1.

Introduction

This report was based on Imagination Service sector business called Crystal
Wave Hotel. Information systems are essential to helping firms achieve their goals and
objectives in the competitive commercial world of today. The purpose of this report is to
examine the existing information systems of Crystal Wave Hotel and suggest improvements
that are compatible with the corporate objectives of the organization. Crystal Wave Hotel was
chosen as the subject of the investigation because it effectively manages its numerous
functional areas using information technologies. This report was based on Imagination
Service sector business.

1.1 Functional Areas of the Crystal Wave Hotel

The Crystal Wave Hotel provides its visitors with an unique and magnificent
experience while operating in the vibrant and highly competitive service industry. The hotel
is organized into a number of separate functional areas, each serving a particular function
within the organization, in order to manage its operations and provide great service. The
everyday operations of the hotel are supported by these operational divisions, which ensure
smooth operations and an excellent guest experience. These functional areas include as
bellow.

1.1.1 Front Office

Functions

 Managing check-ins and check-outs.

 Handling reservations and room assignments.
 Providing visitors information.
 Taking care of billing and guest accounts.
 Information Needs

 Information on guest reservations and check-in.

 Status of the available rooms.
 Special requests and guest preferences.
 Information on payments and billing.

1.1.2 Housekeeping

Functions

 Maintaining and cleaning guest rooms.

 Restocking the facilities.
 Control of laundry services.

Information Needs

 Availability of a room.
 Cleanup schedules for each room.
 List of linens and amenities.

1.1.3 Food and Beverage

Functions

 Providing room service, pubs, and restaurants on-site.

 Pricing and menu planning.
 Managing the kitchen and dining workers.

Information Needs

 Food and beverage inventory.

 Orders and preferences of the customer.
 Sales and revenue information.
1.1.4 Finance and Accounting

Functions

 Control over the budget.

 Payroll handling.
 The financial tracking.

Information Needs

 Financial statements and reports.

 Information on expenses and payments.
 Budgeting and performance measures

1.1.5 Marketing and Sales

Functions

 Promoting the hotel and its facilities.

 Determining prices and promotions.
 Attracting and maintaining visitors.

Information Needs

 Competitive analysis and market trends.

 Customer feedback and evaluations.
 Information regarding revenue and occupancy.
2 Information Systems in Functional Areas of Crystal Wave Hotel

The operation of several functional areas within the Crystal Wave Hotel has
been improved in large part by the use of information technology. These systems improve
many departments' productivity, accuracy, and customer happiness.

2.1 Front Office

Reservation Management System

The hotel's reservation management system manages check-in/check-out

procedures, room availability, and guest reservations in a smooth manner. Its main
responsibilities include booking reservations, assigning rooms, and handling
payments, making sure that both visitors and staff have a convenient and efficient
stay.

2.2 Housekeeping

Housekeeping System

In order to keep guest rooms neat and functional, the housekeeping system is
essential. It effectively keeps track of room cleaning schedules, assuring prompt
maintenance, and keeps thorough records of room inspection reports and maintenance
requests. By making it easier for cleaning personnel to allocate rooms, providing real-
time status reports, and tracking maintenance requests, this system improves overall
guest satisfaction and guarantees that all guests will experience a clean, well-
maintained environment.
2.3 Food and Beverage

Point of Sale (POS) System

The POS system is charge of running bars and restaurants. It manages a

number of tasks, including order processing, inventory control, and sales reporting.
The system shines especially at order entry, enabling smooth payment processing, and
providing effective inventory tracking. This technology improves the hotel's capacity
to keep precise and current records of financial transactions and stock levels while
streamlining the dining experience.

2.4 Finance and Accounting

Accounting Software

Accounting software that effectively manages many financial aspects. Its

responsibilities include monitoring the budget, handling payroll, and accounting
payable and receivable. It is also essential for creating financial statements, ensuring
correct payroll processing, and efficiently managing expenses.

2.5 Marketing and Sales

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System

The CRM system supports marketing and sales activities by gathering and
analyzing information, managing online reservations, and delivering targeted offers.
Its primary duties include creating visitor profiles, managing reservations effectively,
and monitoring advertising campaigns.
3. Analyze different information systems available in the industry.

To assess alternative information systems accessible to handle business challenges in

the hotel sector, specifically in competition with Crystal Wave Hotel, we must study several
components of the company and current trends. In the hotel sector, information systems play
a critical role in increasing operational efficiency, guest happiness, and overall performance.
Here is an overview of information systems and current trends in this industry.

