Module 2:

Selection and use of common Business

Technology

Gale d.junio, lpt

 Overview
Many modern business tools have wide applications in a business where
they can assist the business in meeting its objectives. Many business tools
also present a possible non-business use that should be considered when
allowing access. The simplest example is a telephone. Business calls to
suppliers and customers are obviously part of the job of many people. Just
as obviously a telephone call to a relative in another country is not. The
number, cost, and nature of the personal access has been a challenge for
businesses for many years, but as the range of tools with this issue has
increased so has the range of challenges.
Traditionally, employees have not been allowed to customise the place
where they work as there can be a conflict of interested and the possibility
of fraud with free drinks or food. Modern business tools provide new
opportunities for an employee to waste or misuse business resources.
There are a wide range of tools to limit such practices but they need to be
carefully planned, implemented, and communicated to ensure the
objectives of the business are not comprised:

Telephones can have call-barring where certain numbers are not available,
for example international or mobile numbers. In some systems these
restrictions can be applied on a telephone by telephone basis. This means
that executives can make international calls while others cannot.
If this is not necessary, overriding codes can be made to managers that
allow them to make any call from any telephone. A manager can call
overseas from a telephone that has the service banned by first entering
the number.

Agreements can be created that allow for personal access up to a set

level. Employees may be required to identify personal calls made on a
business mobile and if they exceed a predetermined amount the
employee must make restitution. This can be a set by time or dollar
cost. For example, if the personal cost is more than 10% of the total bill
or Php 10 the employee will pay the amount over the maximum amount.
In other cases employees are required to pay for all calls after close of
business as any calls made at such a time must be personal.
Is the employee allowed to use the tool for personal use? As previously
stated, traditionally, employees have not been allowed to frequent an
establishment where they work. The same restriction can be applied to
business tools so they cannot be used for non-business purposes.
Employees are not allowed to borrow a camera to take a few photographs
at home.

Internet presents a wide range of opportunities to misuse and abuse

resources. Precious business time can be squandered while surfing the
internet on unrelated business activities.

Email also presents similar challenges as web surfing. Email can be where
an employee accesses personal accounts using the business internet. While
some time is reasonable, how much time is reasonable?
 The Business Website
This business tool is unique and must be considered as a separate entity. Whereas the
other tools have common challenges and issues regarding use, access, and cost, the
website of the business can do unprecedented damage to a business and requires
special care and control to ensure the objectives of the business are achieved.

Consider two scenarios. An employee has a company mobile phone and becomes
disgruntled with the business. He can make excessive calls and run up a high bill.
This is unpleasant but not business threatening. The second case has the same upset
employee but in this scenario he has uncontrolled access to the business website. He
could write anything on the site and publish very embarrassing or dangerous
information to millions of internet users. The consequences of the second case are
more significant than the first.
Assuming that the motives of an employee are genuine and honourable, the normal
process of updating a web page can present opportunities to cause harm to the
business. It is possible for incorrect or inaccurate information to be published by
people believing it to be correct. This may be as simple as wrong names, telephone
numbers, email addresses or even incorrect spelling. It may be as damaging as
wrong prices, stock items, stock details, sale information, or plain misleading
information.

A well-managed site will often have an approval process that will hide any changes
to a site until they have been vetted and approved by another person. There may be a
group of authors that have the permission to make changes to the site, and these
people become the first step in the approval process. They can check that language,
style, and content is consistent with the existing material on the site. But any
changes made by an author does not become visible or published on the site until
the edits have been approved by another party, often called an approver.
 Software
Software is also a unique item. Where software is distributed on portable
media it will be installed on the various computers and then stored and it
may never be needed again. But should it be required the hardware – the
disk or similar – must be accessible as well as the associated passwords or
install keys. These are often on the disk case or packing, but they may be
sent via email. Replacement keys are obtainable, but it is obviously quicker,
easier, and cheaper to have the key with the disk. It is not unknown for a
company to have useful software that has been made by a manufacturer
that has ceased operation so support in the form of additional keys is not
available.
When the software is sent electronically the key may not be physically attached to the
software. The relevant details need to be recorded to ensure that purchased software is
available for use in the business. As the software has been sent electronically, via email or
download, the software will need to store in manner that is consistent with the long term
life of the software. It has been known for storage media to become obsolete which makes
the content of the media inaccessible. The early format floppy disks of 360KB and 1.2 MB,
the later hard shell 1.44 MB disks cannot be used in modern computers because the disk
drives that read the disks are no longer available. Storing data on CDs may be unsuitable
for long term storage for the same reason.

