Apparently The Sony Corporation played this mind-boggling video at their
executive Conference this year. It really demonstrates how technology is advancing and how we are truly shifting to a global economy. Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY

I am one of those people who likes technology, but don’t understand it very well. It is a little over whelming and scary to me but a little more exciting. I have a fancy phone and use about 20% of its capabilities.

It’s here and it is advancing at a rapid rate and I was wondering how in our labour intensive industry we could better utilize technology.

Some of the things we already have are:

Self check out of your hotel on you TV – that’s pretty cool.
Email you order directly to a restaurant for pick up – pretty good too.
Some of our inventory systems are automated. (How is it that a hotel can tell if you take a 2 oz bottle out of your mini bar but some large companies are still counting physical inventories?)
Companies are getting better at using web based applications for their schedules, payroll and benefits. That is one of the biggest time and money saving moves you can make!
But where can we better use technology for the sake of our employees and business?

Web based applications for meetings. There are really good and effective virtual meeting sites out there that with the use of a web cam put you at a board room table along with all of the other attendees. You can actually pan around the table and see the other attendees and what they are doing. No sleeping please!
TeleCommuting. This is one of the hottest issues out there. If you managers have an admin day, let them do it from home. It is simple technology that allow you managers to have access from their home computer. If you are comfortable managing the end result it shouldn’t matter how much they work as long as the work gets done.
Social Networking sites for your employee and managers. I know a few businesses that use FaceBook or similar sites to relay information to their employees. Another angle is allowing your managers to Blog or Tweet about the business. Yes, TRUST is the issue here. You can put parameters on their blogging but not limitations. The neat thing about the new information age is that people expect and appreciate honesty.
I know I am missing a lot of the new technology applications. Let me know what you are doing that is ahead of the curve or share your ideas with your fellow Hosp Professionals. Keep the comments coming.