E-Operations

This lesson will provide an overview of factors to consider when selecting accommodation management tools.

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to explain factors to consider when choosing online tools.


Hospitality management software are tools that perform essential financial and organizational functions for accommodation businesses. These functions include reservations, employee scheduling, accounting, property/maintenance management and customer relationship management. The software (usually cloud-based) includes reservation systems, property management systems (PMS), channel managers, accounting, point-of-sale (POS), etc.

Choosing accommodation management tools

In previous courses and lessons, we've looked at online travel agencies (OTA's), reservation systems, property management systems (PMS) and financial systems.

Each of these can be used independently, but in most cases, there is a large overlap between the functionality of each. For example, most channel managers and PMS come bundled together.

You will need to find the best solution for your business, depending on your needs. If you have an accommodation business, then an all-in-one hotel management solution could be your ideal option.

Credit: Siteminder This infographic provides a guide to choosing the most suitable management solution:


Credit: Hotelogix

When comparing prices, consider:

• Functionality: What all is included? For example, does your PMS include a channel manager or financial system or must you pay extra to integrate these features?
• Price: Does it cost a flat rate per month or do they charge per booking, and which option would suit you better?
• Upfront commitment: There are so many management systems to choose from and some offer a month free trial.

When considering the cost, also consider the time and convenience that this software can save you. In most cases, you can manage bookings and queries from your mobile, which means that you are not bound to your frontdesk and won't lose bookings if you are away. Remember: your time = money.

Perhaps you can buy this software instead of employing extra staff to help you.

Comparison chart

Refer to the comparison chart below to give you an idea of the variations in features and pricing between four popular PMS providers, though there are many others to choose from.

• Hotelogix
• eZee Absolute
• Cloudbeds
• WebRezPro

Summary

• Hospitality management software (usually cloud-based) includes reservation systems, property management systems (PMS), channel managers, accounting, point-of-sale (POS), etc.
• If you have an accommodation business, then an all-in-one hotel management solution could be your ideal option.
• When considering the cost, also consider the time and convenience that this software can save you