Chapter 3

Property Management System

GDS
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The application of computers in the hospitality sector is of great importance because this area
offers the greatest potential for improvement- cost reduction, better management information,
reduced training and manpower costs and prospect of more interesting work.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PMS): In recent times, hotels have started using PMS
in order to manage and respond to guest needs efficiently and effectively. A PMS is a single site
version and is need-specific to an individual property. A PMS is a generic term used to describe
the computer applications (computer hardware and software) in managing the interface of
various departments in a hotel in order to manage the property effectively. A PMS is important
and essential to front office operations in modern hotels. It includes the process of reservations,
registration, guest accounts, guest check in and checkout, handling discounts and allowances
and the night audit.
• Energy Management System (EMS)
• Material Management System (MMS)
• Point of Sale (MICROS)
• Human Resource Information System (HRIS)
• Accounting System
• Call Accounting System (CAS)
• Management Information System (MIS)

BENEFITS OF A PMS:
• The operations are improved by the reduction of repetitive tasks.
• The internal operations of a hotel can be kept in a standardized manner making it easier
to control which would be difficult in a manual system.
• The information needed by management to make decisions is current and accessible.
• Better internal control can be exercised with quicker and current information being
available.
• Information is more difficult to compromise with user records being maintained by the
system. The service provided to the guest can be improved with regard to timing and accuracy
of information and with greater levels of personalization.

The PMS application for the front office has different modules for the efficient functioning of the
whole department

Reservations Module:
The reservations module is used to create and manage guest reservations; both for individuals
as well as groups .The reservations module includes the following features:
● It provides room status records when the date of arrival, date of departure, and type of
guest room is entered in the system.
 ● It color codes the room status by using different colors .It can check the reservation
status of a guest quickly as it can search by guest name, company name, group ID,
confirmation number, or arrival and departure dates.
● It displays room availability status (of up to 14 days at a time) by simply selecting a date.
● It can attach guest messages to relevant reservations, to be delivered to the guest upon
arrival.
● It can automatically calculate rates based on the room type, the rate code, arrival and
departure dates, and the number of adults and children.
● It can create group blocks and rooming lists for standard groups, tour series, and
allotments.
● It can create special group rates.
● It can use the rooming list feature for rapid reservation pick-up.
● It can pre-assign rooms to guests when making a reservation or at any time using a
graphical tape chart.
● It is able to define a ‘share with’ reservation in group bookings.
● It automatically transmits confirmation of a reservation via email, fax, or Internet.
● It is able to post an advance deposit on a room.
● It can enter ‘remarks’, which are visible upon reservation retrieval.
● It can reserve and track the availability of service items such as rollaway beds, cribs, and
refrigerators.

Front Desk Module:

The front desk module manages the registration of guests. The following features/functions are
included in the front desk module:
● It can access guest information easily and quickly for viewing, modification, or check-in
procedures.
● It displays a graphical room layout with the room status information, which shows the
exact location of rooms.
● It tracks all guest activity for the length of their stay.
● It prints registration cards.
● It attaches individual, group, company, or travel agent information to each guest folio.
● It automatically transfers guest accounts to the city ledger when the guest checks out.
● It can create an incidental folio.
● It updates the system in case of a guest room change.

Rooms Module:
The room’s module allows the staff to manage the hotel’s rooms and floor plans. The following
are some of the functions performed by this module:
● It displays the entire layout of a hotel, showing a single floor/wing at a time. One can
easily go to another floor/wing by using the scroll buttons, and enlarge or reduce the size
of floor plans by using the zoom buttons.
● The display of the floor plan can be changed to show housekeeping, front desk, or
specific room status.
 ● It provides the latest room status information to both housekeeping and front office
departments.
● It schedules the maintenance work for rooms.
● It automatically adjusts room inventory.
● It schedules linen change in long-term stayovers.
● It can track discrepancies in the room status.

Cashier Module:
The cashier module is used to manage guest folios, raise bills, and perform checkout
procedures .The following are some of the functions that can be performed with the cashier
module:
● It can add incidental folios and move charges between folios with one click.
● It can locate any account by entering the room number or name.
● It manages all aspects of the guest folio, including debits, credits, adjustments, transfers,
and voids. It allows the viewing or printing of folio details and summary information.
● It consolidates all transactions and produces an accurate bill quickly, enabling a speedy
check-out.
● It allows the attachment of unlimited folios to each guest account.
● It carries out the transfer of charges from folio to folio, from one room to another, in
amounts or by percentage.

Night Audit Module:

The night audit module is used to balance the day’s activity and complete the hotel’s accounting
functions for the day. The following are some of the features/functions of the night audit module:
● It can perform routine tasks of posting room charges, changing non-guaranteed rooms
reservations to no-shows, and changing the status of guaranteed no-shows with one
touch.
● It takes an automatic back-up of data to an optical disk. It has the ability to rebuild room
availability afresh in case there is a system failure.
● It has direct access to the reports module.
● It allows the auditor to view a scrolled display of various processing steps.
● It automatically posts service charges like garage fees, crib fees, etc.
● It automatically posts finance and recurring charges.
● If a room is scheduled for maintenance work, it automatically changes the room status to
out of order.
● It automatically sets the housekeeping status of occupied rooms to dirty.
● It can do batch printing of registration cards.
● It has the ability to process no-shows with deposit payments.
● It can print customized reports automatically.
● It can archive all records.
● It has the ability to perform close-out without a system shut down; other users may
perform any task while the audit is running.
Set up Module:
The set up module is used to define system settings. These settings allow for customization.
Some of the key features/functions of this module are as follows:
● It can specify mandatory fields for required information
● It can customize according to the market, source and rate codes
● It can generate and customize color codes.
● It allows access to the function areas in the system using unique user IDs and
passwords.
● It specifies rate codes, room rates, and rate availability along with the restriction of rate
availability by date range, days of the week, or minimum stay.
● It creates and maintains profiles of individuals, groups, companies, and travel agents.
● It can define the phone extension for each room, including multiple phone extensions for
a single room.
● It can display all message prompts and screen text in the local language.
● It creates a list of all room features available throughout the hotel and generates the
display of attachments to specific room types and rooms.
● It can customize the reservations calendar with user-defined text for holidays, special
events, and reminders.
● It sets a time limit for retaining the guest folios and profiles.
● It assigns request codes to anticipate the special

Reporting Module:
The reporting module has various reporting formats which allow the management to retrieve
operating or financial information at any point of time.
With this module, the management can quickly access information such as:
● The availability of rooms on a particular day
● The number of guests arriving on a specific day
● Listing of guests’ folio balances
● Outstanding balance reports

Back Office Module​:

The back office module provides an integrated system for managing the hotel’s financial and
statistical information.
● It simplifies accounting processes such as posting of accounts payable, transfer of
accounts receivables, compilation of the payroll, budget preparation, and the production
of the hotel’s profit-and-loss statement and balance sheet.
● The financial information entered on a terminal in back office updates all accounting
records.
● The back office module is also linked with the night audit module, which helps in
streamlining the accounting process.

