Update | October 2009 - iBex PMS Upgrade

The proposed enhancements are listed below together with a short explanation. Those marked with asterisks might not make it into this upgrade (but a subsequent release) as we are keen to meet proposed timelines.

Unlike previous releases, this version will be implemented on a user by user basis because the back end screens will be significantly different and we will need to train you in the use of the new screens prior to cutting you over. Some properties will be asked to beta test the new release to check the functionality prior to commissioning.

The milestone dates are as follows:

• • Demonstration of key back end functionality – 15 October 2009
• • Start Beta Testing – 15 October 2009
• • Begin training and conversion of PMS users to new release – 1 November 2009

Front Booking Screen Enhancements

Repeat Customer Recognition

If a repeat customer makes a new booking, they only need to enter their email and all their contact details will be loaded from a new customer database to reduce the amount of data entry. Of course they will be able to make changes to these details (during booking) but it will certainly assist them in more easily making repeat bookings with you.

Latest Check In Time

Currently you can set your earliest check in time but not your latest and this has caused problems for guests thinking they can arrive later than your normal office hours. This will be corrected so that guests will not be misled into thinking they can arrive after office hours – other than by special arrangement.

New Booking Screen Launch Pad *

The new launch pad will be a calendar display of room types and rates for each day - in a similar style to Wotif and other last minute sales channels. However, our screen will also have a row for each minimum stay so you can clearly show reduced rates for longer stays. A user only needs to click on the rate value for the chosen date and minimum stay and this will start the booking process with that information preloaded. There have been a number of requests for this style of screen and we are pleased to be able to include as a new launch pad option.

Back Screen Enhancements

Virtual Rooms

This is the main driver for the new release and will enable you to map any room unit, or combination of units, to one or more room types. This is a major benefit because the same room can now be sold several ways without needing to duplicate availability. For example you could have two units with an adjoining door. Virtual rooms enable you to sell each individual unit or both units as say a family room but only if both units are available. Another example for small properties is a rate for the whole property but this is only available if all rooms are available for the selected dates.

Virtual rooms also allows you to sell the same unit different ways (eg. as a double or split twin) with either the same rates or different rates.

Holding Rooms

In the current version, if you receive a booking on request, it reduces the availability unless you cancel it. In this new release, an on request booking will NOT reduce availability until confirmed. This allows you to receive more bookings for the affected room type than there are available however once you select which booking(s) are to be confirmed, availability will then updated. Note, unlike the current release, you will not be able confirm bookings if there is no availability left.

Rates

Currently each room type has its own rates. Rates will be assigned to one or more room types so that you no longer have to duplicate rates where rates are the same. For example you might have one child rate that applies to all room types. Previously you would have to have defined a child rate for each room type.

In the current release, if a rate value is removed for a period then the room and rate will not display for a booking that references that rate period. This problem also occurs when creating a new booking for less than your stipulated minimum stay for that rate. This will be fixed in the new release and the only effect will now be that the suggested rate will not have a value but you can enter an override value instead.

The new release has the ability to set 'early bird' rates to offer a discount if booking more than a set number of days in advance of arrival (eg 45 days) or last minute rates, if arriving within a number of days (eg only valid for arrival within the next 7 days.)

Client Database

Whenever a new booking is created in the front screen, the new customer database will be searched for this customer and if they don’t exist their contact details are added as a new record, along with newsletter status. If you are creating a booking in the back end, then you will be able to quickly find the customer and have their details automatically loaded to save you a lot of unnecessary re-keying. All bookings for a certain customer can be tracked in a history report. New customers can be added to this database manually as well. This database will be exportable into a file that can be used by Excel, Access, and other programs.

Group Bookings

Significant improvements have been made in this area. When you create a new group booking in the back end or edit an existing group booking (multi room), you will be able to have varying check in and check out dates within the one booking. This will be very powerful for say wedding parties or conferences where some people wish to check in or out at different times from the main booking period. Extras and other items will now be recorded at the room level, and not the booking level, to enable members of the group to have their own accounts which they may separately pay for on check out.

Check in / Check out

A new check in and check out procedure will be introduced to better track the status of guests. The calendar will be colour coded to show which guests have yet to check in, which have checked in, and which have checked out. A new status report will also show this. On check in, a room servicing schedule will either be automatically generated, or manually generated if it is not done daily.

Note that check in and check out will be at the room level not the booking level which is important for group or multi room bookings.

Invoicing

This will now be broken down into the rooms that have been booked so that for group bookings, each room can individually settle up when they check out. However invoicing can still be done at the booking level if either some, or all, costs associated with the booking are to be paid on a single invoice.

The invoicing will have a selector on it to show current transactions or all transactions. In the current release, you always see all transactions against a booking which means that if the guest count, date or rates are changed then the previous record is credited and a new record is debited which can result in a messy looking screen and it is hard to know which item to invoice or not. If the current transactions are selected, then only the latest valid transactions will show for invoicing which will make it much clearer.

Currently all invoices are created at check out which is fine for casual guests but not for sales channels who wish to be invoiced at the end of the month for all bookings made the previous month. This will now be handled in the new release where you set up a preference against the registered user (agent) as to whether their invoicing is monthly or booking by booking. If the latter, then the bookings will be added as items to a single invoice which is then sent to the agent at the end of the month.

In the registered users screen, you will be able to nominate a billing email address if this is different to the normal email address. Invoices will be sent to the billing email address.

You will also be able to add your own payment terms to the invoice.

Room Management

The back end screens have been significantly improved to make changes to bookings much easier. Room moves will have the ability to split a single booking from one room unit to another if required.

The room units will be able to be sorted into any order. Also a new calendar view will allow a day view which will enable the guest details to be displayed within the calendar as well as the status (such as whether they have checked in or not). This view can also be set to show only occupied or unoccupied rooms as well as all rooms.

Daily Task List

This is a new feature which will enable daily tasks to be entered and tracked (eg. airport pickups, room configuration changes, etc).

Booking Status

Currently if a booking is received on request and cannot be granted then the booking status changes to cancelled. The same applies to confirmed booking subsequently being cancelled. In the former case, the new status will change to Unable (not Cancelled) to distinguish between bookings that could not be provided, versus those that were made then subsequently cancelled.

Text Formatting

When editing text in the back screens such as property or room descriptions or lead in specials, you need to know basic html commands if you want format text as bold, italics, etc. A new editor will be included that will allow you to use normal bold and other style commands and this will show as it will be seen in the text box (ie. bold will show as bold). This will make it much easier to format text.

Email Customisation *

You will be able to create your own greeting text that will be sent in the auto email to your guests when making a booking.

Email Attachments *

In the back screen, you can send emails to your guests subsequent to making the booking which is then tracked in the email log. However, you have not been able to add attachments. You will now be able to do so. Also, the email has been in text format and this will be changed to an html format to improve professionalism and presentation.

Custom Fields *

You will be able to define a limited number of fields you can add to front end booking screen. This will be very useful for enabling your customers to enter reward membership numbers, etc.

Conclusion

As you can see, this is a significant upgrade. We are proud to provide the extra functionality in this development and look forward to it bringing you many benefits over the current release. Thank you for your patience and please feel free to send any feedback or questions.