On a good day, guests don’t even think about your hospitality facilities management operation because they’re too busy being wowed by the beauty of your property, the efficiency of your staff and the speed of your Wi-Fi to think about everything going on behind the scenes.
To make sure most – if not all – of your days are good, there are some key steps you can take to maximize efficiency and minimize hiccups. Here are our top 5 tips to streamline your hospitality facilities management:
Deploy a Robust CMMS Solution
To meet the evolving needs of hospitality facilities management, today’s computerized maintenance management systems, or CMMS, are not only specialized by industry, they can be tailored to meet the unique needs of your property.
CMMS solutions can automatically track everything from guest room availability to preventative maintenance schedules for your property’s most valuable equipment. Automation frees up your facilities management staff to focus on even more parts of the guest experience.
Many of the best CMMS options on the market will include features such as:
- Asset and equipment management
- The ability for staff, or even guests, to electronically submit maintenance requests
- Generation of checklists for regular tasks such as housekeeping or pool maintenance
- A comprehensive dashboard for facilities managers and staff.
Employ Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager
Energy Star, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s voluntary certification program for eco-friendly products, also offers an online tool to take the guesswork out of tracking your property’s carbon footprint.
Portfolio Manager can measure and track greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water consumption for all kinds of properties, including hotels. The tool can be used to benchmark the performance for just one building or a portfolio of properties. According to the EPA, “all you need are your energy bills and some basic information about your building to get started.”
Connect Thermostats in Guest Rooms to the Property Management System
Another eco-friendly way to streamline your facilities management operations and reduce energy costs is to connect the thermostats in guest rooms to the property management system that tracks guest reservations, check-ins/check-outs and housekeeping. When a guest checks out, the system will automatically set their room’s thermostat to “standby” status so you aren’t paying to unnecessarily heat or cool a vacant room.
Step Up Your Hotel Wireless Solution
According to one recent hospitality survey, hotel wireless is more important to travelers than parking, complimentary breakfast or even location. Its importance means it’s one of the first things guests will notice once they settle in and one of the first things they’ll call to complain about if things don’t go well.
Investing in a fast, reliable wireless network can mean fewer complaints from guests and less time your facilities management staff will have to spend responding.
Streamline Your Property’s Waste Management Operations by Producing Less Waste
One surefire way to streamline operations, lighten the load on staff – and the environment – is to reduce the amount of waste generated by your property. Even if your property isn’t ready for a full eco-friendly overhaul, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce the amount of waste from your property, including:
- Switching from offering paper copies of newspapers to digital access passes.
- Using refillable containers for toiletries and other products rather than offering small plastic bottles.
- Collecting and re-using materials leftover from conferences and events
- Donating food and beverage leftovers to local food pantries or shelters, or toiletries and linens to area shelters.
Putting in the time to streamline your hospitality facilities management can save you time, money and resources both now and into the future. Even small changes can make a big difference in creating more of those good days.