Point of Sales
The points of sale (POS) are the products/services other than accommodation from where the
hotel generates revenue. These include restaurants, bars, discotheque, night club, health
centre, etc. Each point of sale is equipped with a stand-alone automated support for billings. If
this is linked with the PMS, the data is immediately transferred to other modules for further
processing.

Call Accounting System:

Hotels provide telephone facilities to their guests. The resident guests can make local as well as
long distance calls from the comfort of their rooms. The call accounting system is a stand-alone
automated system, which tracks all outgoing and incoming calls. It has the following features:
identification of outward dialing, automatic route selection, and call rating programme. When the
call accounting system is integrated with the PMS interface, the calls are automatically posted in
the respective caller’s account.
Energy Management System:
An energy management system is designed to manage the operations of equipment and
instruments that consume energy. One typical function would be to shut down the operations of
equipment that are not in use.

Electronic Locking System:

The electronic locking system is used widely nowadays. This system helps the hotels to control
access to guest rooms. Only a person with the proper card key coded for the specific room can
enter that room. When the electronic locking system is networked with the PMS, the front desk
person is able to code the room keys for the guests. The coding is such that the key will become
non-functional after the check-out time on the date of departure.

SELECTION OF PMS

The steps involved in selection of a Property Management System are:

STEP 1:Identification of Need

Firstly an analysis is done to determine whether there is a need for a computerized system or
not.
The following steps are followed in this process:
1.Selection of a team comprising the representation from all the departments at all levels from
all the shifts to analyze the needs. .
2.Analyze the flow of guests through the visit to the hotel i.e. an analysis of the guest cycle.
3.Analyze the flow of information from other departments to the front office e.g. billing
information, room status information etc.
4.Analyze the administrative paperwork produced in other departments.
5.Evaluate the needs that have been identified in terms of importance.
6.Combine the needs to determine the desired applications.
STEP 2: Software Selection

•Today, software is available in modules to cater to different areas in a hotel.

•Based on requirement, as deduced from the needs analysis in step 1, a hotel may go in for the
entire PMS or parts thereof.
•Proper software selection is very important, as it involves a heavy investment.
•Configured or customized as per the need of the hotel.

STEP 3: Hardware Selection

•The hardware should be selected to run the needed software.
•The basic factors to consider here are the Processor speed, Disc drives, I/O Port for
connecting peripheral devices & for networking, Monitors/ touch screens, Keyboards, Printers,
Modems and Supplies: paper, forms, ribbons, ink, toner, cartridge, floppies, DA T, CD-RW etc.

The other factors to be kept on mind while selecting the hardware are:
1)Positioning of hardware: based on the workflow analysis done during needs
Analysis.
2)How does it benefit the guest, who will operate it, who all will require
Access to the system at that position.
3)Climatic condition: whether air-conditioning required/not esp. in back-of-the-house
Areas.
4)Ergonomics: psychological & physiological effect of computers on people.

STEP 4: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

1.Vendor Claims: Claims made by the supplier. One must inquire about the product from the
current users of the same; whether they are satisfied using the system, problems faced by them
in using the system.

2.Installation plans: Proper planning of installation is essential for maintaining guest services &
employee morale. One must have a complete plan laid out for installation of hardware & cabling
in different areas of the hotel; also, who shall be installing the hardware & who shall be installing
cables.

3.Training: Classroom & on-the-job training provided by the vendor or not. If yes, charged or
inclusive. Whether a training module has been provided or not. Documentation of procedures.

4.Back-up power sources: Provision of UPS.

5.Maintenance agreement: The cost of repair & replacement of hardware & software.
Emergency services.

STEP 5: FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

•The decision regarding purchase or rental of a PMS since heavy investment can tie-up the
cash flow of an organization.
•Also, if cost benefits are not realistically projected, profits may be difficult to come by.
•analyze the savings in terms of overtime paid to the employees, losses due to late charges,
cost of marketing database collection, wastage of
•Advantages of outright purchase, discount for full payment in cash, finance charges,
depreciation.
•Advantages of lease: continuance of cash flow, application of lease payments to purchase
price, tax advantages of leasing etc.

Application of Computers in Hotel Industry in India

1)Computers are used extensively by lodging managers and their assistants to keep track of
guests’ bills, reservations, room assignments, meetings, and special events. In addition,
computers are used to order food, beverages, and supplies, as well as to prepare reports for
hotel owners and top-level managers. Many hotels also provide extensive information
technology services for their guests. Managers work with computer specialists and other
information technology specialists to ensure that the hotel’s computer systems, Internet, and
communications networks function properly.
2) There are many different uses for computers in hotels. The first would be at the front desk.
These computers have an intricate software called the Property Management System (PMS) to
do all the check ins, guest accounting, and etc. The most famous being Opera or Sabre.
Second in the restaurant, lounge, or bar is a new computer entirely called a Point of Sale
System (POS). This will collaborate with a PMS to bill guests for a meal and etc, but can also be
used as a cash register. Third is the computer in the sales office, which software is most likely
Delphi which is a booking terminal.
Nowadays a hotel without a computer is like a bank without a vault. Each automated hotel has
its own PMS like, IDS, CLS, HMS, Fidelio etc. These PMS are used by each department from
beginning till end of a guest cycle. The PMS is also used to prepare different reports,
maintaining guest’s a/c , keeping records, F.O., Back Office, point of sale, door locking, H.K.,
Optimization, Pay-TV, energy management, payment card authorization and channel
management systems. Each hotel personnel have their own login ID to open their respective
PMS window. The PMS may interface with the central reservation system (CRS) and revenue or
yield management system.

Fidelio Hotel Management System

Fidelio is a complete integrated system package designed to achieve maximum efficiency of the
hotel. It is a highly flexible system. Its uniform and user-friendly interface means that the hotel
employees can learn this system quickly. This PMS is produced in Munich, Germany, advanced
version 6.20.It has a special training module which enables the user to work and learn in
real-like environment.
Fidelio is a highly user –friendly software with pull down menus which help and assist the
user at every step and only a short term training to staff is required. To save Fidelio from any
virus, Fidelio has its own special file and in case a virus gets into it, Fidelio catches it and leads
it into a non-usable file from the database file and locks it. An additional software called ‘Red
Alert Software ‘for extra protection is used.

Fidelio and its Importance in Interdepartmental coordination and communication

❖ Promotes smooth functioning of all the departments wherever it is installed.
❖ Reduces paperwork and helps in saving money on extra stationery.
❖ Eliminates communication gap between departments and helps in providing quality
service to the guest.
❖ Helps in keeping up the hotel's goodwill with the guest.

