TOURISM INFORMATION SYSTEM
CHAPTER 9
LECTURER NAME: MALENEE A/P CHANDRAN
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Chapter 9
Hospitality Information Systems
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Chapter 9 Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter you should be able to:
Understand the nature of the hospitality industry and its
unique applications of IT
Be able to explain how a hotel’s property management
system works and connects to other systems in the hotel
Know the ways a hotel can service its guests better with
IT applications throughout the hotel
Know how restaurants can use IT for improved
operations
Understand how a hotel or restaurant can use IT for
improved management and decision-making
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Key Concepts
Front office and back office systems
Decision support system (DSS)
Electronic locking systems
Energy management system (EMS)
Expert information system (EIS)
Point-of-sale (POS)
Property management system (PMS)
Revenue management system (RMS)
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Common IT Applications in Hospitality
Front-office applications: reservation system, check-in/check-out,
room status and housekeeping, in-house guest information and guest
accounting
Back office applications: personnel, purchasing, accounting,
inventory, sales and catering and financial reports and statistics
Guest-related interface applications: call-accounting, electronic
locking, energy management, guest-operated devices and auxiliary
guest services
Restaurant and banquet management systems: menu
management, recipe management, sales analysis and forecasting,
menu-item pricing and cost control
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Property Management System (PMS)
Handles the core functions of information processing
for an accommodation property and is the hub for all
interconnectivity with other systems in the hotel
Major functions:
Reservations Management
Guest Folio and Billing
Room Management
Specialized PMS Functions
Back Office Applications
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Figure 9.1 The DHISCO switch
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Hotel Websites
Generate direct sales and provide greater control over
inventory than other electronic booking channels
Avoid commissions
Features of successful hotel websites:
interactive and easily navigable
quality information
online booking capability
price comparison features
maps
multiple language support
links to local points of interest
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Electronic Hotel Reservations
Online travel agents (OTAs)
Metasearch engines
Specialized accommodation search engines
TripAdvisor
Google Hotel Search
Channel managers
Mobile apps
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GUESTS
Property Chain Affiliate Traditional Specialty
Website Website Websites OTAs Agents Websites
Wholesalers
Aggregators GDSs Switches
Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs)
HOTELS
Figure 9.2 Electronic Hotel Room Distribution
(Adapted from: Carroll and Siguaw 2003)
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Guest Applications
Customer relationship management
Guest history systems
Guest room amenities
Electronic locking system (ELS)
Guest information and entertainment devices
Guest services technology
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GCU Network Door Locks
PMS
POS Area
Verifiers
TNN
TNN
Key
Encoder
Check In Area
TNN=Terminal Network Node | GCN=Group Controller Unit | POS=Point of Service
Figure 9.3 Hardware Configuration for an ELS
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Hotel Communications
Private Branch Exchange: control the connections
of hotel telephone calls to the outside world for guests
and employees
Call Accounting System (CAS): allows the hotel to
route and track calls without using the local telephone
company
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Figure 9.4
Analog telephone switch PBX
(Source: Seattle Municipal Archives, 2008)
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Printer | Fax
Scanner CAS PMS
Internet
Modem
Firewall
Voice Mail Router Guest Room
Automated Extensions
Wake-up Call Digital PBX
Reception
Switchboard
Videoconferencing
Back Office Extensions
Figure 9.5 Example of a Digital PBX System
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Energy Management System
Monitor, control and optimize energy consumption in
a hotel
Can link to ELS to determine whether a room is
occupied and can automatically adjust air
conditioning, lighting and heating
Infrared body scanners
Electronic bedside control panels and mobile apps
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GUEST ROOMS COMMUNICATIONS
Internet CAS Digital PBX Router Firewall Modem Internet
FRONT OFFICE BACK OFFICE
Door Locking
System Reception Sales & Marketing
PMS
CRS
Entertainment
System Self Check In Revenue Management
EMS POS
FOOD & BEVERAGE Financial Accounting
Electronic Inventory Control Pre-costing Menu
Mini Bar System System Management Payroll & HRM
Figure 9.6 Property Management System (PMS) Interfaces
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Payment
Authorization
PMS Internet
Back Office Order Entry
POS Server &
Router
Restaurant
Management Handheld Devices
Print | Fax | Scan Payment Systems
Bar
Credit Card
Kitchen Displays Cash Register Printers Terminal Restaurant
Figure 9.7 Food Service IT Applications
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Discussion Questions
1. If you were the manager of a campsite in a national park with 30
cabins of different sizes and one restaurant, what functionality
would you want from a PMS? Describe the kinds of technology that
would be appropriate for this kind of lodging. Which channels
would you use to sell your cabins? Why?
2. Compare and contrast the website of an international chain hotel
with an independently owned and operated hotel site.
3. Describe all the ways that a restaurant or cafe could use mobile apps
and technology to relate to its customers.
4. Visit a local restaurant and find out all you can about their POS and
other technical applications.
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Discussion Questions
4. Identify as many hotel booking websites as you can. Choose one
hotel that you would like to visit and investigate how it is presented
on all the various sites. Visit TripAdvisor and read some of the
reviews for the hotel. What conclusions can you draw from this
investigation?
5. OTAs have caused many hotels to lose control of their inventory and
pricing and this has eroded not only profitability but also brand
equity. Unlike hotels, airlines have not suffered from the same
problems. Why are the airlines in a different position? If you were a
hotelier, what strategies would you use to overcome this problem?
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Case Study: Accor Hotels
A leading lodging company headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, with over
3,700 properties in 95 countries with 250,000 employees.
Digital development strategy:
designing and implementing an innovative content marketing strategy
incorporating e-reputation as a core business objective
creating and/or adapting organizational structures
TARS online booking platform handles 329 million annual visits and is available in 18
languages
MobileFirst app
view hotel details
book rooms
modify bookings
online payment and online check-in
communicate with individual properties
city guides and other supplementary information
Accor’s Revenue Management System (RMS) evaluates demand fluctuations and
changes in rates of competitors and other accommodations options such as AirBnB 21