Since Airbnb and short-term rentals gained stride in the late 2000’s, property management systems and other hotel management interfaces grew significantly in both availability and demand – and they are still evolving to meet a newer technological world and a demand for alternative accommodations. Today, new integrated operations platforms and decentralized models of command present property owners and managers with an opportunity to supercharge their existing PMS models, for a truly quality experience.
In the following article we’ll outline where the PMS industry lives today, gaps in communication that you may be experiencing as a property owner, and ways to supercharge your PMS with integrated operation platforms suited to your needs.
A property management system (PMS) stores information in one place through cloud-based management and various software integrations. Through user interfaces, these systems organize components of business like property rates, inventory, and basic guest information. Hoteliers and rental managers often use a PMS to store, track, and update guest and room information and unit inventory – from front-office coordination, to housekeeping, to revenue management, and beyond.
While PMS software is a wild improvement from papers, pens, and manual tickets, such a fast technological surge created a few gaps in functionality. Hoteliers and property managers can address these gaps by supercharging their systems with powerful knowledge bases that connect information through one central platform. Below are the immediate benefits of supercharging your PMS.
Oftentimes small to medium sized properties and rental businesses who use a PMS don’t have a front desk, yet separate databases frequently require a manual transfer of information. For example, in a typical PMS, guest information is held in one database, while housekeeping updates are stored in another, requiring someone to manage the task.
Another example is ticketing. When a guest submits a service request, it forms a ticket submitted to a ticketing software. These standard ticketing systems do not automatically integrate into the PMS, which immediately causes a need for manual input and room for human error.
⭐️By integrating a one-in-all operations platform like LosjiTech into your PMS, owners, managers and staff personnel are automatically notified per ticketed item, so task distribution no longer solely hinges on the manager or front desk person.
With just one guest service blip, you may have lost a loyal customer for months or years to come. The American Customer Satisfaction Index shows that “ease of check-in process,” and “ease of making a reservation” are within the top five benchmarks of success for customer experience in both 2021 and 2022.
PMS features can cause information gaps around live guest rooms and real-time property updates. Part of this is because typical PMS tech fails to group units by region, city, building, and multiple property ownership – a common layout for short-term rental property owners. Supercharging your PMS allows managers to group and categorize their properties based on their particular property layout.
According to Pew Research, one-in-four workers in the U.S. reported that they quit their jobs because they were working too many hours. Moreover, 45% of those individuals reported a lack of flexibility in where they put their hours. In general, project management software (across industries) saves an employee 498 hours per year.
⭐️ Troubleshooting from a remote location can save a bundle of time and money – a big selling point in a newly remote workplace. Integrated operations platforms like LosjiTech allow for complete remote control, and platform management from miles (or time zones) away.
PMS software today operates within a centralized mode of control, putting most of the oversight responsibility on one person or manager. Supercharging your PMS with an integrated operations platform will create a decentralized, filtered knowledge base – embedding and automating menial tasks and transfers into the tech infrastructure, so owners and managers can focus on larger strategic decisions.
With the right software integration, a filtered knowledge base within your PMS allows both owners and staff to access necessary information to do their job. New employees can access existing staff, room, and training information on day one. Further, each department staff member – from front desk to repairs – will receive their own automated task notifications or vital information such as special events, accessibility needs, or last-minute COVID-19 related cancellations.
⭐️An integrated knowledge base like LosjiTech offers a decentralized, automated system, distributing ticketed and job notifications across departments and staff members, while managers still get a full picture view of the day-to-day operations.
Hospitality is one of the tougher industries for remote work. To achieve results in customer care and business growth, much of the industry relies on service personnel on the property grounds, particularly with current PMS technology.
A recent study showed that by 2028, 73% of all departments are expected to have remote workers – revealing that telecommuting will become acceptable in an even wider range of industries including hospitality. And employees want to work remotely – cross generational reports, particularly focusing on professionals in established roles, show that workers would give up certain benefits just to be remote or hybrid.
Bridging the gap from where hospitality is now, to a hybrid, automated and decentralized model will require new tech. Supercharging your PMS can bridge that gap.
⭐️Supercharging your PMS model is an easy way to create ease in your day-to-day operations, so managers and owners can feel confident in their business model and technological foundation, from anywhere in the world.
Ultimately, the entire suite of operations tech should work together as one, connecting your front of the house, back of the house, and reporting deck – every corner of the booking space. Supercharging your PMS with an integrated operations platform to meet modern demands is step one.
Test how supercharging your PMS with LosjiTech can transform your hospitality business.