IMPORTANCE OF I.T. MANAGEMENT IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY-A Preview

Srikant Kapoor

The Management Information System is an important tool used by service organizations to assist in planning, in addition to resolve existing and potential problems. To be more specific in the present day world, we find a tremendous increase in the frequency of change. The emerging changes within and outside the firm make it imperative that Information technology programs are scientifically managed, specially on the basis of information based decisions as it is accessible to all by the means of technology, since the intuition based decisions can’t help service organizations in  decision making.

Technology is associated with the use of computer systems in business operations-largely because so much innovation has occurred in the areas of information systems. In manufacturing industries, technology refers to the processes by which inputs, such as raw materials, are transformed into outputs, such as finished products. Like manufacturers, the food service sector of the hospitality industry uses technology to transform raw food into the finished meals enjoyed by guests.

A hospitality information system application makes use of real interfaces used in today's hotels and restaurants, including the:

   Property Management System (PMS)

   Global Distribution System (GDS),

   Point of Sale System (POS),

   Restaurant Management System (RMS),

   Catering Management Soft-ware,

   Back Office and Enterprise systems,

   Databases,

   Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.

Take the case of PMS which have greatly enhanced the hotels ability to accept, store and retrieve guest reservations, guest history, requests and billing arrangements. We can consider an example of a reservation booked through an agent. The agent takes the reservation, uploads it into the Central reservation system, (CRS) which in turn flows down to the PMS software of the specific hotel. Now, when the guest checks-in the integration of the PMS with the door locking system would allow only genuine guests to access the rooms for the specified number of days and would automatically disable the locks after the guest have checked out.

Another example on the wonders of technology can be seen-the state of the art telephone system makes guest communication a pleasure and provides a host of modern features aimed at the guest's convenience. The latest in terms of technology the Hi-Com 353 is installed at leading hotels in India. It has a software link which allows mind boggling features, like picking up the guests details from the Hotel Software program and allowing the room to dial out only after a guest has checked into the hotel. It is the Automatic activation of room phones with all facilities (i.e. - Local, STD & ISD.) It stops all the telephone features to the room the moment the guest pays his bill at the counter. The name of the guest is reflected in every phone screen and the Hotel Software flashes the guest name at every computer terminal so that a very important feature of the hospitality industry in terms of personalizing the guest with calling him by his name is exploited to the maximum. No guest is!

 referred to as room no. 202 or only Sir.

The proper integration of the software modules with each other through interfaces reduces lot of workload and manual transactions. The demand for better service is an integral part of any industry's survival and the basis of the hospitality industry is “better service”, or rather 'best services'. The investments in technology are in the initial stages of set-up, and the correct mix and implementation of software and hardware would ensure that the internal and external customers are kept delighted every time.

Thus, use of Information technology becomes more of necessity rather than a luxury.

Thanking you and confident of a positive response.

Yours truly,

Srikant Kapoor, (Faculty-Management), PGDM, DHMCT, HDSM(NIS),BA (Eco)

& Rekha Maitra, (Faculty),MTM(IGNOU) ,CTS (IGNOU), DHMCT(IISM),BA (Ranchi University)