Integra's IQware's Rare Intel Brightens Elite Resorts' Bottom Line

. April 22, 2009

APRIL 22, 2009 - IQware Integra Resort Management and its Caribbean counterpart, Elite Island Resorts, improve their sunny disposition and bottom lines by using IQware's real-time business intelligence tools and reporting, optimizing occupancies, group bookings, rates, RevPAR, yield and other key operational performance measurables.

The expansive resort portfolios of Orlando-based Integra Resort Management and its Caribbean counterpart, Elite Island Resorts, run the gamut in locations, sizes, types and standards. Even so, their single-source technology partner, IQware, meets and exceeds the properties' widely varying operational and informational needs through a rare marriage of full functionality and flexibility.

'With properties ranging from a 41-room island resort to a 500-room condominium resort, we have a wide range of technology requirements,' notes Mike Evans, Integra's Chief Financial Officer. 'IQware has the functionality and flexibility to meet all of our operational needs and deliver all the business information we need, precisely when and how each property needs it.'

'We've worked closely with Integra Resort Management and Elite Island Resorts to adapt our IQware Global Property Management System to fit their diverse needs,' says David Perkins, President of Deerfield Beach-based IQware. Whether in Florida or the Caribbean, or anywhere else in the world for that matter, IQware has 25 years of experience delivering just the technology and real-time business intelligence that each one of our customer's properties demands and deserves.'

Capturing a Competitive Edge

'As you quickly find out in this business, every property has to do things a little differently,' Evans says, smiling. 'IQware gives us a lot of pluses. We can tailor the functionality to precisely what we at corporate and each property need, and adapt the modules we use so they match our portfolio's wide range of information and reporting requirements.

'IQware's modular design gives us highly customizable, best-in-class technology,' Evans adds. 'Equally important, we can pick and choose the modules we need, which gives us another competitive advantage in that we only pay for the technology we need.'

Since the properties of Integra Resort Management and Elite Island Resorts are diverse, each has its own PMS twists. For the Caribbean resorts, where they experience what Evans terms as 'connectivity challenges' (they don't have the luxury of always-on Internet communications), their locally installed systems let them keep operating no matter what.

'For example, at three island properties, we use IQware's timeshare module,' Evans notes. 'Likewise, in Central Florida, we manage condominium resorts, where each unit is a condo and we have to provide individual accounting statements to the owners. IQware empowers us to do all of this and much, much more.'

Beyond IQware's extensive core functionality, Evans says IQware's talented team will tailor its technology property by property, module by module, feature by feature âˆ', and even user by user if needed.

'Right up front, IQware's chief, David Perkins, told us that if we ever have any ideas on ways to improve any module, IQware will happily make that investment to increase functionality for everyone,' Evans says. 'IQware delivered on David's promise, time and again, because they're a true technology partner that knows hospitality and is in it for the long haul.

'IQware is true to its word,' Evans adds. 'Everyone at IQware has a willingness to listen to us and has the experience and commitment to make technological changes to suit our needs, and that's invaluable.'

Four Years & Counting ...

Integra and Elite Island Resorts have been using IQware now for four years, implementing properties incrementally, adding the most recent one in the past year.

A typical installation can go quickly from start to finish, literally in a couple of weeks. It takes IQware three days to a week to walk through and set up the system parameters specific to each location. Staff and department training takes just a few more days. The go-live process extends over seven to 10 days, because the trainers stay onsite and available to make sure everything goes well and all questions are answered as they come up.

'IQware trainers have done a great job of minimizing the 'Oh my, what do I do now?' questions and of making hitting the ground running with a new PMS as painless as possible,' emphasizes Evans.

Run Locally, Report Globally

With the availability of remote access using built-in Microsoft functionality, Integra management can run reports remotely instead of waiting for someone at each property to do it. 'For reporting purposes, we log in remotely through the Internet as needed,' Evans says.

