Club Technology Boot Camp HITEC 2004 Bill

Club Technology Boot Camp HITEC 2004

Bill Sullivan CHTP v Over 25 years of industry experience v Speaker at HITEC Club Boot Camp in 2002 -2003 v Senior Industry Consultant v Author of numerous articles and textbooks v Faculty Member at University of Delaware and Widener University v HITEC Advisory Committee v Club and Hotel Manager Bill Sullivan ITR Principal Consultant Director Hospitality Industry Practice 2004 HITEC

Boot Camp Housekeeping v Location of Fire Exits v All slides are available as CD v Please do not use your cell phones during this session v Questions? ? ? ? ? 2004 HITEC

Agenda Part 1 – Bill Business Process Part 2 – Deb Marketing Part 3 – Deb Tools & Technology 2004 HITEC

Part 1: Club Systems Integrated Technology Research Corporation Bill Sullivan ITR Principal Consultant Director Hospitality Industry Practice

Club Technology Dynamics v Multi-Vendor Environment v Chose Cornerstone Product v Standards v Integration v Role of www. 2004 HITEC

Club Technology Financial Model v Predominantly standalone package solutions, future is ripe for “integration” v Software/hardware costs may be minimal compared to Integration / Implementation costs v Don’t underestimate TOTAL cost of investment 2004 HITEC

Technology Topics v Membership Systems v Point of Sale (POS) v Sales and Catering v Back Office Accounting v Grounds and Maintenance v Golf Member Services v Tennis and Racquet v Spa and Fitness 2004 HITEC

Membership Systems v Standard Features – – Member master file information Member accounts receivable Member demographics Interfaces to POS or internal module – Dues management – Stock Certificate management 2004 HITEC

Membership Systems v Optional Features – Membership cards – Photo ID and signature scans – Employee time keeping – Executive information systems – Member preferences – www. site interface 2004 HITEC

Local or ASP v Local Systems – Hardware and software operated locally at club – Club staff operates and maintains – Cost controlled at club v ASP – Application Service Provider – Hardware and systems software at vendor location – Cost normally based on transaction volume – Reduced technical expertise required at club location 2004 HITEC

ASP Providers v Golf Gopher – http: //www. golfgopher. com/ v Fore. Tees – www. foretees. com v Article on ASP – Remote Control 2004 HITEC

Membership Systems v Club Systems – www. clubsys. com v Jonas Software – www. jonassoftware. com v Abacus 21 – www. abacus 21. com v Smythsystems – www. smythsystems. com v Integrated Business Systems – www. goibs. com 2004 HITEC

Food & Beverage / POS v Standalone vs. Integrated v Member Account Billing v Keyboard or Touch. Screen v Handhelds and Wireless v Local Support 2004 HITEC

Food & Beverage / POS v Restaurant. Results. com www. restaurantresults. com v Squirrel Systems www. squirrelsystems. com v Digital Dining www. digitaldining. com v MICROS www. micros. com 2004 HITEC

Sales & Catering v Standalone vs. integrated v Role of CRM v Matching complexity of system to your environment v Matching features of system to your environment v Enhanced graphics v www. connectivity 2004 HITEC

Sales & Catering v Resort Suite www. enablez. com v Northwind www. maestropms. com v Daylight Software www. daylightsoftware. com v Caterware www. caterware. com v Delphi www. newsoft. com 2004 HITEC

Back Office Systems v Chain vs. Property v Accounts Payable v Inventory v General Ledger v Payroll and Time Keeping v Level of Integration 2004 HITEC

Back Office Accounting Systems v Data Plus Hospitality Solution – Back. Office for Hospitality v Kronos Incorporated - Integrated HR, payroll, scheduling and time and labor software v Restaurant Software by Menu. Link Back Office Inventory and Labor Products v Visual One Systems 2004 HITEC

Grounds and Maintenance v Budget & Expense Tracking v Personnel & Labor Activity Records v Chemical & Fertilizer Application Records v Inventory, Purchase Orders & Fuel Reporting v Equipment & Property Maintenance 2004 HITEC

Grounds and Maintenance 2004 HITEC

Grounds and Maintenance v TRIMS – www. trims. com v Precision data Services – www. precision-data-services. com v Golf Course Superintendents – www. gcsaa. org 2004 HITEC

Golf Member Services v Tee time scheduling v Handicaps tracking v GPS course location tracking 2004 HITEC

