Implementation of a Property Management System in a Hotel Organization

Implementation of a Property Management System in a Hotel Organization

Project Plan

Willie J. Broussard Jr.

Project Management/MGT 573

Instructor: Paul Levine

Submitted on: May 15, 2006

Introduction

“Project management is the discipline of defining and achieving targets while optimizing the use of resources (time, money, people, space, etc)” (Wikipedia, n.d.). In essence, the project management processes and methodologies are used to align resources with the company’s or organization’s mission(s) in order to achieve predictable results. In order for one to be an excellent project manager, she or he:

• “Must show enthusiasm for project.

• Must be flexible in order to manage change effectively.

• Must possess a tolerant attitude toward ambiguity as excellent teambuilding and negotiating skills.

• Must put the customer first. and

• Must adhere to the priorities of the business.

• Must be knowledgeable of the industry or technology” (Baker, Baker, & Campbell, 2003).

Prior to starting a project, a project manager (PM) should assess the risks of her or his project in order to successfully complete a project whether it simple or complex. The PM should be able to forecast how various problems, issues, and/or concerns might affect key areas of the project whether it is considered to be a constraint or risk. Constraints as well as risks can bring a project to a subtle halt or an abrupt halt depending on the situation. It is important for the PM to know the difference between the two. For example, budget can be a constraint as well as a risk.

Furthermore, it is imperative to define the project, justify why the project is taking place, know the scope of the project, know what the project is suppose to achieve, determine how to measure the success of the project, and determine some best practices to facilitate the success of the project. This paper will briefly discuss the tasks and milestones, identification, assessment and mitigation of risks, change management, and key learning points as it pertains to the implementation of a new Property Management System in a hotel organization.

Specific tasks and milestones

Tasks specific to this project include selecting the Property Management System to implement, preparing the hotel property for the implementation, training the staff, inputting information from the old system to the new system, and turning on the new system.

Milestones in this project are the selection of the committee, selection of the Property Management System, selection of hardware/software, arrival of hardware/software, beginning of training, inputting of current reservations and deposits, implementing the new system and supporting the system.

Tools used to Measure Project Success

Prior to subscribing to a methodology for measuring success of the project, one must determine the complexity, size, and various characteristics of the project. Then one can begin the