Software is often useful in the home and this increases the attractiveness of software and
makes it more susceptible to theft. It is unlikely to be a high volume access item so that
any theft may not be detected for some time after the event, and then only after an audit or
stock take. Added to this is that, should the software be required, it will often be because
there has been some incident that requires reinstalling the software so there will often be
a time issue and pressure on accessing the software. Therefore storing software requires
special considerations to ensure it is there and it can be used.
 WIKI
“Wiki” is Hawaiian for fast and wiki sites allow users to update the
site with little restriction on access. Businesses can create their
own wiki sites to store information that may be required by the
internal business users. It is especially suited for large business to
be able to publish internal public information, this is information
that is freely available to anyone in the business. If it becomes
known outside the business there should not be any negative
consequences, but the business does not intend to publish the
material.
Areas of a wiki can have restricted access so passwords for various items can be stored with limited
access so that only those with authority to access the information can do so.

A wiki can store text, pictures, video and sound, it can store plain facts (e.g. telephone lists) as well as
training material, training records, manuals, and forms for whatever purpose. Wikis are available
straight out of the box, and operated with little or no web development expertise.

It is important to establish guidelines as to what is appropriate. Management in one business may

encourage personal, family friendly material to be published as a method of bonding and creating a
family entity, while the same material is seen as inappropriate in another. Pictures and stories about
the private lives of the employees may be allowed or it may be deemed to be unacceptable. It is
important that guidelines are established and reviewed to ensure that they are relevant to the
business.

There will need to be some control over what is published, or monitoring as to who publishes the
item. All users must be aware of the consequences if offensive or inappropriate material is
published.
 Social Networking
Sites such as Facebook and MySpace can be assets for the
business but they can also be liabilities. There have been
several cases where people have been fired because of
what they wrote on Facebook and the impact the
comments would have on the business. Staff need to be
aware of the consequences of publishing material on the
social sites.
 LANDLINE TELEPHONE
Landline telephones can be restricted to local calls if necessary and they
usually have unlimited access. Some businesses may not approve
personal calls, but in most the cost and number of local calls make it
inefficient to monitor.

What is important for some businesses is the training element. If the

business is small and there is only one phone, or only one phone on a
number then training may be unnecessary. However, as the phone
system becomes more complicated and the functionality increases so
does the need for training in “telephone techniques”.
 Email
This is very similar to the landline requirements. It may be possible to
assume that most can use an email system, but different programs
present different challenges.

There is also the consideration of email etiquette and how a sent

email will reflect on a business. Modern businesses will often have a
standard email template with a standard signature block and users
may need to be trained on how to change the template for an
individual user.
Training programs may include:

● Colour schemes and which to avoid

● Standard greeting “Dear” rather than “Hi”
● Capitals – “HELLO” indicates shouting and a recipient may find
such a message offensive
● Inappropriate attachments that recipients may find offensive and
the possible consequences
● Inappropriate use as defined by the corporate email policy
● Use of group or bulk emails and when they are appropriate
● Private email use through the system
● Spam filters
● Attachment size – what is the maximum allowed size?
 Business Technologies
Technology aimed at front-office and housekeeping functions. Before we delve into each of these two subareas,
we will mention the property management system (PMS), which is the main system that defines room
management in a hotel. As we discuss below, sometimes the PMS performs many of the functions that will later
be described in the two mentioned subareas.