GPS Systems v Location and distance tracking for golfer v Pace of play and cart location tracking v Food and beverage sales v Other marketing v Score input for individuals or tournaments v Tournament leader boards v Emergency communications 2004 HITEC

GPS Systems v Golf. Net – www. golfnet. com v Focus 2 K – www. focus 2 k. com v Intelli. Golf – www. intelligolf. com v Par. View – www. parview. com v Sky. Golf GPS – www. skygolf. com v Up Link Golf – www. uplinkgolf. com v Pro. Shot Golf – www. proshotgolf. com 2004 HITEC

Tennis v Court scheduling v Pro Shop management v Tournament scheduling and management v Court maintenance 2004 HITEC

Tennis v Top Dog Tennis – www. topdogtennis. com v Racquet Soft – www. getphysicalsoftware. com v Greencourt – www. greencourtsoftware. com 2004 HITEC

Fitness- Spa v Management of memberships and fees v Scheduling of spa facilities and services v Tracking fitness conditions and programs 2004 HITEC

Fitness- Spa v Resort. Suite – www. enablez. com v Abacus 21 - www. abacus 21. com v Spa Soft – Spa Management v Salon Master – ASP – www. salonmaster. com v Rio Systems – www. riosystems. com v Aphelion – www. aphelion. net 2004 HITEC

Debra Kristopson v President of NDTC. com & NDTCWIFI v Former CIO of Stouffer Hotels & Resorts and Stouffer Restaurants v Over 25 years of industry experience v Senior Industry Consultant v Industry Speaker/Lecturer v Author 2004 HITEC

Technology’s Role in Club Marketing Going Beyond the Basics

Marketing with Technology Going beyond the basics of your Membership Management and Sales & Catering Systems, What additional tools are available…. 2004 HITEC

Deb’s Technology Rule #1 For ANY Technology which your current, or future, Club Member is able to interact with…… You need to have a non-technology equivalent service. For acceptance, Technology must be perceived as an added benefit not as a replacement for personalized service. 2004 HITEC

Member Marketers Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool is a Satisfied Member Keys to Membership Satisfaction: 1. 2. 3. 4. Recognition Personalized Service Participation Involvement Technology can “enable” you to provide superior service 2004 HITEC

Member Recognition Ask yourself: 1. How many members are there in your Club? 2. How long have you been with your Club? 3. How many members do you know by name? 4. What is your annual staff turnover? 5. How many members would the average Club employee know by name? 2004 HITEC

The Ultimate Solution Member ID Recognition Systems These are currently custom solutions using off the shelf components 1. 2. 3. 4. “Contact-less” Member RF IDs Photo Database of Members RF ID Sensors placed in key contact areas Member profiles activated on PC when the member is in “range” Ski Resorts are using a variation of this technology for Lift Access 2004 HITEC

Resources v On the web use “rfid” or “rf id” as keywords to find sources of information on RF ID tags and vendors v www. amtel-security. com v www. aleder. com 2004 HITEC

Personalized Service Providing Personalized Service is NOT easy BUT it is an attainable goal. Personalized Service Basics 1. 2. 3. 4. Track Member Participation Member Preferences Key Dates Prior Complaints 5. Expedite Requests and Issues 6. Follow up on all issues 2004 HITEC

Software Solutions for Personalizing Service v Guest Recognition Software v Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM) v Quality Assurance Software These systems are labor intensive both in collecting the data as well as making the information actionable. Information without Action is Meaningless. Management Commitment is REQUIRED. 2004 HITEC

Resources v www. guestware. com v www. mtech. com v www. hotelexpert. com 2004 HITEC

Expanding Member Services Integrating OLTP applications into your Member services can enhance your perceived value as a Club. Examples of available OLTP applications: § Tee Time Scheduling § Calculating / posting handicap § Checking account status § Making dining reservations 2004 HITEC

Encourage Member Involvement Solicit feedback on club issues Conduct surveys/online polls Post Results and important updates Act upon at least ONE item Never solicit feedback and then ignore it by failing to take action 2004 HITEC

Your Marketing Web Site v Your “Marketing” web site has a different audience, message and goal than your Members Only web site v Perform Regional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) v Attain as many legitimate inbound links as possible v DO NOT auto-submit your site to one million search engines and directories for the low cost of $69. 99 2004 HITEC

