Property Management System

The property management system is organized around the functions needed to assist in delivering service to the guest. The software program main menu lists on the screen all the available individual programs (modules) included in the system. These modules lie at the heart of the front office manager and his or her staff’s ability to deliver excellent service to the guest because of the underlying role of communication between departments and sharing of financial information. The PMS has become so much an essential part of lodging operations that to operate a hotel without one would be very difficult. The front office manager relies on the reservation module almost hourly to check changes that may affect the day’s service and financial operations. The night audit, if completed as it was in previous years—tallying columns or using a mechanical audit machine—would take much training and many labor hours. The posting module is another timesaver that produces a much more accurate and efficient-looking guest ledger.   The front desk clerk can access any of these individual programs by typing the designated keystrokes or following directions on a touch screen, a type of computer monitor that allows the operator to input data with the touch of a finger. The documentation, which consists of either printed or on-screen (monitor) instructions, explains how to operate the hardware or software that accompanies a specific PMS. This documentation comprises written step-by-step instructions as well as a flowchart of individual programs and subprograms, all of which are valuable in training staff. The flowcharts are comparable to the blueprints of a building. The following discussion of individual modules and subprograms highlights the applications of these software options in a property management system.

Reservation Module

1. Guest Data    

2. Room Inventory    

3. Deposits    

4. Special Requests       

5. Blocking         

6. Arrivals                  

7. Departures

8. VIP

9. Projected Occupancy

10. Travel Agents

11. Guest Messages

12. Reports

Registration Module

1. Reservations

2. Guest Data/Registration

3. Room Inventory

4. Room Status

5. Security

6. Reports

7. Self-Check-in

8. Intranet

Room Status Module

1. Room Inventory

2. Availability

3. Reports

4. Intranet

Posting Module

1. Point-of-Sale

2. Room

3. Tax

4. Transfer

5. Adjustment

6. Paid-out

7. Miscellaneous Charges

8. Phone

9. Display Folio

10. Reports

Check Out module

1. Folio

2. Adjustments

3. Cashier

4. Back Office Transfer

5. Reports

 6. Guest History

Night Audit Module

1. Guest Charges

2. Department Totals

3. City Ledger

4. Cashier

5. Financial Reports

6. Housekeeping

7. Intranet

Front Office Computer Applications

Front office computer systems all do not operate identically. However, some generalizations about property management systems (PMS) may serve to illustrate the nature of front office computer applications. The four most common front office software modules are designed to help front office employees perform functions related to:

·         Reservations

·         Rooms management 

·         Guest accounting

·         General management

Reservations Management Software

A reservations module enables a hotel to rapidly process room requests and generate timely and accurate rooms, revenue, and forecasting reports. Most lodging chains participate in computer-based central reservation systems. Central reservation systems typically store reservations data, track rooms reserved, control reservations by room type, and monitor the number of reservations received. Reservations received at a central system office can be processed, confirmed, and communicated to the destination property before the reservations agent finishes the telephone conversation with the caller.

When the destination property uses a front office computer system, its reservations module can receive data sent directly from the central reservation system. Both advance and current reservation racks are eliminated. As the reservations data are received at the hotel, in-house reservations records, files, and revenue forecasts are immediately updated. This enables the system to remain current and in control of reservations activities. In addition, previously received reservations data can be automatically reformatted into pre-registration materials. An updated expected arrivals list can be produced just prior to .the day's registration. Various reservation reports containing a summary of reservation data and guest account status information can also be generated.

The reservations module consists of subsystems that can receive individual guest or group data, check a guest’s request against a data bank of available rooms, and store this information. The guest data are received through a personal phone call, through another computer in the referral system, or via the Internet. All of the possibilities or room types and locations, room rates, and special requests can be matched with the existing room inventories. This information can be stored for up to 52 weeks (or more) in most systems.

Information concerning guarantees with credit cards or confirmed reservations is captured at this time. Details on deposits, blocking, times of arrival and departure, VIP guest lists, and projected occupancies, and reports on these reservation functions assist the front office manager.

The guest who is checking out of the hotel, and wants to make a reservation at the Limited-Service Inn in Chicago for that evening can have the reservation confirmed within seconds. The guest information is already available in the data bank, and through electronic transmissions, the request is verified (via a check of the existing room inventories held in the data bank for the hotel) by a central computer. Other referral agencies follow similar procedures.

Rooms Management Software

A room’s management module maintains current information on the status of rooms, assists-in the assignment of rooms during registration, and helps coordinate guest services. A room’s management module can also provide rapid access to room availability data during the reservation process. This information can be especially useful in reservation confirmation and rooms revenue forecasting. Since the room’s management module replaces most traditional front office equipment, it often becomes a major determinant in the selection of one computer system over another.

The module alerts front desk employees of each room's status just as the room rack and information rack do in non-computerized environments.

