We hear this line all the time from prospects and business owners of venues: “Your technology/ ERP software would really help us but we are too busy at the moment to implement anything like this”. It’s true that the seasonality of events is giving way to a year-long cycle where event and wedding venues are busier and busier.
This makes having an all-in-one platform for events & weddings even more important to the overall success of your venue.
The reality is, if you are too busy to invest in ERP software that will significantly lighten your workload, improve your operations and bottom line, then you especially need to make the investment. The problem is that misconceptions exist about just how disruptive such an implementation is to venues.
Here are 3 big misconceptions about implementing ERP system in a hospitality business:
- Implementation is too time-consuming
This isn’t a sales technique, an empty promise meant to trick you into adding another item to the to-do list. If you are struggling to manage your email inbox, the contracts take weeks to send out, and the venue tours and show-arounds are frequently time-wasting no-shows – think how much time you could save with an effective technology system in place.
The truth is that implementation is not time-consuming. We start out with an implementation road-map for your venue, having discussed your current process and structure. We also want to know you can manage inquiries and bookings well. Then we set-up your account as discussed and input your data, from ongoing inquiries to your database of contacts. Finally, we hold a training session. After that we work closely with you to add in training and guidance on other features your venue will benefit from.
If I told you that in exchange for 2 to 3-hours of your time, I could save you 20 plus-hours over the next few weeks, chances are you wouldn’t believe me but I would love to show you how!
- I’d love this, but my team (in some cases the owner) is not as tech-savvy
People don’t give themselves or their team-members enough credit. Opinions of software are based upon older generation products in the hospitality sector and can be really easy to leverage.
If you can navigate a smartphone, you’ll be able to navigate an internal technology system.
- My events program has been growing, without a platform
Amazing! This is a testament to your hard-work and the sweat and tears you’ve put in. But even if you feel your wedding and events program has maxed out and you couldn’t possibly do any more of either (or you simply don’t want to), you have to consider the other benefits of a centralized system.
For example, a lot of busy event venues we work with experienced issues with staff retention. The stress of overflowing inboxes, the occasional difficult bride and groom, and the constant flow of paperwork, is a significant contributor to burnout.
Having a centralized, all-in-one, cloud-based platform is a huge relief to all of the above. Richard Branson is fond of saying “If you look after your staff, they’ll look after your customers. It’s that simple.” We couldn’t agree more with him. A lot of that starts with giving them the tools they need. Take the next steps in investing the in the growth of your business. ERP Advisers would love to be your trusted partner.