Competences
a. Critically review the main issues underlying the role of ICT in (today’s) hospitality environment and the corresponding opportunities and challenges posed by ICT within the Hospitality industry;
b. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the potential of current web-based technologies (Web 2.0 and Web 3.0) and ones that will be available in the near future (Web 4.0) and analyse the effects these may have on the design and the development of information and communication strategies in Hospitality organisations;
c. Critically analyse how the use of various ICT applications can contribute towards more structured organisations within the Hospitality industry and explain how operators within this sector can monitor changes in technology that might affect a hospitality organisation.
Knowledge
a. Develop a comprehensive understanding of ICT related application for reservation, room management, accounting and human resources and critically evaluate the benefits of each within the Hospitality sector;
Indicative content:
i. Knowledge of Property Management Systems (PMS) (e.g. Micros Opera);
ii. Introduction to Point of Sales Systems; – eCommerce as applied to the Hospitality Industry;
iii. Knowledge of e-Distributions Systems (e.g. Amadeus);
b. Critically review the role of online applications with regard to guest interfaces and assess how these can contribute toward an increase in revenue of a Hospitality organization and better management of its resources;
Indicative content:
i. Interfaces with guests such a websites, online applications, social media and mobile applications;
ii. Introduction to Management Information Systems
iii. Adequate knowledge of hardware, software, cloud;
iv. Management Information Applications;
c. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of Hospitality Business Applications and guest relation-oriented applications and explain how such technology can enhance the client’s experience while contributing toward the financial sustainability of a Hospitality organization;
Indicative content:
i. Business Intelligence (BI), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Knowledge Management Systems (KMS);
ii. Systems Security and Management;
iii. Technology changes and impact on the Hospitality Industry e.g. 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data.
Skills
a. Apply good understanding of the basic functions of the relevant Hospitality ICT applications;
b. Show an understanding of the design of the various ICT application systems and their strengths/weaknesses from a business and managerial perspective;
c. Apply the knowledge obtained in this course to teach students the necessary material according to the relevant syllabus;
d. Propose the necessary ICT applications and design their integration to satisfy the hospitality business and the respective managerial needs;
e. Suggest key hospitality ICT application for a given situation;
f. Identify trends in the development of the relevant ICT applications;
g. Identify threats to ICT systems;
h. Analyse the design of various ICT;
i. Propose functional improvements to ICT application systems from a business and managerial perspective;
j. Review the business and managerial needs of an organisation in the hospitality industry;
k. Examine the decision-making process within the procurement and management of ICT applications;
l. Carry out online research on hospitality ICT applications and keep abreast with prospective ICE developments in the same field.
