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Succeeding in your digital transformation in the hotel industry (Part 2)

SUCCESSING IN YOUR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY (Part 2)

GO DIGITAL WITH CONFIDENCE BY FOLLOWING THESE TIPS!

This article presents the continuation of our 10 tips for hoteliers to help them in their digital transformation.

TIP #6 – MAKE SURE YOUR SOLUTIONS ARE WELL INTEGRATED

One of the major problems mentioned by hoteliers is the lack of integration of their different software. A digital transformation project will have to consider this issue as a priority. Indeed, the new open digital solutions are likely to disrupt the current architecture of your systems. Don’t be afraid to address this aspect and go gradually!

Your new solutions will have to be integrated into your current architecture or it will have to be modified. Ultimately, you will need to ensure that your different systems are well integrated and that you have the least amount of duplication of information or that your customers and employees do not have to make multiple entries of the same information. If the new software is not fully integrated, make sure that it has an open API and that it can be integrated within a reasonable timeframe.

One of the main difficulties encountered by hoteliers is the lack of integration of their systems.

TIP #7 – TAKE REFERENCES FROM USERS

Before acquiring a new software, consult those who use it through forums or specialized companies such as HotelTechReport to find out what they think of the solution you are contemplating.

We also advise you to contact users with a similar profile to yours and discuss with them. Talk to as many people as possible to get their feedback. The honeymoon phenomenon is present in all areas and you will see how this vendor treats its customers over time and in specific situations. You will find that this is very revealing!

A problem often mentioned by hoteliers is

the poor quality of service provided by their vendors.

TIP #8 – INSIST FOR A GUARANTEED SERVICE LEVEL

Another major problem mentioned by hoteliers is the poor support service they receive. This is usually due to poor software design that has not survived many changes over the years. It can also be due to poor vendor practices with respect to testing and quality assurance steps. It may also be due to a lack of personnel.

In your dealings with references, check how the vendor has responded to major breakdowns and when asked to add a feature to their solution. Feedback from users will be revealing!

Discuss this with your potential vendor and require that a defined level of service be added to the contract. This will protect you in the event of a problem!

TIP #9 – EXPLORE ALL AVAILABLE FINANCIAL AIDS

To carry out your digital transformation project, you may be eligible to receive government financial assistance. For example, the Government of Quebec’s EDNET program administered by the Association Touristique Régionale (ATR) of your region offers non-refundable financial assistance. This assistance covers 50% of the costs of qualifying projects, up to $10,000 for the digital plan and up to $30,000 for implementation. Ask your hotel and tourism associations for more information.

Also, with COVID-19, the governments of Quebec and Canada quickly set up additional financial assistance. For example, the Government of Quebec has announced the PACME program for job maintenance, which reimburses 100% of costs related to digital skills training, among other things. This would allow you, for example, to train your entire staff on a new digital tool.

Finally, another interesting program is the Industry Audit 4.0 program administered by the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation (MEI). This program offers you financial assistance to help your company carry out an audit and a digital 4.0 plan. The financial assistance granted to the company takes the form of a non-refundable contribution equivalent to 80% of eligible costs up to a maximum of $20,000. Find out more about these programs!

TIP #10 – CALL IN AN EXPERT TO ASSIST YOU

If your team does not include information technology professionals, it would be advisable to call upon an expert to assist you in your project. This will allow you to remain focused on your mission as a hotelier and you will be able to benefit from the professional experience of experts in their fields. Get information from different firms and choose those that are familiar with hospitality.

SucceedIing in your digital transformation in the hotel industry (Part 1)

SUCCEEDING IN YOUR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY (Part 1)

ENSURE YOUR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SUCCESS BY FOLLOWING THESE 10 TIPS!

In recent years, there has been much talk about digital transformation in all industries. With the arrival of COVID-19, digital technology is now ubiquitous and many solutions, formerly less known, are today at the center of everyday life.

In the hospitality industry, emphasis has been placed on digital marketing, websites, direct bookings and electronic distribution. However, if we want to leverage the full power of digital technology, we must consider all digital solutions required for hotel operations.  In a typical hotel, one can find nearly forty different systems that support daily operations and each of them is important to ensure your success!

Before restarting your operations after the forced shutdown by COVID-19, it would be advisable to do a review of all digital solutions in use and consider changing them if required to adapt to the new reality that will surely be more demanding for all sectors of your organization. Here are some tips to approach this initiative with confidence!

TIP # 1 – CONSIDER ALL SECTORS OF YOUR OPERATIONS

Managing an hotel property takes several digital skills and tools that are in use by your customers and employees. When we analyze an hotel operation, what strikes us is the complexity of the operations and the large number of functional areas and skills required to achieve optimal operational efficiency.

When you do this exercice, consider all sectors and systems required for your operations:

TIP # 2 – EVALUATE OBJECTIVELY YOUR CURRENT SOLUTIONS

As you analyze each system, ask yourself if it meets your requirements, needs to be modified or simply replaced. Your team members who use these systems on a daily basis are the best individuals to do this evaluation.

Having the results of this analysis in hand, establish priorities: Very important, Moderately important and Not very important, depending on the impact that each of these systems has on your operations. Focus first on the Very Important!

TIP # 3 – DEFINE THE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE YOU WANT TO OFFER TO YOUR GUESTS AND EMPLOYEES

Analyze the current guest and employees journeys and identify where you want to improve their digital experience. For example, a few days before arriving at the hotel, I want my customers to be able to pre check-in online with their PC or mobile device.

Make sure that your current digital solutions can provide this experience or identify other solutions. Don’t overlook the digital experience of your valued employees. Provide them with the best tools and this will improve their job satisfaction, productivity and loyalty.

Digital solutions are essential for all hoteliers because your guests and employees are more and more younger and they favor efficient and easy-to-use digital solutions.

TIP # 4 – PRIORIZE THE CHOICE OF OPEN DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

Traditionally, hotel software providers have attempted to meet all the needs of hoteliers with a single software, the PMS (Property Management System), which included several options or modules. In recent years, startups and new suppliers have developed open solutions that can be easily connected to each other using standard interfaces, the APIs (Application Program Interfaces). The rapid growth of software in the Cloud has accelerated the development and deployment of these new solutions which are gradually replacing traditional ones.

In your choices, make sure that the digital cloud solutions you select offer open APIs, allowing easy and inexpensive interconnections with others.

It’s only a matter of time before all digital solutions are only offered in cloud computing.

TIP # 5 – DOCUMENT YOUR ESSENTIAL NEEDS

When choosing new solutions, make sure that they really meet your needs. Don’t be distracted by devices or gadgets. Carefully prepare a requirements document describing your imperative needs. For the vendors you are considering, prepare a data set corresponding to your own situation and ask them to demonstrate that their solution adequately process this data (e.g. pricing models, room categories, interface to your POS stations, etc.).

Be flexible about how the new solution works, but don’t compromise on the essential functions required for your operations. If necessary, require execution of a proof of concept to ensure that all your needs are covered, before committing to a contract. This will ensure the success of the implementation and a higher level of buy-in from your employees and guests.

The rest of this article is presented in part 2, click Next.