How to carry out the digital transformation in a hotel

Carrying out the Digital Transformation in a Hotel is a great challenge because it implicates the adoption of new technologies in the different areas of the company, seeking to change the way processes are carried out, and thereby give greater value to customers. At the same time, this supposes a change in the organizations´ culture since it proposes to challenge, experiment, and expose oneself to failure by implementing new ways of doing things.

Among the key factors for the digital transformation is the process architecture. In this topic, at first instance it should start by taking an inventory of documents to determine if there are mapped processes, in case of determining that there is no asset of this nature, then it should be carried out, as recommended by my colleague and process expert Fernando Solano, a Process Architecture Consultancy, which is described below.

Currently there are various tools that could guide the processes of our organizations towards positive results. Thanks to technology, processes can be worked more efficiently and effectively. However, having that many offers of possible solutions, we must think twice on which ones will help us improve the problems we currently have with the processes. Business Process Management - BPM - is a methodology that facilitates the management of the different processes of a company through software that manages, among other things, the interaction of users, the tools in a given time, and the fulfillment of tasks.

There are certain steps or good practices for the successful implementation of a BPM, ensuring that it generates value for the business. As a first step, define the processes and be sure correct optimization them before proceeding. Technology can help us visualize the workflow and data being managed in an organization. The output of this exercise is the information of the process that will be managed in a document manager.

The second step is to make a flow motor. This activity consists of programming the various business rules, such as:

• The people responsible for executing the process.
• Times to complete tasks.
• Notifications.

With the first two steps, you have a panoramic photo of the organization by identifying the present policies, norms, operations, definitions and restrictions, which are vital to achieve the organizational objectives. The different technologies present in a company must be able to interact with each other, facilitating those involved in executing the tasks to be able to fulfill them in an orderly manner within a pre-established time range.

The third and last step of the BPM must be monitored throughout the process, facilitating its traceability through metrics, averages, volumes, percentages, etc.

And why, if generic methodologies abound, do we focus on BPM?  

According to Fernando, “due to its advantages, among which the interaction with all the systems that a company may have stands out. It calls for the Lean Six Sigma methodology and must involve all parties in an organization, thus promoting work in equipment".

Carrying out a process architecture will allow you to identify the path to follow in the technological area; As you can imagine, with the technology available today its impossible to think about a single way to achieve digital transformation. Some of the possible solutions are:

• Cloud
• Technology development
• Mobile, responsive platforms, apps
• Process automation

But before getting there, it is important to understand the assets and services that your hotel has. For example, some have PMS, CRS, CRM, Online Booking System, OTA administrator, website, social networks, or others.

To help you in this process, we invite you to download for free this checklist that will allow you to carry out the digital asset survey, which is the starting point for the digital transformation process that your company needs for shure.