Advantages of Fidelio Hotel Software Packages

1.Fidelio is an eco-friendly package as it makes the paperwork redundant and eliminates filing
and storage costs.
2.Fidelio has an integrated, configurable, context sensitive help system and is in the form of pull
down menus with windows and function keys.
3.It has a user-definable and friendly screen with colour coding by using a set of 12 codes to
indicate the status of each room by 12-colour code.
4.It is a highly flexible programme unlike other software management systems and has facilities
like screen painter, report generator, user-definable report menus and night audit.
5.It has the ability to create extensive guest history which can record guest stay, behaviors,
preferences etc for unlimited years.
6.Complete graphical plan illustrations of each floor allow the front office staff to monitor and
control the occupancy of every room in the hotel.
Disadvantages and Problem
1.It is very expensive
2.Its maintenance is also expensive
3.If proper locking is not done, anybody can access guest profile in front office and hence guest
information can be easily altered or erased
4.It is possible that there is no provision to block anyone from reading valuable information
hence such user ID provision should be made.
5.Locator information of guests gets deleted automatically after a particular time.
6.During night auditing, for 2 hours the terminals are shut down; thus check-in and checkouts
during this period can’t be taken through computer.
7.The colour coding in floor plan is not prominent enough as shading causes confusion

Key Features of FIDELIO:

Reservations:
FIDELIO Reservation features are integrated with other functionality such as profiles,
cashiering, and deposits. This module offers a complete set of features for making and updating
individual, group, and business block reservations, including deposit handling, cancellations,
confirmations, wait-listing, room blocking, and sharing.

Rate Management:
An extensive set of features for setting and automatically controlling rates, for rate quotation,
and for revenue forecasting and analysis are integrated into FIDELIO to create the most
comprehensive rate management system in the industry. FIDELIO interfaces with the FIDELIO
Revenue Management Systems and other major yield management applications.
Profiles:
FIDELIO profiles are complete demographic records for guests, business accounts, contacts,
groups, agents, and sources. Profiles include addresses, phone numbers, membership
enrollments, stay and revenue details, guest preferences, and additional data that make
reservations handling and many other activities faster and more accurate.
Front Desk:
Arrivals and in-house guests are served using the Front Desk features This module handles
individual guests, groups, and walk-ins, and has features for room blocking, managing guest
messages and wake up calls, and creating and following up on inter-department advisories, or
traces. Back Office Interface: Revenue transfers, market statistics transfers, daily statistics
transfers, and city ledger transfers can be easily made from FIDELIO to a back office system.
Rooms Management:
FIDELIO’s Rooms Management features handle all facets of room supervision including
availability, housekeeping, maintenance, and facility management. The Queue Rooms feature
coordinated Front Office and Housekeeping efforts when guests are waiting for rooms which are
not immediately available for assignment.
Cashiering:
 Posting guest and passer-by charges (including taxes and other generates), making posting
adjustments, managing advance deposits, settlements, checkout and folio printing are a few of
the many activities handled by FIDELIO Cashiering. Cashiering accommodates multiple
payment methods per reservation including cash, check, credit cards, and direct bill. In
multi-property environments, guest charges can be cross-posted from any property in the hotel
complex.
Accounts Receivable:
AR is fully integrated with the FIDELIO database and includes direct billing, invoicing, account
aging, bill payments, reminder and statement generation, and account research. Old balances
from external accounting systems may be entered.
Commissions:
FIDELIO PMS offers integrated features for calculating, processing, and following up on travel
agents and other types of commission payments, either by check or via EFT (Electronic Fund
Transfer).
Reporting:
FIDELIO offers over 360 separate standard reports. Reports can be customized for each hotel
and new reports may be created as needed using FIDELIO’s built-in Report Writer. Fully
Configurable: Choice of FIDELIO features, system behaviours and priorities, and system wide
defaults are controlled by the property. User permissions determine which features may be
accessed by each user and user group. Many FIDELIO screens may be customized by the
property.
Global Perspective​:
FIDELIO PMS supports multi-currency and multi-language features to meet the requirements of
global FIDELIO expectations. Rates and revenues can be dynamically converted from the local
currency to any other currency. The appropriate language for guest correspondence can be
automatically determined by the guest’s profile language; country specific address formats are
supported.
Hospitality System Interfaces​:
FIDELIO PMS includes interfaces to hundreds of third-party hospitality systems including yield
management, telephone and electronic switching, TV and video entertainment, key lock,
restaurant POS, activities scheduling, minibar, and wake up call systems.

FRONT OFFICE MODULE:

The whole operating system can be operated by using the Function keys (F keys/ hot keys).
➔ These keys help access information which is commonly required and is general in
nature.
➔ These Function keys can be accessed at any time and can be opened simultaneously
when working in any part of the various modules.
➔ There are a total of 30 functions available including a combination of an F- key and Shift
or Control functions.
➔ Shift F10 key helps provide the entire menu -which F key provides what type of
information.
 A maximum of 3-4 F key functions can be opened simultaneously on the screen.
The main modules of Fidelio used are:
I.RESERVATION
II. FRONT DESK
III.CASHIER
IV. ROOMS MANAGEMENT
V. OPTIONS
VI. MENU

1. RESERVATIONS MODULE:
❏ Room reservation is made easy for FITs and Groups
❏ Prepares expected arrivals list for reception
❏ Makes the Whitney rack- to know availability of rooms or the overbooking levels
simultaneously
❏ Room reservation status for the next 365 days can be viewed along with details such as
the exact number of rooms, types of rooms and their room availability
❏ Easy to retrieve any information regarding existing reservation references/filters- first
name, middle name, date of arrival, name of company, etc.
❏ On confirming the reservation, the system can print out the confirmation letters and
these can be sent by e-mail or by fax also.
❏ It can segregate all reservations under various heads like- FITs, Groups, and Source,
Travel Agent and Company depending on the source of the reservation.
❏ Once a reservation is made it can be simultaneously viewed by the receptionist as
today’s arrival list
❏ The moment the guest checks in his name is shifted from the expected arrival list to the
in-house list and the GRC is printed with the relevant information.
❏ The system also assists the receptionist in selecting the type of room required by the
guest special remarks- corner room, non-smoking, north-facing, etc can be used /viewed
when blocking rooms
❏ The system also assists the receptionist in knowing that a particular type of room
requested is available or not and what other options can be offered to the guest
❏ If the room is to be shared by two persons, then the system can show two separate
persons in the room with two separate folios per person
❏ There is a feature of “Accompanying” for recording the details of the persons staying with
the guest (as required by law); there is no need for a separate folio but just the details
are required.
❏ If a guest, who reserves a room for himself or who checks in at the desk requires
another reservation for a different date, etc.
❏ There is the feature of “Add On’ wherein another reservation can be made for this guest
containing the same details of address, mode of payment, etc. without bothering the
guest for the repetition of such information.
❏ Reservations can also be classified on the basis of guaranteed or non-guaranteed
reservations and the mode of guarantee provided- by company, travel agent, etc.
 ❏ Advance deposits for reservations can also be requested and received here.