Property management system: PMSs are responsible for the coordination of all operations carried out in hotel
reception, marketing and sales, room management, accounting, payroll, management reservations, food and
beverage, and other areas. That is, the main function of the PMS is to act as a hub between the different
information systems of the hotel. It is a centralized database of all the transactions the take place within the
establishment and also of those outside the hotel that have an impact on it.
 Front office
Front-office systems consist of different technologies ranging
from computer applications to electronic devices to support
human work and to support customers in the process of
achieving self-service. Therefore, they are designed to support
the operations of direct customer service, with features such as
individual and group billing, customer management, check-in
and checkout, etc. These are the systems that we can find in this
area.
 Reception
The systems in this area support the tasks performed by the reception, oriented mainly
to control the state of the hotel on the one hand, and to provide information and solve
guests’ needs on the other.

The goal is to control check-ins, check-outs, room status, reservations, etc. Much of this
information is the basis for the other departments of the hotel that receive the
information directly in their information systems or as a paper listing prepared by the
reception. Typically these systems already incorporate visual modes that allow users to
know the status of the rooms in the hotel at a glance. In the second case, one of the main
tasks of the receptionist is to meet the demands of customers in terms of information
and services. The reception is the central point at which these claims are received,
processed, and sent, if necessary, to the appropriate department.
 Concierge
The concierge support system is aimed at providing information on activities and attractions
that may be of interest to the customer: restaurants, excursions, other tourist services, ways
to get to a certain point, etc. In this area, we believe it is interesting to highlight the
research by Adler and Gordon (2013), who found that, contrary to what one might think
(because much of the information provided by concierges is widely available on the
Internet), the reality is that hotel guests still prefer that this information be offered to them
in person by the concierge. The concierge uses the technology to provide the most current
and relevant information.
 Check-in (assisted or self-service)

The check-in is the process by which the arrival of a customer at a hotel for the
first time during a stay is registered. Therefore, it is the time at which the guest
is assigned a specific room and provided access to it. This type of system takes
care of check-in both for individuals and for groups. Traditionally, information
systems have helped in the process of automating tasks, performing the same
work that was done without technology. However, in recent times self-service
check-in systems have started to become popular. In this system, the tourist
checks in without any operator intervention by using a kiosk or similar system
that delivers the room card.
 Online check-in
Online check-in. As an additional step to a self-service check-in at a kiosk, auto check in online
systems facilitate that the guest can check-in prior to the arrival to the hotel. Thus, there may be
two scenarios: in the first one, the hotel room doors are equipped with some kind of technology
that allows guests to open them directly (for example, using their mobile phone or with a numerical
key pad); in this case, provided it is within the time specified by the hotel, once the check-in is done,
the guest can go directly to the room. In the second scenario, when the rooms are not enabled for
this process or when it is necessary for the client to physically stop by the front desk for security
purposes, this process is very fast and the guests just have to be identified, without filling out
documents or a room having to be assigned. These types of systems are particularly interesting
when they provide the customer with a virtual plan of the hotel in which the exact location and
possible views from every room are available, allowing the guest to choose the room that best fits
their desires, similar to what is done when choosing a seat at a concert or sporting event.
 Mobile check-in
Mobile check-in. The mobile check-in within the hotel
allows the check-in process assisted by the receptionist
to take place in a more comfortable and enjoyable
environment for the client, instead of having to stand at a
reception desk. The use of tablets allows the receptionist
to sit comfortably with the customer to explain the
features of the hotel and to carry out the check-in
process.
 Alarm
Alarm. Automated systems that record the time that the client wishes to be woken up and
carry out the process in the requested schedule. Years ago, this type of systems was seen as
very beneficial to the customer, whereas today they are almost disappearing, as it is
something that the guests can easily manage with their own devices (i.e., mobile phones).

