One of the most obvious ways to understand if technology is
being applied in a meaningful way or not is to reflect on what you hear with
some frequency in any hotel management forum: technology helps improve business
productivity.
This productivity gain is achieved in three ways: reducing
the time it takes to complete processes, eliminating or replacing tasks in
those processes, or including new features that add value to an existing
process.
Thus, productivity works as a relationship between the value
created and the resources used, and although this is obvious, the objective is
to maximize the value of the service by making the best use of resources.
If we think about how technology has contributed to these
optimizations and productivity gains, we see that, in most cases, the
technologies that have been integrated into hotel operations have been aimed at
reducing the time to complete the task. Thus, emerging technologies such as
fashionable ones such as automation, artificial intelligence, big data or
robotics are becoming those that directly replace complete processes, redefine
existing processes and fundamentally rethink the management of hotel operations
and services.
On technology as an improvement in business productivity
We must distinguish between technologies and resources that
are in the numerator of our equation and those that are in the denominator.
When we talk about performance:
The concept of value generated here focuses exclusively on
the ultimate value of the service for the customer. We could also account for
the value created by automating and replacing manual processes performed by
human resources, but that would be an argument for a different spelling.
Among the technologies aimed at optimizing resources and
improving the response time of tasks, there are some that deserve special
attention due to their gradual introduction in the sector: document readers at
reception or electronic commands in restaurants can simplify the work process
in which Despite the continuous use of human resources, data collection is
simplified and automated. For the employee and for the customer, value means
optimization of time.
Another challenge could be the online check-in processor,
in another environment, biometric signature systems or ATMs that replace or
advance tasks in the manufacturing process in the purest style of Lean
methodologies.
What will you do when technology allows you to maximize the
use of your human resources?
In the same forums that I spoke about at the beginning, I
often hear that technology in operations can save time and improve the
efficiency of process management. Even the boldest reflections confirm that
they will replace human labor and reduce the value of human contacts.
In fact, this approach takes place in understanding
business. It is an approach where the substitution or elimination of tasks is
seen as a productivity goal, with a focus on the denominator of the equation,
when the reality is that there is no greater productivity gain than the
creation of new processes and tasks that contribute. the value within the service,
focus on the numerator.
We can think about replacing back-office tasks with other
back-office tasks and we have the best possible back-office management, but if
the focus was reduced by automating the tasks that do not add value and
increasing the ones that add value, we would enter a new dimension. a new
approach to hotel management. This is not only a short-term perspective but
also a medium and long-term perspective.
A new way of understanding productivity
Not long ago I read a report that, although I am only a few
years old, it is interesting to mention. The huge gap between company and
customer was analyzed when input and perceived value were measured. While 80%
of the companies surveyed believe that they add value to their customer
experience, only 8% of customers confirmed that they received this difference
in value. It seems that there is still a long way to go in the field of value
creation and, therefore, of productivity improvement (Report).
It is in this area where technology can generate savings and
increase productivity. But these indicators are the result of daily management,
in which many other factors interfere. This is not the result of revolutionary
technological change.
In general, technology in business has a far greater
transformative effect than short-term productivity effects. This effect creates
an opportunity to grow, rather than stay stagnant, grow a business, generate
new activities, improve products and services, or customer service.
The correct approach to introduce technologies in a company
is to analyze the impact on business models, how they must transform to take
advantage of new growth opportunities, how to differentiate themselves from the
competition, compete in new market niches, and redesign business processes...
Productivity improvement is more a result of this
transformation than an end in itself.
There is no doubt that exciting new opportunities are
opening up before us.