The RESERVATION MODULE

Further contains: i. Reservation
ii. Room Assignment
iii. Groups
iv. Events
v. Confirmation
vi. Waitlist

i) Reservations section is divided into two functions:

a. NEW RESERVATION- used for FITs (especially those not coming through any TA, Source
or any Company)
b. THROUGH AGENT: here , if the reservation is being made by a third party- a source, a
travel agent or a company, the name is linked to this reservation to help avoid any
duplication while ensuring that the correct rates are offered to the guest and that correct
procedures are followed.
(Source= an individual, usually a local businessman, etc. who gives good custom to the hotel
and so, enters into a contract with the hotel for credit payment of his bills- dining or room stays.
Usually such a guest does not guarantee a minimum amount of room nights, so the facility of
deferred payment only is extended to him, not a specific room rate.)

The actual guest reservation consists of three stages, each signified by a page-
➢ The first page of GUEST PROFILE contains the personal details of the guest- address,
etc and is important for maintaining the history of the guest.
➢ The second page of RESERVATION contains the details of the actual stay of the guest-
dates of arrival and departure, the type of room, the room rate, package details, mode of
payment, etc.
➢ The third page of RESERVATION OPTIONS consists of details required by the cashier
so as to ensure correct postings and to present an accurate bill for the guest at
checkout. So this contains information about extra beds, cribs, meal plans, etc. if
applicable to the reservation. This also has details of any reservation deposit required to
be paid by the guest, and the details of any such deposit made to the hotel. This page
also contains accounting information that is important for the functions of a cashier- No
post status, type of meal plan applicable, any extra bed or cribs provided and to be
charged for, etc.
➢ Also it shows if the confirmation letter was sent and the date of dispatch.
ii) Room Assignment:
➢ Since rooms are usually not blocked at the time of taking the reservation, this feature
helps to block rooms on the day of guest arrival or a night before.
➢ The system helps to block rooms with special features as requested by the guest.
 ➢ Also, the GRC can be printed and kept ready for the guest (pre-registration) so that upon
guest arrival, he needs to check and reconfirm the details on the GRC and sign it, thus
reducing the time taken for checking-in the guest.
➢ The F3 key function of searching for vacant rooms is automatically in effect when
assigning rooms here.
There are certain other codes also that can be used for searching for the correct rooms such as:
CL= CLEAN
IS = CLEAN AND INSPECTED
DI= DIRTY
OO/OS = OUT OF ORDER/ OUT OF SERVICE

iii) Groups:
Reservations generally come from a few months to a year in advance and so the initial
enquiry is recorded in the BLOCK MAINTENANCE section in the ‘INITIAL PHASE’ stage.
Amendments regarding number of guests, rooms, type of rooms, expected date of arrival, etc.
can only be incorporated during the initial phase of the reservation.
When it is confirmed by the TA or Company through a letter with the rooming list, etc.
before the cutoff date (COD) stated on the system, the reservation is changed to ‘OPEN FOR
PICK UP PHASE’. Now the reservation cannot be deleted or changed to another date. Once it
is open for pick up- only the rooms’ requirement can be changed depending on the elasticity of
the block.
Once the reservation is in the “pick up” phase then the reservation can neither be
amended or cancelled (unless there is sufficient notice for cancellation). So, this group has to
either check in or be shown as a no-show.
It is also important to create a profile for this group and to link the group reservation with
the source, TA or company making the reservation request.
For smaller groups, on the date of arrival of the group, the receptionist blocks the
required rooms.
For larger groups rooms can be blocked 2-3 days in advance.
As far as possible, all rooms are blocked on the same or nearby floors.
The system can print registration cards and master bill for the whole group and separate
bill folios for individual members.
iv) Events:
This section refers to the events scheduled to be held in the hotel or otherwise in the
city, or even the entire country.
The details of the events may be entered here- date of event, the period for which it will
be ongoing, etc.
A large number of bookings are expected during the event.
This information helps relate room occupancy to the occurrence of events in order to
analyze the impact the events have on reservation and therefore room rates and revenue which
assists management in more accurate forecasting.
Also, due to its effect on the occupancy, room rates can also be defined- such as only
rack rate would be offered to reserving guests during that period.
 Hotels can even plan to renovate or add rooms or at least ensure that no rooms are
OOO during that period.
Hotels may also arrange for extra staff to deal with the raised occupancy.
v) Confirmation:
This part of the reservation module deals with the confirmations that are to be sent out
for reservations made in the system and the format defined in the guest reservation, e.g. e-mail
or fax letter, etc.
Most hotels have a policy of dispatching confirmations within 24 hours, at least, of
making a reservation on the system.
Confirmations to be sent in bulk at the end of the morning shift can be printed here.
vi) Waitlist:
In case the reservation requests come after all rooms have been sold and the margin for
overbooking is also exhausted, the hotel may choose to waitlist these requests.
This function allows the taking of all the reservation details of the guest (even though
you cannot accept the reservation at that time) and placing the reservation in a separate
database of waitlist.
If the occupancy situation changes and you find that you can now accept the reservation
request, one can locate the reservation in the waitlist records and transfer it to the reservation
file.
All waitlist reservations are deleted on the night audit of the arrival date.

2. FRONT DESK MODULE:

• This module gives the list of expected arrivals and in-house guests on the current day.
• These lists can be viewed by name of guests, room numbers assigned to arrivals, etc.

This module is split into: i. Arrival

ii. Inhouse
iii. Profile
iv. Accounts
v. Messages

i. Arrival:
● This section deals with the check in/registration of arriving guests- both reserved and
walk-in guests.
● It also deals with the check in of FITs and GITs. The guests can be identified through
various filters such as name, company, part of a group name, company name, day use
guests, confirmation numbers, etc.
● Rooms can also be placed in Q (queue) for informing housekeeping of the priority of
cleaning and readying rooms for expected arrivals.
● If rooms are not already assigned to arriving guests the system automatically lists out the
vacant rooms that can be assigned to them.

ii. In house:
 ● This element deals with the details of the guests who are presently checked in.
● There are various ways of locating the guests- name, room number, company, etc.
● For each guest checked in there are different speed keys that can assist in handling
his/her requests such as, change of room, and cancellation of check in if wrongly
executed.
● Other details of the guest can be accessed similarly as those in guest reservation-
profile, options, message, etc.

iii. Profile:
This segment deals with profiles of all guests in the system. Their profiles can be accessed
and checked and edited as needed.

iv. Accounts:
This section deals with the assigning of Pay Master (PM) account numbers (series 9000
, 9001,etc.) to guests as per special billing instructions when applicable.

v. Messages:
● This section deals with messages and traces recorded for the guest of the hotel.
● All messages for guests and their handling- received, delivered, lamp on, etc. can be
viewed here.
● Also traces that have been made, resolved or still unresolved can be checked here too
by date and department listings.

