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Traps for the unwary as they go about buying or upgrading their automated systems June 2000 / Reprinted from the Summer 2000 Issue of
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by - Jon Inge. Jon is a featured writer of Hospitality Upgrade Magazine.
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�We need to get a new system.�
These words can strike both joy and terror into our hearts. As many a tool-oriented person will tell you, the best part of getting any new tool is in the buying. The anticipation, the thoughts of new capabilities, the looking through the catalogs and thinking of the nirvana to come when it arrives� But soon as you get it home and put it to work, the real challenges begin. And somehow, the reality of the new tool never quite lives up to your hopes and expectations, or the project you bought it for never seems to work out quite as you�d hoped. Hotel systems are just the same. We start out with the best of intentions, but Murphy�s Law is irrevocable. Sometimes things go wrong in the outside world; vendors are occasionally a bit optimistic about the capabilities of their systems, and support can often be a trial. But sometimes we just trip ourselves up all on our own and fall headlong down the road to hell. This article explores some of the more common traps we set for ourselves. The Purchase and Advance Planning These belong together, since you have to plan for all the implications of what you�re buying - the impact on other systems, the hotel infrastructure, the length of preparation and training time, etc. - before you can come up with a total budget. According to my Murphy�s Law desk calendar, Blair�s Observation somewhat cynically says that, �The best laid plans of mice and men are usually about equal.� The difference is that men (and women) can track progress against the plan, and make corrections if things go off course. But you have to have a plan to start with, one that covers what you want to achieve but that also allows for the possibility that some things might go wrong. Let�s look at some of the more common problem areas. Lack of Executive Support
Remember Murphy�s Seventh Corollary: �Every solution breeds new problems.� What are the wider implications of improving things in one area? Is this just transferring a problem somewhere else, or is it truly part of a property-wide strategic plan with known and agreed implementation phases? Being Enticed by the Wrong System
Sound obvious? Sadly, it�s not. Quite often properties are drawn to systems for other reasons, such as a powerful report generator or an attractive user interface. These things are definitely important, but only to differentiate systems that already address your core requirements. Apart from the application�s inherent functionality, it must also fit in well with your existing systems. Data exchange continues to increase in importantance, and the lack of essential interfaces can truly hamper productivity. The vendor may offer an interface to your central reservations system, for example, but is it truly a two-way link, and are the data fields being transferred the ones you need and expect? Every property has its own technology comfort zone, too. If you want a Windows - based system, are you prepared to commit to the more powerful hardware it needs, or the extra maintenance and support required to keep it running smoothly? If the system you�re favoring is missing a few features that the vendor agrees to develop for you, are you comfortable being a beta site, knowing that the additions may not be ready on the date promised, and that nothing ever goes in the first time without problems? There�s often an operational advantage by going with the latest technology, but it takes real commitment and awareness of the risks to follow that road successfully. Bad Timing
While it�s tempting to get the new software in as soon as possible to take advantage of its features, it pays to be patient. Allow enough time for a proper evaluation of systems and vendors, for a thorough review and negotiation of the contract, and for agreeing on realistic implementation and support plans. Too Small A Budget
Picking an Incompatible Vendor
It�s always a good idea to look for a variety of solutions from a variety of vendors: some large nationals, others more local but perhaps more innovative. No one vendor has a lock on originality or the one system that suits every property. Not Checking References
One caveat on making reference checks is to remember that every property is different. Every one will use the product in a slightly different way, and every one will have approached the system with different expectations about what it will do for them. Don�t take their comments, positive or negative, at face value; think about their context, decide how similar their situation is to yours and weigh them accordingly. But do make the calls. Inadequate Budget
Some of these are easy to overlook when pulling a budget together; others may seem overspecified by the vendor, and it can be tempting to ignore them or go for a cheaper alternative. They include:
Too Narrow a Focus
Cutting Back on Training
There�s a lot going on during a system cutover, especially for a new hotel opening. The staff has many other things to do apart from learning a new system, and it�s pointless to try to teach them everything in too short a timescale. They won�t have the time to focus on it all, and retention will be minimal, especially for the less-used functions. It�s much more effective to schedule enough sessions pre-cutover to ensure a thorough grounding in the principal functions, and follow that up with refresher training a few months later to review the basics and move them on to the more detailed areas. And also don�t forget to budget for annual refresher training. With the normal rates of staff turnover, and the fact that people only pass on half of what they were taught, these annual sessions will make sure that you get the most productive use out of your investment in systems and people. Implementation Issues Murphy�s Law of Thermodynamics says that, �Things get worse under pressure,� and there are few more high-pressure situations than cutting over to a new computer system on a deadline. Once again, advance planning is the key to keeping things under control - relatively speaking, of course. Somehow things do occasionally manage to go wrong; for instance: Poor Communication
