ARAMARK Harrison Lodging Grows Conference Center
Niche Through Marketing, Services and
Strong Financial Reporting
.
Utilizes Best of Class Back Office Supplier
Aptech for Seven Conference Centers

.

October, 2004 - ARAMARK Harrison Lodging is a unique lodging management
company with over 50 properties in its portfolio that offers something
different than traditional convention hotel operation to owners. �AHL focuses on organizations committed to life long learning,� said Mike Fahner, vice president of sales and marketing at ARAMARK Harrison Lodging (AHL). �We partner with colleges and conference center owners to create services that enhance their offering.  Unlike a typical hotel where the world revolves around the use of a guest room, our activity centers on the meeting experience and creating high-performance learning environments.� 

Besides universities and colleges, ARAMARK Harrison Lodging�s portfolio is filled with corporate clients that maintain branded conference centers.  �In addition to offering facilities management services, sales expertise and front office operations management, we provide accounting services that are key to monitoring the success of AHL�s strategies at each property,� said Mike Fahner.  �We installed the Profitvue accounting system from Aptech Computer Systems in seven of our properties to bring those conference centers onto a uniform hospitality chart of accounts to evaluate side-by-side performance and profitability.  Aptech is part of a suite of best-of-class technology and services AHL offers to its clients.  During the Apollo space program one degree of error was enough to cause the mission to miss the moon; the reports Profitvue provides let us refine our approach so we view all levels of an operation in detail and can make mid-course corrections to hit our operational targets.�
 

The 100-room Chauncey Conference Center in Princeton, New Jersey, owned by ETS, came under ARAMARK Harrison Lodging management in June 2003.  The Chauncey Center, located on 370 acres of woods, streams and fields, is a perfect location for executive learning sessions.  �When AHL took over management of the Chauncey Conference Center the first thing it did was look for ways to grow the property�s business mix; they also replaced its legacy back-office accounting system platform,� said Scott Hammon, Chauncey Conference Center controller.  �Our old accounting system did not allow us to make corrections to past periods; we could not even 
Chauncey Conference Center
Princeton, New Jersey
reproduce past period statements.  When we assumed management we were forced to work off the archived financial hardcopies to create budgets, and it took us took seven days to close the month.�  ARAMARK Harrison installed a new front office system, and the Profitvue back-office at the Chauncey Center in July 2004 to standardize the property�s financials for better analysis.  The result was a streamlined accounting process that saved 2.5 man-days in the accounting office each month and eliminated rekeying of data from the front office system.

�We used to devote hours every month re-keying numbers from the PMS into a spreadsheet for financials and forecasting,� continued Hammon.  �With the new back-office system in place the person who used to do that data entry is spending her time managing the business center and providing better guest service at the front desk.�   Hammon also noted that the back-office system interfaces with the property�s new PMS and provides pre-configured financial reports that were flexible and ready to use as soon as the system is installed.  �Our month-end close is two days shorter, and it is a simple matter to provide the owners with past period financials without reverting to Excel.  Complex operations like adjusting financials and setting up accruals and sub-total lines are intuitive so we do not have to sit with the instruction book on our laps.�

Mike Fahner, AHL�s vice president of sales and marketing said, �The ARAMARK Harrison Lodging division within ARAMARK is moving from being like a big �small company,� to becoming like a small �big company.�  Our growth demands that AHL offer the best services and provide the most effective tools to our clients.  We use best technology solutions, like Profitvue accounting, to differentiate ourselves from other management companies.  This allows us to attract new business.  Financial reporting is how we keep score and Profitvue creates a common business language across each enterprise. � 

About ARAMARK Harrison Lodging

ARAMARK Harrison Lodging properties range from corporate, government and non-profit centers to hotels and inns affiliated with leading colleges and universities. Its portfolio includes more than 50 conference centers, corporate training centers and specialty hotels in educational environments in North America.  ARAMARK Harrison Lodging is part of ARAMARK's family of businesses. ARAMARK Corporation is a world leader in providing managed services to the business, education and healthcare markets. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 200,000 employees serving customers in 19 countries.  It was rated number one in the outsourcing services category and named one of �America�s Most Admired Companies" by Fortune magazine. Business Week honored ARAMARK�s CEO Joseph Neubauer as one of America�s ethical corporate leaders. 

About Aptech

Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., a leading provider of financial and operational software and services, is known for evolving technology offerings as the market dictates, a commitment that has earned the company 100% customer loyalty of its more than 700 users.   For 30 years Aptech has led the hospitality market in leveraging change by valuing human relationships and applying technology to solve business problems for people.  All of its applications are supported seven days a week, 24 hours each day by experienced hotel industry professionals.  For more information about Aptech and its products, please call (800) 245-0720 or email [email protected].


 
Contact:

ARAMARK Harrison Lodging
1101 Market Street, 12th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 800.422.MEET   (800) 422-6338
Email:  [email protected]
Website:  www.aramarkharrisonlodging.com

Aptech Computer Systems
135 Delta Drive 
Pittsburgh, PA 15238 
Sales: (800) 245-0720 or (412) 963-7440
Email:  [email protected]
Website:  www.aptech-inc.com


 
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