Managing a business is hard. Managing a hotel? You need superpowers. Or at least a system that helps take most of the tasks off your hands and allows you focus on things that truly matter—giving your clients the best hotel experience they’d ever have. Here in Nigeria, the number of hotels that spring up and die before the five-year mark is astounding.
They pop up every year: fancy finishings, good lighting, nice staff and an eight-feet pool, but within a few years of struggling to meet up with customer satisfaction, they sink back into oblivion. Of course, there are many guilty factors but one such factor that stands out is the lack of a Hotel Management System (HMS).
Not every hotelier would be inclined to spend their money on technology when they could as well invest in softer beds—I mean, isn’t it all about client satisfaction? This unwillingness, to a large extent, is the cause of their downfall, and we would explain how in a few paragraphs. First, however, let us look at what a Hotel Management System really is.
WHAT IS A HOTEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?
A Hotel Management System (HMS), often interchanged with the slightly less comprehensive Property Management System (PMS), is a platform or software which streamlines the operation and administrative tasks of a hotel. In other words, a Hotel Management System makes administrative work easier and allows hotel operations to continue without a hitch.
When everything runs smoothly, with the staff being promptly alerted to tasks and the front-end being instantly updated to give little room for error, there is an increased likelihood of a hotel’s success.
The HMS is a platform that stores vital information for hotel managers and their staff to facilitate a seamless day-to-day running of the hotel. Think of a roster, a to-do list, and an alarm clock functionality all in one software to help minimise the risk of human error and keep everyone updated on what they should be doing.
MODULES OF THE HOTEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
Because the HMS runs as a comprehensive software, it is made up of a few modules. These modules include the following:
RESERVATION: In simple terms, the Central Reservation System (CRS) helps manage the hotel’s bookings and reservation plans. The CRS holds all the hotel’s inventory data such as clients’ details, booking date, and, when applicable, preferences.
For example, when a client books a room for a Sunday, the room status changes to ‘booked’ in case of another prospective client, and when the Sunday client occupies the room, the room status changes to ‘unavailable’. This system ensures that a room is not double-booked or met unkempt when the client arrives. In the event of a cancellation, the CRS module updates the room availability and begins the process of a refund or flags the task for a capable hand.
CHANNEL MANAGEMENT: This module is very important as it ensures consistency on all fronts. A hotel may have more than one outlet where information is given to prospective clients, and through which these clients could book a room or check the availability of one.
Without a Channel Management module to crawl the Central Reservation System (CRS) for any updates and reflect these updates on all channels, there is the risk of mistakes such as double-booking or booking a room that is temporarily out of service.
Take, for instance, a room undergoing touch-ups—we’ll call it Room 505. With a good CRS module, Room 505’s unavailability will be updated for the staff to see, and the front desk may well remember to tell every asking client that it is out of service.
However, because some people would prefer to book ahead of their stay, they may use any of the numerous booking channels offered by the hotel (Hotel’s website, Third-party booking systems, etc).
If the Channel Management module is missing or nonfunctional, the update on the CRS will not be reflected on such an outlet and the client may book Room 505 only to be disappointed on arrival.
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: This module is concerned with the hotel’s relationship with its clients and may include data such as the client’s details, their feedback or reviews, and their preferences. This information can be used by the hotel to offer personalised services to these clients, increasing the likelihood of the client’s loyalty.
FRONT DESK BOOKING: This may seem redundant, because most hotels have front desk staff. And isn’t the hospitality sphere all about the human touch? Valid argument. Remember, however, that the HMS is meant to make the administrative process easy on the hotel staff which would consequently free them up to turn up the charm and warmth that is characteristic of the ‘human touch’.
The staff at the front desk will benefit from the Front Desk module as it allows them to bring up the client information—including the room booked (or the availability of the room about to be booked) and the payment to be processed—as well as update room availability on client check-out. A working Front Desk module makes it easier to hold that bright smile.
ROOM KEEPING: Like the name suggests, this module focuses on room keeping, which is a very important part of hospitality as no hotel guest would want to pay for an unkempt room.
The Room Keeping module assigns tasks to the cleaning team once the client checks out, or when requested. Once the CRS is notified on client check-out, it assigns the room to the available cleaning staff who cleans it and updates the status as ‘cleaned’, giving the CRS the permission to update the room’s availability for bookings.