Vending machines
Systems that control the vending machines: adequate stock of products
and the purchase of products with the room card.
 Resort customer card
Systems that manage the cards that are delivered to customers so they can
make consumption in all existing points of sale in the hotel: restaurants, bars,
activities, utilities, shops, vending machines, etc. Published studies (e.g.,
Morosan, 2012) have analyzed the possibility of using biometrics (e.g.,
fingerprint, voice, or iris scan recognition) in this area, finding that there is a
willingness to use these technologies whenever they demonstrate greater
utility than traditional card-based systems. As will be shown later in this
article, wearable technologies (i.e., bracelets) could probably be a consensus
solution, since they would be something that the host is always carrying and
has fewer disadvantages regarding the use of personal data.
 Night Audit
Systems responsible for posting the room charge to each guest’s account and
cross-checking the accounts at the end of the day. These systems are increasingly
automated, limiting the manual part to reviewing that the process has worked correctly.

Check-out, assisted or self-service

In this process, the guest check-out is performed. These systems are responsible for
generating the final invoice, checking the pending expenditures, and recording the
remaining balance payments. In large hotels, check-out is often automated, thus
customers receive an invoice in their room the morning they leave the hotel, and if they
agree, they just have to confirm the invoice dialing a phone number, avoiding having to
queue at the reception. It is also possible to do the checkout process with the television of
the room.
 Touch screens, information kiosks
Interactive systems in which users use touch screens and
information kiosks to carry out self-service operations that would be
done at the reception: requesting information, booking services,
check-in or check-out, etc. In this regard, Tung and Tan (1998) show
a classification of such devices based on their capabilities and the
transaction information (structured or semistructured) that they
provide. Regarding this type of self-service device, there has always
been some debate about the extent to which they are used by
customers and the factors that facilitate or inhibit their use.
 Luggage
Although it is a function usually controlled manually (e.g., tag a piece of luggage, assign it
to a room, and deliver it), RFID tags are helping streamline the process and making it
more secure. Thus, when the suitcase is given to the staff, they apply an RFID tag and the
guest is given a code so that he/she will be able to know at all times where the suitcase is; at
the same time, the hotel can also locate it and prevent theft or loss.

Lost objects
Systems to log all the objects lost in a hotel resort in order to
facilitate their return to the right client.
To be continued…
 Housekeeping and Rooms

This section describes the technologies that are

designed to automate housekeeping or can be
used by the guest in the room.
 Housekeeping
Systems to support the management of all operations related to the cleaning and preparing
of rooms: assignment of rooms to cleaners, control of the status of each room, and service
times control, among others. Historically considered one of the areas that have the most
influence on customer loyalty, housekeeping is a critical factor in the industry.

Client presence in the room

Systems designed to detect whether the client is present in the room before entering to clean
it, fill the minibar, correct minor faults, etc. Years ago, when physical keys were used in
hotels, the system was based on whether the key was in the appropriate box at the reception
desk. Today it is typical that the customer has to place a sign on the door lock. But nowadays
there are systems that can have simple detection mechanisms (e.g., whether the customer has
placed the key in the docking station) or more complex models in which the guest digitally
indicates his or her presence and willingness for someone to enter the room.
 Maintenance order
Systems meant to reflect all the maintenance needs there may be in a room: bulbs, locks,
toilets, paint, etc. The system communicates with the room availability system (marking, if
needed, a room as unavailable if the problem is severe) and the maintenance management
system. Since this is an area in which outsourcing is common, the system must also manage
this process.

Minibar
Applications and systems that allow keeping track of the purchases a guest has made in the
minibar. These systems also include automated models for detecting minibar consumption,
aimed at both billing and refilling. In the simplest cases, the employee can see from outside
the room if the minibar has been opened, thereby not entering rooms in which the minibar
has not been opened.
 Some suggest that IT has led to a revival of minibars, which in many establishments were
eliminated or left empty. Since IT facilitates the detection of use, billing, and refill, costs are
reduced and revenue is increased , making the service more profitable. Currently, the trends
are targeted towards minibars with dynamic pricing and capable of promoting cross-selling.
For example, customers who purchase a movie can get a discount on minibar items while
watching the film.

