Industry News - July 15th 2011
| | RETAIL AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS | Motel 6 iPhone App Connects Guests to 1,100 LocationsMotel 6 has just released the Motel 6 App for iPhone and iPod touch, enabling guests to quickly find and book rooms at more than 1,100 locations in the United States and Canada. “As more of our guests turn to their iPhones for quick access to information on the go, it is clear that a Motel 6 App for iPhone and iPod touch is the perfect tool to help guests locate and book Motel 6 accommodations during their travels,” says Olivier Poriot, CEO of Accor North America, Motel 6 and Studio 6. "Now guests have the ability to locate and reserve a room at Motel 6 while on the go." The app uses the iPhone’s built-in GPS to locate the closest location available. Once the Motel 6 location is identified, the Motel 6 App provides guests with the most pertinent details for their visit, including each location’s amenities, brand policies, property images and daily rates. Locations are also searchable using an airport code, city or state. Registered members can take advantage of the “My Motel 6” feature, where their account information and upcoming reservations are conveniently available for viewing. First-time guests can create an online account in just a few easy steps. 
YUM International Wirelessly Networks Cooking Appliances Kitchen Brains’ QPM application is a systemic solution that wirelessly networks cooking appliances and provides real-time monitoring and administration capabilities, while delivering meaningful results. In addition to providing a host of remote management capabilities and compliance oversight, QPM enables restaurant teams more time to focus on hospitality and the guest experience. "In a consumer-focused industry like ours, delivering on the brand promise is paramount. SCK's [Kitchen Brains’] process automation solution enables us to deliver an even better experience for our customers and truly reinforces our ‘customer mania’ philosophy," says Jack Clare, CIO for Yum! Restaurants International. The framework agreement enables Yum! Restaurants International and Kitchen Brains to immediately deploy the system into additional international markets. “SCK’s [Kitchen Brains’] adaptable system architecture enables it to interface with our diverse landscape of existing IT solutions by market and more rapidly deliver benefits to the YRI system,” adds Clare. “This is a strategic path agreement that will evolve over time as we gain more experience and our team learns how to extract further value.” Kitchen Brains’ technology connects all the components of food preparation--refrigeration, cooking, rethermalization, baking, and holding--into a seamless environment that is managed and accessible, even remotely, from anywhere. Kitchen Brains streamlines equipment diagnostics, maintenance and service, while reducing operating costs and increasing sales.
Pizza Hut Franchisee Slices Payroll Fraud with BiometricsPizza Hut franchisee Rage, Inc. has rolled out DigitalPersona U.are.U Fingerprint Biometrics in 118 locations throughout the East Coast in South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia to reduce employee theft. By deploying fingerprint biometrics as a part of their Speedline Point-of-Sale (POS) systems, the Pizza Hut restaurants have improved employee accountability, reduced unauthorized discounts and decreased payroll fraud. Prior to installing DigitalPersona U.are.U Fingerprint Readers, Rage’s Pizza Hut store managers used simple ID numbers to authorize discounts, overrides and voids. Employees also had their own ID numbers to clock in and out of the payroll system. Because managers are often required to handle multiple requests at the same time, they would share authorization credentials with employees to prevent delays in customer service. Unfortunately, this practice frequently led to fraudulent discounts, causing cash register shrink. Furthermore, some employees were also buddy-punching, clocking in co-workers who weren’t actually working. To address these issues, Rage deployed DigitalPersona fingerprint biometrics at their Pizza Hut locations, eliminating the use of ID codes and accurately tying managers and cashiers to their actions. “DigitalPersona U.are.U Fingerprint Readers have provided us with a fast and simple way to reduce inventory shrink and eliminate payroll fraud,” says David Logsdon, director of MIS at Rage, Inc. “This has led to improved revenues across all of our locations.”
LINQ 360 Tech Think Tank Finds Rev Mgmt PartnerThe LINQ360 Innovation Center in Las Vegas, powered by Microsoft, chose the profit optimization company The Rainmaker Group as its official revenue management partner. Rainmaker joins a growing list of hospitality technology companies that have become LINQ360 Technology Members and are committed to working closely to create cross-product integration for the greatest benefits to hotel and gaming operators. “Rainmaker’s stature as the leader in hospitality gaming revenue management helps ensure success of the Innovation Center’s mission to benefit the entire industry,” says Scott Garrison, president of LINQ360. “Our Center is the first, formal place where leading vendors can come together under Microsoft to develop system integrations.” The LINQ360 Innovation Center, located near the Las Vegas Strip, provides a professional solutions-lab setting where visitors can experience a simulated high-tech hotel environment. The Center’s partners cooperate to show how advanced solutions can benefit every area of operations to increase profitability and improve the guest experience. LINQ360’s collaborative mandate is focused on delivering truly integrated solutions for world class hotels and resorts. The new Innovation Center makes its mark in the hospitality industry through a unique, effective approach that enables partners to dedicate knowledge and resources toward the specific objective of cross-product integration. About Rainmaker The Rainmaker Group’s revolution revenue management system considers Total Customer Value when determining optimal availability conditions. Total Customer Value includes hotel revenues as well as potential revenue from gaming, food and beverage, spa, and other significant profit centers. Rainmaker’s revolution Product Suite enables casino hotels to secure the most valuable customers to increase their profitability by: Accurately forecasting demand and guest value to all areas of the enterprise Leveraging cyclical patterns to optimize revenue and profitability Maximizing the Total Customer Value of demand during peak travel times. More Technology News
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