CHAPTER 7

PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PMS)

COMPUTER SYSTEMS THAT MANAGE A VARIETY OF TASK.

*A HOTEL PMS MANAGES A GUEST’S CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT CASH

TRANSACTIONS AT THE FRONT DESK, OUTLET / ANCILLARY TRANSACTIONS,
RESERVATIONS, HOUSEKEEPING, NIGHT AUDIT, AND OTHER TASKS.
SELECTING THE PMS

• PMS’S BY NATURE DIFFER GREATLY. DUE TO THE WIDE VARIETY OF

HOTELS CURRENTLY IN THE MARKET PLACE, PMS’S HAVE EVOLVED TO
MEET THE DIFFERING ARRAY OF NEEDS.
 FACTORS THAT
INFLUENCE THE TYPE OF
PMS:
CONDUCT A NEEDS ANALYSIS

• NEED ANALYSIS - IS A PROCESS WHERE HOTEL OWNERS AND SENIOR

MANAGERS DETERMINE THE REQUIRED SCOPE OF THEIR PMS
NEEDS. THE DOCUMENTS ARE EXACTLY WHAT PROCESS A
PARTICULAR HOTEL WILL REQUIRE FROM ITS PMS. FACTORS SUCH AS
HOTEL SIZE, PRODUCT TYPE, LOCATION AND TARGET MARKET AFFECT
THIS ANALYSIS.
THE APPROPRIATE SOFTWARE SHOULD BE
SECURED
• PMS SOFTWARE- IS A COMPUTER PROGRAM DESIGNED ON A
PARTICULAR PROGRAMMING PLATFORM.
THERE ARE SEVERAL PMS’S ON THE MARKET CURRENTLY THAT OPERATE
ON DIFFERENT SOFTWARE PLATFORMS.
• EXAMPLE:
• OLDER PC SYSTEMS ARE MS-DOS BASED
• NEWER PC SYSTEMS USE A MICROSOFT WINDOWS™ PLATFORM
• OTHER SOFTWARE PLATFORMS ARE AVAILABLE IN LINUX
• STILL OTHERS ARE WRITTEN SPECIFICALLY FOR APPLE COMPUTERS.
*THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE SOFTWARE PLATFORM IS IMPORTANT WHEN
SELECTING THE PMS
 CONSIDER THE REQUISITE HARDWARE
NEEDS
• HARDWARE – IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE ACTUAL MACHINE THE
SOFTWARE RUNS ON. THE SOFTWARE ITSELF OFTEN DICTATES THE
HARDWARE NEEDS. THE CHOSEN SOFTWARE WILL REQUIRE SPECIFIC
PROCESSING SPEEDS AND MEMORY CAPABILITY OF ITS HARDWARE.
• PMS WORKSTATION - THE AREAS WHERE AN EMPLOYEE OR
MANAGER CAN ACCESS THE PMS. THE END USERS OF THE CHOSEN
CONFIGURATION ARE THE HOTEL EMPLOYEES AND MANAGERS.
EACH PMS WORKSTATION WILL INCLUDE SOFTWARE, HARD WARE AND
COMPUTER MONITOR
CONSIDER THE AESTHETIC IMPACT OF THE
HARDWARE
• * PMS WORKSTATION WILL NEED TO BE PLACED IN MANY AREAS OF THE
HOTEL. THE WORKSTATIONS ARE MOST OFTEN LOCATED IN FRONT
OFFICE (AT THE FRONT DESK; BEHIND THE FRONT DESK; IN
RESERVATION, PBX, AND ACCOUNTING). HOWEVER ADDITIONAL
WORKSTATIONS ARE GENERALLY NEEDED AT THE BELL STAND,
CONCIERGE DESK, IN HOUSEKEEPING, AND AT VARIOUS OUTLETS
THROUGHOUT THE HOTEL.
• * A PMS NETWORK ALSO REFERRED TO AS LAN (LOCAL AREA NETWORK)
ALLOWS EACH STATION TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE OTHER. THIS
COMMUNICATION IS VITAL, AS HOTELS MUST KNOW THE STATUS OF
THEIR FACILITY IN REAL TIME. THAT IS, EVERY PMS STATION WILL KNOW
THE STATUS OF EVERY ROOM AND EVERY GUEST.
GUEST ACCOUNT
 GUEST ACCOUNT