Theft management (pilfering)

Sometimes hotel guests take some of the objects in the room with them. While in some
cases there is some doubt about whether this behavior is acceptable (e.g., with
bathroom accessories), in others it is obvious that this is a robbery (e.g., towels, TV
remote). In addition, there are services that hoteliers would be interested in launching
if they could easily ensure that robbery would not happen. Theft management systems
are based on RFID tags or similar devices that enable easy verification of whether all
objects that should be in the room are still there when the guest checks out.
 Use by the guest in the room
These technologies try to replicate the technologies that guests already have in
their homes as closely as possible or to make the guests feel at home and as
comfortable as possible. These technologies are very costly to the hotel, and
their value to the customer and their impact on performance have not always
been clear.

In any case, we think it is important to highlight the fact that hotels tend to be
relatively slow in the process of implementing IT in the rooms, as they
prioritize technologies that improve productivity or performance (Siguaw et
al., 2000), perhaps understanding that IT in rooms is not that important in
developing strategies nor in making high-level decisions.
 Locks
Door-opening systems. Systems in this area range from basic systems based on magnetic
cards to systems based on RFID chips (which, among other things, allow users to replace the
classic card with a bracelet or other object with the chip), to systems based on the use of a
smartphone (for example by the light of the flash or a sound made), smart watch, numeric
code, biometric variable, etc. To the extent that these systems do not require collecting a
physical item at the reception desk, they further facilitate the self-service check-in process,
allowing it to be fully automated.

SmartTV
TVs that also allow guests to access the Internet directly from a TV, book and buy products
and services, access an interactive map of the hotel, or check out, among other options.
 Tablets or other IT devices in the room
Much like the concept of SmartTV, in this case what is offered to the guest is to
have mobile devices such as tablets, laptops, game consoles, etc. Today, it is a
trend with very low impact , thus it will be necessary to analyze whether it
evolves.

TV channel management
Systems designed to manage the channels broadcast by the television circuit of
the hotel to be seen by guests in their rooms. These systems are becoming
obsolete and being replaced by more modern systems based on on-demand
content distribution, SmartTVs, etc. However, they are still often used. Their
main feature is a set of channels that are offered free of charge to the customer.
 Video on demand
Systems that allow guests to access movies and other content on demand from
their SmartTVs. In this case, the hotel acts as a video club. These on demand
content have to be paid for typically .

Music
From the piped music systems typical in hotels a few years ago, to more complex
systems that combine music provided by the property with the possibility that
customers can play their own music by connecting their own music sources, these
technologies are a current trend in high-end hotels, and are in the process of
generalization.
 Environment technology
Technologies that allow guests to customize their room via switches in the room or an
application on their smartphone. They can customize climate variables (temperature and
humidity), lighting, colors, and even smells. The most advanced systems in this area even
allow users to set variables of the bed (e.g., the firmness of the mattress). CRM systems can
allow these values to be recorded for future visits.

Safebox
Systems that have not changed much since they started being installed, being based on a
security code to open and close the box. There are also other systems based on biometric
variables of the user. Today, systems that can be opened from the user’s device (e.g., from a
smartphone) are beginning to be implemented and include a power supply inside the box to
allow customers to charge their devices (e.g., laptops) while they are in the safe.
 Management (back office)
As indicated previously, we have grouped in the back-office area a number of
functions that normally have their own identity in the organizational chart of a
typical hotel. However, due to the type of tasks they perform, being less
oriented to direct contact with the customer and more oriented to the
operation of the hotel management, we understand that they are areas in
which information systems are more oriented to supporting the functions
than to developing new services or improving customer service. All this
without prejudice, of course, that proper and efficient management of hotel
services will result ultimately in customer satisfaction.
 Personnel
Payroll
Information systems for the calculation of staff payroll.

Personnel management
Information systems to support the tasks of personnel management: recruitment,
hiring, performance evaluation, assignments, career development, training, etc.

