NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 27, 2001) -- Stanfield Hospitality Consultants
LLC (SHC), a Nashville-based international virtual consulting firm, has
developed another one-of-a-kind technology review process for the travel
industry and its technology suppliers aimed at maximizing long- and short-term
profitability.
The Strategic Technologist Review (FAQ's) features
an intensive, high-level evaluation of application technology by a three-member
team of credentialed industry veterans and SHC support consultants and
staff. Highlights of the review are evaluating a company�s technology
processes for efficiency and profitability.
�As far as we know, this is the first
service of its kind in the travel industry. The primary reason for
development of this service is that every business I have ever worked with
can certainly benefit from an �outside audit,� said Rick Stanfield, CHA,
president and chief executive officer of Stanfield Hospitality.
Three strategic technologists, Richard Brooks, CHA, Bill Sullivan and
Rick Stanfield, CHA have all proven themselves as senior operational and |
Rick Stanfield, CHA
President and CEO
Stanfield Hospitality
|
corporate executives in the Travel Industry. With a combined 80 years
of experience in travel industry operations and a proven record of technology
innovation, each will be involved in the reviews. The balance of
SHC�s staff and advisors have almost two centuries of combined experience
in specialized areas such as technology, sales and marketing, operations
and technology client sales.
Stanfield added that a Strategic Technologist Review begins with a site
visit by SHC to review the client�s current technology and affected processes.
The SHC team will gather information from the client in areas such as technology
application enhancements, staffing, training, interfaces, marketing,
sales, development of new technologies and the purchase or sale of available
technologies.
Each client, travel industry operator or technology provider will receive
a customized proposal based on his or her individual needs, timelines and
a suggested fee schedule. This includes various options to assist
in
meeting any client�s budget restrictions.
�While selecting a company to be our first client using this new service,
we looked for one with a proven track record in technology products and
sales. I am delighted INNCOM International will be that company as
they have proven themselves for over 15 years under the same senior management.
I have
worked with INNCOM and Duane Buckingham, President and CEO on several
projects over the years, including putting on-line, from concept to installation,
a 2,900 room centralized locking/energy-management system� said Stanfield.
A 30-year hospitality veteran, Stanfield was senior vice president
of the Opryland Lodging Group, helping grow the Opryland Hotel from a little
known 600-room hotel in a third-tier city to what was recognized and respected
as one of the largest and finest convention hotels in the world during
his 20-year tenure with Opryland.
Stanfield became well known for his innovative approaches that frequently
bring staff, operating processes and technology together resulting in a
far more efficient and profitable way of doing business.
He was the first in the industry to do away with credit card vouchers,
registration cards and implemented single-swipe check-in during 1980�s.
His profit driven, yet people oriented, management style was recognized
by his peers and has been the only person ever to be awarded the state
industry�s three highest honors (Tennessee Motel & Motel Association,
Tennessee Hospitality Council and Tennessee Tourism Roundtable).
Projects presently in negotiation, development or implementation include
establishing branch offices in China (P.R.C.), developing a sponsorship
and technology acquirement process for a multi-faceted, $USD 2.3 billion
project in Poland and bringing a revolutionary and global technology process
to market (patent pending).
Heading the SHC Board of Advisors is Jack Vaughn, CHA, a veteran hotelier
who led the world famous Opryland Hotel from the ground up into a 2,884-room
award-winning convention center. Other members are Richard M. Brooks
CHA, vice president service delivery systems for MeriStar Hotels &
Resorts; Mike Dimond CHSE, president of Dimond Marketing Group; Roger Herman
CSP/CMC, president of The Herman Group; Manfred Moritz CFBE, former senior
vice president of food and beverage for Opryland Lodging Group; Bill Sullivan,
general manager for the Dupont Country Club in Wilmington, Del. and Bob
Coyne, an independent technology consultant and member of the American
Hotel & Lodging Association�s HITIS Central Reservations Systems Technology
Committee.
