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its ability to accurately forecast restaurant and room service covers at one of the largest hotels on the US East Coast; hotel purchases subscription.  SAN
FRANCISCO, June, 5, 2006 � The Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, which
is owned by Oxford Lodging Advisory & Investment Group, LLC and was
the headquarters hotel for Super Bowl XXXIX, purchased a two-year subscription
to a hospitality forecasting software developed by Carnus Systems after
a successful trial period in which the �Carnus F&B Forecaster� yielded
accurate restaurant and room service cover and labor forecasts. Throughout
a demonstration, the software�s results exceeded human forecasting accuracy
while the software will help managers to reduce scheduling time from 3
� 5 hours down to a few minutes each week at the Hyatt�s Trellises Restaurant.
The Carnus Forecaster�s automated scheduling feature frees up hours of
valuable time each week allowing managers to spend more of their day exploring
new cost reduction or revenue enhancement opportunities for the hotel.
�We are impressed by the simplicity of the software and are encouraged by the initial results,� said Phil Tufano, General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. As one of the largest hotels on the US East Coast, with 966 luxury rooms, a built-in convention center, the largest ballroom in Jacksonville, and over 110,000 square feet of meeting space, the hotel experiences radical daily fluctuations in covers at the hotel�s Trellises Restaurant and Room Service department. �Developing staffing schedules is challenging since demand is affected by so many different variables.� said Dan Busillo, F&B Outlets Manager at the Hyatt. However, the Carnus Forecaster successfully calculated covers for each meal period despite the radical flux, enabling the hotel to staff more appropriately and improve service quality. The Carnus Forecaster is built on a platform that uses artificial intelligence to �learn� from its environment. By studying a hotel�s past records, the system determines how hundreds of different variables are linked in a complex labyrinth of influences that effect cover counts. By determining the underlying fundamental relationships at an implementation site, the software yields highly accurate daily and meal period cover and labor forecasts that may be tailored to suit the needs of the client. �Our patent-pending software is state-of-the-art; never before have hotels been able to see into the future with the level of precision that the Carnus Forecaster offers,� says Vicky Lee, CEO of Carnus Systems. The product�s �web-based� feature eliminates the need to purchase and install any hardware or software while and also allows managers to access their specific forecasting and staffing information from anywhere (i.e. home, work, or wherever internet access is available). �I believe Carnus Systems�s forecasting technology will soon become the standard in the industry. The automation and accuracy of this software has enabled our managers to spend more time each week exploring new revenue enhancement and cost containment opportunities and less time playing with numbers. �We have now been given a tool to help provide our customers with a more consistent and higher level of service while also minimizing unnecessary labor costs.� says Maxine Taylor, Senior VP of Asset Management of Oxford Lodging.
Following the exceptionally accurate forecasting results the Carnus Forecaster produced at Oxford Lodging�s Pan Pacific Hotel San Francisco in 2005, Oxford Lodging was eager to explore the implementation of the Carnus Forecaster at their other owned properties, reflecting the continued confidence that both owners and managers have in the effectiveness of the Carnus Forecaster. Currently Carnus Systems is working on a third implementation at an Oxford Lodging owned hotel. Carnus Systems can be viewed on the web at: http://www.carnussystems.com. |