Knowledge management and training

Systems for knowledge sharing and cooperation among hotel workers through intranets, as well as
tools and virtual learning platforms, communities, and audio and video applications for the
training of workers
 Accounting
Hotel accounting
Systems for management of hotel accounting. In these systems, as in most back-office systems
described in this section, some authors have found that the uses are generally unsophisticated and
oriented toward basic automation. However, as the possibilities offered by IT are realized,
incorporating key performance indicators for the hotel, the connection between the use of IT and
organizational performance becomes clearer.

Guest accounting
Systems for accounting guests’ consumption during their stay at the hotel and
preparation of the final bill. The system receives information from all points where
consumption takes place in the hotel.
 Purchase Management
Inventory
Inventory management in the warehouse.

E-procurement
Purchases of goods and services through the Internet in order to digitize the
entire supply chain to automate the buying cycle in the management process
of the supply chain (SCM).
 Engineering
Energy management systems (EMSs; air conditioning, water, electricity, etc.)
Applications to manage energy consumption on the premises of the hotel, as well as analysis
and suggestions for improvement and optimization. It should be noted that energy
management has become an issue that affects not only on the income statement but also
customer interest; hotels that are more energy efficient are more attractive to customers
even to the point of a willingness to pay more.

Maintenance
Systems to manage maintenance of hotel rooms and common areas, getting information
mainly from the maintenance order systems handled by housekeeping and reflecting the
actions taken in each case.
 Pools
Automated or semi-automated systems to manage the control of the swimming
pools: water temperature, health parameters, etc. Also systems to help in the
process of detecting possible drownings in the swimming pool, and even
monitor access to the pool at times when it is closed due to the lack of a
lifeguard. These systems could, for example, be based on thermal-imaging
systems .

Gardens
Management of irrigation schedules, water consumption, species planted,
plans for interventions in the gardens, specific cares, etc.
 Hotel Management

Balanced scorecard (BSC) and business intelligence (BI)

Applications to provide senior hotel management a comprehensive view
of the hotel on the basis of the parameters and variables that
management considers necessary. With these applications,
management can analyze the situation of the hotel daily and, if
necessary, investigate the causes that explain the values of the global
variables (e.g., occupancy percentage, rooms with pending repairs, etc.).
 Food and Beverage
Cost of recipes
Systems that use the prices of ingredients to calculate the detailed cost of meals and drinks. On this
basis, it is possible to calculate the selling price to ensure a particular profit. When there is a price
change in an ingredient, is relatively easy to know the impact it will have on the benefits of the area,
since the system has the ingredients and quantities needed for each recipe as well as energy
requirements, preparation time by each type of worker, etc. Using nested systems, a recipe may, in
turn, become part of other recipes (e.g., sauces or dough). This system also helps in the process of
ordering ingredients from providers.

Stock control
Management and control of food and beverage inventory.
 Point-of-sale (PoS)
Systems to manage the PoSs in the hotel. From basic electronic cash register systems that
facilitate the preparation of a customer‘s bill to more complex integrated systems, such as waiters
having a mobile device that collects orders automatically and distributes them to the cash register
and to each cooking area (appetizers, main dishes, drinks, etc.). They also perform a check on the
delivery of the product at the customer’s table.

Table management
Systems to control the bookings and assigned tables for customers with visual interfaces
including a floor plan of the restaurant and the capabilities to join tables, change
reservations, generate separate customer invoices, manage waiting lists, notify waiting
customers that their table is ready, etc. These systems also help control the total service
time at tables, waiting times for food or between meals, etc., enabling subsequent
improvements in the areas where deficiencies are found.
 Conferences and events
Control of conference and event development. Therefore, this system handles room
reservations, conference room and sub-room layout, and services associated with those
bookings (e.g., coffee breaks).

Room service
Systems to manage room service: orders, service, billing, etc.

