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Knowledge and Learning

PG Diploma in Hospitality Management

Customer Service and Quality Systems – Session 3

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Objectives• Understand the role of computer systems in the hospitality

industry

• Describe the main computer system functions in hospitality

• Understand different purposes for which stored data may be

used

• Explain the distinctions between data, information and

knowledge

• Understand the importance of knowledge management

• Explain some techniques of knowledge management

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Review Questions

• How can you ensure that you present a professional image at all times?

• What can you do to ensure that you communicate effectively in face-to-face situations?

• Give 6 examples of good telephone practice.

• What objectives did you specify for your Customer Complaint Handling course?

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Computer Systems

• Thinking of a large hospitality organisation like a chain of hotels, list the main computer systems and their purposes

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CRM – Guest History

Hotel Computer Systems

SCM –E-Procurement

Accounts

HR

Stock Control Telephone

F&B - EPOS

Security System

Beverage Control

GDS

Pay per View

Property Reservation System

Switch

PMS

Online Distributors

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Data and Technology

• Taking each of the different parts of the hotel’s information technology system, list some examples of types of data that is captured and stored

• List the advantages of guests using a swipe card rather than a key

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Reservation System

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GDS and CRS

• Global Distribution Systems– Originally developed by airlines– Made available to travel agents– Hotels were added at a later date– 4 major systems

• Central Reservation Systems– Set up by hotel chains and as a service for

affiliated hotels– Eg. http://www.hilton.co.uk

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Online Distribution

• http://www.expedia.com

• http://www.travelocity.com

• http://uk.hotels.com

• http://www.theaa.com

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CRM

• Customer Relationship Management

• Holistic system of customer information, transaction information, target marketing, market research and forecasting

• Purpose: to generate long-term customer loyalty– Eg. Customer loyalty programmes

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Data Mining

• Associated with an organisation’s need to identify trends

• Guest Histories analysed for patterns– Individual guest preferences

– Guests categorised into groups and sub-groups

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Supply Chain Management• Internet, Intranet and Extranet applications• Automatically checks authorisation levels and

passes down authorisation chain• Allows purchaser to check progress• Typically saves 15-20% on a manual system• Reduces maverick purchases – typically 15-30%

more expensive• Usage rates and automatic reordering• E-marketplaces eg. http://www.e-hospitality.com• RFID systems for stock taking etc.

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Enterprise Information Portal

• Search/discovery and navigation to information from a knowledge map

• Knowledge network, user interface to communities of interest/expert systems

• Personalisation and presentation of relevant information to the desktop eg.via intelligent agents

• Enterprise application integration • Eg. Hilton has all HR manuals available on its

intranet

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Enterprise Information Portal

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Data Hierarchy

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Databases

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Database Design

• You are asked to advise on a reservations system for a small owner run hotel:

• Suggest what database tables will be required

• Suggest what fields each of these tables should have

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Data – Information - Knowledge

• Data – discrete facts that can be recorded in a computer system eg. name or passport number

• Information – data with a context but it is only information if it is useful to the receiver eg. At the front desk during check-out, Mr Smith is entitled to a 5% discount

• Knowledge – experience, values, contextual information and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information

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Data

Information

Knowledge

UnderstandingRelationships

UnderstandingPatterns

Increasing Complexity

Incr

ea

sing

Co

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Data, Information & Knowledge

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Information and Knowledge

• What kind of information do managers need to be able to obtain from a PMS – give as many specific examples as you can?

• Give examples of knowledge used in a hospitality organisation. Where is this knowledge stored?

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Management Information

• Hotel - Night Audit

• Sales analysis

• Trends analysis

• Occupancy projections

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Organisational Knowledge

• Explicit Knowledge – represented in documents, books, e-mail and databases

• Tacit Knowledge – organisational knowledge found in business processes products and services

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Characteristics of Knowledge

• Subjectivity – depends on point of view• Transferability – may be transferred from

one context to another• Embeddedness – not always easily

accessible• Self-Reinforcement – increases in value

the more it is shared• Perishability – diminishes in value over

time• Sponteneity – cannot be generated on

demand

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Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management

• Organizational Learning: creation of new standard operating procedures and business processes reflecting experience – “The Learning Organisation”

• Knowledge Management: set of processes developed in an organization to create, gather, store, disseminate, and apply knowledge

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The Knowledge Management Value Chain

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How Does Knowledge Management Create Value?

Delivering the best products and services ---offerings that push performance boundaries

Delivering solid products and services at the best price and with the least inconvenience

Cultivating relationships to gain customer knowledge

Delivering what specific stakeholders want

Employee Capability

Operational Excellence Product/Service Leadership

Customer Intimacy

Leveraging human intellectual capital in service design and delivery

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Knowledge Management

• List ways that knowledge can be created or introduced into a hospitality organisation

• List ways that knowledge can be disseminated in a hospitality organisation

• List measures that may be taken to retain knowledge in a hospitality organisation