'RHR for Purchasing' solution offers versatility and ease of use

"Any piece of technology that can increase revenue and decrease costs will get a look today by attendees at HITEC," said Mark Haley of The Prism Partnership, LLC in Boston. "Purchasing technology certainly makes sense, because inventories can easily be maintained by computers rather than by people with less overhead and less error."

RHR Systems, Ogden, Utah, will debut a new, Web-based version of its unique "RHR for Purchasing" solution at HITEC—the product will be available for roll-out July 1, 2002. The software has been completely revamped to run using a Web browser, making it more dynamic and user-friendly, with more features and functions, said Rob Rodgers, RHR President.

"We have taken a powerful purchasing and materials management tool that can handle anything and everything a hospitality manager might buy and made it easy for anyone to use," he said.

RHR Systems brought together three teams with unique expertise to make the Purchasing solution the best-of-breed choice for hospitality enterprises. The company's internal software development team and senior executive leadership have many years of experience in creating solutions for the uniquely demanding hospitality universe. Properties already using the RHR Systems solution in its earlier version formed a users group that helped to develop and test its functionality. RHR Systems brought in a third team of software developers with expertise in Web-based solutions to help turn complex functions into easy-to-use features.

RHR for Purchasing is applicable for virtually all hospitality IT environments:

• The system runs on Microsoft SQL Server and ODBC-compliant database platforms, including Access and Oracle
• Web-enabled software runs on the World Wide Web externally, or on an internal browser on a corporate intranet or local area network (LAN)
• Designed for Microsoft I.E.

"Brain Dead Simple" Shopping Tip

"There are two key elements to look for when shopping for purchasing software," Haley said. "First, the software needs to be accessible to end users without a lot of training. While this tool may be sophisticated on the back end, the front end needs to be brain dead simple. Second, if the package does not have a robust and flexible workflow tool, don't bother to make the investment."

The RHR for Purchasing solution can track anything on the property using handheld devices and its proprietary software, Rodgers said. The new version of the product runs on the Palm Pilot Symbol Technologies Model 1800, allowing staff to generate and scan barcodes on any item. Barcode labels on locations, down to the room and place on a shelf, keep a tight rein on valuable assets. With RHR for Purchasing, it becomes possible to generate a very accurate inventory in about an hour.

"RHR for Purchasing is a complete purchasing and materials-management system that handles every product or service that a hospitality unit can buy--from food and FF&E to office supplies and sales services," Rodgers said. "When you tie handheld capabilities to automated purchasing functionality, you get real cost-containment. Your purchase order information is sent to the handheld device, then at the receiving dock when the product arrives, you can verify that it's the correct charge and quantity for the goods received."

RHR for Purchasing provides valuable benefits for the hospitality business manager:

• Enables on-line, paperless requisitioning, routing and approvals of requisitions and purchase orders
• Generates purchase orders via e-mail, electronic data interchange (EDI), fax or conventional mail
• Controls payments for food, beverage and other supplies based on what is actually received, not what is invoiced by the vendor.
• Tracks the budget process. As budgeted items are purchased, RHR matches the items and amounts consumed against what was budgeted. Managers can see instantly if they are staying within budget for everything they use.
• Converts supply costs accurately to recipe and menu pricing functions

"Hotel managers using our solution will have much greater freedom in creating their own reports and tying their purchasing and inventory system to point-of-sale, back-of-house and vendor systems," Rodgers said. "Technical assistance and upgrades also will be much easier."

Originally developed by hospitality industry veterans for the unique demands of hotels and restaurants, RHR for Purchasing Version 5.0 makes its unique versatility and power accessible to multiple users in a familiar web-browser environment.

"With versatility, accessibility and accuracy, the new Web-based RHR for Purchasing solution sets a new standard in information-technology for hospitality management," Haley said.

For more information on RHR for Purchasing, visit Booth Nos. 931 and 933 at HITEC.