Akina Ho, VP of strategy and global business development at FCS Computer Systems explains why the company have chosen to sponsor a workshop at this year’s Executive Housekeepers’ Summit.
Why is it important for you to be a sponsor of this event?
As a hospitality industry provider of housekeeping technology solutions, FCS considers the UAE to be one of its most important global markets. The Executive Housekeepers’ Forum is the perfect platform for us to engage directly with existing and potential users of our technology, and to learn more about the current challenges and trends within the housekeeping sector in the Middle East.
How will you add to the Summit with your sponsorship?
As a sponsor of Summit, we look to create a dialogue with housekeeping professionals about their needs and expectations when it comes to housekeeping automation and how we can help further advance the sector in the region. We will provide discussion points during our workshop, making the session interactive. We will encourage the sharing of best-practice in the industry when it comes to housekeeping and the automation of hotel operations.
What are the most pressing issues for you the in the hospitality industry today?
Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed the hospitality sector significantly progress in the automation of their distribution. However, many hotels still rely on manual processes to run their back of house operations – including housekeeping- hence missing out on opportunities to use technology to streamline processes, achieve back-of-house efficiencies and increase productivity. In addition, many hotels are looking to enhance and communicate their green credentials to their guests, especially in housekeeping, which can be done through reducing the use of finite resources whilst enhancing the operational efficiency of a hotel.
Why do you believe it is important for the industry to meet at such events?
Face-to-face gatherings are vitally important for the advancement of our industry. These events create a platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences and innovations within the sector. I also believe that it’s important for fellow professionals to come together on a regular basis to connect with each other, network and stay up to date on the latest products, technologies and solutions that are available to them.
The summit will allow us to showcase our solutions and how help address the various issues faced by our hotel partners, helping them improve their efficiency and making managers more effective with the resources available to them. In addition, it gives us the ability to listen to our customers and understand the trends and challenges they face, so we can focus our efforts on addressing these.
What product innovation do you look forward to sharing with the delegates?
We look forward to sharing our e-Housekeeping solution along with our m-Housekeeping Mobile App. We will also present our latest innovation, the m2Talk Walkie Talkie solution which we recently launched.
m-2Talk is a push-to-talk mobile app designed to provide instant and secure staff communication for hotel properties. Using m-2Talk, management, runners, room attendants and supervisors can communicate instantly with each other by speaking directly through walkie-talkie-style conversations on their smartphones. The ability to instantly communicate with a single individual or to a group immediately speeds up productivity and ensures clarity for any tasks, assignments or questions.
