Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

Discussion Questions:
1. Figure 11 reviews selected PMS reports related to hotel records. Can you 
think of additional reports—other than those related to rooms, reservations,
and revenues—that could be of interest to you as an FOM?
2. What are the traditional reasons why manufacturers have not developed an
effective interface between a PMS and a property’s back-office system? What
factors are influencing a convergence of these technologies today?
SELECTING A PMS
The importance of a dependable and cost-effective PMS system for the management
of a hotel’s front office is clear. FOMs must rely on the PMS to help them with every
aspect of their rooms-related decision-making responsibilities. Therefore, the selec-
tion of the best PMS system is critical. As Roadmap 7 indicates, the chapter con-
cludes with a discussion of the factors involved in selecting a PMS.
In many cases, a hotel’s franchisor may dictate that a specific PMS (usually devel-
oped by the franchisor) be used. This ensures that the PMS in each hotel within the
chain can be interfaced with the franchisor’s PMS monitoring system. Franchisors
prefer this arrangement because they are typically paid a royalty fee based on room
(and other) revenues achieved by each hotel within the chain. By mandating that
franchisees use a specific PMS, franchisors can interface with that PMS and directly
monitor revenues and sales. The interface also helps ensure that the hotel is paying
all of its applicable franchise and royalty fees according to the terms of its franchise
agreement.
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