The Secrets to a Productive Housekeeping

Workforce Through Task Automation

Guest blog by our partner Sweeply.

Task automation is a way for manual and time-consuming tasks to be done with little to no human intervention. Usually supported by dedicated software and technology connected to your property management software, task automation can benefit both the housekeeping team and your guests in similar ways – often by saving time, saving money and removing stress.

Here are some of the productivity benefits when implementing task automation:

  • Optimized communication between teams, departments and leaders
  • Improved productivity with better prioritisation of planned and unplanned tasks
  • Accelerated workflows with recurring checklists and rules connected to real-time occupancy
  • Enhanced team cohesion, cooperation and direct communication
  • Time saved by eliminating manual work & busywork

Increasing productivity is not synonymous with deteriorating labour quality as some hoteliers might think. Increasing productivity is about encouraging people to focus, eliminating distractions wherever possible (e.g. searching for 15’ what is the next room to clean), setting clear productivity metrics, cultivating a comfortable work environment (less stressed managers = less stressed housekeepers) and finally enabling effective communications. And for that, task automation might be a great way to help solve all that.

Most of the hospitality leaders we have spoken with over the years have seen task automation as a way to improve (or protect) both profit as well as the quality of labour. Moreover, it also contributes to more predictable planning, which in turn results in decreased employee turnover and enhanced well-being for the staff.

So, what are these tasks that can benefit from being automated? Here’s a list of recurring tasks & activities that are generally known to pull down productivity:

  • Phone calls to understand room status
  • Printing of priority cleaning charts in the morning
  • Reporting on room occupancy & checkouts
  • Phone calls to prioritise issues and tasks
  • Phone calls to assign guest requests
  • Mistakes when assigning rooms
  • Daily room assignment
  • Inspection prioritisations
  • Cross-department requests & interruptions
  • Communication errors
  • Staff availability & shift assignments

With the post-covid travel surge in all major destinations, maintaining consistent productivity in housekeeping teams has become even more challenging – and even more critical. Hotel operations have identified the need to add safety margins to avoid poor service due to low staffing / high demand. Overstaffing because of a lack of efficiency is not only negative for profitability, but it also affects staff turnover and/or productivity over a while. Never before has it been more crucial for hotels to introduce task management software to reduce slack in the workforce.

 

How does Sweeply work with Beds24?

Sweeply helps you maximise efficiency, increase productivity, deliver a better guest experience, save time AND save money. Plus, you get to stay on top of things always with live monitoring of your property that tells you the status of every room and every public space in real time. Beds24 and Sweeply together present the most complete solution with incredible integration features. With this power-packed combo, your property will enjoy the following benefits:

  • Save 1 day per week/employee: Our customer study with hotels with 50-150 rooms shows that businesses can save up to one day a week per employee.
  • An easy environment for staff: When the work environment is easily understood, it minimizes stress for team members & simplifies the onboarding of new & returning employees.
  • Better guest experience: When all SOPs are in one place, it is easier to explain them to your staff, follow through & validate what’s been done.
  • Rooms in real-time: When Sweeply connects for the first time, it will fetch rooms and room types and then watch for changes.
  • Bookings in real-time: When bookings are created or changed, Sweeply will get the information in real-time.
  • Room status in real-time: When the room status changes in Sweeply, it also changes the room status in Beds24.

Through simplifications of workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and eliminating double work, Beds24 and Sweeply hold the potential to boost your entire property’s productivity and efficiency. Hang up that clipboard and embrace Sweeply!

About Sweeply

Sweeply is a simple (or as we like to call it – simply genius) app that automates everyday task management and improves the work environment for your hospitality staff.

For more information contact: Sweeply