Hospitality

Improving Hospitality Operations & Guest Experience Through PMS Integration

Written by Prem Khatri Posted by Carolina

Prem Khatri

Hoteliers are taking advantage of technological advances in software to manage day-to-day operations, increase efficiency, reduce costs and still provide enhanced guest experience. A core element to these advancements is an integrated Property Management System (PMS) with all other platforms around the property. At the onset, the PMS stores all key data needed to run the property.This includes room occupancy, room rates, to guest demographics, maintenance schedules and other things.

By effectively integrating PMS through seamlessly data flow between various applications in and out of the PMS, hoteliers now have the potential to consolidate and simplify all applications including those used for food and beverage (F&B), Human Resources, Sales, Marketing, Guest Facing, POS, front office, accounting, housekeeping, maintenance and amenities.

For example, when a hotel publishes rates and vacancies through internet sales channels it is important to rely on consolidated PMS data to decide which rooms and rates will be published. This maximizes the sales opportunity for each available room, plus ensures that inventory is accounted for accurately and in real time. Hoteliers are able to rely on PMS inventory as the primary image that provides a complete and correct view of a hotel's occupancy. An integrated PMS software greatly reduces the amount of manual labor hoteliers dedicate to managing distribution channels. With the consolidation of multiple interfaces hoteliers are able to devote more of their focus on value-added capabilities.

When managing numerous moving parts it is important to have a bird's eye view on all operations. PMS integration helps provide a 360 degree solution to minimize administration errors and time consumptions, plus eliminate duplication of data entry processes between departments. Hoteliers should be able to interact with data from all sectors on a single PMS platform to rectify interoperability dissonance. The more proficient a hotel can run the less it costs in overhead, saving hotels immense amounts on their bottom line. Also, it decreases the time it takes employees to complete operational tasks, giving them more time to tend to patrons, increasing guest experiences.

Guest expectations are changing thanks to the rise of mobile devices and the demand for services at their fingertips. Hotel systems have the ability to include applications for in-room dining menus and ordering, guest requests, hotel services, account information and updates, check-out, flight information, and local guides. Guests expect these amenities to be accessible via the in-room TV or their mobile devices. It also means convenience for the guest through charging amenities to the room or using a single access card aka a closed loop mag-stripe card, throughout the property for both amenity access and charges. Integrating applications with a PMS is beneficial to hoteliers to be able to spot trends and tailor the hospitality experience to their guests. This also helps with gathering information for loyalty programs to entice patrons to come back.

The truth is, the hospitality industry and the technology that propels it are constantly evolving. Adopting a fully integrated PMS is imperative to keep up with ergonomic practices and consumer demands. It is exciting to see the fast pace at which advances in technology are shaping the future of PMS. We can look forward to further innovations in the hospitality field.

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