Property Management Systems have come a long way to become one of the most essential technology tools for accommodation providers today. Simply put, a good PMS is considered the backbone of a real estate business (service apartment, co living, hostels, hotel, guest house, Airbnb, Malls, Rentals). Property management systems make it easier for coordinating the functions of the front office, guest management, sales, planning, and reporting. It allows property owners to manage front desk operations. They can plan their rates and promotions to maximize their revenue. And now, customer loyalty has become really important so the PMS also consolidates client information for future use.
According to Hospitality Technology’s 2019 Lodging Technology Study, roughly one-quarter of hotel software budget (26%)goes to property management system (PMS) software. With that rather hefty investment, the PMS is now expected to solve for a broad scope of business challenges. As the hotel systems landscape has evolved, outdated PMS software may not be designed to solve for the problems of a modern infrastructure. HT’s research indicates that more than one-third of hotels may be grappling with this as 30% are planning on changing PMS suppliers and another 8% say they will upgrade existing systems.
A good property management system can resolve common business issues including ineffective employees, financial issues and operations. It should also enable client interaction and take it to a new plane.
Problem: Under-Achieving Workforce
Solution: A Cloud-based PMS with Responsive Tech Support
Happy employees are often the most productive and this has a direct impact on bottom-line profits. Providing staff with technology that can make jobs easier will not only increase productivity but also employee satisfaction as well.
More employee productivity enables us to have happier employees; happier employees treat guests better — and guests then remain loyal to our brand Satisfied guests spend more … which translates to higher revenue to ownership. Greater employee satisfaction results in less turnover, which can also positively impact revenue.
One way hotels can make employees more productive is by upgrading to a cloud-based PMS like Nodal PMS. This is particularly useful for smaller hotels where employee jobs encompass multiple roles within the organization and need access to the PMS at moment’s notice.
You can access Nodal PMS from your smartphone or laptop whether you are at work, home or on vacation. This allows you to view current check-ins, check last-minute bookings, identify VIP guests, read notes to see if there are important guest preferences, and contact employees to monitor and ensure tasks are being executed appropriately and in a timely manner.
From a managerial perspective, it’s very powerful to have a cloud-based solution. That way, you know what’s going on at the hotel before you even walk through the door. By some estimates, the employee productive can go up by 200% – that’s all the time saved filling reports, looking for information, correcting wrong check in /check out information and the like.
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Problem: Lackluster Customer Service
Solution: Employee Interface
Aproperty management systemthat offers little or no guest history profiles can have a negative impact on how customers feel they were treated by front desk personnel.
When a guest is waiting for a staff member to search through three or four menus to find a specific section in the software, customer service can become strained. A PMS that offers a simple, easy-to-use interface becomes very important.
With Nodal PMS, you no longer have to jump through multiple screens, making your booking and billing options much easier and more efficient. It will also stream line check-ins and check-outs, guest requests, housekeeping status, and room maintenance.
Additionally, a simple-to-use interface means that training staff members becomes much easier and can reduce onboarding time.
Its easy-to-use interface allows your team to understand the back-end administration with relatively little training, which enables you to flatten the organization and not have that expertise rest in any one person. Rather everyone in the organization knows how to manage the systems. As a small organization your training costs are almost negligible and you can have generalists learn the system very quickly. This can save up to 10% of the employee salary annually in saved training & retraining costs.
Additionally, a PM Scan contribute to a positive customer service experience when it allows staff to quickly and easily see information about guest preferences. It is also helpful because it allows staff to view notes from guests’ previous stays. So if a guest always orders pasta, then on their arrival they can be served their favorite pasta dish. Or if they have stayed in a room with a balcony then that’s what they get – can you see how effective this can be? Personalization can help hotels and apartments get 30% more 5 star reviews on TripAdvisor and Google. That can make a huge difference to the bottom line.
Problem: Inefficient Operations
Solution: Integration to Key Hotel System Applications
A key attribute of Nodal MS is that it unites booking channels, accounting features, payment methods and data tools together in one screen. We have eliminated the need to navigate multiple applications to perform a single task or operation making finance and revenue easier to monitor. A few examples of this are
· Channel Manager – All the Online Travel Agents (OTA) will be integrated into the system. So all bookings like Airbnb, Expedia, Makemytrip, booking.com etc come straight into the system. No more duplicate or manual work.
· Financial System – The P&L, segment wise profitability (eg – how much from F&B, services), Expenses management, etc. So you can easily use an external system like Quick Books or Tally with PMS.
· Guest Ordering App – So you can allow your guests to use a QR code based app to order F&B. Orders come directly into the system and to the concerned staff. You no longer need physical menus and can change prices every week or even every day based on demand.
· Website – The prices on the website can be updated from the PMS itself. There is a native booking engine where the availability of the information(rooms, inventory, current prices) can be shown. No more double bookings.
· Inventory Management System – All material management can be done from the PMS itself. So there is no need to have multiple systems just to track inventory of groceries, or perishables.
· Communication (WhatsApp) – The system allows for WhatsApp notifications to be sent to both your staff as well as guests. This can enhance productivity greatly.
It allows guests to interact with the hotel before they even arrive and without having to be placed on hold during a busy time at the front desk. So the customer experience can literally go to the next level without the need for physical presence.
Problem: Unprotected Guest Data
Solution: Strict Security Measures
Data security has come under greater scrutiny for all businesses in recent years, with larger fines and penalties being awarded for contemporary data breaches. This issue is only compounding as digital transactions take precedence over physical exchanges, and third-party partnerships become more important to maintain operations. Choosing the right partner and hosting environment for your property can be complicated, but the property-management system (PMS)selected will play a critical role in securing your confidential data.
Protecting your guests’ data is equally important as preserving their physical safety. The PMS is also an important component to keeping guest data safe. Nodal PMS applies strict security measures in keeping the guest data safe. This not only ensures data security but also prevents employees or any contractors from takin sensitive information. Since it’s a multi user system – the permissions are granted only buy the admins (much like in advanced Customer Relationship Management tools – CRMs)
Its more secure than the typical server-based systems located on an average property because it would be hosted in an environment managed by people whose sole job is to keep it secure.
Bottom Line
If you have a Property business and want to grow it – then it’s critical to invest in a cloud based Property Management System. This will ensure peace of mind and also give your guests the best experience. You will have full control over your finances– eit will be easy to share management reports, keep track of expenses. And also fix any guest issues before they arise (as guest can directly communicate with you via their app). So check out the new Nodal PMS at https://nodal.direct
It takes just 10mins to get started and you don’t need to be a tech expert to use it!