Blog PostsLodging
Technology impacts every facet of the hotel industry. Large operators embraced solutions early on. Today, hotel operations of all sizes can benefit by considering theses three hallmarks:
1. Social Media to drive reservations and guest satisfactions
2. Mobile devices to address guest requests on the spot
3. Integration on the cloud to ensure cross departmental collaboration
While at first these changes seemed a bit daunting, most successful operations have integrated the ideas. If your operation is new to the three hallmarks, break them into manageable parts. Consider a college intern for your social media presence. Invite your department heads to assess the best way to use mobile devises in their departments. And consider a purchasing expert like Source1 Purchasing to offer procurement solutions that translate to savings of time, resources and money.
Now that hotel operators are embracing technology in the hospitality industry, they are experiencing higher guest satisfaction and profitability. Today’s guests want a highly personalized hotel experience that includes using their personal technology devices during their stay. Chances are they booked a room directly from their smartphone, so it makes sense to use technology tools in rooms and throughout the hotel because guests are familiar with these and use them every day.
Technology is also revolutionizing how hotel operators manage their business. Sales departments have been restructured to strongly focus on social media and e-commerce. Other departments are using updated software to better communicate and quickly meet guest needs.
An article on the Hotel Interactive website addresses technology issues facing the hotel industry today and shares opinions from hotel leaders attending this year’s BITAC Tech and Operations conference.
When attendees were asked if they are leveraging technology to lower operational costs at their hotel, 11.3 percent said “no,” 18.8 percent said “yes” and a whopping 56.3 percent said “yes” but admitted they “could do better.” This suggests that although hotels are embracing technology in the hospitality industry to improve guest satisfaction, they are still looking for efficient ways to manage their hotel business.
One way hotel operators can improve accountability and harness maverick spending is by updating their procurement process. This can become a serious issue for your budget if overlooked. You need to know what you’re receiving, what vendor you’re buying it from and what you’re paying.
Hotel operators are also looking to online ordering for their food-and-beverage programs. Distributors wanting to make the procurement process as simple as possible are embracing this model and are providing the service at no charge to the hotel operator. Operators have at their fingertips new tools for online ordering, monitoring prices by category, identifying quality products and reducing wasteful spending.
Larger multi-unit operators are also tying their purchasing platform into their back office administrative software, which helps create an even more efficient procurement process.
Regain control over your purchasing. Identify products that meet your brand standards and work with a supplier that can consistently deliver high-quality products at a set price. This way you’re able to monitor prices by category. Your hotel’s procurement process can create a cost savings when you analyze your spending and identify ways to leverage it.
