multi-system integration, and easily accessible and interpretable customer profiling infor- mation,” says the hotel’s director of revenue management Jamie Blackmore. “From an electronic communication per- spective, we are using our greater under- standing of guest behaviour to ensure our communication is always relevant, timely and, most importantly, conveys the Langham London, as an enticing prospect.”
“Improved collection and centralisation of data has led to better understanding of customer needs, resulting in greater and more consistent service and delivery of value at all customer
touchpoints” Tanya Pratt, Oracle Hospitality
IMPROVING EFFICIENCIES
A good PMS can also have a significant impact on improving efficiencies behind the scenes, according to McIndoe. “Along with that more personal touch during a stay and even when guests are not at the hotel, hotel organisations still need to drive revenues while managing operating costs,” he says. For example, built-in housekeeping apps –
where the housekeeping team use technology for rooming lists and management of bed- rooms – can streamline the housekeeping department and reduce paper use. “That makes operations more efficient, potentially reduces costs and has a direct effect on the guest experience all at the same time,” he explains. “If hotels can enhance the guest experience by supporting the demands of day-to-day operations more efficiently, they can potentially encourage guests to buy that
breakfast, make that upgrade, reserve a table in the hotel restaurant, and other examples.” Of course, the faster these systems are adopted, the faster hoteliers can start making most of the benefits. Pratt says this is one of the key selling points of Oracle’s Opera systems. “Removing complexity from IT deploy- ments and providing intuitive end-user solutions is key for greater acceptance and quicker adoption,” she says. “It’s all about faster onboarding, reduced training times and building in intelligent automation to help reduce repetitive tasks.” At one hospitality school – the JEDU voca- tional school in Finland – students are being
Case study: Hotel Mesikämmen and Opera Cloud
Hotel Mesikämmen in Finland had been a long-time user of the on- premises version of Opera – Oracle Hospitality’s property management system. However, earlier this year, the hotel faced a typical technology scenario. It needed to update its existing systems to accelerate innovation and reduce IT costs and complexity. In less than two months, the hotelier switched to Opera Cloud PMS and was fully operational. “Guests increasingly
50 | Technology Prospectus 2020
want personalised service, and their expectations are continuously escalating in today’s on-demand world,” says hotel manager Petri Moisio. The hotelier opted for the
cloud-powered solution to achieve efficiencies across a range of tasks, such as managing labour and accelerating hotel check-in. In addition, it can now tap into Opera Cloud’s mobile capabilities – untethering staff to deliver guest service anywhere at any time.
By making the switch to Opera
Cloud, Hotel Mesikämmen also eliminated the need for on-premises servers, eliminating related capital and maintenance costs. After purchasing Opera Cloud in January 2019, implementation began in early April and the new platform went live on May 27. Along the way, the staff took advantage of Opera Cloud’s e-learning opportunities to facilitate the transition. Looking ahead, the fact that
software updates, backups, security enhancements and other infrastructure updates are all performed centrally means new features and services are accessible to the property the moment they become available. As Pratt summarises: “With modern, cloud-based property management systems, hotels can be faster to market which in turn helps them grow, innovate and compete thus transforming overall business performance.”
www.thecaterer.com
trained on the Opera Cloud PMS before they even enter the hotel industry. “Our job is to make sure our graduates get jobs,” said JEDU official Esa Siirilä. “We want our students to train with the same systems they’ll use in the real world. That’s the best preparation we can give them.” Similarly, Hotelogix has recently launched
an Automated Coaching Engine, designed to help hoteliers learn how the PMS works before they buy it. And Sanghi predicts more of the same in the future. “PMSs will become simpler and self-learning will be integral,” he says. “Our Automated Coaching Engine (ACE) is driving the much-needed change, empower- ing hoteliers with easy learning.”
▲
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
