Online solutions will keep tabs on business
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- Written by David Hudleston
coming on to the market to monitor their business from anywhere they have an internet connection for their phone or tablet.
Mobile housekeeping applications will allow housekeeping updates from anywhere in the hotel that has a wireless connection.
Owners and operators can also expect integration to see more GDS/channel manager-type systems, integration to kiosks for self check-in and check-out, as well as mobile solutions for point of sale using handheld devices in the food and beverage operation.
Over the last couple of years much of the accommodation industry has focused on channel managers and the benefits they bring with them, HiRum Australia director Sylvia Johnston maintains.
"Whilst these tools are great for uploading and adjusting inventory across a multitude of third-party internet distribution sites, saving the property much time as bookings come through, the biggest benefit of all is how they connect to a property's own website.
"Research shows the bounce rate from last-minute sites is ever increasing as visitors scour the best deal available. This provides a great opportunity for the property manager to ride on the free marketing of their property provided by the distribution site.
"A good channel manager will afford the property the ability to adjust their pricing, availability, promotions etc. as an automated setting within their software to ensure, once the bounce lands on the property's own website the client books direct rather than via a channel. For this to work efficiently, the yielding for differing channels including a property's own web engine must be fully automated and should be the number-one priority when choosing a channel manager.
"Whilst this inevitably saves the property many dollars in commission, the biggest advantage of all is the fact that this client becomes known to no one other than the property. This affords the property a huge direct-marketing opportunity for repeat business, which hopefully they take advantage of.
"In addition, the channel manager should be an extension of a property's own PMS wherever possible, ensuring the two tools work seamlessly to ensure availability, pricing and yield is always at its optimum.
"Usability of the solution is also imperative. You need to be able to add your own specials, or change rooms etc. as and when you want, in order to gain instant marketing opportunities as they occur.
"When making enquiries about products, make sure you ask questions about each product's features before choosing the one your business deserves."
CMS Hospitality sales manager Craig Dennington says future developments of its GuestCentrix PMS will be in the direction of cloud-based solutions.
"The PMS can already be deployed in the cloud using a terminal services set-up or Citrix thin client connection, but we have just released a hostel- specific version of our successful PMS that is accessed via a web browser, but still feature-rich using the same SQL database structure," he says. "Expect hotel versions to follow in the coming year."
He says the trust accounting module has been designed around the Australian strata and owner laws.
"Individual contracts for owners has been a huge benefit to our new trust clients, ensuring that any model of owner payments and a web portal is developed, so unit owners can view their statements online, meaning no more emailing of statements by the trust managers at month's end," he says.
GuestCentrix is a "software solution in a box" he says. It is easy-to-use–and-configure software, yet feature-rich and powerful, being based on the Microsoft SQL database technology.
The GuestCentrix software also only requires a single server to operate, and does not require multiple servers for SQL database manager or separate application servers for different applications.
"We are one of the very few vendors that can offer a hotel or resort a total suite of applications for the entire operation," he says. "This way the property can manage the hotel rooms, pay unit owners in a strata-titled business, run their meeting and banqueting space, as well as the entire food and beverage operation, from a single software provider.
"The software has been developed over the last 30 years as a direct result of feedback from hotel operators and management. Finally our software support services are all in-house," he says. "We do not offshore any of our support to call centres, and all of our support, installation and trainer staff have a hospitality background, and in the first instance are not IT-based personnel.
"The staff we employ therefore have a first-hand knowledge of the hotel and hospitality industry, allowing them to assist the hotels better with this understanding."
CMS software interfaces to some of the industry-leading channel managers such as SiteMinder, Levart, RoomRez, Synxis and iHotelier.
Installation is initially done by CMS's team of installers and training lasts about a week per installed application, dependent on the numbers to be trained and taught and the size of the property.
When Centium Software embarked on rewriting its well- established Motelier software a year ago, the company took a very fresh approach.
Its new product, GuestPoint, has been designed to be easy to use with minimal training, yet has all the modern functionality a property today needs. GuestPoint seamlessly integrates with the online world with a direct booking webpage. Customers link to this on their website and to all popular sales channels like Wotif via channel managers like SiteMinder, Levart and Seekom.
Working in the online world is also about being able to easily communicate with customers. The system includes a suite of tools to easily email confirmations, room accounts, invoices, statements, reminders and marketing material.
"When designing the system we wanted to build in some automatic customer relationship management. We operate two motels and understand the huge importance of repeat customers," Chantal Mortimer, director of marketing says. "The system tracks guest history and instantly shows how frequently a guest or company stays using a simple star rating system."
The system is very quick to get started on. Centium does all the set-up and after one hour of training, operators are ready to go.
"We also designed it so relief managers can quickly get up to speed. We also offer free training for relief managers," Ms Mortimer adds.
GuestPoint was recently honoured as the Australian national winner for the iAwards Tourism & Hospitality Category. This prestigious award recognises the most innovative software products in Australia. According to the judges, the system "...is a great product that clearly meets the needs of target market".
As well as managing reservations and online inventory and rates, GuestPoint manages back-of-house functions like house-keeping, accounting, MYOB integration, POS/PABX connections and includes a 'dashboard' with useful real-time information about the property such as occupancy, RevPAR and revenue in easy-to-read gauges and graphs.
Starfleet Business Solutions Windows-based software allows its clients to add a "book now" button to their website and use the Starfleet interactive link to process internet bookings in real time.
"Credit card transactions are processed within 24 to 48 hours, and the bookings are inserted into the system automatically depending on availability," says Starfleet's Robert Garde.
"Clients can use our channel manager link to www.staah.com, www.resonline.com.au, (motels, hotels and resorts) or our other links to www.vipbackpackers.com (for backpackers), www.jasons.co.nz (booking button). This allows them to set availability in the system to match their room availability on the channel manager or individual website.
"It also ensures any bookings received are removed from allotments and inserted into Starfleet. Reports are available, which give a record of bookings received and any errors.
"Starfleet's conference manager integrates quotes, plans and reports on conference groups with the front-office groups module. All activities and events can be entered and conference running sheets and lists of requirements create. The system will check if a specific venue is available, and book it either tentatively or confirmed. Guests associated with a particular conference can be handled in the front office groups section.
"Starfleet also offers door-card security systems with links to KABA/Ilco, Vingcard Vision or Onity card systems.
"On check-in, Starfleet prompts the user to insert a card, and the encoder creates a card. The card can also have track two encoded for use on HIS, Sanyo, Swift POS, BePOZ, SSA and Future POS systems," Mr Garde says.
Starfleet provides regular product update via CDs – usually twice a year, while all requests for software support are handled in Australia. Mr Garde says support is one of Starfleet's strongest points.
"A majority of our clients came to us because their previous front-office software did not have practical ongoing support and program updates at very reasonable prices," he says.
"Our service and support has been ongoing since before 1980.
"We have taken care with the design of our reservation system and motel- booking software to ensure features are provided to enable fast data entry and efficient operation for users.
"This enables multiple users to use the reservation software with ease, while also allowing management to use the same motel software to generate integral and specialist reports."