Trays in the hallway

Systems that inform staff about the location of used in-room dining carts
and trays that are in the hallway, so that fast and efficient retrieval is
assured.
 Control of the buffet
Systems to manage the buffet, detecting which trays are empty or almost
empty, which products are the most consumed depending on the time of
year and customer profile, etc. This information helps the kitchen area
prepare the food that is required at all times. They may be based on
systems that automatically detect the status of the trays and the number
of people interested in a product (e.g., by weight scales) or more basic
systems in which a camera shows the appearance of the buffet on a
television in the kitchen.
 Marketing and Sales
Client Management
Customer Relationship Management (CRM). CRM systems are aimed at three types of tasks:
a) integrating the communication with the client; b) achieving maximum knowledge of the
client in order to improve the services provided throughout the relationship with the hotel;
and c) analyzing that knowledge to offer products and services on an individual basis and at
the appropriate time. This means that from the knowledge gained, it is possible to tailor the
service and anticipate customer needs, also achieving increased loyalty. CRM systems are
based on the fact that all customer contact is documented: Internet, desk, PoS, global
distribution systems (GDS), mobile channels, etc. Customer behavior is also recorded: when
and how they booked, the services they contracted, loyalty cards they used, etc. This enables
defining a customer profile that can subsequently help adapt products and services to
customer desires and needs.
 Loyalty cards
Conceptually, this is a subsystem of the CRM that manages loyalty cards (e.g.,
accreditation of points, consumption of points, customer preferences, etc.) and
provides information to other systems; for example, warning the marketing department
about clients who have not stayed at the hotel for a long time.

Customer-communication management
As happens with the loyalty cards system, this system could also be part of the
CRM. Customer-communication management systems enable complete
management of all communication with customers: before arrival, during their
stay, and after it. These communications can be used to offer promotions for
upgrades, promote cross-selling, help with activities during the stay, request
evaluation in social networks, and offer discounts on future stays to ensure
customer loyalty.
 Customer surveys
Systems to determine the degree of customer satisfaction with hotel
services, analyzing what issues are most valued by guests and services that
cause higher levels of dissatisfaction. Customer surveys sent via the
Internet at the end of the stay, opinions expressed autonomously on social
media, and surveys completed by the guest during their stay, among
others, are used as data sources.
 Marketing
Informative website
Management of hotel website information services: prices, location, and, in general,
the features that guests need to know about before going to the hotel or during their
stay.

Mobile website
Management of how the website is seen on a mobile device, with a specific page designed for this
type of device, or through a responsive-design website in which the page adjusts itself to the
device on which it is being viewed.
 Virtual tour of the hotel
Systems using visualization techniques for pictures taken with 360 degrees, videos of
the installations, and virtual tours allow tourists to access the facilities of the hotel
almost entirely without having to visit.

Social media management and monitoring

Management and monitoring of hotel presence on social media such as social
networks, blogs, microblogs, evaluations made by customers, forums, etc., issues all
positively related to business performance. Those systems help in the process of
monitoring all hotel reviews posted on different social media as well as in responding
to these reviews in a timely manner. They also allow the hotel to manage the various
social networks on which it has a profile.
 Mobile applications
Development of a mobile application for a hotel or for a hotel chain. The objective is that
customers can book easily from their mobile devices and perform tasks such as checking in,
accessing the features and services of the hotel, making reservations, and booking services,
among others. Some authors find that, although it may seem appropriate for hotels to have an
application to increase their visibility and sales, in many cases hotels have just adapted their
websites to mobile devices, with more than 50% of hotels not having an application nor the
intention to offer one in the near future.

Digital Signage
Systems to manage the output of images and through television sets videos in different
areas of the hotel, mainly showing guests information about services, activities close to the
hotel, timetables, offers, etc.
 Sales
Hotel-booking module
Systems connected to the hotel website enabling clients to make reservations directly through
it. Thus the hotel has its own marketing channel, than can then be used through the hotel
website, the chain website, or through similar channels that connect directly with this
reservation system.

