CHAPTER 2 – Introduction to Business Technology

INTRODUCTION
Businesses, regardless of sector, are living, breathing and operating in an environment where
information technology is changing the landscape around them, transitioning from the back room of an
organization into the hands of customers, employees and society. There is a continual shift towards a
service economy, with services ever more tailored and personalized for the customer.

As technology has advanced over the last 10 years, a number of phenomena have emerged that, when
combined, have rapidly and radically transformed the ability of businesses to construct customer
services and products. Most importantly, the speed at which innovation and incremental improvement
can occur has also increased.

What is business technology?

Business technology is a strategy for organizing and coordinating technology management across the
entire enterprise. It is a set of management practices, tools, organizational structures and technology
governance designed to ensure that the use of technology is optimized across the enterprise with the
overarching aim of satisfying customer needs and expectations. Most businesses understand that they
need to challenge not only their competitors but also themselves in order to constantly improve their
customers view and their ability to meet market demand.

When information technology was introduced to businesses over 30 years ago, it was such a specialized
topic that organizations created new departments with the remit and responsibility for managing it. This
resulted in the birth of the IT department, which was seen by many as a pure support function and
separate from the business.

.
Lesson 1. Business Management Tools and its examples

Business Management Tools are all the systems, application, controls, and calculating solutions,
methodologies used by organizations to be able to cope with changing markets, ensure a competitive
position in them and approve business performance.

These are used to lessen the workloads of an individual especially in travel and tourism industry.

Business Tools Example

1. Accounting and Legal YouNeedABudget.com
- Personal budget and finance software for individuals, couples
and small businesses.
- Track your income, expenses, debt
2. Calendar Management ScheduleOnce
- Free online appointment scheduling tool
- Syncs with Google calendar
3. Communication and Skype
Meetings - Free voice and video calls
4. Content Creation PicMonkey
- Free online editing tool, very easy to use and helps make fun,
shareable graphics for blog posts and social media
5. Customer Relation Infusionsoft
 Management - Helps business automate their marketing processes, manage
emails, organize their efforts, and sell online
6. Ecommerce and Payments Gumroad
- Shopping cart software for digital products
- Promotes high-converting check-out processes and the
software can automate delivery of digital goods and support
pay-what-you-want pricing
7. Education Google
- Leading search engine
- - online resource used more than anything else
8. Email MailGenius
- Free email spam testing tool
- Inspects your email and finds possible trggers that might get
your message sent to the spam folder
9. Entertainment Spotify
- 20 million songs on demand
- Free streaming music player app for computers, tablets and
smart phones
10. File sharing and Google drive
Storage - Web-based software and file sharing
- Cloud-based file storage system, and it integrates seamlessly
with the file sharing and collaboration tools inside google docs
11. Health and Wellness Gratitude Journal
- Improve your happiness
12. Marketing Moz
- Suite of online marketing tools and content
- Offers an array of products, services and content for the online
marketing professional
13. Networking Meetup
- Local events matching your interests
14. News Flipboard
- Curate news app
15. Outsourcing Fiverr
- Marketplace for goods and services starting at $5
16. Productivity Evernote
- Free cross-device note-taking app
- Sync notes and files in the cloud
17. Social Media LinkedIn
- Professional social network
18. Team and Project Asana
Management - Teamwork without email
- Web-based project management system
19. Travel Airbnb
- Peer to peer lodging network
20. Websites, Blogs and Entrepreneur on Fire
Podcasts - Your daily dose of inspiration
 Lesson 2: Software Packages

21. Word processing

Software Application: Microsoft Word, Google Docs

The business world hasn’t yet evolved to a completely paperless office, but
most work is now done digitally, thanks to word processing programs. For
any businesses holding out on the digital age, it’s easy to unshackle
yourself from old methods of work and achieve those professional goals
faster than ever before.

Multimedia files, such as digital imagery and video, have become

increasingly popular in today's business world, but the written word
remains as important as ever. Just think about the nature of the
documents being produced and circulated within any organization.

2.2 Spreadsheet

Software Application: Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets

A spreadsheet package is a general purpose computer package that is

designed to perform calculations. A spreadsheet is a table which is
divided.

There are number of reasons why the use of spreadsheets in business

organizations is important. From sales quotes and invoices to cost analysis
and return on investment figures, spreadsheets are invaluable for
calculating data.

2.3 Accounting Packages

Software Application: FreshBooks, QuickBooks

A set of special routines that allow collection of information about

the usage level of various components of a computer system by each
production program.
Accounting software is a class of computer programs that enable you
to manage your business’s financial transactions.

