Hospitality Companies Plot Digital Transformation

In an era in which hotel companies are hyper-focused on profitability, the idea of digital transformation — a term used to described the adoption of technology to streamline business processes and better innovate — is more appealing than ever.

In a webinar session hosted by nonprofit association HFTP titled "The What, Why and How of Digital Transformation," moderator Daniel Connolly, a professor at Drake University, said it's important to understand exactly what digital transformation — or DX — is.

"It's about reimagining and rethinking service delivery models, journey maps, value chains, work flows, competitive methods, et cetera," he said. "It's really transforming the nature of how the work is done, how it's performed, what work is done, and so forth."

Here are some examples of how hospitality businesses are putting digital transformation into practice.Omni

Omni Hotels & Resorts is deep into the process of reinventing its group booking processes with a priority on moving them online, said Omni's Chief Sales Officer Daniel Surette.

He said the need to move processes online has existed for decades, and it represents a big business opportunity since Omni would be first to market with first-party online group bookings.

"If we can get this right, we can put inventory on the shelves for our customers when they want it and how they want it," he said. "It's really for those customers that are ready for this. Not everybody is ready to book events and meetings online. But the tide is moving and there's enough buy-in in testing and trial."

He noted the challenges of this project include required investments, hurdles with inventory management and building consumer confidence, and defining what types of meetings and events make sense for online bookings.

He said it's also important to define what isn't likely to be included in these efforts in the early phases. He said online group bookings aren't likely to include large conventions, trade shows and expos, or even weddings, since those all require more individualized attention.