NO NEED FOR FAWLTY TOWERS! ONLINE BENCHMARKING BOOSTS HOTEL MANAGEMENT AND HELPS AVOID BUSINESS BLUNDERS www.onlinebenchmarking.com PionLabs, a Brighton-based web engineering company, has developed an e-benchmarking application for the hotel industry. Launching on December 1, OnlineBenchmarking is an accessible and accurate way for hotels to compare performance data and make informed decisions about their operations; without the need to employ expensive management consultants to prepare reports.

OnlineBenchmarking draws upon data provided by more than 1,000 member hotels, including those throughout Europe. Using a range of bespoke web-based management tools, users can make comparisons with any other hotel businesses in the database. They can, for example, benchmark against hotels that have similar star ratings, location, size and facilities. By comparing key financial and service indicators, hotel managers can keep on top of critical areas such as staffing, contractor costs and quality control. After conducting a full back and front end analysis, OnlineBenchmarking creates detailed reports that highlight the strong and weak points of a hotel business, compare individual results against the current sector average, and suggest areas for improvement. Advice is given for supplier re-negotiation, changes to staff routines and motivation, and quality control. Clear definitions of how a hotel can improve its performance appear in an easy-to-use format. Hotel managers can use OnlineBenchmarking to set achievable targets and implement them within their organisations. OnlineBenchmarking is designed for accuracy. Specialist members of staff are available to help hotel managers handpick comparisons with other hotels, ensuring the information gleaned is as relevant as possible. Moreover, OnlineBenchmarking automatically monitors the accuracy of its data, which is screened by humans at every stage. The system is secure and client confidentiality and anonymity are maintained at all times. Peter Carlsen, managing director at PionLabs, comments: “To survive in the competitive marketplace, hotels must have the right management tools in place. Responding to the realities of day-to-day hotel management, OnlineBenchmarking gives great control over the monitoring process and helps massively with decision making. It’s not unusual for hotels to improve their performance in certain areas by 10-20% after using our service. With the comprehensive information it provides, even Basil Fawlty would be encouraged to run a tight ship!” PionLabs is currently offering new members a free 3 month introductory trial of OnlineBenchmarking. Annual membership starts from €199, which provides 30 benchmark reports and gives access to downloadable guidelines, reports and papers written by experienced hotel management professionals. OnlineBenchmarking can be adapted to any business model.