A recent survey by the National Restaurant Association shows that roughly a third of restaurant operators believe that the technologies they use in-house are lagging. The same reasons many of these restauranteurs cited for not investing in more helpful and innovative technologies are ones we hear quite often, too:

• “New tech is too expensive.”
• “There’ll be too much of a learning curve.”
• “We don’t have anyone on-site to maintain it.”

With the rise of cloud-computing solutions like software-as-a-service (SaaS) though, these concerns are a thing of the past—and not just for restaurant managers or large restaurant groups anymore. Nimble and advanced software technologies built specifically for the hospitality industry have brought a more level playing field to dining establishments of all shapes and sizes.

Hospitality Technology for the Masses

When you think about it, hotel management and operations teams are really no different than those working in restaurants. The day-to-day struggles are the same:

“How do we keep better control over our operations when there are so many other things to worry about?”

For hotel management, this may be an even bigger concern when they not only have hotel operations to worry about, but also those of their on-site restaurant. The thing is, those same technologies built to solve problems for restaurant management are the same ones hotels should be using. These SaaS solutions can make a world of difference for hotels, resorts, and even smaller, independent establishments. Here are just some of the benefits:

1. The cost of cloud-based software solutions tends to be low since there is no hardware to purchase or team to pay to maintain it.
2. SaaS gives hospitality management the ability to more tightly control and monitor their operations from a single system.
3. There is also a trickle-down effect: with greater operational control comes greater efficiency (and more time savings) starting from the top-down.
4. These new hospitality technologies enable operators and management to take the software with them wherever they go since it all runs from the cloud.
5. The technology isn’t a one-size-fits-all, so there are plenty of opportunities for customization and personalization based on operational need.
6. There is also the flexibility factor to take into consideration: operators don’t have to get stuck with a solution based on previous requirements. The software will grow as they do.
7. Many software providers are partnering with others in order to provide a more holistic solution to hospitality operators. So POS systems, operations management tools, inventory and food cost controls, training systems, and more no longer have to remain separate.

SaaS has proven to be an extremely powerful and cost-efficient tool for management teams, large and small. With the distraction of overwhelming hardware and maintenance costs gone, and many of the menial day-to-day tasks no longer a burden, hospitality management professionals are flocking to this solution to power their back office systems (as well as customer-facing ones, too).

While hotel operators may feel like their main focus needs to be on managing the property, reservations, and customer service, the food service aspect of their operations is just as important. Any chance to rein in costs, gain better control, and improve team efficiencies is a win for everyone involved. Remember: it’s not just the people who work for the hotel or restaurant that are affected by these technological improvements, the customers will experience it, too.

If you’re a hotel or restaurant operator currently struggling with operational costs or procedural control, give us a call today or fill out the form at the link below.