Serving hospitality for a quarter century, IQware has almost any report available that hoteliers can dream up. 'There are literally hundreds of available reports, so the fortunate choice you face is deciding which ones are best for you and give you the information you need to be more efficient and more competitive,' Evans adds.

'We're constantly adding innovative ways to look at the vast information IQware gathers, always making the business intelligence more customizable by property and user as well as easier to read, understand and leverage to quickly make better business decisions,' Perkins notes.

'Rather than having to review several 10-page reports, you typically can get exactly what you need in our one- or two-page summaries,' Perkins adds. 'IQware organizes your business intel into customized operational dashboards that help you quickly compare your recent and real-time performance on everything from occupancies, rates, RevPAR and yield to your forecast, historical data, local competitive set and national benchmarks.'

With all of the integrated capabilities of IQware, Integra constantly finds significant operational savings and process improvements. For instance, Integra and Elite Island Resorts used to print and mail detailed statements âˆ', a significant expense since they have many owners in the U.K. Now, the owners can access statement information securely and remotely over the Internet, in a timelier, more ecological fashion.

'What's really great about IQware is that it does so much for us automatically,' concludes Evans. 'We can create reports with the exact information we need, and there is no extra work - yet another competitive edge. Some systems gather too little information. Others store and spit out too much. IQware is squarely in-between, setting the standard for business intel and reporting.'

Intelligent Reporting

Following are just a few of the real-time intelligence tools IQware offers to give customers a competitive edge in the marketplace:

IQware Yield Management

Compare average room rates with historical data and occupancy forecasts, then optimize revenue by setting daily rates and restrictions by room type, market segment or cluster.
Monitor on a daily, weekly or monthly basis or set on autopilot.

IQMail

Use confirmations, pre-arrival notes, thank you letters and customer satisfaction surveys.
Send out targeted emails (like Manager Specials and Holiday Specials) and track bookings and revenue with embedded rate codes in the emails.

Expedia QuickConnect Interface

Automate the exchange of booking information and inserting bookings and booking updates into IQware.
Automate exchanging rate and inventory information, using extranet functions.
Easy to implement and maintain.

IQware Group Management

Manage groups booked individually, corporately or from Tour Operators.
Speed up the processing of group reservations, check in and check out.
Do room allocation and check-in/check-out of an entire group with a single keystroke.

IQware Guest Loyalty Program

Stimulate repeat business with a guest loyalty program or by managing corporate affiliations.
Administer memberships, track points or dollars, and control rewards.

IQware Package Management

Manage all-inclusive resorts and create standard or a la carte packages to help attract additional business and increase occupancy.
Use the same package codes throughout the year, with automatic variation of room rates and package elements, based on configurable seasons and periods.

IQware Activity Bookings

Increase revenues and repeat business by booking package-related activities while taking room reservations.
Offer superior service by handling guest activity preferences at the reservation desk, including golf courses, golf tee times, scuba diving, horseback riding, theater or other resort or third party activities.

IQware Web Booking Engine

Let Guests book and guarantee hotels rooms directly from the property's website.
Present all room inventory and rates to potential guests drawn to the website through marketing and advertising.

Coming attractions ...

IQLink

Publish inventory on GDS & IDS with this complete Channel Management tool for use with the Web Booking Engine.
Let any approved website book available inventory.
Further increase occupancy by using the new IQware E-CRM tool with Business Intelligence for all email marketing campaigns.

IQDestinations

IQware hosted website drives traffic to client websites.
Tie in targeted emails to prospective guests with property information and specials.
Guests can book directly to property through website up to the last room available.
No upfront cost to hoteliers, only a small booking fee for all the reservations booked.

IQUniversity

Revolutionary training application allows users to log into a web page and learn how to use the IQware Property Management system.
Managers decide what users need to learn and have access to numerous reports to gauge learning.
To be certified, the user must successfully perform the actual steps for the assigned tasks.

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