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Hotels often make the error of selecting a PMS solution that is either of a lesser quality than their fundamental needs or that is of a higher quality than their basic requirements but comes with a large number of features that may or may not be of much value to the hotel.
1. Reporting and intelligence for business purposes
The operations of your hotel and the strategic planning that goes into it both make significant use of reports. When choosing a hotel pms systems, hotel owners need to consider the many reports it offers and whether or not it will assist in gaining insights into the income and performance of the hotel.
2. Web booking engine
It is very necessary to have a property management system that comes equipped with its Internet booking engine and payment gateway. (Also see: 8 essential components of an online booking system)
3. The point of sale and cleaning staff
One of the fundamental activities that take place at a hotel in housekeeping. It is advantageous to have a property management system that also includes the housekeeping module. The Point of Sale function is another benefit since it readily integrates with the Property Management System (PMS) and room management, which helps to ease the process of charging and checking out guests.
4. Functionality of the sales and marketing organization
This has led to rapid advancement in the technology used for online marketing of hotel rooms.
A relationship that is made directly with
channel managers The link to the channel manager is necessary to connect to the OTAs and GDS to achieve real-time distribution of room inventory and dynamic pricing for rooms. If you choose a PMS that does not include this capability, you will see a significant drop in income.
5. Integrated systems
The system for managing the property should be able to interface with several popular external systems, such as those for access control using key cards, mini bars, and call accounting, to mention a few.
6. Flexibility in the administration of rates
Management of the hotel's rates is of utmost significance. Hoteliers invest a significant amount of time and effort into developing pricing strategies and creating alluring bundles and bargains. It is expected that these procedures will be supported by a property management system.
7. After-sale support and enhanced safety measures
Finally, but certainly not least, hotel owners should consider the after-sales assistance supplied by the system as well as the available safety measures. Inquire about things such as the location of the data storage and whether or not payments may be made using a credit card via the system.
8. Cloud-based vs legacy system: what's the difference
The days are long gone when a hotel needed a huge cold room on the premises to store its major computer hardware and software. These days, these systems may be stored offsite. Cloud computing does away with the need for on-premises server infrastructure and the related costs.
Cloud computing enables the provision of software that is far more powerful, in addition to being more flexible and adaptable, more dependable, more cost-effective, and able to grow. With the rise of cloud computing, hotel owners now have the opportunity to create solutions that are, at least partially, resistant to technological change.
9. Integration that is both straightforward and intuitive
It is common knowledge that legacy systems do not interact with one another very well, and one of the most significant issues that hoteliers have encountered about their PMS is either a lack of technological integration or the difficulty of integrating it with other systems.
A hotel's property management system (PMS) should be able to connect not only to the hotel's existing systems but also to new and innovative platforms easily and with a minimum amount of friction as new products are developed and guests demand more technological flexibility. This is because guests are demanding more technological flexibility.
When seeking to buy a new PMS, the most important thing to do is to choose a solution that can easily interface with other systems and works with a diverse group of service providers and developing technologies. With the advent of cloud computing, streamlined integration and communication between several sources have become a practical possibility. It is revolutionizing the way hotels are managed by making operations simpler on every level and assisting management is concentrating on what is most important: delivering excellent service to guests.
10. User-friendliness
The goal of any property management system (PMS) technology should be to provide the executive management team and front-line employees with the tools necessary to run the hotel profitably. The goal should not be to spend the executive management team's and front-line employees' time learning and managing the technology. When searching for a new PMS, you should aim for a solution that offers a good touch/graphic user experience.
A straightforward and easy-to-use system that does not need additional training and is free of the frustrations, blunders, and expenses associated with more complex systems will enable staff to get on with their work and concentrate on what is most important: the customer.
11. Mobile capability
It is becoming more important to be hands-on while running a hotel, therefore the ability to manage your property when you are away from it is no longer a luxury but a necessity" The possibilities of current technology and distribution techniques today guarantee that all of the information that hoteliers need to manage the hotel at its best level of performance is now available.
When looking for a new PMS, you should focus on finding one that has features that give communication and mobility a high priority. Hoteliers not only have the opportunity to achieve operational efficiency by being able to access the hotel PMS remotely and on the move, but they also have the capacity to now give great guest service via mobile and tablet devices. This is made possible by the combination of the two factors.
12. Assistance
Any new system you are contemplating must come standard with assistance available around the clock, seven days a week, as well as reputed customer service. In a similar vein, you must do reference checks on the real service part of the software supplier from whom you are thinking of making a purchase. Because of this, any (expensive) headaches in the future will be significantly reduced.
Before settling on a new solution, the aforementioned factors must be factored in, as well as taken into consideration, to make an informed choice about whether or not to switch to a new property management system.
• Conclusion
When it comes to supporting hotel owners and executives with the adoption of a strong revenue management plan, a high-quality property management system, also known as a PMS, may be of tremendous value. You should be able to choose an
online pms solution that caters to the particular needs of your hotel if you keep in mind the aforementioned suggestions and use them as a guide.