Hospitality Information Systems and Users Paper

Hospitality Information Systems and Users

The Central Reservation System (CRS) is an essential component to a Hospitality Information System. In addition to allowing customers the ability book travel accommodations, the CSR can perform several other back end functions that will allow managers from the various business functions within a company to strategically plan and gain a competitive edge over it competitors. This paper will explain how the Central Reservation System when integrated with a Property Management System (PMS) will produce a competitive advantage. This paper will also show how the Central Reservation System, when integrated properly, will enhance the Operations, Marketing, Accounting and Human Resources business functions within the hotel industry. Lastly, this paper will compare internal Property Management Systems versus Global Distribution Systems by listing the features and benefits of both types of systems.

Business Functions: Operations, Marketing, Accounting, and Human Resources

The Central Reservation Systems of a hotel change can be utilized by the four basic business function. The fours business functions include: Operations, Marketing, Accounting, and Human Resources.

The Operations business function deals involves vendors who may supply supplies and material to hotels (Tesone, 2006). The Central Reservation System can contain a electronic data interchange connection which will all the hotels operations department and vendors the ability to request and exchange information about inventory and repurchase orders.

The Marketing business function involves the fours P's of the hotel industry: pricing, promotion, products and placement (Tesone, 2006). The Central Reservation System allows the marketing department to promote different vacation and travel packages through the company website. Marketing managers are able to run reports from the CRS that contain customers buying and purchasing habits in an effort to develop products and services to meet the needs of it customer.

The Accounting function involves financial transactions such as account payable, receivable, ledgers and payroll (Tesone, 2006). Members of the accounting department can pull reports from the Central Reservation System about customers who paid with credits cards or cash. They also would be able to see purchases that were charges to room as well as deposit information.

The Human Resources business functions primarily involve the people or the employees or potential employees of the hotel (Tesone, 2006). With the Central Reservation System Human Resource managers able to post career opportunities for potential employees on the company's website and they are able to pull reports of qualified applicants that applied for job opportunities on the company website.

Integration

In order for a Central Reservation System assist a hotel or business in gaining and a competitive edge, the CRS must be able to seamlessly communicate back and forth with companies internal Property Management System. The systems must be integrated so that the various systems can interface with one another. Nyheim, McFadden, and Connolly (2010) stated,

"As important as the seamless integration and interoperability of different

architectures and applications of all systems in the industry are, the property

management system must interface with, if not incorporate within the property

management system itself, at a minimum, the global distribution system

(GDS) and the central reservation system (CRS). If the PMS and GDS/CRS come

from different vendors, the two must communicate seamlessly. If not, duplicate data and mistakes, and therefore unhappy guests, may easily be encountered" (Chapter 7).

Internal Property Management System Versus External Global Distribution System

A hotels Property Management System ( PMS) is the foundation