Marcello Moscarello — Keep Up with the Latest Technology Through Hospitality Management Systems

1. Marcello Moscarello — Keep Up with the Latest Technology Through Hospitality Management Systems Whether you are an owner-operator of a small tourism operation or a manager of a large international hospitality chain, you will be able to find hospitality management systems to suit your needs and budget. Hospitality management systems offer you tools to manage all aspects of your business, keep track of daily activities and give you access to instant and up-to- date information. Your employees will also have better access to information regarding reservations, services, and special orders and can perform more efficiently and plan ahead. A good management system will streamline communication between employees and enable transparency for more efficient management. If you manage an accommodation facility, an online booking system offers updated information and instant booking and confirmation, cutting down on staff, and increasing booking revenue. Integrated payment and inventory/ordering systems will make your accounting process more efficient and ultimately more cost-effective.

2. The advantages of hospitality management systems: A good management system gives you and authorized staff access to up-to-date information. You can check status reports, bookings, and inventory, communicate with different departments, and give customers access to selected information for marketing and online reservation purposes. Online accommodation booking: Instant online booking can greatly increase your revenue. More and more people nowadays tend to make all their travel arrangements online. Having an up-to-date booking system that will display all the room selections, availability, and pricing, and instant booking and confirmation is what customers want in the industry today. The system should be clear and simple with quick step-by-step instructions. At the staff level: A good management package will ensure correct and efficient room allocation and turnover, by streamlining the operation of housekeeping, reception, and maintenance staff. Staff can log onto the system, which integrates all the booking information, room status reports, and guest activities, select priority jobs, and plan their daily tasks. At the management level: The system gives management control over the entire operation, providing readily available and updated information on daily, monthly, and yearly activities. Transparency from the ground level to top management levels enables status reports and timely intervention if needed. For restaurants and cafes: This system creates a direct link between the kitchen and serving staff and an instant update on order status. It stores and prints out receipts of items sold, date, time, and service provider and stores inventory and payment information. All this is aimed at increasing the performance of your staff. This means there is no delay in getting the food to the tables and your guests have a better dining experience. Marketing and promotions: A system in which you can enter and maintain a guest database will enable you to provide your guests with personalized service offer them special promotions and keep in touch with potential clientele. Here is what to look for when selecting a hospitality management system: Pick a system that will ‘grow on you’ — look for a basic software package that can be upgraded as you get familiar with the system and your needs expand. Look for:

3. · An efficient booking system for room or dining reservations, with options for group reservations, special rates, offers, and other facilities specific to your operation. · Staff management facility: integrating accounting, roster systems, and training and promotion programs. · An integrated point-of-sale (POS) system with safe and secure credit card and internet processing facilities. Since a lot of the work in the hospitality industry is seasonal and involves shift work, employers often confront the problem of high staff turnover, Thus, the POS system should be easy to operate, require minimal training, and be secure, limiting access to authorized staff only. Having a system that is in common use in the industry, especially the more complex systems (such as reservations or inventory) will give you the advantage of being able to hire experienced staff that is already trained in operating your system. Even if you are a small business, you will benefit from hospitality management systems which will improve the performance of your staff, cut on management hours, and give you access to all the information you need instantly.