3. CASHIER MODULE:
This module deals with the very important function of handling important tasks of the accounting
department related to guest folio handling and back office accounting and other front office
cashier tasks.
● The moment a guest checks in a folio is automatically opened by his room number.
● In an online system, the charges are directly posted to the guest folio from the POS.
● The signed vouchers of the guests are forwarded to the FO cashier for placing in the
folio as guest receipts.

This module contains: i. BILLING

ii. POSTINGS
iii. PASSER BY
iv. CASHIER `
v. BATCH POST
vi. RECEIVABLES
Vii. QUICK CHECK OUT

i. Billing:
● This very important function deals with the handling of the guest folios of inhouse guests.
 ● Various tasks related to the guest accounts such as check out of folio, posting of
charges, taking deposits after check in, placing routing instructions, etc. can be carried
out in this function.
● This function keeps guest folios updated and current.
● This is also used for automatic debiting of guest folios with the room rate and tariffs at a
specific pre-decided time, usually during the night audit and by the night auditor before
changing of the date /end of day.
● The bills which are not settled in cash are automatically transferred to respective ledgers
by giving one command (receivables).

ii. Postings:
● This function will be used to post charges to guest folios in a random order as they are
received from various POS.
● Here, the cashier need not open the folio of the guest but can directly post charges to it.
● All charges posted here will automatically be posted in the appropriate guest folios. This
saves time and effort of the cashier.

iii. Passer by:

● This function is used to handle charges for in-house and non-resident guests for services
of the front office for which payments are made by the guest at the front desk cashier.
● This means that these charges are handled independently and settled at the spot/POS
and therefore will not need to be posted to any guest folio.
● For non resident guests a profile will be created by the PMS which need only contain the
name of the guest- no other details. This profile will contain the term ‘passer by’ in the
remarks section on its own.

iv. Cashier:
● This function deals with cashiering tasks other than guest folios, such as:
● Closing cashiers at the end of the cashiers shift giving details of the shift drop, any
shortage or overage, etc.
● Dealing with transactions, receipts and payments, made on behalf of the hotel and not
with reference to any guest in particular- providing money to hotel departments for small
purchases- stamps, bulbs, personal care items, etc.
● Checking journal entries by cashier numbers, etc.
● The status of cashiers that day- open or closed, with the timeline.
● Currency and check exchanges that can be done for guests of the hotel
● Access to various cashiers’ reports, currency reports- total currency handled today, etc.
● Access to particular folio details for folio history

v. Batch post:
This is used to post single charges to multiple rooms- all rooms in a group or all rooms with
one travel agent.
vi. Receivables:
This option lets the user control the city ledger accounts and credit card accounts, right from
creation of an accounts receivable (A/R) account till dealing with payments received from these
accounts.
Separate ledgers are maintained for travel agents, companies, government organizations,
airlines, etc. and are monitored for any outstanding bills beyond a defined time period- (account
aging).

vii. Quick Checkout:

This option is used to quickly check out guests without printing folios. With this option the folios
so closed are not stored in folio history. This may be commonly used for group guests who
have no individual postings in their incidental folios since they were on no-post status.

4. ROOMS MANAGEMENT MODULE (the housekeeping module):

● The housekeeping section records the change in room status from dirty with the help of
the system to clean or inspect.
● Since the room status is updated simultaneously, the front office gets a clean room to
sell without further delays.
● Housekeeping also displays the number of occupants of the rooms- the room occupancy
report.
● This room occupancy report forms the basis of the discrepancy report prepared at the
front office for further verification.
● Also rooms can be allocated section wise for cleaning and one can check each room
attendant’s workload per shift.
● Rooms can also be placed on OOO and out of service status as required and for a
specified time range.
● Room history is an option used to display the history of activity for a room, e.g. when Mr.
Sharma stayed in room 312, to locate the owner of a lost article. And to find out which
guest was responsible for the burnt carpet or broken table if room 121, etc.
● The Graphics option displays the reservations of 31 days in a graphic display.
● The Maintenance option is used to record maintenance requests for the guest rooms.
These can be anything from changing a light bulb to repairing a dripping tap. So one can
record maintenance requests, view them and resolve them.
● Overbooking levels for different days or periods can also be defined here.

5. OPTIONS MODULE:
Contains various functions of which report creation and printing is a major task.
The various functions contained here are:
i.Reports: This module contains the various reports that can be customized according to the
requirements of the management including the reports related to the headings of reservations;
guests in house; financial data, night audit, etc. most of which are prepared and submitted by
the night auditor. Various reports included here are:
❖ Total revenue
 ❖ ARR and its comparison with the Potential Average Rate (PAR)
❖ Percentage of hotel occupancy, double occupancy, single occupancy
❖ Bed occupancy, foreigners occupancy
❖ No-show percentage, stay-overs, overstays, understays
❖ Walk in percentage
❖ Sale of food, beverage, etc.
❖ List of VIPs expected and in-house
❖ Groups expected and in-house These reports help in preparation of forecasts
and budgets.
ii.Word processing: most of the files in the PMS are prepared in MS Word and are stored for
reference.
iii.Printer: printers are attached and all reports and other data can be printed here.
iv.Users log file:
The employees who are authorized to update data on the PMS are issued an individual code.
The system will only accept the command one the user’s code is entered. All commands issued
by a particular employee are recorded along with the code of the user in chronological order.
This ensures accountability for data handling to identify errors and deletions of data, etc
v. Batch Folios:
❖ This option is used to print information folios, either as interim or advance bills for all
guests in house and departing today or tomorrow.
❖ Also, unprinted folios can be stored in folio history or this can help print periodic folios for
long stay guests. (Otherwise, only folios settled in the check out options are printed and
stored in folio history.)
❖ This is useful as Express Check Out folios- where the hotel likes to give the folios to the
guests the night before check out or like to inform their guests about their balance.
❖ It can make check outs on a credit card extremely speedy.
❖ This function can also be accessed during the night audit ( other billing functions cannot
be accessed during night audit

6. MENU MODULE: without logging off, users can operate the following:
i.Check out: Current dates expected check outs along with details of the company which the
guest represented and other details can be viewed.
ii.Check-in: the list of guests who checked in can be seen here.
iii.Cancelled: the guests whose reservations have been cancelled for the current date can be
seen under this head. Whether they have to be charged retention charges or not will now be
decided by the management.
iv.Cashier: this function displays the numbers and details of cashiers which are currently open
and functioning.

