How Technology Can Save the Balkan Hospitality Industry.
The Balkans are regarded as the crossroads between three continents with great potential for the hospitality industry, however, there are challenges that it must face. We have all heard about the shortage of labor in this sector but let me focus on IT and how it can be helpful in these circumstances.
Technology without the need for IT specialists.
There is a strong demand for IT professionals in hotels, but the same highly skilled specialists generally look to the big IT companies who offer wages and benefits which hotels cannot afford.
Using Bulgaria as an example, in March 2022, according to the National Social Security Institute, the IT sector consisted of approximately 75,000 full-time employees (excluding freelance professionals). In addition, 6,500 new graduates are entering the market each year, growing the IT talent pool in a country of 6.5 million people. Among the multi-national organizations that have already discovered the advantages of this country and built operational and development centers in Bulgaria are HP, SAP, Microsoft, IBM, and VMware. The Balkans have become a hub for the IT sector, leaving the hotels in need of solutions that require less local IT involvement.
The answer is to look for a simpler IT system and to lower costs, this can be achieved by removing the need for on-premises servers, local maintenance, and software upgrades by moving IT out of the property. A Cloud PMS would be the right move, but how do you pick which is best in the highly competitive hospitality product market? Experienced professionals would always go for a product that is stable, secure, with multiple integration possibilities, and built on 30 years of experience, and this si OPERA Cloud.
Opera Cloud makes work easy
With limited IT personnel to choose from and a high turnover of the staff, the hotelier must pick the right implementation partner for the Cloud solutions. Factors like project consultancy, experience, support, and availability take a high priority in the decision-making process.
The OPERA Cloud Property Management solution, paired with HRS support, is very easy to use. It incorporates all the latest technology benefits without the need for an onsite IT specialist.
Here is a list of benefits that OPERA Cloud will bring to your hotel:
· Exceptional guest experiences: Create unique guest profiles to deliver one-of-a-kind personalized experiences and win customer loyalty
· Flexible mobile capabilities: Release staff from the front desk to serve guests anywhere, anytime, and transform housekeeping and maintenance operations with real-time updates
· Faster innovation: Use the power of the cloud, with its centralized control and continuous updates, to accelerate innovation and set up new properties faster
· Greater occupancy and revenue. Manage room inventory and pricing across distribution channels with real-time data and improved visibility to seize revenue opportunities
· Improved operational efficiency: Standardize operations and streamline collaboration across departments with a centralized cloud platform
· Greater productivity: Rely on Oracle certified personnel to resolve IT issues and let staff focus on what matters most, taking care of guests
· True partnership: Tap into the expertise and unmatched R&D resources of Oracle Hospitality, combining Oracle’s hardware and software innovations and MICROS’ 40 years of industry leadership
· Global platform: Customize operations in 20 different languages and meet local compliance requirements in 200 countries
· Enhanced security: The peace of mind that you get with multilayered security, data protection, transactions, application, and infrastructure. Compliance with payment and data privacy standards
· IT simplicity at a lower cost and an excellent way of addressing the IT professional shortage.
Cloud for new guest experience
The sooner hoteliers switch to a Cloud PMS, the better their guest experiences will be.
The more they know about their guest’s preferences, the better they can communicate with them.
The more loyal customers they can win the more repeat business they will get.
The more they can empower their employees the greater the automation and operational efficiencies they can implement, and, most importantly of all, the faster they can improve their bottom line.
Only through accelerated investments in Cloud technology can the hospitality industry reduce its unsustainable staffing needs and labor costs, but still be ready to welcome tech-savvy guests and meet their exceedingly high expectations.
Author: Miroslava Raykovska-Meade
HRS Area Director, Bulgaria
