The Top 7 Ways the Hotel Industry is Utilising Automation
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Data from Juniper Research has revealed that as we enter the industrial innovation of the ‘internet of things’, over 38.5bn devices are expected to be connected to the internet this year – an increase of 285% from 2015.
The ‘internet of things’, is a mode of increasing revenue and decreasing revenue by onboarding offline objects to the internet.
The top 7 ways in which Hotels in particular are utilising automation via internet technology, is in using predictive technology and guest demand for immediacy, to maximize what the internet can do for them and their guests during their stay.
Energy Management
By automating the way in which energy is managed, Hotels are not only managing their energy consumption but catering to a generation of guests that expect the same level of comfort they find in their homes. In using ‘smart’ energy management, lighting and heating can be onboarded into in-room controls accessible via the room’s remote control, mobile app or even, via voice command to increase guest satisfaction.
In a further effort to manage energy consumption, some Hotels are even utilising ‘daylight harvesting’, a method of using predesigned ‘scenes’ to allow lighting in the room to react to the amount of natural daylight. Hotel rooms can be enhanced with presets in which lighting will engage and the blinds will open, when the room door is opened.
Mobile Engagement
As already touched upon, mobile engagement is a driving force in increasing guest satisfaction. With the ability to cater to a wanton demand for immediacy, time saving self-service and in-room management that gives the guest control over their comfort and loyalty to a service, can be afforded to Hotels through UX design.
Mobile engagement can be extended to check-in and room unlocking and locking facilities, further streamlining the Hotel experience.
Natural and Embedded User Interfaces
IoT (internet of things) capabilities are far reaching. Today, Hotels are even loaning the in-room furniture of its suites towards the seamless IoT experience.
With voice control just one example of automated guest service, smart speaker enabled televisions and bedside tables are just two ways it has been applied via embeddable user interfaces within the hospitality industry. However, a more generalised definition would be any mode of touch or voice that caters to an automated experience.
Third Party Integration
Hospitality industries are working with different sectors to consolidate and launch cloud-based platforms to help effectively manage Hotels. This varies from internal and external management; such as booking channel management, vendors and payments, whilst also integrating with various hardwares.
PMS
In extension, a PMS software (property management system) is a common way of automating the day to day operations of a Hotel and its properties worldwide such as, inventory and room management.
RMS
Similarly, a revenue management software, allows Hotels to manage and maximise the amount of revenue generation via the day to day operations of each Hotel property. These systems typically include a cash flow forecasting system and a pricing system, whilst facilitating 3rd party integration.
Predictive Maintenance
Predictive maintenance onboards machinery to the internet as a preventative method of maintaining Hotel facilities and rooms for guests.
Using methods such as thermal imaging and other analytical testing, AI algorithms are put in place to alert Hotel maintenance when in-room facilities such as air conditioning are faulty, before it can escalate into a customer service issue.
Whilst the ‘internet of things’ has afforded Hoteliers with a wifi connection minimal friction in their guest experience and the potential for bookings to hit maximum capacity, it has long been a convenience in the homes of millenials, with a more recent presence in the wider hospitality industry; and it is more than ready to move out into transport.
Whilst the ‘internet of things’ can be considered future forward, it can be considered costly in the beginning for any business – despite long term projections that bring down running costs. It is the current widespread lack of skilled workers to manage the more unconscious avenues of IoT applications to interpret data, that presents a challenge within the hospitality industry; beyond threats to more personable roles such as those at the front desk.
To learn more about automation within Hospitality to increase recurring payments, contact Total Processing on: 0330 122 6418
Sources:
https://blog.trginternational.com/introduction-to-predictive-maintenance-techniques
