Managing a hotel is involving since one has to keep track of various issues: inventory, customer data, or general management. Therefore, having a system that works for organizing and keeping track of various changes extensively makes a hotel very effective. The hotel property management system (PMS) offers a one-package solution to most hotel management challenges. The hotel PMS allows for hotel activities to be digitized. A centralized computer system allows for a centralized system from which all hotel activities and schedules can get organized. The top priority is automating the front office operations using the hotel PMS. The system includes necessary modules for reservation, housekeeping, and further front office operations. The entire system is not only aimed at improving the owner’s business but also the personalized experience that the customer gets in the hotel. The hotel PMS aids the business in several aspects that are considered critical in the hotel business.
Reservations
The hotel PMS gives the hotel a chance to identify the available vacancies and, from that, develop reservation schedules that ultimately impact the performance of the business. Traditionally, the reservation process would be tedious, as it would involve physically checking available data on occupancy and bookings. The software eliminates the need for consistent checking on available data. With a single click, the information on occupancy and bookings is available to the employee. Time is money, and time saved equates to money saved within the business.
Inventory
The hotel industry is people based. Each individual has preferences on how they want to be treated and the different requirements regarding foods and items. It, therefore, results in an immediate increase in the amount of inventory required for the business at any given time. Keeping track of all the requirements within the hotel becomes an enormous task. The hotel PMS becomes a solution to the problem of inventory. Each employee has access to the system; thus, each item usage is quickly recorded and available from a centralized system. It becomes an easy task to take stock, and the item used within the hotel can get easily tracked. Shortages are easily fixed as the data from the software can be easily plotted and interpreted. Similarly, recurrent customers can get analyzed, and the data can get used to estimating the requirements of each customer even before they arrive.
Reporting
A successful hotel requires constant reporting to ensure that the owners are kept in the loop regarding business performance. The software has centralized information that can get used to developing quick reports. Daily reports can be auto-generated, from which broader weekly and monthly reports can get developed. Similarly, customer complaints can be highlighted and quickly rectified—happy customer results in increased revenues for the business.
Housekeeping
The hotel industry involves large traffic of people, each of whom expects that they get a clean environment, even on short notice. The software is such that it allows the hotel management to keep track of customer exits and entries. Therefore, it becomes easy to deploy housekeeping to different rooms within the shortest time. Additionally, since the software keeps track of the number of customers at any given time, it can also inform on the number of housekeepers required for optimal performance.
Maintenance
Hotels, like any other structure, are susceptible to breakages, which may ultimately influence the decision of customers to revisit the hotel. It is, therefore, essential to ensure that breaches within the hotel are repaired immediately. The software can keep logs relating to the maintenance of different hotel equipment. Similarly, the software can give notifications relating to scheduled maintenance services. The integration allows the management to get immediate prompts on damages within the hotel.
Advantages of using the Hotel PMS
The hospitality industry is all about convenience to the customer, and the most significant measure of convenience is the speed of services that the customer receives. A mobile cloud-based hotel PMS ensures that bookings and reservations can get made from any device regardless of the customer’s physical location. The one advantage that stands out as a result of using the hotel PMS is the enhancement in the check-in and check-out capabilities.
The other advantage comes from an increase in the efficiency of housekeeping. By having software that can communicate information on the arrival of guests, the housekeepers can be alerted in good time to make preparations that enhance the guests’ comfort. Similarly, the system can inform the housekeepers when the customers leave, giving them ample time to prepare housekeeping schedules in line with client demands. It helps to keep and maintain cleaning records in a faster and more effective manner.
The other advantage comes in the form of centralization. Data previously held across various platforms is available from a central location and is easily accessible. The data can get used to cross-reference performance across various periods. Additionally, it allows for cross-referencing across various properties, all under the umbrella of one organization. It also makes interdepartmental collaboration possible. It further allows the owners to have real-time information regarding the performance of their businesses.
It further leads to improved revenue management. By consolidating the information relating to the different bookings and payments made by the customers, the hotel PMS allows for immediate analysis of the revenue the business receives. Improved revenue management means that the business can redirect funding to the most profitable areas and look for means of increasing revenue from areas that are performing dismally.
The hotel PMS also leads to better customer data management. The entire purpose of a business is to create profit for the owners, and their customers are the source of their profit. Therefore, analyzing and looking at customer data gives insight into how best the services rendered to customers get improved. Customer data can be analyzed, and the resulting information is used to tailor products for a specific customer base. Additionally, customer data gives feedback to the hotel management on how they are performing relative to the existing competition in the market. Therefore, the business has the upper hand in outsmarting the competition.