E-Marketing is LEGAL v Develop a relationship with your ISP – they are your first line of defense against complaints. v Never conduct an email marketing campaign without their prior knowledge. v Use carefully built lists. v Always allow for OPT-out. v Avoid spamming people. v Keep your email message small and simple. Direct your reader back to your web site for more information. 2004 HITEC

Web Site Basics It’s True, People Don’t Read

Web Site Basics v People don’t read – keep your information concise, and well organized v Be unique – don’t use templates v Who you host with does matter v Search Engine Ranking is more important than “bells & whistles” v Promote your web site in all traditional forms of communication 2004 HITEC

People Don’t Read v Focus on what the surfer wants to know NOT on what you want to tell him v Don’t use a graphic which doesn’t display well v Keep Navigation simple and consistent across all pages v Keep individual page lengths to a maximum of two vertical scroll bars v Break long text with Graphics v Keep load times under 25 seconds on a 56 kb connection v Don’t go overboard with required fields on information forms 2004 HITEC

Your Design Should be Unique v Just as you wouldn’t put your name on someone else’s sales brochure, don’t use a template and make your site look just like everyone else’s. v Your web site should be reflective of the personality of your Club. v Keep your content fresh and up to date. 2004 HITEC

Web Hosting Considerations Nothing in life is truly free …… Choose your host with care v Be pop-up banner and ad free v Be hosted as a stand alone site – do not allow yourself to be header-hosted v Make sure your host is using, at minimum, T 1 connections to the Internet v Your host should provide web based email with SPAM Blocking v If you are planning on E-Marketing, make sure that you have a sales representative that you can work with to avoid being blocked 2004 HITEC

Be Search Engine Friendly Search Engines are “finicky”…. . v Avoid Search Engine Roadblocks: 1. Flash Intros 2. Animation 3. Frame v Not all web designers know how to design for search engine optimization. Check first. v Not all web designers perform search engine optimization or submit your site for ranking. Check first. 2004 HITEC

WIFI Basics

WIFI Technologies v Broadband Internet v Internal Networks v Applications v Security Considerations 2004 HITEC

WIFI INTERNET Jargon 101 v WIFI – Wireless Fidelity; term used to distinguish Wireless data from cell phones v DSL – Higher speed Internet access options provided by LEC or a reseller v Up to Speed – This is not a guaranteed speed and is dependent upon your location v Speed to Location – If more than one user is connected to the Internet – this is a shared speed v Download Speed – Speed to the Provider v Upload Speed – Speed from the Provider – this is the more important speed for most. 2004 HITEC

Broadband…Faster than a Speeding Bullet v As new Internet applications become available – Access speed will exceed most DSL offerings ability to compete v Scalable Broadband Internet Access – speeds can be set by user v Technology is rapidly changing – current standard 802. 11 b/g – Don’t invest for the long term v Commercial vs Residential equipment – “Don’t send a boy to do a man’s job. ” 2004 HITEC

Clubs & WIFI do go well together WIFI access can be either an added Member benefit or a revenue center v City Clubs make excellent Hot Spots v Clubs with Housing Developments make excellent “Neighborhood” WIFI Installations v Clubs with Meeting Space WIFI enabled may allow for easier sales v WIFI can be billed based upon usage or as a flat fee and can be associated back to a Member Account 2004 HITEC

WIFI Internal Networks WIFI may be just the right solution for networking remote locations v A typical “neighborhood” WIFI installation can cover 2 -3 sq miles providing all within the coverage area seamless Network access v Antenna height is key to achieving a large coverage area v Wireless and Wired networks can be bridged for maximum coverage across and then within buildings 2004 HITEC

WIFI Applications are coming of age For example…. Hand Held POS terminals Golf Carts with GPS More are coming to market everyday 2004 HITEC

Secured WIFI Networks are no more, or less, secure than Wired Networks The “unsecured WIFI myth” exists because the majority of people who install a WIFI network NEVER turn on security. 2004 HITEC

WIFI Security Considerations Choose the level of security based upon perceived risk v WIFI security can be as basic as WEP 64 or as complex as WPA-PSK. v WIFI security comes with a price: PROXIM 600 Commercial Grade Radio Unsecured - 1000 clients WEP 128 - 500 clients WPA-PSK - 50 clients 2004 HITEC

Emerging Trends & Technologies Technology Issues to keep an eye on

Technology Issues to keep an eye on v SPAM legislation v Business Process Patents v Offshoring v Privacy legislation 2004 HITEC

Thank You ! 2004 HITEC