For example, with a room rack, an upside-down card without a folio covering it may signify that the previous night's guest has checked out, but that the room has not yet been cleaned for resale. This status will remain unchanged until housekeeping notifies the front desk that the room is clean and ready for occupancy. In a computerized system, the front desk employee simply enters the room's number at a computer system terminal and the current status of the room appears immediately on the terminal's display screen. Once the room has been cleaned and readied for occupancy, the housekeeping staff changes the room's status by means of a terminal located in the housekeeping work area. Changes in room status are immediately communicated to the front desk.

Room status

Access to the room status module provides information on availability of entry to a guestroom. There are two types of room status: reservation and housekeeping. Reservation status can be open, confirmed, guaranteed, or repair. Housekeeping status can be ready, on change, or out of order. Reservation status is maintained by the reservation department or reservation system, while housekeeping status is provided by the housekeeping department. The room status feature is one of the most valuable features of the PMS. It streamlines the operation problems of check-in and assists other departments as well. This module, which may share the same room data bank with reservations, provides reports used by the housekeeper, front office manager and staff, maintenance engineer, night auditor, reservations clerk, and marketing and sales department. The housekeeper must know which guest rooms have been occupied and need cleaning; desk clerks must know if the guest room is reserved or open for sale; the maintenance engineer must plan for routine painting and refurbishing; the night auditor must verify which rooms have been sold to complete the night audit; the reservations clerk needs information on the availability of guest rooms; and the marketing and sales department must have current information on room availability for conventions. This is another module that might include the intranet; however, room status information is immediate in nature, and the posting of a message with a delayed response time may not be appropriate. On the other hand, if a series of rooms will be taken out of use for an extended period, the intranet could be the appropriate place to post an advance notice for the marketing and sales department and the front office. Such a notice would prevent taking reservations for unavailable rooms.

Guest Accounting

A guest accounting module increases the hotel's control over guest accounts and significantly modifies the night audit routine. Guest accounts are maintained electronically, eliminating the need for folio cards, folio trays, and posting machines. The guest accounting module monitors predetermined guest credit limits and provides flexibility through multiple folio formats. At check-out, outstanding account balances can be automatically transferred to an accounts receivable file for billing and collection.

When the hotel's revenue outlets are connected to the front office computer system, remote electronic cash registers can be used to communicate guest charges to the front office. These charges can then be automatically posted to appropriate electronic guest folios.

General Management

A general management module cannot operate independently of other front office modules. General management applications tend to be report-generating packages which depend on data collected through reservations, room’s management, and guest accounting modules. For example, the general management module may be able to generate a report showing the day's expected arrivals and the number of rooms available for occupancy-a combination of reservations and room’s management data. In addition to generating reports, the general management module serves as the central link between front and back office computer system applications.

Back Office Interface

A completely computerized installation also involves the hotel's back office. It is possible to implement front and back office software packages independently of each other. However, integrated front and back office systems offer the hotel a full range of control over all operational areas, from room sales and payroll to guest and non-guest account analysis. An integrated system cannot produce complete financial statements unless all the required data are stored somewhere in the system's memory. The back office system's generation of reports depends on the front office system's collection of data. Several back office application modules are available from most vendors. The four most popular applications are:

An accounts receivable module which monitors guest accounts and account billing and collection when integrated with the front office guest accounting module

An accounts payable module which tracks the hotel's purchases and helps the hotel maintain sufficient cash flow to satisfy its debts

 A payroll accounting module which processes such data as time and attendance records, pay distribution, and tax withholdings.

 A financial reporting module which helps the hotel develop a chart of accounts in order to produce balance sheets, income Ii statements, and transactional analysis reports

Other Interface Applications

Other computer applications are available to a fully automated hotel property. It may be possible to interface these systems with a front office management system.

Common interfaces include:

·         A point-of-sale system which allows guest account transactions to be quickly transmitted from remote points of sale to the front desk for account folio posting.

·         A call accounting system which directs, prices, and tracks guestroom telephone use for resale and posting to guest accounts

·         An electronic locking system which may interface with rooms management modules to provide enhanced guest security.

Guest- Operated Devices

Some hotels have gone beyond basic property management systems by installing a variety of automated guest-operated devices. As the Devices world's traveling public becomes more familiar with using computers, there may be significant growth in this element of lodging services.

Automated information devices in public hotel areas provide guests with the opportunity to inquire about in-house events and local activities. When a printer is connected to a lobby information terminal, guests may receive individually prepared lists of events.

Recent technological advances offer guests the opportunity for in room folio review and check-out. When in-room computers e interfaced with a guest accounting module, they are able to access folio data, and provide guests with a means by which to approve and settle their accounts. Guestroom telephones interfaced with the computer system may also be used for this purpose. When In-room computer can be linked to external computer information services, guests may also access ' airline schedules, local restaurant guides, entertainment guides, stock market reports, news and sports updates, shopping catalogs, and video games.

An in-room movie system can be interfaced to a front office accounting module or can function as an independent, stand-alone system.