A hotel property management system or PMS is used by almost all hospitality companies to manage operations within each of their properties and coordinate activities as a group. It automates and manages everything from the front office and reservations to accounting and housekeeping. Listed below are some of the desirable features in a PMS.
The most important feature to look for is integration with the reservations network and yield management system. It's not possible to explain the technical aspects here, but the summary of it is that anyone making a reservation will be offered an automated process where the room rates per night are decided based on occupancy rates and demand at that moment. Standard features include single-screen reservations, group booking facility and one-step check-ins.
Another important requirement is for the software to be able to provide guest history. When a guest provides a name to complete the reservation form, the database is scanned for past stays by the same person. The other fields in the form are automatically filled if the guest is a repeat visitor, thus speeding up the booking process.
A quick scan of the history allows the front-desk clerk to show that they recognize the guest and welcome them back. The ability to look up a guest's history may also help the staff provide better service. Upgrades and freebies may be offered based on past requests and spending by the guest at the same hotel or with other hotels in the group.
An easily accessible database containing records of all past guests is also helpful for security and as a loss-prevention mechanism. Most hospitality groups maintain a blacklist of people that are banned from booking in at any of the group's properties. Some are guests who skipped out without paying, while others may have stolen or damaged hotel property, or may have engaged in improper behavior.
The PMS can also be linked with operational systems such as door-locks and pay per view, along with POS units for in-house restaurants, bars and convenience stores. The same system can also handle HR, inventory and other back-office operations which do not require interactions with guests. All this data will flow into a centralized database that can be used not just for billing and accounting, but also for creating detailed reports for analysis.
Since the same software is handling all this, it reduces the need for IT spending, training, upgrades, hardware and staff for multiple systems. It also improves security with a single log-in for each user based on their access level. With the introduction of cloud-based solutions and mobile apps, the IT infrastructure savings and the ability to use the software from anywhere makes it that much more powerful and productive.
The hospitality business is a complex affair, involving hundreds of guests and employees in a never-ending 24/7 cycle. A competent GM supported by an efficient staff can keep a hotel in business. However, they won't be able to focus on the important task of providing personal care and attention for each guest unless there is a hotel property management system to take care of the innumerable details.
The most important feature to look for is integration with the reservations network and yield management system. It's not possible to explain the technical aspects here, but the summary of it is that anyone making a reservation will be offered an automated process where the room rates per night are decided based on occupancy rates and demand at that moment. Standard features include single-screen reservations, group booking facility and one-step check-ins.
Another important requirement is for the software to be able to provide guest history. When a guest provides a name to complete the reservation form, the database is scanned for past stays by the same person. The other fields in the form are automatically filled if the guest is a repeat visitor, thus speeding up the booking process.
A quick scan of the history allows the front-desk clerk to show that they recognize the guest and welcome them back. The ability to look up a guest's history may also help the staff provide better service. Upgrades and freebies may be offered based on past requests and spending by the guest at the same hotel or with other hotels in the group.
An easily accessible database containing records of all past guests is also helpful for security and as a loss-prevention mechanism. Most hospitality groups maintain a blacklist of people that are banned from booking in at any of the group's properties. Some are guests who skipped out without paying, while others may have stolen or damaged hotel property, or may have engaged in improper behavior.
The PMS can also be linked with operational systems such as door-locks and pay per view, along with POS units for in-house restaurants, bars and convenience stores. The same system can also handle HR, inventory and other back-office operations which do not require interactions with guests. All this data will flow into a centralized database that can be used not just for billing and accounting, but also for creating detailed reports for analysis.
Since the same software is handling all this, it reduces the need for IT spending, training, upgrades, hardware and staff for multiple systems. It also improves security with a single log-in for each user based on their access level. With the introduction of cloud-based solutions and mobile apps, the IT infrastructure savings and the ability to use the software from anywhere makes it that much more powerful and productive.
The hospitality business is a complex affair, involving hundreds of guests and employees in a never-ending 24/7 cycle. A competent GM supported by an efficient staff can keep a hotel in business. However, they won't be able to focus on the important task of providing personal care and attention for each guest unless there is a hotel property management system to take care of the innumerable details.
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