IT 118- Chapter 5

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Chapter 5Property Management

System Interfaces

Managing Technology in the Hospitality Industry

Sixth Edition

(468TXT or 468CIN)

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Competencies forProperty Management

System Interfaces1. Identify ways in which managers can minimize the

risks associated with interfacing various stand-alone systems with a hotel property management system.

2. Explain how a central reservation system interfaces with a hotel property management system.

3. Explain how a point-of-sale system interfaces with a hotel property management system.

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Competencies forProperty Management

System Interfaces

4. Describe the features and functions of a telephone call accounting system and discuss the advantages of interfacing call accounting systems with hotel property management systems.

5. Distinguish between hard-wired and micro-fitted electronic locking systems and identify electronic locking system features and reports.

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Competencies forProperty Management

System Interfaces

6. Identify the features and functions of an energy management system.

7. Identify and discuss examples of auxiliary guest services that can interface with a hotel property management system.

8. Describe guest-operated devices that may interface with a hotel property management system.

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Property Management Systems• Is a system application that gives

automated information about a facility and directly relates to the front and back office operations in the establishment

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Property Management Systems• This system connects and coordinates

several modules in the establishment• Reservations

• Rooms Management

• Guest Accounting

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What does Property Management Systems do?

• Tracking of Availability of rooms / facilities

• Tracking of guest information and reservation details

• Guest consulting

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What does Property Management Systems do?

• Registration and check in facilitation

• Guest Accounting services and balances

• Housekeeping room status and services monitoring

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Five C’s of Interfacing

• Confidence—test each system separately.

• Contracts—analyze existing provisions and look for any prohibitions.

• Communications—determine the “what, when, and how” of information exchange.

• Comparisons—contact users who succeeded with the same interface.

• Contingencies—develop procedures for downtime in case the interface stops working.

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Common PMS Interfaces

• Central reservation system

• Internet

• Sales and catering

• Point-of-sale

• Electronic payment processing

• Revenue management

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Common PMS Interfaces

• Back office accounting

• Call accounting

• Electronic locking systems

• Energy management

• Auxiliary guest service devices

• Self-service devices

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Common POS Terminal Locations

• Restaurants

• Bar and lounge areas

• Room service stations

• Concession areas

• Gift shops

• Pool and spa areas

• Pro shops

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POS to PMS Interfacing Questions• Will individual transactions or consolidated

transactions be transmitted?

• Will data be transmitted as it is collected or batched and sent at a later time?

• How much data will be stored in PMS files and how much will be retained by the POS system?

• How and when will settlement affect stored transaction data?

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POS to PMS Interfacing Questions

• What audit procedures will be followed to ensure proper posting and monitoring of transactions?

• Will data be carried forward indefinitely?

• What contingency plans will be executed should an interface failure occur?

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CAS Functions

• Call placement or automatic identification of outward dialing (AIOD)

• Call distribution or automatic route selection (ARDS)

• Least-cost routing (LCR)

• Call rating program (CRP)

• Call record

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Call Record Elements

• Date

• Guestroom extension number

• Telephone number dialed

• Time call was placed

• Duration of call

• Cost of call

• Tax and markup charges

• Amounts posted to guest folio

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CAS/PMS Interface Advantages

• Enhanced services and guest satisfaction

• Improved communications networking

• Improved call pricing methods

• Minimized telephone traffic expenses

• Automatic charge posting to guest folios

• Automatic call detail records

• Detailed daily reports of telephone transactions

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Electronic Locking System

• Replacing traditional brass keys and mechanical locks with sophisticated guestroom access devices.

• May or may not require major re-construction.

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Electronic Locking SystemsHard-wired locking systems

• Operates through a centralized master code console

• This console controls all doors cabled to master console

• All doors are connected through the master console.

• A front desk clerk follows a prescribed check-in procedure and creates a new key card. The console transmits the key card code to the assigned remote guestroom door lock.

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Electronic Locking System

Micro-fitted locking systems

• Locks configured as individual stand-alone units

• Each door has a microprocessor

• Terminal at front desk encodes keycards

• System relies on predetermined sequence of codes

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ELS Features• May produce various levels of master keys. Several

distinct levels of security.

• Some ELS can provide a “do not disturb” option.

• Auto scrambling/ destruction of the predetermined code should the key card be inserted for long period of time.

• Card less keys that use a numeric code and biometrics

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Energy Management Systems

• An automated system designed to manage the operation of mechanical equipment in a lodging property.

• Allows properties to determine when to turn on, off or regulate the equipment’s power needs.

• When integrated into the PMS, it can send messages to the PMS to change the guest room electricity requirements when a room is booked.

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Energy Management Systems

• Can conserve energy, contain energy costs and tighten operational controls over guestrooms and private spaces environments.

• Can be a stand-alone application or a central feature of the rooms management module of a PMS.

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EMS Controls

• Demand control

• Duty cycling

• Room occupancy sensors

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Auxiliary Guest Services

• Automated wake-up calls

• Message-waiting systems

• Voice messaging systems

• Voice mailboxes

• Voice over Internet Protocol

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Guest-Operated Devices

• Self-check-in/self-check-out systems

• In-room entertainment systems

• In-room vending systems

• Guest information services