MOST PMS’S ARE ORGANIZED BASED ON A SERIES OF MENUS. WITHIN THE PMS,
THE GUEST ACCOUNT TRACKS ALL THE DATA THAT PERTAINS TO AN INDIVIDUAL
GUEST. THE GUEST ACCOUNT CONTAINS TWO SEPARATE MENUS THEY ARE:

• THE GUEST REGISTRATION MENU – CONTAINS ALL THE PERTINENT

INFORMATION GARNERED FROM THE INITIAL RESERVATION DURING THE STAY
(I.E., NAME, ARRIVAL, ROOM PREFERENCES, METHOD OF PAYMENT, AND OTHER
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION).
• THE GUEST ACCOUNTING MENU – WILL BE USED TO TRACK ALL CREDIT/
DEBIT TRANSACTIONS RELATED TO THE GUEST’S STAY.
GUEST REGISTRATION MENU
EACH PMS WILL CONTAIN THIS INFORMATION IN SOME FORMAT.
THOUGH THE ORDER AND VERBIAGE MAY DIFFER, THE FOLLOWING LIST
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THE REGISTRATION MENU:
GUEST ACCOUNTING MENU
• THE GUEST ACCOUNTING MENU WILL CONTAIN A LIMITED AMOUNT OF
INFORMATION RELATING TO THE GUEST’S RESERVATION. ITS PRIMARY
PURPOSE IS TO DOCUMENT EVERY FINANCIAL TRANSACTION RELATING
TO THE GUEST. EACH TIME A CHARGE IS POSTED, A CREDIT ISSUED, OR A
PAYMENT MADE, IT WILL BE REFLECTED IN THIS DISPLAY.

• *THE REMAINDER OF THE ACCOUNTING MENU SUMMARIZES THE FINANCIAL TRANSACTION OF THE GUEST.
EACH TRANSACTION IS ISSUED A LINE NUMBER SO THAT THE RECORD IS EASY TO FOLLOW. THE DATE OF
THE TRANSACTION IS ALSO RECORDED. A REFERENCE SPACE IS USUALLY PROVIDED AS A FREE- FORM
CELL FOR ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NEEDED TO A DOCUMENT THE TRANSACTION.
THE CHECK –IN

