Importance Information Systems in Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry has encountered several changes as a result of growth and development of technology. Technology has facilitated online booking operations through developing online booking systems that have promoted the popularity of hotels and restaurant. Online hotel profile provides customers with various selections and customizable services. Customers can reserve a sleeping room, meeting halls, food staffs, and other, facilities when they are at the remote location. 

Applications are being developed by hotels to facilitate easier access to hotel facilities by ensuring that customers can easily view hotels facilities, their process and select according to their taste and preference (James, et al.,1982).

Computer systems have facilitated better and automatic point of sale in hotels and restaurants. Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) has been introduced allowing hospitality industries to operate more effectively and efficiently. EPOS allows customers to acquire better and standardized services by integrating improved customer relationship services. EPOS systems provide multiple of integrated inventory management tools, information on various hotel services, reservation capabilities, available stocks, and many more operations. EPOS systems are simple and friendly to operate due to the simple user interface. Operations involve a simple touch of a button and everything works effectively. Cloud based point of service has been developed to allow customers process orders, perform booking of services, implement payment of bills and other dedicated services. EPOS services can be accomplished using Smartphone.

Information technology has facilitated launching of various management operations including Customer Relations Management (CRM). CRM software enables managements of various customer-related applications to be organized and managed in a single place. Effective and efficient CRM makes hotel facilities to be available to customers by connecting consumers to cloud-based applications where facilities are located,

Technology has enabled hotels and restaurants to implement automated sales and marketing operations. Through emails hotels, sales and marketing department can distribute information concerning discounted facilities. Online platforms enhance easier monitoring of customers who have visited the site by sending them information through emails. Social media links can be linked with accessed links to provide easier access to facilities demanded.

The flourishing of social media platforms is a major opportunity that hotels can implement to facilitate advertising of their facilities.  Social media platform makes better sites to provide inciting images that are attractive and directly communicating with potential customers about a hotel. Hotels and restaurants use social media environment to share beautiful, attractive products such as images of food prepared and other facilities.

Technology has increased better and more user-friendly smartphone devices. The device enables easy downloading of applications and fast surfing internet. Hotels and restaurants have taken advantage of Smartphone technology to promote their business activates. Guests can easily use their Smartphone to access facilities and services offered by hotels like free wi-fi connection.  Guest can also operate various operations while operating within Hotel Local Area Network (Gregory & Parsons, 1983). Customers can book any service of the instantly request for a service and receive it immediately. Such settings and configurations help customers to feel satisfied with facilities provided and operate more conveniently.

Information Systems generates or Eliminates Barriers to New Entry

The process of implementing new technology is becoming too expensive to implement. IT operations like processing, obtaining and transmitting information is expensive and taking to implement. The organization requires o change how business operates to manage and control all business operations using information technology. The nature of IT operations requires trained manpower. Individuals with a high level of skills and ability to operate IT system is required to ensure IT services are implemented in the company. New companies have difficulties in assimilating IT thus making it difficult to use and apply technology in daily operations of business. A business entering into the market encounters stiff competition due to lack of enough capital and resources to support IT technology. IT changes alters the structure and changes the rules of completion. It becomes a competition advantage for an organization implementing IT. Established organization applies technology advancement to out power newly entering markets and business by changing various operations like altering product prices. Through changing prices establishes organization gains potential to control, and manage entry off other hotels in the markets especially when they have no enough capital to invest in IT.  

Effect of IT operation in society is remarkably rampant to assimilate effectively IT technology within business operations various preparation techniques must be established. Operations involving the creation of new products using current technology promote high levels of standardized goods and services in hotels and restaurants. Advanced Hotels and restaurant apply technologies a competing weapon and an asset to silent other business-oriented hotels trying to enter the market. Current trend applied by companies is taking advantage of IT in enforcing chain value advantage. Technology and economic level of the organization create a barrier to the organizations trying to start operating restaurant services (Warren, 1984). The value of activities regarding capital is measured by some customers willing to pay for a particular product or service. Business entities are profitable if the value of activities can be covered by returns obtained after deducting the cost of creating a good or a service. To control competitive advantage and have superiority over rivals advanced hotels usually offer their product and services at lower cost or operate their business in a way that leads to differentiation of premium costs that will make customers favor and consider advanced hotels at the expense of other upcoming hotels.

Historical Trends of Information Systems in Hospitality Industry

During a pre-computerized era in the years past the 1990s, the role of hotel and catering workers was significant as computers today. The booking process was conducted by hotel agents who arranged and organized guest’s rooms, foods, and other services upon arrival. Hospitality services were based on first come first, serve basis (Victor, 1984). During high traffic periods, the first come first served operations resulted in long queues, long delay time and exhaustion and fatigue waiting for one by one service offering session. Traditional hotel and restaurant management depended on human support, and all operations were manually implemented. However, the traditional wave was eventually replaced with computerized operations that led to the automation of computerized services across the world. Gradual change and transformation were accelerated by having increased access to World Wide Web via online internet channels.

