COMPUTER APPLICATION IN FRONT OFFICE

Front Office –  the most important department of the hotel where guest comes in contact with the hotel first.

Computer system – consists of 3 interrelated and interdependent components namely-

- Hardware

- Software

- Users.

Computer Application in Front Office Operations – replacing manual, mechanical work or use of electric devices.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PMS)

- a generic term used to describe the application of computer hardware and software in managing the interface of various departments of a hotel.

Examples of PMS:

01. Fidelio 03. IDS PMS 05. Visual Oui 07. Opera

02. PMS 04. Inn front 06. CLS

Interface with other softwares –

1. Energy Management System (EMS)

2. Human Resource System (HRS)

3. Material Management System (MMS)

4. Accounting System

5. Point Of Sale System.

CENTRALISED RESERVATION SYSTEM (CRS)

- a computerized reservation system for a chain or group of hotels to enable them to sell their rooms effectively.

- The hotels, their sales offices and Central Reservation Offices are linked through a CRS for an effective and real time management of room inventory.

- It is primarily a Wide Area Network.

Examples of CRS:

1. Opera

2. MARSHA

03. Taj Central Reservation System

04. Leading Hotels of the World

05. Utell

06. Best Western Hotels

07. Welcomnet

08. Holiday Inn Worldwide

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (GDS)

- computer-based systems linked globally through satellites, which are used for hotel reservations, airline reservations and other travel arrangements.

- Usually, the GDS terminals are with travel Agents. The travel agents may be linked to the GDS through a dial-up mode or a lease line.

- All the GDS mentioned below are linked to one-another through a parent

satellite

Examples of GDS:

01. Apollo

02. Gemini

03. Galileo

04. Sabre

05. System One

06. Worldspan

07. Amadeus

08. Axess

09. Abacus

10. Infini

11. Fantasia

The relation between the three systems is as under –

Hotel Sales Office/ CRO Travel Agent

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SELECTION OF PMS

The steps involved in selection of a Property Management System are:

STEP 1: Identification of Need

Firstly an analysis is done to determine whether there is a need of computerized system or not.

The following steps are followed in this process:

a. Selection of a team comprising the representation from all the departments at all levels from all the shifts to analyse the needs. .

b. Analyze the flow of guests through the visit to the hotel i.e. an analysis of the guest cycle.

c. Analyze the flow of information from other departments to the front office e.g. billing information, room status information etc.

d. Analyze the administrative paper work produced in other departments.

e. Evaluate the needs that have been identified in terms of importance.

f. Combine the needs to determine the desired applications.

STEP 2: Software Selection

- Today, software is available in modules to cater to different areas in a hotel.

- based on requirement, as deduced from the needs analysis in step 1, a hotel may go in for the entire PMS or parts thereof.

- Proper software selection is very important, as it involves a ,heavy investment.

- configured or customized as per the need of the hotel.

STEP 3: Hardware Selection

- The hardware should be selected to run the needed software.

- The basic factors to consider here are the Processor speed, Disc drives, I/O Port for connecting peripheral devices & for networking, Monitors/ touch screens, Keyboards,

Printers, Modems and Supplies: paper, forms, ribbons, ink, toner, cartridge, floppies,

DA T, CD-RW etc.

The other factors to be kept on mind while selecting the hardware are:

a. Positioning of hardware: based on the workflow analysis done during needs

analysis.

b. How does it benefit the guest, who will operate it, who all will require

access to the system at that position.

c. Climatic condition: whether air-conditioning required/not esp. in back-of-the-house

areas.

d. Ergonomics: psychological & physiological effect of computers on people.

STEP 4: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

01. Vendor Claims: Claims made by the supplier. One must inquire about the product from the current users of the same; whether they are satisfied using the system, problems faced by them in using the system.

2. Installation plans: Proper planning of installation is essential for maintaining guest services & employee morale. One must have a complete plan laid out for installation of hardware & cabling in different areas of the hotel; also, who shall be installing the

 hardware & who shall be installing cables.

03. Training: Classroom & on-the-job training provided by vendor or not. If yes, charged or inclusive. Whether training module has been provided or not. Documentation of procedures.

04. Back-up power sources: Provision of UPS.

05. Maintenance agreement: The cost of repair & replacement of hardware & software. emergency services.

STEP 5: FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

- The decision regarding purchase or rental of a PMS since heavy investment can tie-up the cash flow of an organization.

- Also, if cost benefits are not realistically projected, profits may be difficult to come by.

- Analyze the savings in terms of overtime paid to the employees, losses due to late charges, cost of marketing database collection, wastage of energy.

- Advantages of outright purchase, discount for full payment in cash, finance charges, depreciation.

- Advantages of lease: continuance of cash flow, application of lease payments to purchase price, tax advantages of leasing etc.

