Five Reasons Your Hotel Needs a Professional Technology Consultant

Rapidly changing dynamics in the hospitality industry coupled with evolving technologies are allowing hotels to completely change the way they deliver services. Even the role of I.T. teams has significantly changed from setting up hardware to support hotel management processes.

Today, technology management companies and I.T. professionals alike play a more strategic role in the technology strategy and cyber security of hotels. Every hotel must carry a robust & compliant infrastructure, follow best practices, and innovate to align hotel technology with business goals.     

Investing in the services of a professional technology consultant or a technology management company can significantly help hotels meet various technical challenges. These specialist hotel technology consultants are equipped with the essential information, tools, trends, and guidelines to help hospitality CIOs accomplish their targeted technology goals.

Before we move on to the five great reasons to hire one, lets quickly understand what a hotel technology consultant is.

Who is a Hotel Technology Consultant?  

A hotel technology partner or consultant specializes in delivering technical support services & skills to hospitality companies. These services can include but are not limited to technology project management, business intelligence, maintenance & configuration, compliance checks, threat monitoring, on-going I.T. support, etc.

Hotel technology consultants usually offer services on a contract system. While you concentrate on making your hotel a success, your technology partner manages technology strategies, support, operations, and human resources.  

5 Reasons Every Hotel Needs a Technology Management Consultant

In a fast-paced business environment in a truly global economy, technology has become paramount for success in almost every industry. The hospitality industry is now highly influenced by the complexities of technology and the vulnerabilities that come with them.

Every hotel needs a certain mix of hardware, software, and support to operate efficiently 24 hours. Even small & medium size hotels are equipped with several technologies to make operations easy for their smaller staff rosters.

Let’s go over five essential reasons every hotel needs a technology management consultant to guide them through technology integration, compliance, monitoring, and support.

Project Management & New Build Technology Contracting  

A technology general contractor can be immensely beneficial for owners developing new hotel builds. A GC of technology intuitively manages vendors, procurement, supplier issues, payments, floor planning, compliance, and security while the owner can concentrate on operational aspects.

A general contractor of technology usually brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and lucrative relationships with their services. Different competencies can be discovered from the consultant’s knowledge of working with other hotel brands, while, their partnerships with popular suppliers & technology vendors can significantly help reduce costs.

General contractors of hotel technology readily have knowledge about devising budgets for the hotel technology infrastructure. This saves hotel owners considerable expenses, time, and effort during the construction phase. Their vast experience can also assist in identifying common issues during the launch phase.

A technology consultancy company will stay by your side assisting you through the pre-staging, staging, pre-opening, and post-launch stages. And even when the installation teams and suppliers have left the property, a technology consultant will be still there by the owner’s side to assist with the on-going management of the technology-powered property.   

Once your hotel is ready to open its doors your GC of technology then becomes a real-time configuration and support partner.

On-Going Technology Support

A technology consultancy can consistently help hotel owners manage their properties while offering real-time support for all integrated systems. As the scope and impact of technology grow in the hotel industry, there is much need for remote support for in-house staff.

Everything including the front desk, back office, POS systems, internet network, database servers, security systems, business centers, smart room appliances, and property software require hands-on support to keep them functioning without downtimes. Since hotels are a 24-hour business concern, all systems must be operational and hence need immediate support when something goes wrong.     

A technology consultant can source support engineers of their own, or outsource them from a professional remote support company to ensure it complies with brand standards. This not just radically reduces technology downtimes but also reduces the costs of maintenance and enhances the guest experience with undeterred service delivery.  

Compliance & Risk Management

As the most prevalent area of concern for hotels, compliance and risk management is one area where a technology consultant can significantly help. After some major hacks and data breaches on hotel technology infrastructures across the world hardware compliance, and technology security are now high priority issues.

A hotel technology consultant can significantly help reduce data breach and cyber-attack risks by keeping your hardware & software compliant with prevailing technology. At Advanced Hospitality, we conduct quarterly audits of your technology infrastructure to assure it is secure and future-proofed.

A technology consultant can identify areas of concern from experience while offering valuable insights into future-proofing hotel technologies. PCI compliance of point of sale systems is an essential area of concern where hotel technology consultancy companies can provide ongoing support and education to staff too.

In addition, the growth of smart technologies has given rise to cyber attacks over hotel infrastructures due to the sheer amount of data that hotels now carry. Firewall protection, anti-virus software, network monitoring, and database security remain some of the most discusses yet vulnerable areas for hotels.

Most software requires database updates, hence having a support and technology management provider by your side is extremely necessary. Remember, the object is not just your property’s compliance, it is to ensure your guest have an outstanding experience with technology and it makes their stay convenient.

A technology partner can significantly reduce these concerns by establishing standards, authorization policies, digital security strategies, and technology compliance benchmarks to complement both single property and franchise hotels.

White Glove Services

A popular concept now taking shape in hotels is ‘white glove service delivery’. With white glove service, hotel technology consultants take control of the entire infrastructure to monitor and resolve issues before they arise. This includes the continual compliance of hotel hardware, software, and infrastructure.       

White glove service providers also ensure their clients get better visibility in the industry through high-quality service and superior technology guest experiences. Hotel owners can benefit from early upgrades and have technologies in place for upcoming guest demands.

Vendor Partnerships

Vendor partnerships are one of the popular reasons hotel franchises hire technology consultants. Not only can technology consultancy companies secure better quotes from suppliers & vendors, but they also have great relationships with them to ensure high-quality installation and deployment.

Time is of the essence, especially when there are renovations and upgrades being performed. Negotiations, bottlenecks, and other issues that stall renovations can be easily avoided when a single point of contact manages all vendors and suppliers.

Professional technology consultancy companies also ensure hotel owners are kept updated through meaningful reports. And, while the entire technology management & support process is outsourced the hotel owner can concentrate on running the asset.     

Benefits Of Working With Hotel Technology Consultants

Hiring a technology partner can bring several benefits for any hotel, irrespective of their size and type. Here are some of the most notable benefits that hotel technology management consultants offer:

• Cost-efficient – Outsourced technology partners carry their own infrastructure and resources so your hotel only pays for the service.
• Professional Human Resource Management – A technology consultant will save hotels the hassle of conducting interviews, completing assessments and fulfilling recruitment drives.
• No Employment Benefits – The hotel doesn’t need to pay employee benefits since all engineers and consultants are hired by the technology partner.
• Innovation & Upgrades – Hotel technology management companies have early access to leading-edge technologies and can make them available to properties at lower prices.
• Vast Experience & Knowledge – Hotel technology consultants have vast experience working with other brands that can allow them to maximize value while reducing costs for hotels.

Conclusion

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