Functionality of EMS, PMS, CAS, GDS and CRS

[Source: https://www.csis.org/programs/technology-policy-program]

Due to the advancement in technology, the use of computer in operations have become more and more common. Hence, various computer systems have been developed in order to cater the needs of hotels. In this article, 5 systems will be introduced, hope you will have a clearer understanding about them!

Energy Management Systems

Energy Management System (EMS) aims to reduce electricity consumption, while retaining or even enhancing guests’ in-room comfort. Schneider Electric Inc. claims that their solutions regarding the energy management system can achieve up to 30% savings by eliminating unnecessary energy consumption. Typically, infra-red motion sensors will be installed in rooms to detect human movement. If the sensor detects human activities, the air-conditioning and lighting will be automatically turned on, vice versa.

[Source: https://www.wirelessintegrated.com/tag/hotel-energy-management-system]

Property Management Systems

A hotel Property Management System (PMS) acts as a hub of information processing. It is a platform which enables a hotel or hotel group to manage a series of front-line activities, including check-in and check-out, reservations, room assignment and billing. Nowadays, some companies redefine PMS where it can integrate with other services in the hotel, such as housekeeping, food and beverage (F&B) management, event management and spa management. Thus, hotels can fully utilize their resources and capabilities to provide the best service to the guests.

[Source: https://openhotel.com/blog/propertymanagementsystem/post.cfm/post/5727/hotel-pms-system]

Call Accounting Systems

In a hotel, one of the ways to generate revenue is guests’ calling in rooms. A Call Accounting System (CAS) is used to monitor room phone usage. The system can track where the outgoing call is from, the duration of call, whether it is a local call or long-distance call, etc. After all, the system can figure out how much phone call fee the hotel should charge on the guests. Thus, hotels can impose the phone charges on guests efficiently and accurately.

[Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130612143754-40578-no-one-will-ever-miss-the-hotel-phone]

Global Distribution Systems

Global Distribution System refers to a computerized system travel agencies use to do hotel, airlines, car rental and attraction bookings. From the hotel perspective, when a hotel is connected to the GDS, it will be available in various online and traditional travel agencies for room booking. As GDS shows the real-time inventory of different hotels, travel agencies can 24/7 get access to the availability and pricing of the hotels. Connecting to the GDS can help hotels increase the number of customers reached worldwide, so as to increase the occupancy percentage.

[Source: http://www.hotelreservationssystem.com/onlinereservationsystem/integrate-multiple-gds-systems-and-travel-apis-flight-and-hotel/]

Central Reservation Systems

Central Reservation System (CRS) is a computerized system which can store and retrieve the hotel information about room availability, rates and guest information. Usually large hotel chains would have CRS to monitor the occupancy percentage of their hotels under the same group. A revenue manager can make use of CRS to have a comprehensive revenue management. He/she can adjust the room rates of different hotels to balance demand and supply. In addition, CRS should be also accessed by front-desk staff as there may be walk-in guests who want to book the rooms immediately.

[Source: https://www.busy-rooms.com/our-solutions/content-management]

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Learning Reflection After doing a lot of research, I discover that hotels make use of various systems to support or enhance their operations. No matter front desk or back office, both of them require different systems to help the staff monitor the hotel. Hotels can deploy the above systems to make their operations more efficient. For instance, the Energy Management System (EMS) can help hotels significantly reduce the utility costs, especially electricity costs, while not affecting guests' experience. With the advancement of technology, hotels will be able to save more costs in the future.

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References

[1]What is Hotel PMS? (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2017, from https://www.oracle.com/industries/hospitality/what-is-hotel-pms.html

[2] Global distribution system. Retrieved October 13, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_distribution_system

[3] Learn what's behind your airline ticket. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2017, from https://www.tripsavvy.com/what-is-gds-468274

[4] Ryan, D. (n.d.). What is a Hotel Central Reservation System? Retrieved October 13, 2017, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-a-hotel-central-reservation-system.html

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