Getting ready for your busy season…for
many innkeepers this season of the year is a time for
spring-cleaning, checking inventory and making sure
everything is in shape for a busy summer season. If
any updates are needed in rooms or technology, now is
the time to get everything in order! If you are in the
market to either update or invest in new software, here
is a helpful checklist. |
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| The Company’s relationship
with your industry. |
Over the years software vendors in
the B&B industry have varied from “one-man”
operations to large corporations that have “bought
out” smaller vendors. Ideally you want to select
a company that is well established as a software vendor
and can demonstrate industry knowledge.
- How long has your company been in business, and
how long has your product been on the market?
- How familiar are you with the B&B/country
inn industry? Explain.
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| The product’s suitability
to your requirements. |
| Whether upgrading or looking for
new software, it’s important to think about how
you plan to benefit from this new product. Will it reduce
time spent on paperwork, or do you need help with developing
a guest database? Are you interested in detailed reports,
or do you want simple automation for your day-to-day
communications? Make a list of the benefits important
to you before beginning to research any specific product.
It will make your selection process much more efficient. |
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| How compatible is the product with
various computer and operating systems? |
Although most innkeepers would name
the desktop as their preferred computer, you may have
additional computing needs such as wireless network,
remote access needs (using the software while off-site),
and concerns about storing data. Share as much as you
can with your software vendor about your current computer
configuration, and verify that their program is suited
for your particular needs.
- Operating system: Which does your software work
on; which does it work BEST on?
- Is software: Single user? Multi-user (network)?
Is there extra charge for multi-user? If so, how
much per user?
- Does the software reside completely on the innkeeper’s
computer or is it server based and hosted off-site?
- If this is Server based and needs an Internet
connection to use the system. What happens if my
Internet goes down?. What is your server uptime?.
- Is your software compatible with other Microsoft
programs?
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| What is the nature of the Customer
Support provided for you? |
Depending on your familiarity with
software and needs, you may require different levels
of support and training. For example, a luxury inn with
several staff that decides to automate call accounting,
computerize credit card processing and setup an online
booking system may be interested in purchasing training
along with their software package. A former software
engineer who is now a full time innkeeper with 3 rooms
may not need personalized training for their new reservation
software, but may like the convenience of online help
resources. Whether printed, on-screen, web-based, or
one-on-one training – be sure the company you
select is able to provide a variety of support resources.
- Do you offer a warranty/guarantee? Explain.
- What kind of training/instruction/Technical support/help
resources do you provide?
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| Long-term viability of software
program. |
As I mentioned at the beginning of
this article, software is designed to adapt to change.
Its important that the company you deal with demonstrates
progression and ongoing enhancements to their product.
You should also ask about flexibility within the product
itself – how easy is it for the user to adapt
certain features to their specific property? Finally,
ask about interfaces and modules available – you
may not need them now, but two years from now when you
add on rooms will you be able to upgrade or add to the
software easily?
- What kinds of customizations are built into the
software? Can I change screen labels? Define new
fields? How flexible is the program?
- How often do you provide updates to your software?
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| Your relationship with your new
vendor is important. |
Vendors provide their expertise to
help your business. Will you be comfortable working
with this company three years from now? Don’t
underestimate your needs or shop only by price –
most software programs are used on an almost daily basis.
Consider your increase in productivity and efficiency
when measuring the value of a software program. Make
the investment to select a product that will meet your
needs today and future requirements of your growing
business.
- What is the ONE thing that everyone should know
about your software?
- Pricing structure. Ask vendor to describe each
option with accompanying prices broken out by option.
- Could you provide referrals of properties that
use your software?
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To insure success in finding the
suitable software program, consider your needs, benefits
offered and your relationship with the vendor. Each
program will have its strong and weak points and each
innkeeper has their own priorities. Best wishes in your
search for software – Write me and let me know
if this helped! |
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