Hotels rely on a property management system (PMS) to seamlessly manage many aspects of their operations. Amid a climate of staff shortages, competition and rising guest expectations, the PMS is an integral part of hotel management. But what are the features of a must have all-in-one PMS for you to make the best choice for your hotel? Here are the 10 key features you need.
A PMS has so much more potential than managing room bookings and collecting payments. Yes, these functionalities are unquestionably vital. But a great PMS will guide guests effortlessly through their entire journey – leading to improved guest satisfaction. By elevating operational efficiency, a slick PMS frees up staff to be hands-on for delivering exceptional customer service. And this improves guest experiences and perception even further.
A compelling 86% of hoteliers say a PMS is the most important system for their daily operations, and 39% say improving operational efficiency is technology’s greatest value proposition (HotelTechReport). So if a PMS underpins a cycle of efficiency, positive interactions and operational success, what key features actually make this happen for a must-have all-in-one PMS?
1. Scalability
Your hotel is constantly growing and evolving. There’s no point investing in technology that won’t scale when you need it to. Look for a PMS that can grow easily with you.
2. Modular
Every hotel is unique, and you don’t want a rigid PMS that has irrelevant functionalities. A PMS such as SIHOT.PMS offers dozens of modules that you can pick and choose from, to meet your business needs. Bolt on a customer relationship management (CRM) system, self-guided check-in functionality, business insights, apps, and more.
3. Cloud
Managing data on the cloud is good for security, flexibility, remote management and cost control. Hotels can maintain a competitive advantage by using cloud services. McKinsey research even shows there’s $3 trillion worth of business at stake for companies that effectively use cloud technology, although only 20-30% of industries are currently using the cloud regularly and at scale. A cloud-based PMS will help your hotel thrive.
4. User-friendly
Colleagues from across your hotel will use the PMS, so it’s crucial to implement one that’s easy to use for all staff members. Look for a PMS that is logically designed and that has good reviews from other hotel users and provides full support with setup and training.
5. Support
If you’re serious about integrating a PMS for use across your hotel business, you’ll want to know you’ve got dedicated support behind you. Make sure your PMS provider has a knowledgeable customer support team. And since hotels operate 24/7, your PMS support team should be available any time of the day too.
6. Integration options
Hotels often have multiple pieces of technology to help them run, so you want a PMS that has good integration capabilities. Look for a PMS that integrates with the technology you already run, including channel managers, revenue management systems and point of sales systems.
7. Administration capabilities
A key purpose of your PMS is to reduce manual administrative tasks, so check the PMS you’re looking at will do this. Automated invoicing and payments, emails, and cancellation handling can all be done through the right PMS.
8. Business intelligence
A PMS enables the day-to-day running of your hotel, but it also has the potential to make deeper use of all the data it handles. Find a PMS that can give you insights into your business to help you make strategic decisions. This could range from statistics on the revenue made per available room, to progress on specific KPIs you’ve defined.
9. Apps
Every business needs an app these days, and hotels are no different. Don’t outsource this to yet another technology provider – find a PMS that can offer apps too. This includes apps for guests, and apps for staff to enable more efficient working.
10. Long-term potential
No-one wants to invest in new technology, roll it out, and train staff to use it – only to switch to a new system in a few years. Look for a PMS provider that has the potential for a long-term partnership. Scalability, multiple integration partners and positive customer testimonials are all key indicators of this.
SIHOT.PMS offers all of these capabilities and more. Contact us to find out why this could be the right property management system for your hotel.