Hotel Operations Management: Hospitality Innovations

With so many different departments working together, it’s important to make sure that everyone is on the same page and that communication is fluid between them. This can be done using various hotel management software programs available online. 

How to Streamline Hotel Operations Using Automation Technology?

A good way to streamline hotel operations management is by using technology. Businesses are more productive and efficient when they use automation technology because it makes the work easier for employees and increases the speed of production. It’s also less time-consuming than doing everything manually.

What are the Different Categories in Hotel Operations?

Running a hotel business is not joking around, It takes a lot of effort and efficiency to manage all the departments and their specific roles and responsibilities. Each department adds value and contributes to the overall guest experience. So, for hotels, it is necessary to streamline work across all departments without making mistakes. Here are 10 listed departments that contribute to hotel operations.

• Front Office

• Food & Beverage

• Maintenance

• Housekeeping

• Sales & Marketing

• Meetings & Events

• Revenue/Finances

• Management

• Guest Services

• Hiring/Training

These all operations contribute to the smooth, seamless, and well-managed hotel operations that ensure optimal performance and satisfying guest experience.

6 Strategies to Modernize Hotel Operations through Automation

1. Digitize Your Front Desk

To stay competitive, hotels are turning to new technologies and systems to make their operations more efficient. The front desk is a great place to start digitizing because it’s the first point of contact with guests and provides many opportunities for improvement. 

Digitizing the front desk not only helps you ease the hotel operations; it also improves the guest experience which leads to a higher guest retention rate. Here are some ways that hotels can use technology at the front desk:

• Guests have a lot of questions during a hotel stay. You can use digital guidebooks which answer the guest questions for you. 
• Use tablets as guest registration kiosks instead of paper sign-in sheets. This will allow staff members to see where guests are checked in, what rooms they have reserved, and who they’re traveling with on an instant basis. Plus, this will also enable you to send information about weather updates, local events happening nearby, or anything else that would be relevant to the guest’s stay. 
• Give your staff access to a tablet so they don’t need to walk back and forth between the front desk and other parts of the hotel just to check messages or phone calls. You can also install mobile software so that your employees can take care of requests right away without having to be physically present at any given time. 
• Utilize data analytics so you’ll know which channels work best for engaging with customers through social media, text messages, email campaigns, etc., allowing you to customize your efforts based on customer behavior. 
• Use contactless check-in technology to make the check-in and checkout process digital at your hotel. It also improves the guest experience as they don’t have to wait long in the lines at the front desk. 

2. Managing Housekeeping

One of the most labor-intensive tasks that can be done in the hotel is housekeeping. To streamline this process, it’s important to establish standards and procedures that will make the work flow more smoothly. One way to do this is by following the five Cs: cleanliness, courtesy, communication, control, and consistency. 

To streamline this department, you can use software that links the related employees together and then coordination between them becomes better and they can provide guest service properly. 

3. Maintenance and Repairs

Hiring a third-party company to take care of maintenance and repairs is a great way to free up your time and resources. Many maintenance and repair automation companies can be remotely accessed from the convenience of your office, meaning you don’t need to be there in person for every task.

4. Security

Use technology to automate security. Security automation can be used for a variety of tasks, such as: 

• Monitoring entrances and exits, including the monitoring of suspicious or unauthorized behavior patterns. 
• Detecting unattended bags or packages could indicate a threat. 
• Monitoring CCTV from multiple cameras in real-time and quickly identifying potential threats. 

5. Automated Accounting Solutions

One of the biggest problems that hotels have is the lack of time. There are so many different things that need to be done and there are not always enough hours in the day. 

To avoid this problem, one way is to use an automated accounting solution for hotels. This type of software manages all aspects of accounting without the help of a human being. It can handle everything from billing, payroll, cost control, and expense reporting amount other areas. 

The computer automatically enters data, prints checks, and generates reports so you don’t have to spend your valuable time doing these mundane tasks.

6. Sustainability and Food Hygiene

Food hygiene is the need of today. If a hotel can’t assure it, guests won’t like to stay with that hotel. Besides, hotels need to pass many safety checks and ensure the food standards properly. 

Food wastage is another challenge for the hospitality industry as only this industry accounts for 40% of total food wastage in a year in the United States. 

Unlike food preparation and serving, which require human labor, inventory management, supplier management, and food cost control can all be automated. 

A kitchen and waste inventory management system can assist a full-service hotel with supplier management as well as keeping inventory levels and costs under control.

How to choose the best Hotel Operation Management Software?

Nowadays, hoteliers rely on hotel operation management software to optimize daily hotel operations. Whether you are a big chain hotelier or a single one this software helps you get your targeted customer and enhance revenue growth. 

But choosing the best software for your business requires skill.

It takes the evaluation of multiple factors that meet your specific needs and requirements. 

First, it starts by identifying software features like Booking management, guest communication, housekeeping management, revenue management, reporting and analytics, and so on.

Second, Look for a software interface that easily integrates with your existing software such as CRM, POS, and accounting software.

Third, look for a management system that can scale with your business and update or upgrade as needed. 

Fourth, Ensure that the software provides robust security methods that comply with industry standards.

Lastly consider the software that provides 24/7 customer support, and training options (such as tutorials and webinars). Additionally, consider ROI and budget that align with your future goals.

For a comprehensive solution, consider BOTSHOT's "Hotel in a Box" all-in-one solution for all your hotel operation needs. Which is designed to cater to every hotel operation smoothly, improve guest satisfaction, and boost efficiency through its intuitive interface and wide range of features.

P.S.: BotShot provides hospitality automation solutions such as a contactless check-in system, chatbot for customer service/ support, guest feedback management, marketing automation etc. So, check out BOTSHOT and book a free demo to start your journey to streamline hotel operations management.