Hospitality performance index

• US 20070294124A1
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: College of Charleston
• Original Assignee: College of Charleston
• Inventors: Crotts, John Charles, Staats, Wayne Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/452,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20070294124A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A method for evaluating and forecasting performance at a hospitality facility in a hospitality performance system, including the steps of: (1) transmitting each subject hospitality facility'"'"'s performance data to a central service of the hospitality performance system using an Internet browser to access a system website, the central service being in communication with each of the hospitality facilities; (2) analyzing performance data submitted by the hospitality facilities using the central service; and (3) storing the performance analyses so that they are retrievable anytime by the system hospitality facilities. The first step preferably includes the following steps: a) using a personal computer and a pre-assigned password to log onto the system website; b) accessing a weekly questionnaire from the system website; c) completing the questionnaire; and d) submitting the completed questionnaire. A performance report can be printed out for the hospitality facility, which may be a lodging facility, a food and beverage outlet, and/or a visitor attraction.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating and forecasting performance at a subject hospitality facility from among a plurality of hospitality facilities belonging to a hospitality performance system, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) transmitting by each subject hospitality facility of the plurality of hospitality facilities of performance data of the subject hospitality facility to a central service of the hospitality performance system using an Internet browser to access a website of the hospitality performance system, the system central service being in communication with each of the plurality of hospitality facilities;

(2) analyzing performance data submitted by the plurality of hospitality facilities using the central service of the hospitality performance system; and

(3) storing the performance analyses using permanent storage;

wherein the performance analyses are retrievable anytime by the subject hospitality facility.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (1) further comprises:

(a) using a personal computer and a pre-assigned password to log onto the system website of the hospitality performance system;

(b) accessing a weekly questionnaire from the system website using the Internet browser;

(c) completing the weekly questionnaire using the personal computer;

(d) submitting the completed weekly questionnaire using the system website.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein step (1) is preceded by steps comprising the steps of:

(a1) registering each new hospitality facility of the hospitality performance system, and at least one potential user at the new hospitality facility, by inputting the name of the at least one potential user from the new hospitality facility, and a name and location of the new hospitality facility; and

(b1) assigning each potential user a user name and password for the hospitality performance system.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(a) activating preferred report functions for the previous week at the central service of the hospitality performance system;

(b) sending queries to the system central service;

(c) generating at least one performance report itemizing aggregate performance analyses for at least one competitive set of the subject hospitality facility; and

(d) making the performance report available for print-out using the personal computer at the subject hospitality facility.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the weekly steps of:

(a) logging in and entering performance data for the subject hospitality facility at the beginning of every week;

(b) checking for data input errors and, if an error is present, contacting a facility administrator of the subject hospitality facility;

(c) activating report functions by midweek; and

(d) issuing a notice by e-mail to the facility administrator once the report functions have been activated.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

(e) denying access to report functions to querying system users from non-reporting system hospitality facilities for which no data has been submitted during the previous week; and

(f) sending an error message to the facility administrator at non-reporting hospitality facilities.

7. The method according to claim 2, where the subject facility is a lodging facility, further comprising the steps of:

(1) Prompting a system user at a subject hospitality facility to provide at least one measure of a previous week'"'"'s performance at the subject hospitality facility; and

(2) Prompting the system user at the subject hospitality facility to provide projected demand for the next four weeks by day.

8. The method according to claim 7, where the lodging facility is a full service hotel, and further comprising the step of:

(3) Prompting the system user at the subject hospitality facility to provide confirmed group books by day for a month in question a year from a time of reporting.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one measure of the previous week'"'"'s performance comprises:

(a) Number of rooms available, but not room nights, for the previous week;

(b) Average room rate for the previous week;

(c) Transient room nights sold the previous week, but not complimentary rooms; and

(d) Group room nights sold the previous week, but not complimentary rooms.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the projected demand for the next four weeks by day comprises:

(a) Transient demand (forecasted); and

(b) Group demand.

11. An on-line hospitality performance system for benchmarking a subject hospitality facility'"'"'s performance in comparison to a selected competitive set, the hospitality performance system comprising:

(a) a centralized database for system users on a secure server;

(b) a first, Internet based data collection sub-system in communication with the centralized database; and

(c) a second, reporting sub-system in communication with the centralized database for querying the centralized database and generating at least one customized performance report;

wherein the hospitality performance system generates at least one of the performance reports for the subject hospitality facility.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the hospitality performance system first and second sub-systems are each automated.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one performance report comprises:

(1) a Last Week'"'"'s Performance Report, a comparison of the subject hospitality facility'"'"'s performance in average daily rate, revenue per available room, and occupancy according to the competitive set; and

(2) a Forecast Report, which is a comparison of forecasted occupancy rates for the subject hospitality facility for the next four weeks according to the competitive set.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one performance report further comprises:

(3) an Historical Report showing previous long term performance for the subject hospitality facility from an archive of the hospitality performance system; and

(4) a 52 Week Trend Report based on last week'"'"'s performance data.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the subject hospitality facility is a full service hotel, and wherein the at least one performance report further comprises:

(5) a Group Pickup Report, as a percentage of total occupancy by groups and by hotel location;

wherein the subject full service hotel is compared to a competitive set of hotels.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the competitive set is classified according to:

segment, rate, location, and location type.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the hospitality performance system will not generate the performance reports if less than three system hospitality facilities from a competitive set report in a particular week.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein an error report is generated if less than three facilities from a competitive set report in a particular week.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the subject hospitality facility is a visitor attraction.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the subject hospitality facility is a food and beverage outlet.