Points to consider while selecting a PMS

• Budget: Budget must be a consideration while selecting a Property Management System for your hotel. A small hotel may want to opt for a local, lesser known brand for the cost constraints while bigger hotels may opt for well known brands as they can afford it.
• Brand: Well known PMS brands are considered reliable which may help bigger hotels to decide upon selecting hotel management software based on their brand image.
• Cost of Operation:  The hardware (computer, printer, back-up discs etc) used by the PMS should be replaceable at a reasonable cost.  Costs for operating supplies, such as paper and cartridges should also be reasonable.  Systems that require such hardware part which cannot be obtained economically, readily and locally should be avoided. 
• Ease of Installation:  Hotel’s operate 24hrs a day and 7 days a week, so any disruption in the continuous operation of its PMS can affect the hotel and its guests.  Before selecting a new PMS, the FOM should thoroughly investigate the amount of time required in the installation of the new system.  Installation time and its actual cost must be a common consideration in the selection of a new PMS.
• Ease of Use:  New Front Office employees must learn how to use the PMS.  The ease with which they can learn the system is a factor in reducing training costs and increasing the pace at which new employees become comfortable operating the system.
• Ease of Interface Integration:  Information needed by FOMs to professionally manage Front Office comes from a variety of sources.  Hotels use many automatic systems like card-key machines, telephone systems which must interface with the PMS for operational utility and efficiency.
• Maintenance Requirements:  Like any other hotel equipment, the PMS must be properly maintained to operate efficiently.  The cost of effective preventive maintenance may vary from one PMS to another. The FOM must determine and understand the time and money required to minimize down time and to maximize system efficiency by providing routine, ongoing maintenance.
• Ease and Frequency of Upgrading:  Technology advances at a fast pace.  Hardware and software upgrades are routinely issued by manufacturers, and most of these significantly improve the operational effectiveness of a PMS.  FOMs should anticipate significant increases in demand for up gradation, memory, and speed and should provide for the same at the time of procurement. 
• Quality and Availability of Support Services:  A PMS is a computerized system and is vulnerable to hardware malfunctioning, software glitches, and potentially damaging intrusive viruses.  Support services personnel, preferably via a toll free telephone number must be accessible on a 24 hrs and 7 days basis.

IMPORTANCE OF USING COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN FRONT OFFICE

• Reduces paper work
• Environment friendly
• Saves time
• Increases efficiency
• Reduces error
• Increases speed and guest satisfaction
• Improves co-ordination among different hotel departments

Reservation Module includes the following features:

§   It provides room status records when the date of arrival, date of departure and type of guest rooms are entered in the system.

§  It can check the reservation status of a guest quickly.

§  It displays room availability status by simply selecting a date.

 It can attach guest messages to relevant reservations, to be delivered at the time of arrival.

§  It can automatically calculate rates.

§  It can create group blocks etc

Front Desk Module includes the following features:

• It can access guest information easily and quickly for viewing, modification or check-in.
• It displays a graphical room layout with the room status information.
• It tracks all guest activities for the length of their stay.
• It prints registration cards.
• It updates the system in case of a guest room change etc.

Cashier Module includes the following features:

• It manages all aspects of the guest folio including debits, credits, adjustments, transfers and allowances.
• It allows the viewing or printing of folio details and summary information.
• It consolidates all transactions and produces and accurate bill, enabling a speedy checkout.

Reporting Module includes the following features:

The reporting module has various formats which allow the management to retrieve operating or financial information at any point of time.  With this module, the management can quickly access information such as the availability of rooms on a particular day, the number of guests arriving on a specific day, listing of guest’s folio balances, outstanding balance reports etc.

PMS APPLICATIONS

The modules of an ideal PMS are as follows:

