3 Ways a Cloud PMS Improves Internal Communication

Both management and hotel staff need access to current, accurate information about the property. For instance, the accounting department needs metrics, such as RevPAR and gross operating profit, while the front desk has to know which rooms are safe to check guests into (lest the guest end up in a room with someone else’s dental floss by the sink).

This information should be kept in a place that’s widely known and easily accessible to everyone. Accounting is going to have a very hard time if the reservations department has squirreled sales totals away in a separate spreadsheet.

This is where a cloud property management system (PMS) comes in. Think of it as the command center of your hotel, like the bridge on Star Trek. Captain Kirk didn’t have to tromp down to the medical bay everytime he needed to tell McCoy to expect injuries; they had better communication in place (also the ship was shaking).

Here’s how a cloud PMS saves time and reduces errors by eliminating data silos and ensuring information is right at your fingertips when you need it.

Data Centralization

A cloud PMS is where you store everything, from reservations to housekeeping reports to accounting data. If your hotel does it, there should be a record there. Housekeeping can update the system when rooms are clean, and front desk clerks can find that information in the same system (no check-in mistakes!). It’s much more efficient—and reliable—than tapping each other on the shoulder in the halls.

A robust PMS should have robust accounting and reporting functions to go with it. Not only should it enable you to retrieve the information you need, it should enable you to choose the information you need. WebRezPro offers a custom report where you can calculate reservations, cancellations, check-ins/outs, and revenue, filtering through a wide range of parameters. You know your business better than we do, and this report allows you to put that knowledge to good use.

If you have multiple properties within a hotel group, a cloud PMS prevents those properties from turning into data silos (you shouldn’t have to cross a moat to compare everyone’s RevPAR). A centralized PMS provides instant, authorized access to performance, availability, and guest profile data across member properties. No neglecting repeat guests just because they stayed at another property last time!

Remote Accessibility

Because a cloud PMS is in, well, the cloud, it can be accessed from anywhere, by authorized staff. It does not rely on a specific device or server. As a bonus, not having a physical server can both decrease your environmental footprint and improve security.

If your revenue manager has to work from home for a day—no problem. If your sales team needs to check the latest figures on the road, they can. Your housekeepers can check and update their schedule on the go. A strong PMS displays data in an easy-to-read mobile format. That salesperson won’t have to dig around for their laptop. They can just tap open their phone while they talk to a prospect.

A housekeeping supervisor reviews the schedule with a housekeeper on a mobile device while they work — *With a mobile PMS, staff don’t have to return to the front desk to access the information they need.*

Third-party Integrations

Your cloud PMS isn’t your only system (you probably also have a payment processing system, and online distribution solutions, at least!). It’s the system that talks to all your other systems.

Integrated with your PMS, other systems expand the functionality of your PMS and therefore your entire property. They include point-of-sale (POS) systems, guest messaging platforms, distribution channels, and more.

When data can’t communicate between them, it causes problems. Your staff have better things to do than manual data entry, and this manual data duplication introduces errors. Say a guest bought a steak dinner at your restaurant. In your POS system, that steak cost $50…but your staff accidentally hit an extra key when adding it to their room reservation, and now that steak is $500! Oops!

Integration prevents issues like this from occurring. Relevant data is automatically shared between integrated systems. No typing involved. Not only does this reduce errors, but it ensures that the information you need is present in a central location.

By consolidating data within a unified system and making it easy to access, a cloud PMS enhances interdepartmental communication leading to streamlined operations and greater success.