As hotels and resorts look back over the past year and plan goals, objectives and budgets for the year ahead, there are several technology themes that we expect will capture executives’ time and dollars. Although they are technical in nature, software plays a strong role in operations, finance and marketing for the hospitality industry. These themes can also be expected to impact goals and objectives for the hotel and resort organization as a whole.
Mobility
For guests as consumers, everything has been shifting towards mobile for several years. They run their lives with mobile devices, enjoying the benefits of having a tiny, always-connected computer in their pocket. Hotels are looking to extend more of their services and service delivery methods to the mobile platform so that they don’t miss an opportunity to get a booking or expedite a service offering.
Mobility in hospitality is currently in a fragmented state causing independent hotel and resort executives to prioritize mobile initiatives while positioning their operations to roll out more seamless experiences as features catch up to demand. Some of the most strategic mobile deployments include:
- Responsive online booking – allows for online booking on any device, mobile or desktop
- Responsive spa booking – specifically offering an easy-to-use, mobile-optimized spa booking engine allows a property to capture more guests and more appointments
- Staff-facing PMS extensions – The ability to perform some PMS functions on a mobile device assists hotels in expediting service or providing a customized and tailored experience. The functionality of these PMS extensions continues to expand so embracing it now puts properties on the path to a cohesive staff-facing mobile platform.
- Staff-facing Guest Response Functionality – Many systems offer the ability to respond to guest requests or other service needs, such as housekeeping, with mobile devices. Often these are integrated with the PMS or other systems allowing staff to serve guests while on the move.
- Guest-facing Mobile – Again, guests want to be able to book using their mobile devices and a mobile web browser. Hotel chains have developed aps to offer specific services to their guests while independent hotels often focus on providing excellent mobile-friendly websites.
Driving Efficiency
It is always important to place a high priority on removing complications from doing business. One way to achieve this objective is by reducing the number of different systems at a property. When a hotel can consolidate multiple operations onto a single system, employees can work smarter and guest service is improved. Additionally, single system integration enables better data and analytics for monitoring, measuring and decision making. In some instances, systems that are currently disconnected can be interfaced to achieve automatic data flow and updates.
Data Accuracy
Ensuring greater data accuracy across operations goes hand-in-hand with driving efficiency. Deploying more robust interfaces and interconnected systems that push more data in real-time creates far-reaching operational and competitive advantages.
Hotels are increasingly adding more feature-rich interfaces, such as the enhanced Res Sync between SMS and Sabre Synxis. This enhanced integration decreases the amount of time that staff members need to spend managing the data flowing between systems and reduces errors that can occur when data is manually transcribed.
As the amount of data that every organization is collecting and reporting increases exponentially, there should be a proportionate effort to ensure that the data points accurately reflect valid data that is worth tracking as part of the big picture for property operations.
Security
Data security has been on the top of the priority list for years. While many businesses feel confident that they have the subject well under control, the ever-evolving nature of this threat means that organizations must maintain their vigilance. Hotels need constant monitoring of all systems for possible vulnerabilities, weaknesses and suspicious activity. Partnering with vendors that also prioritize data security will ensure that sensitive information remains out of the hands of hackers and thieves.
User Experience
When it comes to their employees, hotels and resorts want to ensure they offer the best user experience with their technology. Many are exploring creative ways to train and engage staff, helping them to get more from their jobs by encouraging them to gain experience and skills while advancing through the organization. Hotels are looking to their partnerships with technology vendors to ensure that employees have access to the training they need to succeed in their positions. Here is more about trends in training and user experience.
Customization
Luxury hotels and resorts seek to customize the experience for each guest as a key strategy for attracting and retaining them. Providing these remarkable, personalized services is crucial in the current climate of peer reviews and referrals. Guests desire to be recognized and to receive VIP treatment, experiences that are then shared broadly, often in real-time, among connections on social media channels, the influence from which has far reaching implications. Independent hotels and resorts are uniquely positioned to provide high levels of service and personal touches to their guests.
Successful operations focus on ensuring that staff are trained to utilize the guest service tools already in place. They augment those tools by extending their service with mobile devices or by taking advantage of integrated systems to incorporate other aspects of their property in distinctive ways. Read more on tips for leveraging customization to exceed guest expectations.
Technology Resilience
The hospitality industry, in particular, is known for being a slow adopter of new technologies. With a complex business and operations model and a patchwork of integrated systems at even the simplest property, it’s understandable why executives in hospitality are not in a rush to embrace the newest tools. However, many executives are now prioritizing updates and upgrades that will allow their operations to be more resilient. For some organizations, this includes moving current systems to a hosted model instead of an on premise deployment, removing the burden and cost of hardware maintenance. Others are looking for improved integration so they can more effectively utilize the data that they collect. Achieving these goals will ensure that an independent hotel or resort can operate efficiently well into the future without having to make wholesale changes to their existing technology platforms.
How do your priorities align with others in the hotel and resort industry? How will you achieve these goals and objectives? At SMS we’re monitoring the hospitality industry closely and ensuring that we are aligned with these priorities going forward. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you reach your hospitality technology goals.