How Do You Know When You Need to Change Your PMS?

PRABHASH BHATNAGAR -

Your property management software (PMS) plays a central role in running a successful hotel. It helps you streamline operations, deliver an outstanding guest experience, and even schedule your employees. However, like all software, your PMS has a defined lifespan. Eventually, it will expire. The trick is determining when that happens so you can shift to the best PMS for your needs.

Of course, you might wonder why you should bother. Why change your PMS in the first place? Using outdated, cumbersome hotel management system software is a bad idea.

It can lead to serious problems, including severe drains on your resources, decreased revenue, disjointed guest experiences, problems with staff, and so many more. With that being said, it’s often hard to tell when it’s time to make a change. In this post, we’ll highlight several factors that usually indicate that your PMS needs to be changed.

It Does Not Offer the Features You Need

One of the most common signs that you need a new PMS is if your current system does not offer the features that you need. What does that mean, though? To understand this, we’ll need to drill down into some of the most in-demand features and capabilities on the market today. Only then can you determine if your current setup is the best PMS for your needs or if you need to consider moving to a new hospitality management system software.

  • Cloud-Based Connectivity –If you do not have a cloud-based PMS, it’s time to upgrade. You’re missing out on needed agility, connectivity, and real-time information sourcing for more accurate decisions. The right platform should allow you to track KPIs in real-time from any location.
  • Mobility –How mobile is your current PMS? Modern systems offer incredible benefits and flexibility through mobile apps that enable you to handle any need right from your smartphone or tablet. Not only does that benefit managers within your hotel, but every employee who needs on-the-go access to critical information.
  • Automation –Manual processes are slow, error-filled, and costly. Today’s best PMS options offer plenty of automation capabilities to save you time, money, and hassle.

These are just three areas of consideration when it comes to features and capabilities the best PMS should offer. If your current software doesn’t fit this bill, it’s time to trade up.

Your Employees Hate It

Another sign that you need to change your PMS is if your employees actively hate your current system. Employee frustration leads to errors, increased time consumption, and other problems. It also drives down morale and, ultimately, can cause employees to leave if the problem is bad enough.

Look for complaints from your employees about the following issues with your PMS to determine if it’s time for a change:

  • Processes take too long
  • Accomplishing a task requires jumping through multiple hoops
  • Learning to use the system requires extensive training
  • The system is always slow
  • The system suffers from bugs/malfunctions often
  • There is little or no support available from the developer/vendor

Do you regularly hear things like this from your employees? Take the hint. A modern cloud-based PMS system offers speed, agility, time savings, and requires little training thanks to an intuitive design.

No Access to Automated Training

Onboarding new hires and providing your current employees with ongoing training can be time-consuming and challenging. This is particularly true when it comes to in-person training with managers and hotel owners. Your PMS should provide access to automated training to ensure that employees can build their skills and knowledge while freeing you to focus on what you do best (running the hotel and managing operations).

However, most older PMS platforms did not offer any type of access to training. This forces you to turn to other options, including face-to-face training. Additionally, this situation usually results in the employee being unable to work while training, which puts a strain on your staff. With the best PMS, you’ll have access to remote training opportunities, allowing employees to complete their training at any time and from any location.

It’s Not an All-in-One-Solution

How many other software platforms does your PMS force you to use because it’s not an all-in-one solution? If you’re constantly trying to integrate your PMS with third-party applications, it’s a great sign that it is well beyond time to upgrade to something newer.

A modern, cloud-based PMS will offer an all-in-one solution without the need for complicated integrations. For instance, at Hotelogix, our PMS offers robust functionality that covers all of your needs, from employee scheduling and night audit completion to marketing and promotions. We believe in simplifying hotel management by providing you with the tools and features that you need to maximize revenue and accomplish more while spending less time doing so.

Less Than Ideal ROI

Perhaps the best measure of whether you should change your PMS is if it’s not delivering the ROI you need to see. All hotel management software platforms represent investments, and the return they yield is the yardstick you’ll use to judge whether they’re working for your needs. It’s not just about saving time and money. Your PMS should play an active role in generating new revenue.

Without access to automation, built-in training, an integrated booking engine, and in-depth dashboards, it’s impossible to see the ROI that you need. Unfortunately, too many business owners and managers put off the decision to upgrade their PMS because they feel it would be too costly. In the meantime, that outdated PMS is draining your hotel of profitability.

How Can Hotelogix Help?

Hotelogix was designed from the ground up to be a modern, fully-featured cloud PMS for hotels. Our platform was not adapted from another system – it was purpose-built for the hospitality industry. We also designed it to fit the needs of virtually any hotel, from independent B&Bs to larger chains and everything in between.

From automating manual processes to our advanced web booking engine, channel manager capabilities, mobile app, online reputation management tools, and access to 24/7 live support, Hotelogix is built for your success. We invite you to explore our capabilities, and we think you’ll agree that not only is it time to upgrade but that Hotelogix is the best PMS for your needs.