REVENUE MANAGEMENT: In the words of Mr. Krabs, ‘money money money’. That universal language that tickles the ear so deliciously. Any hotel unconcerned about revenue is heading for ruin. The revenue management module helps increase revenue by giving insight into clients’ spending habits, for informed pricing and services.
BENEFITS OF A HOTEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
The benefits of having a Hotel Management System are innumerable, but for informational purposes, here’s a few:
- Ease of operation: The HMS works to perform the administrative tasks that used to be performed manually with physical records or on the computer. It updates, reminds, and keeps track of necessary information in order to have everyone where they should be and when they should be there.
- Reduces human error: Hospitality work can be daunting, and when you must make rosters, go around to check if the guests need room service and still attend to the occasional demands for a towel or directions to the kitchen, a lot could go wrong.
- With the HMS tirelessly working to bring every information up to date, including shifts and bookings, the administrative side of running a hotel is not entirely dependent on a sleep-deprived staff who has to tell room service to clean room 505 and explain to the old couple in the lounge that they would need to pay their bill before checking out. This means the risk of descending into chaos is reduced by a lot.
- Accessibility: The nature of the HMS allows the hotel manager and staff to manage the operations, keep track of shifts or receive information from any and everywhere. This accessibility keeps the hotel functioning even when the weather may force one or two staff (not front desk staff, unfortunately, but you guys are the real MVPs) to work remotely. This brings us to our next benefit.
- Communication: The HMS allowing for accessibility means that every staff member and those concerned with the running of the hotel in one way or the other can communicate seamlessly with one another. The open platform takes away the stress of calling, unread messages, or the old-fashioned manner of leaving a note for the night shift workers.
SPECIFIC BENEFITS OF THE CYFORCE HOTEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (C-HMS)
In addition to the core features of our Hotel Management System are a few features worth mentioning.
- LOGS SYSTEM: We understand how stressful audits can be and how important it is to know who did what and when, for ascertaining accountability. With our C-HMS logs system, you no longer have to dread the audit process. Our logs system tracks every activity performed within the HMS including who performed the action and the time the activity was carried out. Th is system not only ensures transparency within your organisation but also makes it easier to check whether things are being done as they should.
- DATA BASE BACKUP AND RECOVERY OPTION: With the Cyforce Hotel Management System (C-HMS), you can rest assured that your data (which includes bookings, your clients’ information, and staff roster) will always be backed up to the cloud for easy retrieval and permanent safety.
- USER RIGHTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: Sometimes we assume users would never get curious about the ‘for staff’ button in our HMS and opt for a Hotel Management System that does not have a User Rights Management System. Some people (including our very own content writer) are as curious as the cat and would click on those ‘out-of-bounds buttons’ when the buttons are not placed out of reach or protected by a passkey. Without a User Rights Management System, you risk such a person accessing resources and data meant only for authorised persons. Here at Cyforce, our User Rights Management System ensures that only authorised persons can have access to specific resources. This system is also useful within the organisation as it ensures that information is available to staff members based on hierarchy and need-to-know basis, while cordoning off sensitive data and functions.
- E-MAIL AND SMS FEATURES: Most HMS would function adequately even without the e-mail or SMS functionality, but we like to do a thorough job, so we went a step further by adding these functionalities to our HMS. With the e-mail and SMS features, you can get important updates on the go even without logging into the system itself. This is especially convenient for when you do not have an active data bundle or strong network connection.
Of course, there are other special features available with the C-HMS such as changing of passwords and password recovery, but seeing is believing. So, click on this link to see the full list of core and special features our HMS offers, our unique benefits, and a lifetime license to your very own Cyforce Hotel Management System. What’s more? It’s on sale!
IN CONCLUSION
Hotel Management Systems (HMSs) are the silent heroes behind the success of many hotels because of their ability to reduce the workload on the staff and to automate activities in such a way that they flow seamlessly from day to day. If you’re unsure about whether your hotel needs a Hotel Management System or how to go about getting the best one for your hotel, reach out to us for a consultation and we will guide you on the next steps to take. In the meantime, stay cybersafe.