2.4 Database Packages

Software Application: Microsoft Access, MySQL

A database is an organized collection of data, generally stored and accessed

electronically from a computer system. Where databases are more complex
they are often developed using formal design and modeling techniques.
The database management system (DBMS) is the software that interacts with end users, applications,
and the database itself to capture and analyze the data. The DBMS software additionally encompasses
the core facilities provided to administer the database. The sum total of the database, the DBMS and the
associated applications can be referred to as a "database system". Often the term "database" is also
used to loosely refer to any of the DBMS, the database system or an application
associated with the database.

2.5 Presentation packages

Software Application: Microsoft PowerPoint, Google slides

These are software package suites that contain program

designed to accompany the speaker when he makes a
presentation. It is always in form of a slide show.
The visual impact of that an effective slideshow
presentation provides is beneficial in many ways especially
in handling business and tourism operation.

2.6 Internet browsers

Software Application: Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox

A web browser is not the same thing as a search engine, though

the two are often confused. For a user, a search engine is just a
website that provides links to other websites. However, to
connect to a website's server and display its web pages, a user
must have a web browser installed. The purpose of a web browser
is to fetch information resources from the Web and display them
on a user's device. This process begins when the user inputs a
Uniform Resource Locator (URL), such as
https://en.wikipedia.org/, into the browser. Virtually all URLs on
the Web start with either http: or https: which means the browser will retrieve them with the Hypertext
Transfer Protocol (HTTP). In the case of https:, the communication between the browser and the web
server is encrypted for the purposes of security and privacy.

Lesson 3: Work Task

3.1 Processing reservations

1.Identification of the sources of business:

The hotel normally identifies two major sources of business: Free Independent Travelers (FIT) and
Associated Travelers (Groups). The FIT component is simply a non-group affiliate seeking overnight
accommodations. Regardless of whether a request is made by an individual, a family or a collection of
friends, a request may still be termed as FIT reservation if it meets certain qualifications. When meeting
groups, convention groups, and the like are seeking guest room space in the hotel, these types of
requests are referred to as group reservations. The groups are differentiated from the FIT reservations
based on:
1.) Whether a group coordinator is involved
2.) Whether the group will pick up some or all of its member’s charges
3.) Whether special room rates, services and/or room types apply.

Group reservations typically require that a block of rooms (allocation) be initially reserved for the group
with a specific rooming list following at a later date. It should be noted that if a group does not have all
of its blocked rooms booked by a reasonable date, most hotels will release the uncommitted rooms
from the group’s block. FIT reservations; however usually allow for both blocking and booking to take
place simultaneously. Regardless of its source of business, a reservation request begins the hotel’s
reservation process read more about different source of reservation.

2. Communication with the Hotel:

There are numerous ways a hotel can learn about the guest’s request for available space. The potential
guest can connect with the hotel via a telephone, email, online, Social Media, other devices or referral
systems may all become important, communication links between the sources of business and the hotel
property. It is important that the potential customer be aware of how to contact the hotel in order for
lodging management to maximize guest room sales. A property receives reservation inquiries in a
variety of ways. The reservation request may be made in person, over a telephone, in a mail, via
facsimile or telex, though the internet or online, social media, mobile apps, instant messaging systems
(Whatsapp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger) through a central reservation system, global distribution
system or through an inter sell agency.

3. Formulation of the reservation request:

Once a hotel is contacted by a guest about reserving space its staff must intelligently formulate the
reservation request and complete a reservation record. The reservation record is the permanent file
form used to store all the information pertinent to a specific reservation or in current era creating a
computerized reservation record in the hotel management software or PMS. In formulating the
reservation request, the three most important factors are:
a) the expected date of arrival and departure
b) the desired room type
c) the number of rooms needed
Using this information the hotel staff can search the room availability file via the designated arrival date.
If the date is not closed the reservation agent proceeds by checking room type and the number of rooms
available. Along with this preliminary data, a reservation record will usually be judged complete when it
includes the following information:

 Guest’s Profile Data.  Rate quoted / Rate Code.

 Guest’s group/company affiliation.  Date reservation received
 Arrival and departure date and time.  Reservation Status.
 The number of nights.  Billing Instruction
 Number of Pax.  Pickup Details.
 Room type requested.  Any other Details or special remarks.
 The number of rooms required.  Source Code
 Type of bed.  Market Code
4. Reservation Acceptance:

A reservation can either be accepted or denied or turned away based on the availability of rooms in
the day(s) in question. An acceptance would lead the receptionist into the confirmation phase, while a
denial or turn away could cause a series of other options to be exercised like for example recording
the turn away reason etc..

5. Confirmation notification:

The acceptance of the reservation is followed by a notification confirming that the transaction was
successful.

3.2 Undertaking stock takes

Inventory or stocktaking is a process of calculating the amount of stock you have (including food, drink,
equipment, etc.) and turning it into a report. Your report tells you the quantity of stock you have, the
value of it, and lets you compare it against your previous inventories. There are many businesses out
there that only do a stock take once a year. Maybe the levels of stock they have don’t change much or
they think the job requires too many work hours. Using stocktaking software, however, can speed the
process up and help you to increase gross profit, reduce loss, improve control of allowances, reduce
waste, and provide instant results.