Launching of networking and distributed systems promoted major operations within business organizations. Hotels and restaurants have increasingly applied the concept of distribution of resources to facilitate better and improved services across the word. Through networking, distributed systems have been established to promote standardization and sharing of facilities among connected hotels and catering departments. Hotels have utilized shared network phenomenon to improve their marketing, sales and customer relations. Many hospitality industries have subscribed to online advertising agents through cloud service providers. Similarly, the current increasing operation involves hotels implementing their services through registering to inter-organizational hotel reservation system. Hotels provide their profile explaining services offered, price, location, contact and other relevant information to enable them to reach many customers globally through online reservation of hotel facilities. Currently many hotels and restaurants have built their websites that offer various activities involving planning, booking, and payment services that enhance customer conveniences and eliminates problems involving queuing. Mobile applications are gaining popularity in ensuring that performance of hotels and restaurant is the peak. Easy operations and navigation through mobile applications have made locating hotel services easier. Launching of Google map capability on mobile devices has made easy and convenient means of traveling and locating hotels. Directions and building can be provided through GPS capability supported by smart phones. 

The Current State of Information

The current trends in hotel and restaurant involve the application of smart appliances. Hotels are extending catering services to as close boundaries as home premises. Hotels are supplying services through the processes and possibilities enhanced by mobile appliances. Catering services are being serviced at customer premises upon request. Such services are promoting hotels performances by promoting customer conveniences. Hotels management is focusing on attracting more customers and retaining them through improving room’s facilities. Hotel rooms are acquiring new looks through best decorations. It has better lighting facilities by implementing best decorating systems.  Hotels and restaurants are focusing on improving temperature; hotel management is using temperature regulators to provide favorable and comfortable environments to the customers. Hotels are trying to meet the needs and preferences of customers by allowing them to customize various environmental conditions like temperature. Various facilities are being provided at convenient homes. Facilities like radios, televisions, alarms internet and other similar services are being offered within hotel rooms to allow the best environment at most convenient access (Michael, 1979). Guideline on how to access facilities within hotel premises are well outlined to ensure guests are not facing problems in allocating services. Electronic guiding signals, as well as automated interactive systems, are being implemented in hotels to help hotel visitor’s use and apply various services at most convenient levels.                

How Information Systems Might Influence Future Trends

Information technology growth may lead to increased emphasis on hotel lobbying by adding more interesting services together with decorations in hotel rooms. Future hotel improvements may include the addition of mobile recharging consoles, brilliant sparkling interiors, and free Wi-Fi enabled access points for checking online and surfing purposes. Hotels shall implement docking ports to for iPhone to cope with demands of customers.

Hotel management operations shall implement mobile enabled front desk management consoles that shall implement various operations including video conferencing operations. Future hotel management shall try to minimize movements that interfere with operations of customers within the hotel. Various approaches in hotel management shall have different operations implemented from customer personality to facilitate hotel stay aspect. The system allows maximization of Return on investment (James  & Konsynski,  1885). Through the application of management consoles monitoring devices that draw consumer attentions shall be removed to allow free and distraction feelings among the customers. More privacy and confidential environment shall be enhanced through better-automated management that will minimize the number of working staffs within hotel premises.

Future technology shall require hotels to introduce of the bus system in delivering food materials in hotels. The system shall facilitate a high level of privacy, confidentiality, minimize movement, and eliminate contradictions in delivering orders to wrong places. The dispenser oriented shall be introduced to promote better and high hygiene services. Water and bathing tabs in hotels shall have automated systems that encourage controlled and cool environments.

Technology shall influence installation of an automated check in devices that facilitate better and improved security. Customers shall be having automated keys supplied through their mobile phone devices. The device shall be linked with hotel locking mechanism to allow customers to gain access to booked rooms using mobile-enabled signals. Key card equipment that employs radio frequency identification shall become another option for implementing security and ensuring permission is granted to the right individual. The mobile applications shall facilitate better communication that shall eliminate direct reporting at front desk service provision. The operation shall allow better and modified implementation of instant messaging for updating customers.  More and improvements in Hospitality industries shall be expected in future.

References

Gregory L. Parsons, (1983) Information Technology: A New Competitive Weapon,” Sloan Management Review, p 3.

James I. and Benn R. Konsynski, (1885) IS Redraws Competitive Boundaries. p. 134.

James L. McKenney and F. Warren McFarlan, (1982). The Information Archipelago—Maps and Bridges, p. 109.

Michael E. P (1979) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy.  p. 137.

Victor E. M. (1984) Decision-Oriented Information: Datamation, p. 159.

Warren M. , (1984). Information Technology Changes the Way You Compete.  p. 98.

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in custom nursing essay writing services services if you need a similar paper you can place your order for college essay writing services.