Workflow Sample: Episode 569: Business Improvement in Hotel Operation (Part 2)

Operation: Relation between Checkout Work and Housekeeping work

We made it possible to confirm the information in real time that customers (guests) have "checked out".

Even a full-time employee is now capable of undertaking "Task of housekeeping" as long as he or she has nothing to do, since all the staffs have become able to check "rooms that checked out" at any time on their smartphone / tablet. (See Episode 568: Business Improvement in Hotel Operation (Part 1)

As we are able to do housekeeping soon after checked out sequentially while considering other customers, "time trial of housekeeping" which used to be seen between 10 and 15 o'clock is gone. Also, accidentally disturbing long staying or late check-out guests never happens again.

A Workflow from "Checkout step" to "Housekeeping step"... "Visualization of progress" is really important.

Challenge: Information Sharing from Night Shift Staff

However, on the other hand, efforts of "entering information which the guest has checked out, into Workflow " are now required for the front desk clerk.

Certainly, the meaning of "possible to start housekeeping in order" is understandable. Also, thanks to the self-checkout machine, there is nothing else to do for the clerk than to "receive the room key", at check-out. That means, inputting itself won't be big efforts. However...it is so simple work, I would like to take advantage of "Workflow", a bit more...

For example, is there any how for front desk clerks to receive some sort of information?

So, consulting with the BPM consultant, we decided to have the night shift worker enter the "complaint record". In other words, put information from the night shift staff, such as "There was a ineptitude in the service on the hotel side" or "I got a complaint for noise from another room", onto the Workflow. By that, the task of "receiving the room key" for the front desk clerk might be able to cope with more sincerely...

[Housekeeping flow-Complaints Record]

Solution: "Morning Email" if there was a complaint

In the Workflow introducing here, it is possible for the front desk clerks to check "internal memorandum which has been entered by night shift staff".

Specifically, when something is entered in the field of "Internal memo", in-house email will be delivered at 5 o'clock in the morning, and the person in charge can check the list of "rooms where complaints are from" on the list of My Tasks. In other words, even front desk clerk working on the early morning shift can recognize "ineptitude service on the hotel side" and "occurrence of the noise", so the clerk will be able to give appropriate consideration when receiving "the room key" from the guests.

Discussion: Multitasking and Information-sharing

In order to raise labor productivity, "multitasking operation" which carries out various tasks is effective. However, conversely, "staffs who are likely to be in charge of particular work" will increase. In other words, "the scope of information sharing" expands, and it will become difficult to share information with all persons in charge only by a scheme such as "handover briefing".

In order to be able to "take responsive action" regardless of who is in charge of check-out, it is necessary to have a mechanism to deliver information on an Issue basis (in this case, a guest room unit). As for the concrete mechanism for each company, "the state how it should be" may vary depending on the staff's IT literacy, the scale of the business, the flow volume of the project, etc. It may be good to consult with a BPM consultant.

[Housekeeping flow-Complaints Record:"0. Entr. Guest / Complaint"]