Channel manager
Systems that enable connections to all types of channels: GDS, travel sites, online travel agencies
(OTAs), etc. They are systems that centralize the management of all hotel sales channels. Thus, the
hotel will just have to introduce a change in the price or availability of a room in one place (the
channel manager) that will then be responsible for replicating this change across all channels in
which the hotel operates. It is necessary to note that in some cases, hotels have more than 100 sales
channels, so the need for this type of product is very high. Sometimes, channel managers also
monitor the prices of the competitors.
 CRS (Computer reservation system or central reservation system)
Inventory-management systems of the hotel’s availability and that of its associated
services. Managers upload room rates and availabilities to this system, from which they
will be sent to different GDS. There will also be information about available rooms, rate
terms, hotel information, etc. In CRS we find modules for booking, profile management,
and group and quota management, in addition to the connection to the PMS and GDS.

Revenue and yield management

Systems supporting the strategies and tactics of revenue management and yield
management. In this case, IT is essential to implement such tactics, since they are
based on complex mathematical models and it is desirable to have continually
updated information, so the help of an IT system becomes imperative.
 IT for Guests

Loan or rental of IT (MiFi routers, tablets, ebooks, etc.) devices

The ability to provide the customer (with or without cost) with technological
devices they may need during their stay at the hotel. MiFi routers, which allow
them to have a WiFi network everywhere they go, iPads or other tablet devices for
their use during their stay, ebook readers, etc. The major drawback of this type of
service is the technological obsolescence, because of which hotels choose to
outsource the service in most cases.
 Geotagged games on the hotel premises
Games developed to take advantage of the capabilities of smartphones and other
geopositioned devices, thus playing a treasure hunt or the like as part of the
entertainment during guests’ stay.

Technology in public areas (entertainment, games, etc.)

Leisure-oriented technology systems (e.g., game consoles) made available to the
customer to be used during their stay. They will usually be available in the lobby
area or in a room or other common area specifically designed for this purpose.
 IT Infrastructure
As noted in the initial sections of this article, we include in this area a
number of systems that must be properly managed by the hotel. They
are basic infrastructure, so they will usually not provide significant
added value by themselves. However, proper operation is essential,
since the rest of the systems will rely on these. Therefore, the systems
mentioned in this section are of great importance, because if they do
not work properly none of IT mentioned up to this point can be
properly deployed.
 Hardware
Purchase and maintenance of hardware
Transactions related to the purchase and maintenance of hardware equipment necessary for the
development of hotel operations: servers, PCs, laptops, tablets, smart phones, self-service kiosks,
etc.

Supporting BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

The BYOD trend is important to the management of organizations and refers to the fact that
employees use their own technologies (e.g., laptops, smartphones) in the office. Also, it is
increasingly common in hotels for customers to come with their own technology. Thus, the hotel
must be prepared to manage this situation, in which there may be several guest devices in one
room. Apart from the aforementioned WiFi, the bandwidth must be sufficient. The hotel must also
be prepared to provide chargers and outlets in the guests’ rooms, and in addition it should
efficiently manage the security issues that will be commented on in the next section.
 Communications
Structured networks
Deployment and maintenance of structured cable networks on the hotel premises.

Wireless networks
Deploying and maintaining wireless networks in the hotel and, where appropriate, billing
customers for using them, according to the zone (i.e., common rooms, open areas, etc.). These
systems must take into account the quality of service, security zones, separation between the
corporate network and customer restrictions on access to certain websites, among other issues. It is
necessary to stress the importance of having free WiFi networks for customer satisfaction, although
providing free connections with low bandwidth and services while charging for more bandwidth
and better-quality service is an accepted behavior. But we must not underestimate the possibilities
that free WiFi offers to hotels, exploiting the option of redirecting guests to pages for upselling,
cross-selling or reporting on new services or offers.
 IT Security
Safety management
In a hotel, customers pass through almost all of the areas, often with a mobile device in
their hands. This customer presence on the premises makes safety management a key
issue, being basic to ensure separation between corporate networks and client
communications, restricting access to data from other clients, compliance with data
protection laws, safeguarding credit card information, etc. In general, the situation was
far from ideal: most hotels did not have a department of ICT management; the IT
managers had little or no specific training in this field; and security measures available in
the hotels were extremely basic (e.g., antivirus and firewall only). Thus, credit card
encryption systems, network monitoring, security plans, and vulnerability and access
control systems to the network were uncommon.
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