Management of Data Generating

Front office subsystems

Module - IV
Syllabus
• Overview of front office data subsystem,
• Management of interfaced subsystem – telephone, recordable locks, pay per view service, in room vending
• Management of non-interfaced subsystems – telephone, internet access, pay per view, in room vending, guest
laundry.
Overview
• An interfaced subsystem saves time and money, because data from
the subsystem are shared automatically with the PMS, and the PMS
shares its data with the subsystem.
• When the interface works properly, real savings occur
Interfaced System
✓ The PMS is the hotel’s central data storage unit.

✓ Data generated from many subsystems are so important that they

must also be stored in the hotel’s PMS.

✓ Some subsytems that are interfaced with the PMS are important
to the hotel but do not directly generate revenue. Examples
include room locking, energy management and back-office
accounting systems.
Question
• What is PMS ?
• What is CRM ?
• What is IDS ?
Interfaced System
✓ PMS subsystems may be revenue-generating or non-revenue-
generating.

✓ Subsystems may or may not be directly interfaced with the PMS.

Management of Interfaced System
• In many cases, hotels create operating subsystems for the purpose of increasing
revenue.

• For example, a resort hotel may sell sunglasses, lotions, and hats at a kiosks near the
swimming pool. Guests making a purchase could be required to pay cash. More sales are
likely, however, if guests are allowed to charge purchases to their rooms.

In this case, a PMS interface would be required to

* Identify the guest

* Determine the guest’s room number (folio)
* Post the appropriate charges to the folio
* Create a paper or electronic document, signed by the guest, to verify the purchase if the
guest disputes it.
An effective interfaced or manual revenue-generating subsystem must
include the following verifiable and reliable data:
• Date of purchase
• Individual (or room) authorizing the purchase
• Room or group folio to be charged
• Items purchased
• Cost of items
• Applicable taxes or services charges to be added to the guest’s total
charge.
Reflection Point

Write various Revenue generating sub-

system.
Revenue Generating Subsystem
• Selected revenue-generating subsystems
• Telephone calls
• Internet access fees
• Food and beverage purchases in dining room
• Food and beverage purchases in lounge
• Food and beverage purchases through room service
• Banquet food purchases
• Banquet beverage purchases
• Meeting room rental charges
• Audiovisual equipment rental charges
• Pay-per-view movie and game services
• Business center charges
• Video rentals
Revenue Generating Subsystem
▪ Vending purchase (in-room)
▪ Gift shop purchases
▪ Golf fees
▪ Ski equipment rental and lift tickets
▪ Water sports rentals
▪ Horseback riding and other activities charges
▪ Health club and spa charges
▪ Beauty salon charges
▪ Barber shop charges
▪ Concierge purchases on behalf of guests
▪ Courier, mail, packaging services etc.
Management of Non revenue generating
sub system
• In many cases, hotels create operating subsystems for the purpose of
guest convenience without any revenue.

• For example, a hotel has added the guestrooms telephone with

voicemail. It is a convenience for guests and eliminates the need for a
front desk agent to annually take telephone messages.
Non-Revenue Generating Subsystem
Sub-system Purpose
Form printing programs Printing folios, registration cards, confirmations, letterhead, checks, statements,
and envelops directly from the PMS database.

Telephone actuator Turning guestroom telephones on or off at check-in or check-out; programming

wake-up calls; turning message lights on or off.

Voice mail Creating in-room, remotely accessible voice mailboxes for guests.

In-room check-out Allowing folios to be viewed in guestrooms and allowing in-room check-out.

Housekeeping Using guest room telephones to signal room status changes (e.g. clean, dirty, and
management out of order); scheduling employees based on forecasted room volume
Non-Revenue Generating Subsystem

Sub-system Purpose
Electronic (recordable) Making guestroom keys (for guests) and master keys (for hotel staff)
lock system
Payment card processing Allowing each front office workstation to scan bank (credit and debit)
cards and receive authorizations automatically without manually
entering information into a credit card terminal

Energy management Turning guestroom heat, air-conditioning, and lights on and off at
check-in and check-out.

Central reservations Linking the reservations systems of multiple hotel properties to allow
for the creation of a central reservations centre

Back-office accounting Creating the hotel’s financial documents directly from data held in the
PMS.
Reflection Point

Why PMS Should be integrated to Non-

revenue generating Sub-systems ?
END OF MODULE - IV