IDS FORTUNE ENTERPRISE: THE COMPLETE HOTEL MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM
IDS cover 11 main modules, each module has a sub modules:-
a) Front office Management
b) Point of Sales
c) Account receivables
d) Sales and Marketing
e) Banquet and conferencing
f) Telephone Management System
g) Financial Management System
h) Material Management System
i) Food and Beverage Costing
j) Human Resources & Payroll
k) Engineering & Maintenance Management

Front Office Management

The front office management caters to operation at front office .This Comprehensive module is
divided into operational sub modules for ease of use and speedy handling. The front office
module is interfaced mainly to financial management and point of sale.Somes of the sub
modules covered under front office management is:
a.Reservation. A fast reservation screen utilizing “SmartFind & Access” Screens with note-pads
and calendars. Overbooking controls are built in. Handles Contract rates, packages, groups and
travel agent allocation etc.one can reserve guest messages and can block the room for future
use. The modules include comprehensive reporting and forecasting facilities.
b.Registration. This option provides the facility to check in guests who have reservations with
the hotel or walk in guests. One has the facility to manage the information instruction, activate
deactivate extension can be done through this option.
c.Cashiering. Day to day transactions related to checkout, settlement, link rooms, delink rooms,
Folio transfer, advance collected, Commission to agents, foreign exchange entry etc can be
done through this option.
d.Day end Process. No shut down during night audit. All operation areas like front office, point of
sale, telephone etc.remains functional even during the night audit process. If any outlet bills are
open the system prompts the auditor with an appropriate message.

Point Of Sale

● Sub-modules include fine dining, quick service, room service, food courts and delivery
● Confectionery sales
● Complete integration with FO for billing and room service
● Touch POS and Tablet enabled for order generation and billing
● User configurable table layout options to handle restaurant operation from table layout
screen

Accounts Receivable

● Generation of reminders and balance confirmation via print and email

● Follow up on payment receivables to create projection reports and track cash flow

Telephone Management

● Easy to use operator console facility

● Simplified call accounting
● Maintain record of wake-up calls to be made and display messages to guests

Sales & Marketing

● Enables easy maintenance of corporate client master
● Tag amenities and rates to corporates and travel agents
● Sales executive wise daily sales call & follow up details and report on revenue generated
● Corporate MIS on revenues, room nights and ARR
Banquet & Conference
● Quick book and extended book selection option
● Capture event information, flow of events, set-up styles and payment terms etc
● Billing options like advance tagging, split bills and tax exemptions etc
● Detailed availability of charts and MIS

Sales & Marketing

● Automated bar and stock management
● Automated consumption and sales posting
● Issue based and recipe based costing methodology and reports
● Detail recipe master with recipe ingredients, sub-recipes, preparation and presentation
methods
● Profitability analysis with drill down features

Material management
● Engage in indent management and acquisition management
● Authorization level control for purchase order/Purchase requisition/Indents
● Access item stock level and stock variance reports
● Engage in vendor analysis and quotation maintenance
● Auto generation of purchase requisition based on minimum, maximum and reorder levels
● Attach scanned purchase order to the system
● View average consumption per day, expected last days and budget
● Butchery management
● Physical stock entry can be updated monthly. Auto updation of variance and physical
stock variance report can be extracted from the system
● Multiple stores can be created for various stores. Also the system can handle main
stores, sub-stores concept and transactions

Financial Management

● Cost center and department wise transaction entry for income and expense
● Compliant with all local taxation requirements
● Budget and ratio calculation
● Cost center wise profit and loss account reports available. User defined MIS reports can
be created with budget and last year comparison etc
 ● Attachments of scan copy / soft copy documents can be done for every transaction
recorded
● Ratio analysis
● Cash flow analysis
● Expense Allocation and TDS Entries

HR & Payroll

● Multi-unit and multi-department salary calculation

● Adherence to statutory and legal structures
● Interface to third party attendance recording system
● Leave management, bonus and loans

Maintenance Management

● Scheduling and executing preventive maintenance

● Job order generation
● Complaint management and action taken
● Room wise, floor wise, complaint type wise analysis report

Shawman
​
The ShawMan PMS is an integrated Front Office Management Software that can host multiple
properties and handle guest reservations simultaneously across many units including an
integrated web-based reservation agent and auto confirmation manager. ShawMan's PMS plugs
into an Integrated Telephone Call Management System that supports a host of EPABX
interfaces and also seamlessly connects to ShawMan POS, MMS and CRM Systems to
complete the application needs of the boarding & lodging Industry. The ShawMan Hotel Centre
is a unique and powerful interface design that handles registration, cashiering, and night audit
functions, treating guests and rooms as two manageable objects and supports right click quick
task launch of forms and reports, undo and redo, eraser and task history to effortlessly
customize the desktop for each user and department to manage a slew of jobs undertaken daily
by the attendants, supervisors and managers both at the Front Desk and back office. A three
tier client middle server architecture allows business processes and rules to be easily defined
and modified such as customer profiles, multiple rate codes, meal plans, guest history, room
inventory, housekeeping and more. Several MIS outputs to choose from for quick and accurate
reporting in the form of statements, flash reports, chasers and audit trails and a query that
allows users to design their own custom reports.
(Source : http://www. widesystems.com/pmsmain. htm)
The ShawMan POS is state of the art plug and play software supporting multiple styles of
operations ranging from a small Fast food outlet, Coffee shops, Fine Dining operations, large
Mall to a large Leisure / Spa Resort. ShawMan POS is currently in use by leading hotel chains,
restaurants, fast food chains, malls, entertainment centers and corporations.

Property Management System

•Front office software supporting multiple properties linked with ShawMan POS, MMS and the
CRM
•PMS Reservations linked to Web based Central Reservation system with payment gateway
linked
•In-house guest billing folio posting instruction can be set at the time of reservation.
•Desktop can be customized individually for every user
•Advance and deposit management
•Built in utility enabled to call external programs automatically after or before day end. Users can
pre-determine which reports need to be generated at the time of day end.
•System maintenance tools for repairing databases and purging audits.
Key features of ShawMan POS
•Enables control of remotely located outlets from a central head office with rule based setups &
process definition and consolidation of data, which is automated at time of day-end/closing.
•Support for multi – currency
•Orders can be taken for “A la Carte”, No charge, Board
•Choice of different style sheets for F&B operation like Fine Dining, Regular, Counter
Sale, Around-the-Clock, Room Service as well as Non F&B Direct Biller & Leisure
•Provision for Franchisor – Franchisee style of operation
•Can constantly update the Chef’s specialty, Seasonal and Non-available items, Happy hour
and On the house items.
•Descriptive free flow text / coded modifiers with or without a charge
•Software Supports Multiple Food & Beverage & non F&B Outlets at Hotels & Clubs & service
apartments.
•Automatic prompts for compulsory modifiers, parcel orders, remotely communicate with the
kitchen every variation and customer request
•Multiple settlement types possible
•Reservation diary for guest bookings
•Remote Printing of KOT’s to 20 pre-defined distant locations per outlet.
•Member entry management system using magnetic cards
•Debit card system enabled
•Canteen management system
•The POS software also supports Smart cards for CRM applications.
•PoratPOS – The Pocket PC (PDA) application for complete Wi-Fi operations
•Digidiner – A virtual view of the restaurant
•KDS – Kitchen display system
•Supports touch screen as well Keyboard operations

