To say that the accommodation industry has changed significantly over the last 10 years seems like an understatement. Clearly the pandemic changed things for a huge number of sectors but there are few that have seen the scale of change that we have experienced. The profile of operators has changed. Technology has changed. The way we market to guests has changed. Essentially the customer has been given much greater flexibility and choice but can the same be said about your software provider? What are the main property management system features you should be looking for from your software provider?
The Evolution Of The Property Management System
Property Management Systems used to be traditionally associated with larger properties such as hotels and resorts. Nowadays it is considered an essential tool for a vast range of property types including smaller, independent operators such as B&Bs, motels, holiday homes and vacation rentals.
Whether you are managing a single vacation rental, a small property with just a handful of rooms or a large hotel business, each business comes with its own unique set of needs and challenges. The key difference is that small business owners usually don’t have quite the same resources, requirements and budgets as their larger counterparts. So a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is never going to work when it comes to software.
PMS systems developers have had to be one step ahead when it comes to predicting the changing needs of the market. Listening to and understanding the needs of your customers is the single most important aspect of running any business and is equally vital when it comes to development of property management system features.
While the basic requirements of reservation management may remain consistent across all property types, there are a plethora of functions that will be higher or lower on the priority list depending on the property type. Choosing a system that is responsive to your needs and gives you, the property manager, the choice and flexibility to select the features that will be most beneficial to you will help future-proof your business.
Not all property management systems are built the same. Modern systems combine multiple functions into a single piece of software to make the guest and hotel management process as seamless and easy as possible. So what should you look for when considering property management system features?
Key Features To Consider When Selecting a PMS
Flexibility & Choice
A good PMS system will offer you flexibility and choice. You should have a number of options available to you when it comes to key features such as:
The emergence of such a wide range of Online Travel Agents (OTAs) including some that cater to more niche markets, means that most property managers have to think carefully about where they will get most ‘bang-for-buck’ and can’t afford to simply implement a ‘spray and pray’ approach to their marketing spend.
Similarly, when it comes to software integrations and payment gateways, take a look at whether the system integrates with just the developers ‘preferred’ system. Many PMS providers do not offer any choice when it comes to integrations. The better ones will offer you some flexibility.
Responsiveness
Linked to the requirements for flexibility and choice, the mark of a truly customer-focused PMS supplier is their responsiveness to their customers. Are you able to reach out easily to your current supplier and provide constructive feedback on additional features and integrations that would help your business?
A good PMS provider will be developing and enhancing the software on an ongoing basis to ensure that legislative changes are covered and more efficient ways of running your business are continually at your fingertips. Look for suppliers who are setting the trends not following them.
Support & Training
Onboarding support, system training and customer service support are vital to enable you to feel confident in understanding what your PMS can do. A good PMS supplier will have great e-learning resources available so that you can view and download relevant help-sheets and instructional videos at a time that suits you.
Look for software providers with the size to be able to offer great support when you need it. An Australian-based customer support team with a great reputation and extensive industry experience means you will spend less time trying to figure things out and more time attending to your guests.
HiRUM Software Solutions have been at the forefront of property management software for over 20 years. In fact, our Complete Business Solution, has been designed to not only include all of the property management software features we have talked about here but many more.
For a free demonstration of how we can help your property including hotels, motels, strata, resorts, bed and breakfasts and more drop us an email or call 07 5574 4990 now.
