In the hospitality industry, the acronym PMS indicates a Property Management System, i.e. a hotel management programme. A Property Management System is software used by hotel staff (front and back office) to manage room planning, check-in and check-out activities, accounts and invoicing. Some more comprehensive programmes allow for inventory management, revenue analysis and rate planning.
Thanks to PMS programmes, the front office staff of a hotel or other establishment can easily access all the information relating to the list of arrivals, in-house guests and departures; the manager, on the other hand, can consult the current and forecast situation of the business, optimising Revenue Management.
The extrapolated data of the PMS are used for the development of the operational, tactical and strategic decision-making activities of the structure.
Over the years, PMSs have evolved and while some software is still aimed at hotels, others offer dedicated solutions for other types of holiday companies such as short-term rentals, B&Bs, other accommodation businesses or even private owners.
Why use a Property Management System
When choosing a management technology solution for any accommodation business, it is important to consider the many advantages that this type of system offers, including:
Reduction of time spent on administrative tasks
The right management system automates as many processes as possible. By doing most of the work, it leaves more time and energy to devote to the management of the facility as a whole. Technology should also provide important data about how well staff perform their duties and how this affects their productivity, satisfaction and loyalty.
Increasing your online presence
Most PMS software on the market can be integrated with websites to manage direct online bookings easily and effectively. A well-functioning site will also rank better in search engine results and allow more travellers to discover the establishment during their online booking journey.
Better customer relations
A secure and reliable management system allows you to build a better relationship with the market, while information on platform usage can also help you identify new segments and targets to tap into. Regular customers will appreciate the improved booking experience.
More effective distribution
A hotel management system integrated with a channel manager allows you to promote on many channels while respecting parity rates. From large OTAs and GDSs to retail travel agencies, PMSs enable real-time pricing and availability information to be provided to booking agents.
Revenue management
By using innovative pricing tools that allow you to create a flexible pricing strategy for rooms, you can optimise the revenue generated per room at any given time.
Correctly pricing rooms is the key to success in this competitive industry, and having these types of tools can help significantly.
More bookings
In conclusion, adopting hotel management software will lead to an increase in bookings. Indeed, the purpose of every feature within a hotel management solution is to increase the number of bookings and maximise revenue.
To find out how you can invest in a state-of-the-art Property Management System, visit Ciaobooking on the Featured Campaigns page.