Blog 47: Hospitality and Digitisation

Our guest blogger, Tina Martin from Ideaspired.com talks about 'Why (and How) to Digitize Your Essential Business Tasks' in this very impressive blog. Read on to find out more.

Despite the rising trend of guests preferring a digitized hotel experience, most hospitality businesses still manage most of their administrative tasks through printers. But did you know

that going paperless isn’t as hard as you might think?

You can handle reservations, billing, housekeeping, and much more online. And while it benefits the environment, going digital can also make your hospitality business more profitable. Below, we explain why and give some practical pointers on getting started!

Going paperless can save your hospitality team time and money. It can also help you connect

more with your guests because of the flexibility that digital billing offers. Guests can extend their stays, pay their expenses, and get receipts from their smartphones. And if you use the right document management platform, your hoteliers can synchronize their portfolios no matter where they are. Using cloud-based software allows you to quickly document and transfer data.

Going digital can also help your hotel eliminate unnecessary costs. It doesn’t matter how many

properties you manage; if you depend on paper for processing your guests, the expenses will

add up. You can reduce or cut out many supply costs altogether, including paper, ink, shipments, storage boxes, printers, printer maintenance, and many others.

Furthermore, when you digitize all your files, you can ensure they are secure and protected. If

there is a flood, fire, or other disaster, it could put your paper documents at risk of damage or

being lost. However, a secure digital file storage system will provide unlimited storage and keep all your information highly secured.

1. Forming a Legal Structure

You can do most of your essential hotel management tasks without paper. For instance, if you need to register as an LLC, you can use an online formation service to change your business entity for you. These services have a deep understanding of state regulations and ensure your structure complies with all the relevant rules while saving you time, stress, and money.

2. Digital Billing

Setting up digital billing for your hotel is simple and requires minimal equipment. You basically determine which online payment processor you want to use and then make an account for your business. Popular processors include PayPal, Stripe, Amazon Pay, Square, WePay, and BlueSnap. Each service provider charges fees, so do some research to determine which provider will work best for your hotel. And don’t limit yourself to one provider.

3. Paperless Meetings

Gone are the days when you must print out schedules to distribute to your staff. By using

hotel management software, you can easily schedule and manage all your staff meetings

without ever having to print a piece of paper. Research the many options on the market to find a solution that meets your needs.

4. Digital Document Storage

Finally, setting up digital document storage is also a straightforward process. Determine which

document management software you want to use (e.g., Microsoft SharePoint, Rubex, M-Files,

etc.) and dedicate a weekend to learning the ins and outs of the software.

Transferring your files to a digital format may require an initial investment of time and resources, but it can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Establish your goals, and organize all your files by name, date, project, or other categories. Then, select a file naming convention, decide which files are confidential, and share how to organize digital files with your team. While additional steps are involved, tackling those will get you off to a great start.

Are you ready to save money on your housekeeping, billing, and other administrative tasks?

Lose the paper and printers and go digital. The information and advice above can help you lay

a firm foundation for going paperless and setting your hotel up for significant long-term savings!

Are you ready to go paperless? Contact us at hotelitout@gmail.com for more information.

Until next time

Tina and Anubhuti