Does your RMS no longer suit you? Do you need new features not offered by your current RMS? Whatever the reasons, if you decide to change your RMS, it’s because the expected benefits are not forthcoming.
Here are the 6 things you need to pay attention to when making the switch.
Define essential non-regression features
If you chose this previous solution, it’s because you liked it, and especially some of its features. List them to ensure that the suppliers surveyed offer these features, or even respond to them differently.
Ask publishers for a list of their latest developments
It’s very difficult to judge a publisher’s capacity for innovation and evolution a priori. Company size can be a false friend. Sometimes even a hindrance to agility. Don’t hesitate to ask your editor for a list of the latest developments and a 6-month roadmap.
Check connectivity, but don't make it the alpha and omega of your choice
You choose an RMS, not a pipe. System integrations often depend on the PMS’s ability to be connected. So if your previous RMS was connected, it’s feasible. Make sure you’ve got your back with a clause in the contract. Then start licensing as soon as the connection is live. Notify your PMS publisher, and encourage it to interface free of charge with the RMS of your choice, without imposing a solution on you. N&C development teams put 1 to 2 “standard” integrations into production every month. You don’t know what the new growth opportunities for your company will be, so make sure that the solution is, like revbell, multi-property and multi-PMS in a single environment.
Question the degree of artificial intelligence ... but prefer business intelligence
The word is on everyone’s lips. However, beware of misleading language: few RMS are actually equipped with artificial intelligence. Revenue Management is a pragmatic practice, so no RMS will be able to provide exhaustive information. Ask your contact about the demand modeling method and the recommendation algorithm. If the answer sounds like “ we mix thousands of data sets, and find the ideal price ”, it’s probably just smoke and mirrors. On the other hand, beware of simplistic tools that mix “a bit of weather, a bit of competition”, as this information is never exhaustive, unreliable and only relevant on D-day or D-1, i.e. when 90% of the optimization has been completed. The best way to test the robustness of the forecasting and optimization proposed by RMS is toask your interviewer about the likely biases or weaknesses of the algorithm.
Ask publishers about the flexibility of parameterization options
What happens if you change PMS during the License period? How does the publisher plan to integrate past data from a previous PMS? Are your mappings and settings definitive? Few solutions offer advanced self-mapping functions. This is despite the fact that poor parameterization is often the reason for the ineffectiveness of decisions made or suggested by the RMS. Assume that your initial parameters are likely to need to be revised. The solution you choose must offer you this agility.
The RMS is the RM team’s tool – trust them!
Is your RM team convinced? So go for it, because at the end of the day, it’s the users who will benefit. There’s no need to involve a Mexican army of corporate players in this choice. On the other hand, if your RM needs support to gauge the technical reliability of the editors interviewed (back and front-end technology used, quality of servers), don’t hesitate to call in the experts. If you don’t have the skills to assess the quality of the optimization, and the RMS will be used by operational teams (GMs or front desk managers), enlist the help of a neutral Revenue Management consultant who is not involved with any particular publisher.
In conclusion, a change of RMS is often seen as a very committing choice, but the RMS is not, like the PMS, a central tool in the data architecture of your hotel or group. Above all, it’s the daily tool for Revenue Managers and Yield teams. A comprehensive tool offering them reporting, alerts and recommendations to save time, money and quality of life at work.
Are you thinking about changing your RMS? You may be interested in our latest article on connectivity.
Keywords: RMS, transition, PMS, solution, multi-property, multi-PMS, artificial intelligence, Revenue Management, algorithm, flexibility