• FOR THE FRONT DESK, THE PMS IS USED CONTINUOUSLY TO CHECK

GUEST IN AND OUT OF THE HOTEL. THIS PROCESS, AS HAS BEEN
REVIEWED, IS CRUCIAL IN EFFECTIVELY MANAGING ROOM INVENTORY. IT
ALSO A VERY GOOD WAY TO ILLUSTRATE THE OPERATION OF A PMS. THIS
SECTION ILLUSTRATES THE CHECK- IN OF A WALK - IN GUEST, THAT IS, A
GUEST WITH NO PRIOR RESERVATION.
 THE FOLLOWING SERIES OF PMS SCREENS
SHOWS STEP BY STEP WHAT INFORMATION IS
NEEDED TO CHECK IN WALK - IN GUEST.
• STEP 1 IS TO IDENTIFY THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE INFORMATION, AND IF
NEED BE, VERIFY WITH MANAGEMENT THE AVAILABILITY OF SLEEPING HOURS.
• STEP 2 IS TO IDENTIFY THE ROOM TYPE THE GUEST PREFERS. THE AGENT
SHOULD DO THEIR BEST TO MATCH THE GUEST’S ROOM PREFERENCES WITH WHAT
IS AVAILABLE.
• STEP 3 IS TO USE THE PMS TO DETERMINE WHAT AVAILABLE ROOMS IN THE
HOTEL INVENTORY MATCH GUEST’S ROOM PREFERENCES.
• STEP 4 IS TO ASSIGN A SPECIFIC ROOM NUMBER BASED ON WHAT PMS
INDICATED WAS AVAILABLE.
• STEP 5 IS TO DETERMINE THE TAX STATUS OF THE GUEST. IF THE GUEST WORKS
FOR AGENCIES OF THE GOVERNMENT, OR CERTAIN NOT-FOR-PROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS, HE OR SHE MAY BE TAX EXEMPT.
• STEP 6 IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE METHOD OF PAYMENT.
• STEP 7 IN THIS STEP, THE FRONT DESK AGENT IS ABLE TO MAKE NOTES RELEVANT TO
THE GUEST FOR OTHER EMPLOYEES. BECAUSE THIS GUEST IS PAYING BY CHECK, A
GOOD PRACTICE IS TO NOTE THE CHECK NUMBER IN THE REGISTRATION MENU. ALSO,
THIS DISABLED GUEST MAY NEED ASSISTANCE LATER, SO ANOTHER NOTE WAS MADE.
• STEP 8 IS TO GATHER PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION, SUCH AS NAME,
ADDRESS, PHONE, AND COMPANY NAME, IF APPLICABLE. A DRIVER’S LICENSE OR SOME
OTHER PROPER FORM OF IDENTIFICATION SHOULD BE SHOWN.
• STEP 9 IS TO VERIFY THE RATE MARKET CODE. EVERY RATE IN THE RATE STRUCTURE
IS ASSIGNED A MARKET CODE IN PMS. THIS CODE IS READ BY THE SYSTEM AND THE
COMPANY DETERMINES THE APPROPRIATE RATE. THE MARKET CODE IS NEEDED TO
SERVE AS A “CHECK AND BALANCE” TO THE SLEEPING ROOM RATE ASSIGNED. THE
MARKET CODE MUST MATCH THE RATE. THIS NEEDED TO UNCOVER ANY POSSIBLE
FRAUD BY FRONT DESK EMPLOYEES (E.G., REDUCING A RATE FOR A FRIEND).
• STEP 10 IS THE FINAL STEP. THE RATE IS TYPICALLY ASSIGNED AT THE SAME TIME A
MARKET CODE IS ISSUED. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THIS WAS WALK-IN, AND THE WALK-IN
RATE CHANGES, THIS RATE WAS ASSIGNED LAST.
REGISTRATION CARD

• REGISTRATION CARD- SUMMARIZES MUCH OF INFORMATION

CONTAINED IN THE GUEST REGISTRATION MENU OF PMS. THE
INFORMATION ON THE CARD IS USED TO VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF THAT
INFORMATION IN PMS. ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE INFORMATION, SPELLING OF
THE GUEST’S NAME, AND ASSIGNED RATE SHOULD BE REVIEWED BY THE
GUEST TO ENSURE THAT BOTH PARTIES UNDERSTAND AND APPROVE THE
TRANSACTION. THE REGISTRATION CARD IS THE SUCCESSOR TO THE
HOTEL REGISTRATION BOOK, OR LOG. PRIOR TO THE ADVENT OF
COMPUTERS, HOTEL GUEST WOULD “SIGN IN” TO VERIFY THAT THEY
WERE ACTUALLY STAYING AT THE HOTEL. ARRIVING GUEST SHOULD SIGN
THE REGISTRATION CARD AS THEY WOULD THE HOTEL LOG.
• EACH PMS MENU CONTAINS SPECIALIZED INFORMATION AND REPORTING
CAPABILITIES FOR A SPECIFIC ROOMS- DIVISION AREA. SEVERAL OF THESE
MENUS LEAD THE USER TO EVEN MORE SPECIALIZED MENUS AND REPORTING
OPTIONS. THE ORGANIZATION OF THESE MENUS AND THEIR
INTERRELATIONSHIP IS CALLED A PMS HIERARCHY.
FRONT OFFICE MENU CAN THEN LEAD THE
USER TO OTHER MENUS, NAMELY:

• RESERVATION MENUS
• REGISTRATION MENU
• NIGHT AUDIT MENU
• HOUSEKEEPING MENU
• UNIFORM SERVICES MENU

A PMS HIERARCHY STARTS WITH THE MOST BROAD MENU (FRONT OFFICE)
AND NARROWS ITS SCOPE AS EACH MENU GETS MORE SPECIFIC.
END