Reservations

1. Guest data

2. Room inventory

3. Deposits

4. Special requests

5. Blocking

6. Arrivals

7. Departures

8. VIP

9. Projected occupancy

10. Travel agents

11. Guest messages

12. Reports

Registration

1. Reservations

2. Guest Data

3. Room inventory

4. Room status

5. Security

6. Reports

7. Self check-in

Room status

1. Room inventory

2. Availability

3. Reports

Posting

1. Point of sale

2. Room

3. Tax

4. Transfer

5. Adjustments

6. Paid out

7. Miscellaneous charges

8. Phone

9. Display folio

10. Reports

Call Accounting

1. Guest information

2. Employee information

3. Post charges

4. Messages

5. Wake-up calls

6. Reports

Checkout

1. Folio

2. Adjustments

3. Cashier

4. Back office transfer

5. Reports

6. Guest History

Night Audit

1. Guest charges

2. Department totals

3. City ledger

4. Cashier

5. Financial reports

6. Housekeeping

Inquiries! Reports

1. Reservations

2. Registrations

3. Checkouts

4. Housekeeping

5. Credit balances

Back Office

1. Accounts payable

2. Accounts receivable

3. Payroll

4. Budgets

5. General ledger

6. Reports

Housekeeping

1. Room availability

2. Personnel assignments

3. Analysis

4. Housekeeper's report

5. Equipment supplies inventory

6. Maintenance requests

Food and Beverage

1. Point of sale

2. Posting

3. Cashier reports

4. Food/beverage inventory

5. Recipes

6. Sales control

7. Sales production analysis

8. Labour analysis

Maintenance

1. Review work order,

2. Status,

 3. Cost/ labor analysis

4. Inventory,

 5. Repair cost analysis

6. Energy usage analysis,

 7. Guest room power start

Security

1. Keys,

2. Fire alarm

3. Burglar alarm,

 4. Security code transactions

Marketing_ and sales

1. Guest history,

2. Word-processing,

 3. Client file

4. Banquet files,

 5. Desktop publishing

6. Reports,

7. Travel agencies

Personnel

1. Employee file,

2. Job control list

3. Word processing,

4. Analysis

5. Reports

Electronic Mail

1. Security codes,

2. Mail,

3. Hard copy

Time clock

1. Security codes,

 2. Personal identification number,

 3. In,

4. Out,

5. Analysis,

 6. Reports

Examples of PMS

DIFFERENT PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

There are several companies that provide the PMS software to hotels, with their own unique features to suit the different requirements of various hotels.  Some of the companies providing PMS software are Micros, Amadeus, IDS Fortune, and Shaw Man. 

AMADEUS 

Amadeus property management system can be integrated with Front Office, sales and marketing, and financial management functions.  It allows the user to move faster in all core aspects of guest experience management. 

FRONT OFFICE MODULE:  This module offers full availability, reservation, billing, and yield functionalities, which in turn generate useful performance statistics.  It provides data on performance indicators such as sales, accounts, source, and segment activity, which is monitored to analyze business efficiency and used to generate management reports. 

SALES AND MARKETING MODULE:        This module aids the sales and marketing professions to target potential guests and effectively manage customer relationships. 

CONFERENCE AND BANQUETING MODULE:      Event planning is a feature that helps generate revenue for hotels.  The key features of the conference management system include real time conference/ meeting room availability and equipment management.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT:  It is designed for liquidity planning and control along with comprehensive accounting, financial reporting and analysis

SHAWMAN

The ShawMan PMS is an integrated Front Office Management Software that can host multiple properties and handle guest reservations simultaneously across many units including an integrated web-based reservation agent and auto confirmation manager.

ShawMan's PMS plugs into an Integrated Telephone Call Management System that supports a host of EPABX interfaces and also seamlessly connects to ShawMan POS, MMS and CRM Systems to complete the application needs of the boarding & lodging Industry.

 The  ShawMan Hotel Centre is a unique and powerful interface design that handles registration, cashiering, and night audit functions, treating guests and rooms as two manageable objects and supports right click quick task launch of forms and reports, undo and redo, eraser and task history to effortlessly customize the desktop for each user and department to manage a slew of jobs undertaken daily by the attendants, supervisors and managers both at the Front Desk and back office.

A three tier client middle server architecture allows business processes and rules to be easily defined and modified such as customer profiles, multiple rate codes, meal plans, guest history, room inventory, housekeeping and more. Several MIS outputs to choose from for quick and accurate reporting in the form of Statements , flash reports, chasers and audit trails and a query that allows users to design their own custom reports.

FIDELIO is one of the world’s best selling front office systems, and it is the system of choice for Hilton International, Inter Continental, Mandarin Oriental, Forte, CIGA and many other chains and independents around the globe.

Fidelio created the original electronic room rack. Complete, graphical plan illustrations of each floor allow your front office staff to monitor and control the occupancy of every room in the building. Using a system of twelve different color codes, the status of each room is visible at a glance – either currently, or at some future date. Yellow indicates a room is “clean and vacant”, blue is “dirty and arrival expected”, and so on. Reservations data can also be shown in tabulated form to give an overall occupancy picture for any

specified day. For group bookings, from the most complex convention to airline allotments, the group and block management  functions handle it all. Master billing, split rates, staggered arrivals, package plans, group history, room type control, block forecasts and traces – they all help to optimize group business, without the time consuming paperwork.

As well as handling room management, FIDELIO Front Office maintains all guests’ accounts, and offers numerous other facilities such as mailing, word processing, and customized printout of confirmation letters, guest messages and other documents.

Fidelio has pulled down menus which help and assist the user at every step and only short term training to staff is required. 

1. Fidelio promotes smooth functioning of all the departments.
2. It reduces paper work and helps in saving money on extra stationery.
3. It eliminates communication gap between departments.
4. It helps in providing quality service to the guest thereby, up-keeping the hotel’s goodwill.
5. It is a highly flexible programme and has facilities like screen painter, report generator, user definable report menus and night audit etc.
6. It has the ability to create extensive guest history.
7. It has extensive modules for various hotel management operations like reservation module, front desk module, cashier module, night audit module, material management system etc.

One disadvantage of Fidelio may be that it is very expensive and any under utilization will be expensive.  Its maintenance is also costly compared to other systems.  Another disadvantage may that during night audit terminals are shut down, thus check-ins and check-outs during the period cannot be taken during the period.