Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

FRONT OFFICE SEMANTICS
Preventive maintenance:
Maintenance activities designed to minimize maintenance costs and prolong
the life of equipment.
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Ease and frequency of upgrading and updating. Technology related to front office
management advances at a fast pace. Hardware and software upgrades are rou-
tinely issued by manufacturers, and most of these significantly improve the
operational effectiveness of a PMS. Difficulties can arise, however, when a sys-
tem’s hardware component is not adequate to effectively operate new software
systems. When selecting PMS-related hardware, FOMs should anticipate
significant increases in demand for memory and speed.
PMS software upgrades must be easy to install and should minimize sys-
tem downtime. If a PMS manufacturer is keeping up with the hotel industry’s
changing demands for information, newer versions of the system’s software will
be issued on a regular and fairly frequent basis. Therefore, FOMs should
inquire about the frequency with which a specific PMS has upgraded its sys-
tem in the past and about plans for future improvements or versions.
•
Quality and availability of support services. A PMS is a computerized system
and, as such, is subject to the same hardware malfunctioning issues, software
glitches, and potentially damaging intrusive viruses as is any other computer
linked to the outside environment by the Internet. In addition, because many
other computerized systems interface with the PMS, difficulties may be caused
by one or more of these interfaces. Support-services personnel available to
FOMs must be easily accessed (typically via a toll-free telephone number or
e-mail), reasonably priced (or provided as part of the system’s purchase price),
and above all, knowledgeable about what will need to be done at the property
to resolve problems and to quickly get the system back into proper operation.
Access to support services must be offered on 24/7 basis, including holidays.
The FOM must thoroughly understand the features and the limitations of
the PMS in use. A well-designed and properly functioning PMS helps an FOM to
excel. A poorly designed or frequently malfunctioning system causes tremendous
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