For more information about Stanfield Hospitality Consultants LLC, call
(615) 826-8022, send an e-mail message to [email protected],
or check out the company�s web site at http://www.stanfieldconsultants.com
Stanfield Hospitality Consultants, LLC is a member of the Institute
of Management Consultants (IMC). IMC is the only professional organization
recognized as a member of the International Council of Management Consulting
Institutes (ICMCI), a global team with member institutes in 21 countries
worldwide. Membership in IMC is a recognized hallmark of competence,
knowledge and professionalism. Members annually pledge to uphold
a strict Code of Ethics enforced by the Institute.
Strategic Technologist
Review
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who are you?
Stanfield Hospitality Consultants, LLC (SHC) is a Nashville-based international
virtual consulting firm founded in 1999 by Rick Stanfield, CHA. A
30-year hospitality veteran, Stanfield was senior vice president of the
Opryland Lodging Group, helping grow the Opryland Hotel from a little known
600-room hotel in a third-tier city to what was recognized and respected
as one of the largest and finest convention hotels in the world during
his 20-year tenure with Opryland.
Stanfield became well known for his innovative approaches that frequently
bring staff, operating processes and technology together resulting in a
far more efficient and profitable way of doing business. He was the
first in the industry to do away with credit card vouchers, registration
cards and implemented single-swipe check-in during the mid 1980�s.
His profit driven, yet people oriented, management style was recognized
by his peers and has been the only person ever to be awarded the state
industry�s three highest honors (Tennessee Motel & Motel Association,
Tennessee Hospitality Council (founding President) and Tennessee Tourism
Roundtable.) |
2. What is a � virtual consulting firm�?
We have brought together a �small� full-time staff to work with our
board of advisors, all of whom provide advice to our company. Some
members of the board have full-time jobs while others are semi retired.
Some have their own consulting practices and do consulting as part of a
team of consultations or are recommended if needed by SHC to our clients
when a team approach is not required. Overhead is kept down by not
carrying full-time consultants on staff, who have to be paid whether they
have an active client or not. Being setup as a �virtual� firm allows
us to stay �connected� with staff and advisors living in the Nashville
area or around the world by the use of technology. |
3. Who are the individuals on your Board of
Advisors?
Heading the SHC Board of Advisors is Jack Vaughn
(CHA), a veteran hotelier who led the world famous Opryland
Hotel from the ground up into a 2,884-room award-winning convention center.
Richard M. Brooks (CHA), vice president
service delivery systems for MeriStar Hotels & Resorts and a strategic
technologist. Mr. Brooks is responsible for brand standards and best
practices for all MeriStar properties. Prior to joining
MeriStar, Brooks served as vice president, operations for Bridgestreet
Accommodations; vice president, Hospitality Systems for Fidelity Investments
and 13-years with Stouffer Hotels and Resorts and Renaissance Hotels International.
While at Stouffers, Brooks was vice president of rooms� management and
established company-wide technology standards. Brooks has also held
positions with the Boca Raton Resort and Club and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts.
He was inducted into the International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame
in 1997.
Mike Dimond (CHSE), president of
Dimond Marketing Group, based in Nashville, Tennessee. DMG provides consulting
services nationwide, specializing in hotels/resorts, attractions and travel-related
industries. Mr. Dimond is widely recognized as one of the top travel
industry executives in the nation. Dimond has over 35 years of hospitality
industry experience and served as Gaylord Entertainment's senior vice president
from 1975-97 at their Opryland Hotel. In addition, Mr. Dimond has held
senior management positions at The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs; Saddlebrook
Resort, Tampa, Florida; the Boca Raton Hotel and Club; and Caesar's Palace
in Las Vegas. Active in numerous professional organizations in the leisure
and hospitality industries, Dimond currently is on the board of the 20,000-member
American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Trust Foundation and
the Tourism Works for America Council.
Roger Herman (CSP/CMC), president
of The Herman Group, a management-consulting firm based in Greensboro,
North Carolina. Mr. Herman has over two decades of experience working
with managers and leaders in a wide range of client organizations.
