to keep all information relevant to every guest up to date at all times. This means that various departments such as the restaurant, bar and housekeeping departments must be able to update guest records.
Most of the large hospitality groups use custom designed managing programs. However, there are several excellent of the shelf packages available. The most important consideration when evaluating the various options is to make sure that all the components of the software is fully integrated. This will make sure that no duplication of effort is necessary. Care should also be taken to purchase a system that can be upgraded on a regular basis.
In the fiercely competitive tourism industry reliable and accurate management information often means the difference between failure and success. Managing programs must be able to produce reports that can portray information in any format. This information is vital in making strategic and marketing decisions. The scheduling of major maintenance tasks, for example, depends upon accurate occupancy information and forecasts.
One of the biggest catastrophes that can hit a hospitality establishment is to be off line. It is therefore vital that one of the prime considerations when evaluating software must be the level of support that can be expected. In fact, there should be a written agreement with the supplier and training should be part and parcel of the deal.
The days of keeping a register on the counter are long gone. In this sophisticated world hospitality establishments must have access to trustworthy and up to date information at all times. It is only with such information at hand that important decisions can be made and steps be taken to ensure maximum efficiency and profitability.