Inadequate Infrastructure Preparation
Insufficient Data Preparation
Take the time to review the operation and identify any operational changes that would help you maximize the power and capabilities of the new system. Especially, identifying and organizing the necessary codes you�ll be using ahead of time pays huge dividends. There are plenty of them: market segment/origin codes, room types, housekeeping cleaning sequence, transaction codes, POS menus, meeting room descriptions, inventory stock classifications, engineering maintenance intervals and suppliers, security levels for various groups of users, and many, many more. You will have issues to face on how to move your operation onto the new system; take the time to prepare for it thoroughly. Unexpected Training Needs
Uncoordinated Interface Implementation
Unclear Acceptance Procedures
Oh, and don�t forget to call the vendor�s Help Desk before the installation crew leaves the property; it�s nice to verify that they�ve heard of you before you need them. On-Going Operational Issues Once the system�s operational, we can still shoot ourselves in the foot and make running it more difficult and less productive than it has to be. Basically, it�s not that hard; it just means keeping on top of things in an orderly way. Some examples of what not to do: No Follow Up
Letting Training Slide
Inadequate On-Site Support
There are also monthly anti-virus updates to load, daily back-ups to run, general network admin (adding new users, deleting those who�ve left, administering e-mail, monitoring firewalls) and occasional software updates to load, and much more. Yes, you can outsource many of these functions, but you�ll still need designated people in each major department to be aware of and coordinate all system issues. Overall, those properties that keep a basic level of technical competence in house will have fewer problems, and recover from them more quickly, than those who rely on the outside world. In General Over-Optimistic Expectations: This is really a catch-all for most of the above situations, and covers expectations about both systems functionality and the smoothness of the implementation process. It�s human nature to wish for things to go perfectly, for the system to do all that you�d really like it to in just the way you�ve imagined, and for the implementation to go 100 percent smoothly. We want it to be the right answer, so that we can move forward with all the operational changes we�ve planned. But in reality we tend to interpret system descriptions, demonstrations and vendor responses to our questions all in the context of our own wish-fulfillment, and to fill in any gaps in the best possible light for our situation. And it never quite works out that way. We may have great plans for all the statistical analysis we can do with the new system, and then find out that it doesn�t capture all the data elements we�d expected. We may look for perfect integration with existing systems, and discover that there are some incompatibilities between the databases. Menu analysis may indeed be possible with our new POS/inventory system, but only with more manual data entry and management than we really have time for. We may think that the implementation process is well planned, and then discover that one or more of the parties hadn�t really understood their roles or responsibilities. The truth is that no system is ever finished. There are always capabilities that could be improved or added, because human ingenuity will always want to do more, or do it better. You might think it�s obvious that a system that can do X and Y and should also be able to do Z, but that doesn�t mean it�ll be in the system. The vendor may not have added it just yet, or may not even not have thought of it. And there will always be misunderstandings between people on who�s supposed to do what, when and in conjunction with whom. The best we can do is plan for what we want as thoroughly as we can, expect there to be changes and a need to compromise, and communicate with each other constantly to stay aware of reality. Final Thoughts Trying to stretch out your systems investment by postponing hardware replacement unreasonably is another false economy. Three years is a typical life expectancy for PCs, and even then they�ll probably require a memory upgrade along the way. Beyond that point they break down more often (usually without warning) and are harder to fix, leading to increasingly frustrating - and expensive - interruptions to work. They�ll encounter more frequent incompatibilities with new office software, which is often bought for specific needs (or arrives pre-loaded on PCs acquired for new hires) and always seems to need faster PCs or more memory. Keeping current is an investment in productivity and efficient operations, not a waste of money. And finally - Politics. Many implementation programs bog down or lose their way for reasons that have nothing to do with technology. Turf wars between departments can spell doom for any project, denying staff the tools they need to do their work properly, but somehow it�s always the system or the vendor that gets the blame. Make sure everyone involved has truly bought off on the need for and benefits of the new system, and that your staff is not its own worst enemy. There�s undeniably a great deal to think about and watch out for if you want to avoid the traps and pitfalls. If all this planning, effort and constant focus seems like a lot of hard work - it is. But keep in mind Murphy�s Paradox: �Doing it the hard way is always easier.� Jon Inge is an independent consultant specializing in property-level technology. He can be reached at [email protected] or at (206) 546-0966. |
Geneva Rinehart Associate Editor Hospitality Upgrade magazine and the Hospitality Upgrade.com website http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com [email protected] |
Also See | Revenue Management Systems �Must-Have� or Luxury? / Jon Inge / Nov 1998 |
Confused about Hotel Property Management Systems? / Jon Inge / Summer 1999 |