Herman serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute of Management
Consultants, the national association of consultants, where he leads the
group's professional development program. Herman is a sought-after
presenter for conventions and corporate meetings.
Manfred Moritz (CFBE), is a 44-year
hospitality industry veteran. Mr. Moritz retired as senior vice president
of food and beverage for Opryland Lodging Group after 22 years. During
his Opryland tenure, in 1985, Moritz established the Opryland Culinary
Institute, a three-year culinary apprenticeship program that was awarded
"Best Culinary Apprenticeship Program in the US" by the American Culinary
Federation in 1995. Presently, he is co-owner and operator of the
1,800 seat on-premise catering venue, The Old Fashioned Smiley Hollow Hayride
and Barndance Co. located in Ridgetop, Tennessee. Moritz has a record
of developing and implementing successful new operations, as well as restructuring
struggling operations; an in-depth background in all areas of operational
planning and implementation of sales/marketing programs; strengths in team
building and employee relations, food, beverage and retail analysis, food
quality and presentation..
Bill Sullivan, general manager for
the Dupont Country Club in Wilmington, Del. and a strategic technologist.
Mr. Sullivan has been with the DuPont Company for 27 years primarily in
their hospitality operations. Sullivan is a part-time professor in
the Hospitality Management programs at the University of Delaware (Newark,
Delaware) and Widener University (Chester, PA) and teaches the Hospitality
Technology courses. He is nationally regarded for his expertise in
hospitality systems design and operations. Sullivan is a member of
the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) and has served
on the HITEC Advisory Board since 1990. Sullivan is a frequent conference
speaker and has publication credits in numerous industry publications.
Sullivan specializes in technology strategic planning, hospitality operations
and the integration of technology for businesses to improve bottom line
and service performance.
Bob Coyne, an independent technology
consultant and a member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association's
HITIS Central Reservations Systems Technology Committee. Mr. Coyne
has over 30 years' experience in marketing, sales, requirements definition,
implementation planning, product evaluation and management of automated
systems. During the last 25 years Coyne has specialized in
technology for the hospitality industry. Coyne was a vice president
at Chervenak, Keane & Company (CKC) and a Principal with both CynterCon
Group and Eager Technology. Coyne is a frequent speaker on
hotel information processing at hotel schools and at American and European
hotel conferences. |
4. What type of assignments can you be engaged
for?
Projects presently in negotiations, development or implementation include
establishing branch offices in China (P.R.C.), developing a sponsorship
and technology acquirement process for a multi-faceted, $USD 2.3 billion
project in Poland and bringing a revolutionary and global technology process
to market (patent pending). We have a partnership with a company
that has a patented process we believe finally addresses the issue of being
able to listen to customers who usually don�t complain about service, they
just don�t use it again. |
5. What is a �Strategic Technologist�?
The technical definition of a Strategic Technologist is an individual
of great importance within an integrated whole or to a planned effect (hospitality
industry, its suppliers) and skilled in technology.
SHC has interpreted this definition to mean that a �Travel Industry
Strategic Technologist� is one with a proven track record in travel industry
operations and has successfully used technology in creative ways to further
the profitability of their company(s). SHC has three Strategic Technologist
on staff or on its Board of Advisors with combined experience as hoteliers
of over 80 years. Other staff and board members have areas of expertise
in hospitality technology, sales & marketing, operations, vendor sales
and a number of others. |
6. What is your service called �Strategic
Technologist Review?�
It is a review process for the travel industry and its technology suppliers
aimed at improving their long- and short-term profitability. The
Strategic Technologist Review features an intensive, high-level evaluation
of application technology by a three-member team of credentialed industry
veterans (strategic technologists) and SHC support consultants and staff.
All three strategic technologists, Richard Brooks, CHA, Bill Sullivan
and Rick Stanfield, CHA have proven themselves as senior operational and
corporate executives in the Travel Industry. With a combined 80 years
of experience in travel industry operations and a proven record of technology
innovation, each will be involved in the reviews. The balance of
SHC�s staff and advisors have almost two centuries of combined experience
in specialized areas such as technology, sales and marketing, operations
and technology client sales and will be used when appropriate for their
areas of expertise. From time to time, we engage other professionals,
including consultants, to work with our team as required. |
7. What types of firms can benefit from engaging
SHC?
