At various stages of our lifetime as a company we’ve been asked to think about whether we are genuinely a PMS, and whether we wouldn’t just prefer to create a new category name to encompass what it is that we’re actually trying to create. Frankly, our industry really doesn’t need more acronyms so we’ve always refrained...but we still believe a ‘Property Management System’ should, instead, be considered as a Product Management Solution.
Just like the 0s and 1s that power our product, your property is only one part of your offering, much in the same way as a comfortable bed is only one part of a room offering. A hotel room is, if you break it down, a bundle of services that, more often than not, includes a shower and toilet facility, a productive and connected work-space, a thrilling digital entertainment zone and an inspiring design experience to boot. Zoom back out and things are no different.
As technology becomes more ubiquitous and helps properties become more automated and efficient, the role of the GM will transition to become more like that of a Product Manager - think less a backward-looking custodian of the property’s assets and operations, and more like someone carefully nurturing for growth like a loving parent.
It’s this thinking that’s infusing our thinking about our own product, inspired in part by one of my favourite parenting books (The Carpenter and the Gardener, by Allison Gopnik), and it got us thinking that building a product-oriented hotel is like the slow cultivation of a beautiful garden. People love to travel precisely because it enriches their lives, and hospitality providers are central to that enrichment. We believe that if you plant the right seeds, your customers will reward you with more spend, greater loyalty and better ratings.
At our stand at this year’s World Travel Market from 4th November, we really wanted to hammer this home with our “Mews Miracle Grow” theme, as we view our system as the nutrient that enables your organic growth.
As we move into a time where ideas, intellectual property and creative experiences become more valuable than the material world, it’s becoming clear that hospitality providers need to change their perspective. We need young talent to come in believing that they can do more than just enter in requests and complete tasks, and begin to feel creative in their roles as curators and designers of experiences. This is echoed by the transformation taking hold with our customers and guests, for whom personalisation and intuitive service is an expectation.
The questions we should be asking ourselves therefore are - how can we learn from the best companies (Netflix, AirBnB, Apple, etc.) in how to scale our product offering? How can we demonstrate that our hotel is delivering real customer value that we can monetise more effectively? How can we grow our customer relationships and grow our bond with our employees so that we retain their loyalty both as patrons and as assets to the enterprise.
So come and visit booth TT220 at this year’s WTM and learn what you can do with our Mews Miracle Grow!
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