3.1 Property Management Systems (PMS).

The backbone of hotel operations is PMS software, which helps handle

reservations, check-ins, check-outs, billing, and guest profiles. Oracle Hospitality,
Opera PMS, and Amadeus are all popular PMS suppliers.

Current Trends -

PMS systems are transitioning to cloud-based platforms, enabling real-time

access from anywhere and enhancing guest experiences by integrating with other
systems (Kryukova, 2020).

3.2 Revenue Management Systems.

Revenue management systems support hotels in optimizing price and

availability depending on demand and market circumstances. IDeaS, Duetto, and
Rainmaker are among examples.

Current Trends –
 Artificial intelligence is being utilized to improve revenue management by
evaluating data in real-time and making dynamic pricing modifications (Cerqueira,
2021).

3.3 Online Booking and Channel Management Systems.

These systems assist hotels in managing online distribution by allowing them

to offer rooms through different online travel agents as well as their own website.
SiteMinder, Channel Manager, and Cloudbeds are a few examples.

Current Trends –

Key developments include integrating with metasearch engines and delivering

seamless booking experiences on mobile devices (Ampountolas, 2019).

3.4 Guest Experience and Feedback Management.

Solutions such as Medallia and Revinate assist hotels in gathering guest

feedback, managing reviews, and responding to issues as soon as possible.

Current Trends-

To improve guest satisfaction, social listening, artificial intelligence

sentiment analysis, and immediate response methods are being used (Limna, 2022).

3.5 Data Analytics and Business Intelligence.

Analytics systems such as Tableau and Power BI assist hotels in analyzing

data to make pricing, marketing, and operational decisions.

Current Trends –
 For strategic planning, predictive analytics and data visualization tools are
becoming more popular (Mariani, 2020).

Other growing hotel sector trends include environmental initiatives, contactless

technology (e.g., mobile check-in, keyless entry), and the integration of IoT devices for room
automation and guest convenience.

To compete with other competitors, it's crucial for Crystal Wave Hotel to adopt the
latest technologies and information systems, aligning with current trends while also
maintaining a high standard of guest service and operational efficiency.

4 Suitability of Information Systems

Information systems within Crystal Wave Hotel's functional areas have

distinct roles and varying levels of suitability.

4.1 Front Office

The Front Office Management System is particularly well-suited for

handling check-ins, reservations, and billing procedures quickly and effectively while
guaranteeing a positive visitor experience.

4.2 Housekeeping

The hotel's dedication to maintaining immaculate lodgings is supported

by the Housekeeping System, which is useful for monitoring room cleaning
schedules and maintenance.

4.3 Food and Beverage

 The restaurant and bar's POS System manages transactions very well
and offers a reliable way to keep track of sales and inventory.

4.4 Finance and Accounting

Establishing a budget processing payroll, and producing accurate

financial reports may all be done with the accounting software, which also ensures
financial precision and control.

4.5 Marketing and Sales

The CRM System is excellent at managing customer information,

planning marketing campaigns, enabling customized interactions with customers, and
enhancing marketing initiatives.

5. Critical Analysis of Information System.

5.1 Front Office Management System.

The front office management system in a hotel is a computerized system that

streamlines routine business functions and improves efficiency. It automates tasks, allowing
operators to access real-time data for better decision-making. The property management
system (PMS) serves as the central platform, facilitating check-in, guest profile management,
and checkout. Additional components like booking engines, CRM, channel managers, POS
software, and revenue management systems can be integrated for a unified system.

The front office management system generates managerial reports for

management decision-making, providing a comprehensive understanding of a hotel's
performance and administration. These reports are divided into two divisions: Operations and
Administration. Operations include front office, F&B, kitchen, and housekeeping, while
Administration includes HR, Finance, Maintenance, purchases, sales, and marketing. Each
department has several hotel reports. Here are some of the important hotel reports of the front
office department:

5.1.1 High Balance Report:

This report is generated when a guest exceeds their house limit. The report
will be shared with the front office manager who will then notify the guest about the
exceeding balance.

5.1.2 Daily Arrival and Departure Report:

This report helps keep track of check-ins and check-outs. It is available to the
housekeeping, sales and concierge departments to manage their operations
efficiently.

These reports help managers make informed decisions about their business by
providing real-time data and information. They can analyze operational efficiency and
business performance to improve decision-making.

