Part 3: Lost in RFI, uncovering the Questions That Miss the Point
Throughout my years in the hospitality industry, I have been involved in a multitude of RFIs, RFPs, and other processes for selecting a new hotel management system, commonly referred to in the hospitality industry as a Property Management System (PMS).
The RFI Riddle: Are You Asking the Right Questions (or Just Nodding Politely)?
So, you’ve decided it’s time. The old Property Management System is about to be put out to pasture. A brave new world of sleek interfaces, automated wonders, and possibly even systems that make you a cuppa on demand (one can dream!) awaits. But first - the dreaded Request for Information, or RFI.
Now, for anyone who's ever gone through one of these, you know they can feel a bit like speed dating, but with much more buzz words and considerably less chance of a romantic dinner afterwards. We’re all trying to find "the one" – that ideal PMS that will transform the hotel operations from ‘organised chaos’ to ‘seamless serenity’. But here’s the rub: are you really asking the right questions, or just, well, ticking boxes?
The "Missing Functionality" Frenzy
It’s natural, isn’t it? When you’re fed up with your current system, your mind immediately leaps to all its shortcomings. "It doesn’t do X!", "We desperately need Y!", "If only it had Z!". So, when crafting your RFI, you meticulously list every single feature your old system doesn't have, hoping your new beau will come equipped with all the bells and whistles you've been yearning for.
And rightly so! Innovation is key, and you want a system that propels you forward. But here’s where potential headache comes in: in your fervent quest for new capabilities, do you stop to confirm that the new system also does all the things your old system did right?
Think about it. You might be so excited about the prospect of AI-powered guest journeys that you forget to ask how the system will, you know, actually create a group reservation. It sounds ludicrous, I know, but in the heat of the RFI battle, with pages of questions about future-gazing features, it’s surprisingly easy to overlook the fundamentals. It’s like buying a new car because it has self-parking and driving, then getting home and realising it doesn’t fit into your garage. Oops!
So, a gentle nudge: don't forget to confirm the basics. To always include the current, essential functionalities that must carry over is just as important as your wish list of shiny new toys.
The "Yes, of course!" Conundrum
The classic RFI question that every vendor will answer with a resounding, confident "Yes!" is "It shall be easy to make a new reservation."
Now, stop for a moment. Picture yourself as a PMS vendor. Someone asks if it's "easy" to make a reservation. Are you going to say, "Well, actually, it’s a bit of a nightmare, involving three secret handshakes and a sworn oath to the PMS gods"? Of course not! They'll confidently reply, "Yes! Our system makes creating reservations a breeze!"
And they're not even lying. "Easy" is subjective, isn't it? What's "easy" to a developer who's built the system might feel like cracking the Enigma code to your new front desk hire on a busy Friday afternoon.
This is where your RFI needs to go from simple enquiry to a forensic investigation. Instead of vague questions, get specific. Hyper-specific, even.
Let's rephrase that "easy reservation" question:
- "Can a new, standard reservation be created and confirmed within 60 seconds by a trained front desk agent?"
- "Describe the workflow for creating a group booking of 20 rooms. How many clicks are involved, and what information is required at each step?"
- "Is it possible to modify an individual group member's reservation's check-out date directly from the guest's profile screen without navigating to a separate screen?"
The "Show Me the Pudding" Principle
One can say, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." And correctly so, especially when it comes to RFIs for PMS systems. It’s not enough to ask if it can do something; you need to understand how it does it, and how Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It....
Think about reporting, for instance. "Can the system generate a daily revenue report consisting of “x” compared to “y”?" Again, "Yes!" But if that report takes 10 minutes to set up, requires three different (included in the license?) modules to access, and then needs to be manually exported and formatted in Excel, is that truly "yes" in the spirit of what you need?
A better question would be: "Describe the process for generating a daily revenue report consisting of “x” compared to “y”. How do you actually do it, and what customisation options are available within the system?" Is everything I need included in the license?"
Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...
Crafting an effective RFI isn't just about listing features; it's about translating your operational needs into measurable, specific questions that force vendors to go beyond a simple "yes."
So, as you embark on the quest for a new PMS, remember these few pointers:
- Don't forget the fundamentals: List the 'must-have' functionalities from your current system. Assume nothing!
- Banish the vague "easy" and "simple": Demand specifics. How many clicks? How long does it take? What's the workflow?
- Think "show, don't tell": Ask questions that elicit full process descriptions, not just feature confirmations. The module can be there, but without necessary functionality.
By doing so, you'll move from a vague RFI that offers little true differentiation between vendors to a powerful tool that helps you genuinely compare apples with apples (or, in this case, a seamless check-in with a five-step data entry marathon). These are some of the steps to help you find a PMS that truly makes your life easier, rather than just promising to.
In the next step we will pull back the curtain on the buzzword of the decade - AI!
Yours truly,
Kim