Virtually all Travel Industry and Vendors to the Travel Industry can
benefit. Although this specific program focuses on technology, our
three strategic technologists have always been in operations, not MIS.
With the access we have through our staff and advisors to a broad range
of consultants and professionals, we can find the right consultant(s) for
the client. SHC may or may not be involved after the review depending
on what is in the client�s best interest. |
8. How does the program work?
-
Once SHC is in contact with a potential client, we will forward a questionnaire
to them that will provide a base of information for us to work from.
(There is no fee)
-
Date(s) will be agreed on for a site visit from SHC. This will typically
be for one or two days where additional information will be gathered through
interviews with staff, management and observation. There will be
no recommendations at this point. (Fee for expenses only)
-
A proposal will be formulated for the client including, which options SHC
believes would be in their best interest. Each client, travel
industry operator or technology provider will receive a customized proposal
based on his or her individual needs, timelines and a proposed fee schedule.
This includes various options to assist in meeting any client�s budget
restrictions.
-
If the proposal is accepted by the client a technologist or strategic technologist
will establish with the customer another set of date(s) to visit
the clients place of business if it is needed for further information gathering
and in-depth interviews with management and staff. Typical areas
to be discussed will be technology application enhancements, staffing,
training, interfaces, marketing, sales, development of new technologies
and the purchase or sale of available technologies. (Varies by the
client)
-
Our findings will be discussed in depth by our three strategic technologists
and other staff and advisors as required. Typically there will be
more questions that can be handled by phone, email or instant messaging.
If the client contact is set up for �netmeeting,� we can discuss documents,
questions and other information �live.�
-
A report with recommendations will be delivered and discussed at the client�s
place of business.
-
The first set of recommendations will be formatted as a three-year technology
plan. Included in our fee structure are annual visits for the second
and third year. We will review our original recommendations for upgrading
or modifying as technology and the clients needs change.
Options
-
Conduct the entire process using various technology communication methods
vs. site visits with follow-up. (Not recommended for the initial
site visit)
-
No annual follow-up visits
-
Follow-up visits every 6 months instead of annually for three years
-
Expand this high-level review into an in-depth evaluation bringing in other
consultants as required
-
Develop and track some recommendations on a prearranged, partial, �revenue
sharing� basis.
|
9. Why is Stanfield Hospitality Consultants,
LLC different from other firms we might engage?
-
SHC has a very basic, yet unique view, on issues that it addresses.
The company was formed on the belief that in most cases the whole should
be more valuable than the sum of the parts. Therefore, if a company
owns two technologies there is a way to make the investment more valuable.
The question is whether the technology requirements to accomplish this
are cost effective to positively impact the bottom line or not.
-
Our entire group questions conventional wisdom, trying to bring common
sense and logic back to the decision-making process. Therefore, our
reports contain recommendations with justification, not a lot of
�fluff� to validate our fees.
-
By being �outsiders,� we have no axes to grind and, comparatively speaking,
no preconceived notions. We bring a unique view to our clients not
a canned, fill-in-the-blank process.
-
By being primarily a �virtual� consulting company, we can bring to our
clients some of the best minds in the industry without having a number
of different �specialists� on staff who�s salary have to be paid whether
they have an active client or not. It also allows us to keep overhead
down, a factor that many clients don�t take into account when given a quote
from consultants.
-
Our recommendations are projected for implementation over a 3-year time
frame with reviews at regular intervals.
-
Technology providers can be included in our brochure and website as having
been reviewed by SHC. Their reports will be made available to their potential
customers if so desired.
-
The primary evaluations will be performed by individuals who are from the
operational side of the industry and therefore, will be able to assist
both vendor and operators to understand the other facilitating the entire
process for both.
|
|