WizCom Dramatically Improves RFP Process For Hotels Through Its New Automated XML Interface On Its “Ratemanager” Data Management Tool
Compliant with new NBTA 2005 Guidelines, the Enhancement to Popular “EasyAccess Plus” Technology Enables Hotels To Automate Annual Rate Loading Process, Saving Time, Money, and Reducing Errors
PARSIPPANY, NJ, | WizCom International, a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD) and a developer of innovative connectivity technologies for the hotel industry, today announced the release of a new enhancement to its popular “RateManager” technology, which further automates the request for proposal (RFP) process by dramatically increasing the speed and accuracy of rate loading and decreasing the time, money and human...
RateManager is Only Product on the Market with This Capability
PARSIPPANY, NJ, | WizCom International, a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD) and a developer of innovative connectivity technologies for the hotel industry, today announced the release of a new enhancement to its popular “RateManager” technology, which further automates the request for proposal (RFP) process by dramatically increasing the speed and accuracy of rate loading and decreasing the time, money and human resources traditionally invested in the process RateManager, which is part of WizCom’s “Easy Access Plus” suite of data-management technologies for hotels, is currently the only technology on the market that can create and propagate a new negotiated rate from the RFP system to the GDS. Working in tandem with its EasyAccess Plus HOD 2.0 tool that enables the loading of hotel descriptive data, WizCom are able to exclusively support the electronic transmission of the complete range of data elements that fully complies with the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) 2005 specifications for rate and data transmission for NBTA, consortia and corporate RFPs. According to George Roukas, vice president, product development and strategy, Supplier Services, Cendant Travel Distribution Services, RateManager is now available with a fully automated XML interface that seamlessly links RFP systems and global distribution systems (GDSs) – via EasyAccess Plus – to enable the automatic transmission, update and maintenance of the rate and property-descriptive data that hotels use as part of the RFP process to meet their negotiated rate commitments.
The interface being introduced today represents the first of a series – with this one providing links between GDSs and the RFP systems of Nexus World Services. Later in the year, WizCom will introduce additional interfaces that provide seamless links for other popular RFP technology companies, in time for the hectic, year-end, rate-loading season.
Roukas attributed the inspiration for developing the new technology as coming directly from WizCom customers. “At Cendant Travel Distribution Services, we listen to – and work closely with – our customers and business partners,” Roukas said. “Many of our hotel clients have been looking for this kind of automated RFP connectivity for a while now. This need has grown increasingly important as hotels have begun to encounter RFP contracts that levy financial penalties on them for missing or erroneous rates. We were delighted to have the opportunity to work with an RFP technology leader such as Nexus to create this sophisticated RateManager tool, which completely automates what had previously been a costly, labor-intensive and error-prone process.”
Media reports have indicated that the error rates associated with the traditional, manual, rate-loading process associated with RFP management have approached 40 percent. According to Roukas, offshoring, an avenue which some hotels have recently pursued in an attempt to lower their RFP-related rate-loading costs, can reduce costs but may have little positive effect on error rates. RateManager drastically reduces the need for manual labor and virtually eliminates the frequent errors associated with rate loading – saving hotels time and money.