Building Your Property Management System Requirement List
By Jeff Sefton
After your property management system evaluation team has been formed, it’s time to begin building a “high level” system requirement list.
These initial requirements will get broken down into a more detailed list at a later stage – at this point think about the system in modules such as:
- Front Desk
- Reservations
- Housekeeping
- Accounts Receivable
- …and so on until you have them all covered
System Flowchart
An easy way to work through the modules is to lay out the system flow by using post-it notes on a wall, a whiteboard, etc. If you are able to meet in an area where you can keep the notes up for further meetings, great! Otherwise take a photo and post the notes again at your next meeting, or perhaps tape them to a flip chart that you can bring to each meeting.
Start with a reservation and how it flows though the system – while at the same time thinking about the reservation from the guest’s perspective and reviewing all the touch points the guest experiences during their stay.
The flow charting process will help the team understand how the information flows through the system as a whole (and not just how a single module works).
Next week’s post will discuss how to expand your property management system requirement list.
Photo Credit: Dan Paluska
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