Purpose of Stocktaking

Stocktaking allows you to keep an accurate track of the

physical stock you have, what’s been sold, and
what hasn’t. It’s all about comparing the physical stock to
what the report says then finding any discrepancies.
Calculating wastage and allowances will then give you the
whole picture as to what’s gone through the till, what’s
been wasted, and what has been given away as
complimentary. Stocktaking also allows you to see if there’s a significant discrepancy between what you
think you should have and what you actually have. Your stock take can highlight a number of problems
including theft and shrinkage issues.

In your latest stock take, let’s say you notice that your team has thrown away a large number of napkins.
When you ask them why, they tell you it’s because the napkins were wet. When you go to investigate
the issue, you find a small leak in the room where you store napkins. Thanks to your stock take you’ve
discovered an issue!
 3.3 Processing financial records

The accounting process is three separate types of transactions used to record business transactions in
the accounting records. This information is then aggregated into financial statements. The transaction
types are:
 The first transaction type is to ensure that reversing entries from the previous period have, in
fact, been reversed.
 The second group is comprised of the steps needed to record individual business transactions in
the accounting records.
 The third group is the period-end processing required to close the books and produce financial
statements.

We will address these three parts of the accounting process below.

1. Beginning of Period Processing

Verify that all transactions designated as reversing entries in preceding periods have actually been
reversed. Doing so ensures that transactions are not recorded twice in the current period. These
transactions are usually flagged as being reversing entries in the accounting software, so the reversal
should be automatic. Nonetheless, examine the accounts at the beginning of the period to verify the
reversals. If a reversing flag was not set, an entry must be reversed manually, using a new journal entry.

2. Individual Transactions
The steps required for individual transactions in the accounting process are:
 Identify the transaction. First, determine what kind of transaction it may be. Examples are
buying goods from suppliers, selling products to customers, paying employees, and recording
the receipt of cash from customers.
 Prepare document. There is frequently a business document to be prepared or recognized to
initiate the transaction, such as an invoice to a customer or an invoice from a supplier.
 Identify accounts. Every business transaction is recorded in an account in the accounting
database, such as a revenue, expense, asset, liability, or stockholders' equity account. Identify
which accounts are to be used to record the transaction.
 Record the transaction. Enter the transaction in the accounting system. This is done either with
a journal entry or an on-line standard transaction form (such as is used to record cash receipts
against open accounts receivable). In the latter case, the transaction forms record information in
a predetermined set of accounts (which can be overridden).
These four steps are the part of the accounting process used to record individual business
transactions in the accounting records.

3. Period-End Processing
The remaining steps in the accounting process are used to aggregate all of the information created in
the preceding steps, and present it in the format of financial statements. The steps are:
 Prepare trial balance. The trial balance is a listing of the ending balances in every account. The
total of all the debits in the trial balance should equal the total of all the credits; if not, there
was an error in the entry of the original transactions that must be researched and corrected.
 Adjust the trial balance. It may be necessary to adjust the trial balance, either to correct errors
or to create allowances of various kinds, or to accrue for revenues or expenses in the period.
 Prepare adjusted trial balance. This is the original trial balance, plus or minus all adjustments
subsequently made.
  Prepare financial statements. Create the financial statements from the adjusted trial balance.
The asset, liability, and shareholders' equity line items from the balance sheet, while the
revenue expense line items from the income statement.
 Close the period. This involves shifting the balances in the revenue and expense accounts into
the retained earnings account, leaving them empty and ready to receive transactions for the
next accounting period.
 Prepare a post-closing trial balance. This version of the trial balance should have zero account
balances for all revenue and expense accounts.
In reality, any accounting software package will automatically create all versions of the trial balance
and the financial statements, so the actual steps in the accounting process may be considerably
reduced. Instead, the steps used in a computerized environ

3.4 Producing documentation

Documentation plays a crucial role in any treatment setting. Documentation helps assure continuity of
care. There are many important moments in treatment. Proper documentation can help the practitioner
to recall those moments. Behaviors and emotions can help tell a story; being able to discover patterns
can help to uncover reasons for certain behavior. Documentation is a very simple tool to help any
practitioner is unveiling patterns. It can help track the progress in addressing thought patterns and
unhealthy behaviors. If a practitioner isn’t utilizing the tool of documentation it would prove to be very
difficult to make continual progress on any one area, let alone multiple areas.

Thorough documentation helps to assist the clients subsequent care. It’s important for practitioners,
who may serve the client down the line, have proper information. Without meaningful documentation,
it would prove difficult for any future practitioner to continue timely progress.