Operations
CTOs are involved in all tech touchpoints, such as booking platforms.
■ Dreaming: this is where prospective guests browse social media or a hotel website and ‘dream’ about a stay at your hotel. Either thanks to escapism or with an actual interest in booking.
■ Planning: this is, again, the website, or often OTAs where people are trying to map out dates and availability to ensure it works for them.
■ Booking: where the guest is committed and keen to go ahead. From the online booking engine to the property management system, to upselling tools – technology is involved throughout.
■ Experiencing: this is where the guest is physically present in the hotel, but technology still plays its part. From EPOS to loyalty programmes, to guest facing apps – technology is highly prevalent.
■ Sharing: this is post-stay, where the guest is keen to share their experience with others. This can be via social media (often triggering the dreaming phase in others), but also includes review platforms such as TripAdvisor and Google.
The above examples of the technological input
barely touch the surface. Throughout the process – from dreaming to sharing – technology plays a pivotal role in shaping the guest experience, and it is the CTO who orchestrates this seamless integration behind the scenes.
The evolving role of the CTO Gone are the days when the technology expert was merely the ‘printer fixer’. Now (sensibly) we’re told not to print to save the environment. By contrast, today’s technology specialists – namely the CTO – is a strategic visionary, a commercial tactician and a collaborative leader who ensures the smooth operation and success of the entire establishment.
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Technology touchpoints across the guest journey It’s worth outlining the technological aspects of a modern hotel once more to underline these potential pitfalls. From marketing and reservations to guest- facing applications and infrastructure. Websites are effectively the digital shop window, while reservation systems, payment gateways, and property management systems streamline booking processes. Guest-facing apps facilitate in-room requests and enhance the in-room entertainment experience. All of these are powered by sophisticated technology that, fundamentally, is orchestrated by the CTO. Issues affecting these can cause serious inconvenience for
23
Collaboration and board representation The value of the CTO extends far beyond technical expertise. They are collaborative partners who understand the broader implications of technology decisions on the business. A recent example that I was privy to highlighted the indispensable nature of the CTO. Faced with potential redundancy, one CTO orchestrated a ‘critical incident’ at their property. Not a genuine incident, but a manufactured one, it underlined just how crucial their role was – especially in the event of an emergency. The risk of redundancy swiftly disappeared as the CTO was able to demonstrate their worth. But imagine what would’ve happened if they hadn’t? The hotel could very well have been left ruing
poor decision-making that had a serious knock-on impact. I’m a firm advocate of the necessity of having a CTO represented on the board, as they can highlight pitfalls that others simply don’t see. Of course, I don’t necessarily advocate this CTO’s approach, but it demonstrates their value perfectly.
McLittle Stock/
Shutterstock.com
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