6. Identifying Business Problems and Proposed Solutions

Numerous business issues and difficulties that Crystal Wave Hotel is experiencing
can be solved using different approaches. Here are some of the main problems and possible
fixes.

6.1 Business Problem 1: Operational Inefficiency

The hotel should operate more efficiently, especially in areas like

check-in/check-out, room upkeep, and restaurant service.

Solution 1: Implementing Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

 Evaluation

RPA can speed up processes and reduce errors by streamlining repetitive tasks in
the kitchen, cleaning, and front office. But it might require a substantial upfront
investment and employee retraining.

Solution 2: Cross-Training Staff

Evaluation

Employees can improve flexibility and service quality by receiving cross-training

to manage numerous functions. The training for this approach will take time and effort,
but it may be cost-effective and increase staff satisfaction.

6.2 Business Problem 2: Customer Satisfaction

To retain its reputation and profitability, the Crystal Wave Hotel must
continue to provide constant customer satisfaction.

Solution 1: Enhanced CRM System

Evaluation

Improved CRM systems using AI and machine learning for real-time feedback
analysis and personalized recommendations can increase customer satisfaction. A
software update and data integration are necessary.

Solution 2: Guest Feedback Management Tools

Evaluation
 Advanced guest feedback management technologies with AI sentiment
analysis can be implemented to help with quick guest response. It could be necessary
to spend in staff training and technology for this solution.

6.3 Business Problem 3: Competitive Positioning

The Crystal Wave Hotel is constantly fighting to be relevant in the rapidly

evolving hospitality industry.

Solution 1: Adopting Cloud-Based PMS

Evaluation

By switching to cloud-based Property Management Systems (PMS), business

may improve accessibility and integration while staying current with market trends.
But it necessitates data movement and cybersecurity concerns.

Solution 2: Integrating IoT for Room Automation

Evaluation

Automating rooms with IoT devices can give visitors easy, contactless
experiences. However, it requires a one-time investment in security protocols and IoT
infrastructure.

In conclusion, by looking into alternative options like RPA, cross-training,

CRM upgrades, guest feedback tools, cloud-based PMS, and IoT integration, Crystal Wave
Hotel may address operational inefficiency, improve customer happiness, and maintain its
competitive position. Every alternative has advantages and disadvantages of its own, so the
hotel should carefully assess its unique requirements and available resources to choose the
best options.

7 Suggesting Latest Information Systems

It's essential to keep up with the most recent technological developments in

the constantly changing environment of the Crystal Wave Hotel. We recommend the hotel to
implement the following information systems to keep a competitive edge and achieve its
corporate objectives.

7.1 Cloud-Based Property Management System (PMS)

This system gives real-time updates, the ability for remote management, and
the scalability to change with the demands of the organization. This improves
operational effectiveness and visitor experiences at the hotel by giving it immediate
access to reservation and guest information.

Justification -

The boutique hotel may manage reservations, room allocation, and guest
preferences more effectively by implementing a cloud-based PMS. Real-time updates
enable quick decisions, assuring the highest possible room occupancy and customer
satisfaction. This system's scalability guarantees that the hotel can expand and easily
meet growing demand.

7.2 Mobile Guest Experience App

 A mobile guest experience app streamlines check-in, makes it easier for
visitors to reserve in-room services, and offers and recommends things specifically for
them. This comfort greatly enhances the whole guest experience.

Justification –

A mobile guest experience app ideally satisfies the modern traveler's desire for
a smooth and customized experience. Visitors can use their cellphones to check in,
request services, and receive personalized offers. This improves customer happiness
and encourages repeat business and great evaluations.

7.3 Advanced Data Analytics and Revenue Management System

The Crystal Wave hotel is given more power by this system's data-driven
pricing methods and individualized marketing. In order to increase income and satisfy
guests, the hotel is able to examine market trends, guest preferences, and booking
patterns.

Justification –

An Advanced Data Analytics and Revenue Management System is essential

for Crystal Wave hotel in a data-driven world. The hotel may real-time optimize
room prices, promotions, and marketing initiatives by utilizing the power of data.
This boosts revenue and guarantees that visitors receive special offers that fit their
tastes.
8 Conclusion

In conclusion, the incorporation of these latest information technology into the

operations of the Crystal Wave hotel is more than just an improvement; it's a calculated
decision that supports company objectives. The suggested systems can take advantage of
market changes while effectively addressing current problems. The Crystal Wave hotel can
significantly improve efficiency, guest satisfaction, and its competitive position in the market
by implementing these methods, ensuring ongoing success and growth.