USE OF Hotel Property Management System

● In hotels Hotel Property Management System PMS are used to cover basic objectives
such as coordinating the operational functions of Front Office, sales, and planning etc.
and administrating reservations and managing hotel inventory, and to unify the front and
back office management and also to improve general management functions such as
accounting, budgeting, finance, marketing and research and planning and also
forecasting and yield management, payroll, personnel and purchasing areas.
● Use of the internet has reduced the capital and operational cost of hotel operations
drastically. It cuts down the reservation costs, and costs involved in areas such as
printing, stores, administration, brochures and other promotional material. Internet
connectivity with GDS of the hotel such as THISCO (The Hotel Industry Switch
Company) and WIZCOM systems have emerged to provide interface between the
various systems and to enable a certain degree of transparency. This reduces the setup
 cost and reservation costs, both. While facilitating reservations through several
distribution channels.
● Unfortunately small and medium sized, independent, seasonal and family run hotels do
not get the benefits such as cost reduction and competitive enhancement because of
lack of capital for the purchase of hardware and software, insufficient marketing
prowess, inadequate technological training and understanding, small size with no
economies of scale, and the unwillingness of the owner to lose control over their
property. To overcome such problems destination based collaborations that encourage
small firms to pool resources together, should be established to share development and
operation costs to the benefit of all providing direct access to target markets at an
affordable price.

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (GDS)

A global distribution system (GDS) is a network operated by a company that enables automated
transactions between Third-parties and booking agents in order to provide travel related
services to the end consumers.
The travel marketplace is a global arena where millions of buyers (travel agents and the public)
and sellers (hotels, airlines, car rental companies, etc.) work together to exchange travel
services. Among the shelves on which buyers search for travel services are the world's global
distribution systems and the Internet distribution systems. These systems have become
electronic supermarkets linking buyers to sellers and allowing reservations to be made quickly
and easily. Nowadays, more travel is sold over the Internet than any other consumer product.
The Internet is a perfect medium for selling travel as it brings a vast network of suppliers and a
widely dispersed customer pool together into a centralized market place. Nearly 37 million of
America’s more than 162-million active Internet users have already purchased travel online.
Online travel bookings exceeded $23 billion in 2001, and are expected to reach $63 billion by
2005.
However, any discussion of the Internet as a distribution channel for travel needs to start with an
understanding of the existing electronic distribution infrastructure, the Global Distribution
System (GDS). The airline industry created the first GDS in the 1960s as a way to keep track of
flight schedules, availability, and prices. Although accused of being dinosaurs due to their use of
legacy system technology, the GDSs were actually among the first e-commerce companies in
the world facilitating B-2-B electronic commerce as early as the mid 1970s, when SABRE
(owned by American Airline) and Apollo (United) began installing their proprietary internal
reservations systems in travel agencies. Prior to this, travel agents spent an inordinate amount
of time manually entering reservations. The airlines realized that by automating the reservation
process for travel agents, they could make the travel agents more productive and essentially
turn into an extension of the airline’s sales force. It is these original, legacy GDSs that today
provide the backbone to the Internet travel distribution system.

There are currently four major GDS systems:

1. Amadeus
2. Galileo
3. Sabre
4. Worldspan
In addition, there are several smaller or regional GDSs, including SITA’s Sahara, Infini (Japan),
Axess (Japan), Tapas (Korea), Fantasia (South Pacific), and Abacus (Asia/Pacific) that serve
interests or specific regions or countries. In this article, we will provide a closer look at the four
major GDSs.
Amadeus
Founded in 1987 by Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa, and SAS, Amadeus is the youngest of the
four GDS companies. Amadeus is a leading global distribution system and technology provider
serving the marketing, sales, and distribution needs of the world’s travel and tourism industries.
Its comprehensive data network and database, among the largest of their kind in Europe, serve
more than 57,000 travel agency locations and more than 10,500 airline sales offices in some
200 markets worldwide. The system can also provide access to approximately 58,000 hotels
and 50 car rental companies serving some 24,000 locations, as well as other provider groups,
including ferry, rail, and cruise, insurance, and tour operators.
Upon its inception, Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa and SAS held equal shares of Amadeus Global
Travel Distribution S.A. Shortly after the formation of the company, however, SAS sold its
shares to Amadeus Data Processing. The three founder airline shareholders currently hold
59.92% of the company: Air France (23.36%), Iberia (18.28%), and Lufthansa (18.28%).
Remaining shares are held publicly.

As the youngest of the four GDS companies, Amadeus has done remarkably well during its
short tenure. Yet, in many ways, the company remains an anomaly. Amadeus has the greatest
number of travel agency locations with the highest productivity per terminal in the world, yet its
booking share is Number 3, and its revenues are dwarfed by Sabre and, to a lesser degree, by
Galileo. While the company is Number 1 in locations worldwide, serving the greatest number of
countries, it provides the fewest U.S. destinations of the top four GDSs. As with its competitors,
the future for Amadeus will continue to be linked to the technological and structural changes that
are revolutionizing the travel industry. Amadeus appears to be adapting well (albeit cautiously)
to the shift of business to the Internet. Having acquired e-Travel, Inc. from Oracle Corporation in
July of 2001, Amadeus now has a new business unit dedicated to delivering solutions to
e-commerce players worldwide. The e-Travel solutions integrate all components of a managed
travel program into a single Internet-based service that enables travelers to book air, car, hotel,
and rail services, all within corporate guidelines. With its strong company infrastructure
worldwide, impressive product set, and growing customer base, Amadeus is one of the most
significant players in shaping the future of the GDS.

Galileo International
Galileo International was founded in 1993 by 11 major North American and European airlines:
Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines,
Olympic Airlines, Swissair, TAP Air Portugal, United Airlines, and US Airways. It is a major
player in the GDS business throughout the world: North America, Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, and the Asia/Pacific region. Galileo International is a diversified, global technology
leader. Its core business is providing electronic global distribution services for the travel industry
through its computerized reservation systems, leading-edge products and innovative
Internet-based solutions. Galileo is a value-added distributor of travel inventory dedicated to
supporting its travel agency and corporate customers and, through them, expanding traveler
choice.

In 1997, Galileo International became a publicly traded company,

listed on the New York and Chicago Stock Exchanges. In
October of 2001, Cendant Corporation acquired Galileo International for approximately $1.8
billion in common stock and cash. Currently, the company is represented in 116 countries, and
serves travel agencies at approximately 45,000 locations. Other travel suppliers include 500
airlines, 227 hotel companies, 33 car rental companies, and 368 tour operators.

