If you grew up in the 90s, like me, chances are you are more familiar with the term MS Excel than the phrase cloud-based PMS. It was a revolution, this amazing spreadsheet, which could carry out a lot of complex calculations on its own (well, at least partially). What started out as one of the first electronic spreadsheets has steadily transitioned into something much, much more wholesome and in a way inevitable. From data entry to analysis, from budgeting to accounting, from reporting to visualizations, its business applications are innumerable.
But here’s the deal. As a hotelier, trusting Excel to manage every little aspect of your hotel’s operations will land you in trouble. Microsoft Excel was and continues to be nothing more than an electronic spreadsheet. And a spreadsheet will never be able to replace a cloud-based Property Management System (PMS).
The global village in which we now live, implementing a cloud-based Hotel Management Software will save you not only a lot of effort, but also a lot of money in the long run. It seems like the right time to take you back in time when JP Morgan had lost several billions dollars. Whether the loss is as dramatic as “several billions” or just a few man hours a day, the bottom line is that it adds up to a substantial loss which you totally avoid!
Here is a list of five core benefits awaiting you, when you switch from manual processes (like Excel) to a Cloud-Based Hotel Property Management System.
1) Ease of access and usage:
Manual processes restrict you immensely and this is how- on the one hand you must be on premise to keep track of whatever is happening at your hotel. On the other hand you will have to keep asking for updates given that bookings, cancellations, etc can change by the minute!
With a cloud-based hotel software not only can you access all the data pertaining to your hotel remotely, you can also be assured that the data you see is real-time. A cloud-based PMS allows you the convenience of staying on top of things regardless of where you are.
If you think these systems are complex and that’s why you prefer to work with manual processes, you couldn’t be more mistaken. A cloud-based hotel software is extremely easy-to-use; be it for the front-end staff, housekeeping department or you, the owner.
2) Uncompromised accuracy:
Like we just discussed, manual processes can never be completely reliable since manual errors aren’t always avoidable! Sometimes they just happen. But that’s not the attitude you want to run your business with. Leave no scope for errors by investing in a cloud-based PMS. Whether it is tracking your revenue at the end of the year or simply taking a look at the bookings you have for the upcoming week, accuracy of data is guaranteed with the right PMS in place.
With the Hotelogix PMS, you have the advantage of choosing from any of the 100 reporting options that we have so you will never have to compromise on accuracy of data and reports again.
3) Increased efficiency:
Think of it this way- A reliable cloud-based Property Management Software will not only streamline all your hotel- operations but also helps you find solutions for every business-related requirement. Well, at least most of them!
Hotelogix allows you to pick and choose between several third-party integrations which render you more efficient and your business more impactful. From revenue management, to booking intelligence, from channel managers to online reputation management- find everything you need to build your business.
By connecting to the cloud, you become a part of the digital family, which is where magic happens in real-time. No manual process can boast of real-time update of inventory; but a cloud-based HMS can. Property Management System’ is just a convenient name for a software that opens up a world of opportunities for your hotel.
4) Seamless communication
Isn’t it frustrating when you are forced to maintain separate records for each department within your organization and having to update each of them every now and then! And let’s not even get to the part how no department seems to know what the other one is up to, thanks to zero transparency of data. Your hotel will continue to operate in silos unless you bring in a system which binds the hotel into one single unit.
A Cloud-based Hotel Management System does just that. It digitizes all the data pertaining to your hotel on to a single dashboard so that it is available for anyone who is given access to it, regardless of timelines, departments or locations. Intra-organizational communication has never been this easy, simple and transparent. Front office, coffee shop, travel desk, housekeeping, in-room dining, souvenir store, whatever the department- no more silos. The ‘One Hotel, one dashboard’ formula can avert any potential miscommunication and misinformation.
5) Up the guest experience game
At the end of the day, the hospitality industry is heavily dependent on guest experience. In other words, the better your guest experience the higher your chances of long term success. In a such a scenario, using an obsolete technology hinders your chances of growth. You can’t connect to a large chunk of your audience unless you go digital.
And that’s what a cloud-based PMS allows you to do. It helps you connect with your guests and understand them better, so you can serve them better. You can keep track of guest details, any specific instructions they may have, and deliver a guest experience that will make them want to keep coming back!
The article was originally published on HotelNewsResource
