Guest post: The new year is the time for a tech MOT

Guest post: The new year is the time for a tech MOT

Take a step back from day-to-day operations and assess your property management systems, writes Sarah Jones, operations director at Guestline. The world of hospitality technology continues to evolve at a record pace and no doubt 2018 will see more of … Continue reading

Take a step back from day-to-day operations and assess your property management systems, writes Sarah Jones, operations director at Guestline.

The world of hospitality technology continues to evolve at a record pace and no doubt 2018 will see more of the same. So, the turn of the year is always a great time to take stock of the previous 12 months, work out where potential improvements can be made and start the new year as you mean to go on with the right software solutions in place to maximise revenue at every opportunity.

The good news is there’s still time to get your property management and distribution systems in shape for 2018.

Designed to help hotels maximise their efficiency, an effective technology MOT can evaluate a company’s current software processes and procedures, analyse whether it is making the best use of existing systems and channels, and assess how the latest functionalities could help boost productivity as well as profitability.

For example, reviewing room rates and channels and setting availability restrictions can help boost direct bookings, increase average daily rates and drive revenue. Sometimes even simple solutions, such as tidying databases and removing unwanted codes, can make a world of difference in getting a system back on track for success. It is also wise to ensure you are regularly reviewing and upgrading the software you have in place, plus carrying out virus and security checks to ensure you have ‘clean’ systems that are operating at optimum capacity.

A technology MOT is also a welcome chance for staff to brush up their skills and improve their technology knowledge. Team members including general managers, revenue managers and the front of house team can be shown how the latest functionalities can drive efficiencies in their business and potentially open up new revenue opportunities. By undertaking a full system review, they will be able to utilise and maximise all the tools that are at their disposal.

Taking this step back from day-to-day operations, staff should be able to identify and develop best practice on key functions such as sales and marketing templates and financial and revenue reports, and understand how to manage rate optimisation and distribution channels in order to enhance profitability. In this way, accommodation providers have a real opportunity to make even better use of the tools at their fingertips to manage availability and drive online bookings more effectively – to improve not only their operations but also their profitability.

So, think about implementing your Technology MOT now… and here’s to a healthy and prosperous 2018.