Galileo’s competitive strengths include market share, well-balanced and global presence,
relationships with diverse groups of travel vendors, technologically advanced information
systems, highly skilled personnel, and a stable product line. Compared to other GDS
companies, Galileo is a cautious follower when it comes to technology. However, in response to
the growing demand of web-based travel, the company has established successful relationships
with entities such as Go, UK’s best low-cost airline; subsidiaries such as Highwire, Inc.,
providing Internet-based tools and services to the corporate travel market; and Sheperd
Systems, an industry leader in the provision of sales and marketing intelligence systems and
services within the travel industry. Additionally, Galileo has sponsored membership to the THOR
Worldwide Negotiated Hotel Rates Program, and has a state-of-the-art development center
supplying information and systems support to travel agencies operating more than 178,000
computer terminals, all of which are linked to the Galileo’s Data Center. Galileo’s primary
weakness, its singular focus on the distribution side of the business, is also its perceived
strength. Based on its competitive strengths, Galileo is pursuing a strategy that includes
expanding its global distribution, strengthening customer loyalty, leveraging technology, and
capitalizing on opportunities created by increasing Internet use. Galileo sees the GDS industry
as having the ability and potential to provide electronic distribution and many components of
e-commerce to other industries, and is utilizing its strengths to provide expanding services to its
growing customer base.
Sabre
For more than 40 years, Sabre has been developing innovations and transforming the business
of travel. From the original Sabre computer reservations system in the 1960s, to advanced
airline yield management systems in the 1980s, to leading travel websites today, Sabre

technology has traveled through time, around the world, and has touched all points of the travel
industry. In July of 1996, Sabre became a separate legal entity of AMR (parent company of
American Airlines), followed by a successful initial public offering in October in which AMR
released approximately 18% of its shares to be publicly traded. Sabre, represented in 45
countries, is a leading provider of technology for the travel industry and provides innovative
products that enable travel commerce and services, and enhance airline/supplier operations.

Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, Sabre connects more than 60,000 travel agency locations
around the world, providing content from approximately 400 airlines, 55,000 hotel properties, 52
car rental companies, 9 cruise lines, 33 railroads, and 229 tour operators. In addition to being
one of the leading GDS companies, Sabre also provides a broad range of products and services
that enhance travel agency operations and their ability to serve the traveler.
Sabre-connected travel agencies use Sabre web- based technologies and low-fare finding
solutions to create new sales opportunities, drive operational efficiencies, and improve customer
service. Among the company’s recent innovations is Sabre Virtually There, a personalized web
site service that automatically gives travelers up-to-the-minute details about itineraries, while
also providing a wealth of information about their destinations. Sabre owns Travelocity.com, the
industry’s leading online consumer travel website. In 2001, Travelocity.com’s 32 million
members used the site, generating more than $300 million in revenues. Travelocity.com offers
innovative technologies that help consumers find the best air, car, hotel, and vacation
reservations. Sabre also owns Get There, a provider of web-based corporate travel
procurement, including the purchase of air, hotel, car, and meeting planning services.
Customers include more than 800 leading corporations.
Sabre’s competitive strengths include market position, global reach, stable product line,
diversification of revenue streams, and intellectual capital. The Sabre business model is a
strong one, and continues to make significant progress in advancing both its electronic travel
distribution and its information technology solutions businesses. Revenues have been growing
steadily, and the company has embarked on a strategy that fully embraces diversification of its
customer base and revenue streams. Sabre is considered to be one of the most significant and
competitive GDSs due to the fact that it anticipates and takes advantage of the changes in the
information economy and develops innovative practices, leveraging both human resources and
technology systems.
Worldspan
Founded February 7, 1990, Worldspan was originally owned by affiliates of Delta Air Lines, Inc.,
Northwest Airlines, and Trans World Airlines, Inc. It is currently owned by affiliates of Delta Air
Lines, Inc. (40%), Northwest Airlines (34%), and American Airlines, Inc. (26%). Since its 1995
advance into the world of Internet technology for the travel industry, Worldspan has successfully
developed the strategies, solutions, and services to ensure the company’s long-term success in
the new web-based world of travel distribution. Worldspan provides worldwide electronic
distribution of travel information, Internet products and connectivity, and e-commerce
capabilities for travel agencies, travel service providers, and corporations. Worldspan currently
serves 20,021 travel agencies in nearly 90 countries and territories. Headquartered in Atlanta,
Georgia, Worldspan connects approximately 421 airlines, 210 hotel companies, 40 car rental
companies, 39 tour and vacation operators, and 44 special
travel service suppliers.
To escalate the delivery of web-based technologies and
services to its customers; Worldspan has forged a number of
new partnerships and equity agreements with leading travel
technology companies. Resulting technologies, joint
developments, and an expanded realm of solutions and
Internet travel products are enabling the company and its
customers to participate in a spectrum of e-business opportunities. Some of the successful
partnerships have been with companies such as Datalex, a leading provider of e-business
infrastructure and solutions for the global travel industry; Digital Travel, a global online tour
provider; Kinetics, Inc., developer of technology and solutions for the airline industry;
OpenTable.com, an Internet-enabled restaurant management tools system; and Viator, a major
provider of Internet-based content, technology, and distribution services, including data
management, hosting, and e-commerce. Additionally, in 2001, Orbitz LLC was launched on the
Internet, using Worldspan as its Internet Booking Engine, and in 2002, the launch of Worldspan
ePricingSM made Worldspan the first GDS to introduce a revolutionary new multi-server-based
technology, offering an unprecedented selection of pricing options to all of Worldspan’s
customers.

Worldspan has a legacy of industry firsts that are not well known. The company therefore has
an opportunity to raise the industry’s awareness of its accomplishments and more importantly,
its future strategy. Worldspan continues to look at the benefits of creating its own consumer
brand and has been partnering with different companies to expand the services that it can
provide to its customer base. Worldspan believes in focusing on its core competencies, and is
determined to be perceived as a distribution facilitator across all channels. It is increasingly
getting a clearer sense of its capabilities and building its appetite for technical and commercial
challenges. Through the company’s revolutionary e-world ideas, offerings, and services, along
with its agility and eagerness in meeting the needs of the travel distribution market on a global
scale, Worldspan and its customers are transforming the way travel is distributed, bought, and
sold.
ROLE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN HOTELS

It would be an advantage to the hotel industry to find a way to combine time with technology.
New hotels are finding it advantageous to incorporate information and latest technology in their
operations.
1. Internet in the hotel guestrooms: hotel guests are provided full access to the Internet on their
in-room television. Innovative infrared wireless keyboards may be used. A web browser, email
connection, and on-line multilingual help can be provided to maximize Internet experience at the
hotel. Wi-Fi access in rooms, free or charged for, is provided by nearly all large hotels. Free
Wi-Fi is also being considered for availability in public areas of the hotel.
2. TV interactivity: Through this concept, various guests can have access to the same movie at
different times according to their own convenience. Another use is that the guest can refer to
their TV sets at any time for viewing their bills, credit limits and expenditures, even local and city
information, etc.
3. E-concierge: this facility empowers the guest to take a “multimedia graphic and sound
assisted tour” of the city, shopping centers, etc. while sitting in his room. This may include
making reservations at restaurants, operas, etc.
4. Other technologies: these may include the use of voice-over Internet Protocol (VOIP), video
conferencing, staff scans, etc. and many other services.

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