Hotel operations management: Doing more with less

Hotel operators are looking for business partners that go above and beyond to meet the "do more with less" economy.

Tight budgets, inflation, labor woes and social media-armed critics… a recent Technomic* study of 250 lodging decision makers shows that lodging operators are rethinking their approach to sourcing and supplier partnerships, including relationships with a hotel GPO (Group Purchasing Organization) like Entegra.

One example of a persistent pain point? Labor. According to the study, labor is among the greatest pain points for lodging operators in a challenging environment.

“We’re paying more for staff now, so we are still operating lean,” says a senior management professional and Entegra client. A recent labor market webinar, featuring founder and CEO of Maverick Hotels, Bob Habeeb, reflects similar pain points in the lodging sector.

To face the “do more with less” economy with confidence, today’s lodging operators need to...

• Plan for FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment): Gaining access to the best pricing on interior design and development solutions from vetted suppliers is key.
• Find alternatives to labor scarcity: From robotics that clean, serve and prep in the kitchen to smart product selection like pre-cut French fries and par-baked bread, the right hotel GPO has the solutions hotel operators need to face labor challenges.
• Train staff to live up to your brand promise: Foodservice professionals need training essentials, including support from the Academy of Nutrition, the National Restaurant Association ServSafe program, and a range of food safety modules.
• Obtain easy access to unique, niche ingredients: Sourcing from local suppliers and keeping a focus on community and regional suppliers is good business – the Entegra Local and Direct Savings Program delivers.
• Monitor inventory with digital solutions: Click-ready digital tools for greater purchasing efficiencies are table stakes (see: Entegra PurchasingIQ).
• Create profitable F&B menus: From inventory-friendly recipe development to less food waste, evaluating and optimizing your menu to improve sales — and save money — is what Entegra culinary professionals do.

Ready to meet the “do more with less” challenge?

Let’s dive deeper into Entegra’s value-added, proactive solutions with a focus on culinary and energy services, two key challenge areas for hotel operators.

F&B : Elevate the guest experience with a culinary-savvy hotel GPO

The Entegra Performance Kitchen (EPK), a robust in-house culinary services agency helmed by Head of Culinary Chef John Csukor, deliver F&B efficiencies to clients every day.

EPK services – at no additional charge to Entegra clients — include:

• Product cutting: Performing a review and quantitative analysis of several products in the same category to determine the best overall value for client needs.
• Product optimization: Selecting the best on-contract products and ingredients to maximize menu appeal and performance.
• SKU rationalization: Assessing product performance at the SKU level based on sales and margin.

Eco-friendly lodging - Meeting consumer and corporate demands

Mandated compliance reporting. Lack of accounting staff. Science-based decision-making. When discussing environmental services, these areas repeatedly come up for lodging operators in the Technomic study.

Entegra clients get energy-related expertise and experience without the associated cost of hiring full-time employees. Energy procurement and usage services include:

• Utility Expense Management (UEM): Entegra reviews your utility bill for accuracy; data is captured for analysis and turned into actionable reports.
• Virtual Energy Manager: Paired with UEM, the virtual energy manager provides expertise in reducing spend and consumption on site including energy conservation efforts, ESG reporting and other projects normally performed by an internal energy manager or through outside consulting.
• Procurement: Where the market allows, Entegra’s procurement team reviews the opportunities to buy electricity and/or natural gas based on client requirements and market demands. Current contracts, risk tolerance and budget are all considered.

Learn more in this Q&A with Energy Services manager Linda Tumlinson and talk to Entegra for more information.

Get twelve ways to achieve comprehensive energy efficiency in Controlling rising energy costs, an operators guide, a recent Entegra white paper.

The best procurement partner goes beyond pricing and contracts

Delivering rebates and low-contract pricing on hotel purchasing is table stakes for a hotel GPO relationship.

In today’s “do more with less” economy, savvy lodging operators know that their GPO cannot be a one-way relationship.

The right hotel GPO partner helps boost lodging business performance in innovative, out-of-the-box ways that hotel management companies don't have time for — or even know about.

“If we knew the questions to ask, we wouldn’t need you,” opined an Entegra client recently. We couldn’t agree more: At Entegra, we are happy to ask the questions — and also provide the answers.

Call 833-977-1765 or contact us to get more information about putting Entegra’s hotel sourcing solutions and added value services to work for you.

*Source:
^{Technomic Lodging Report:
Intelligence to drive F&B growth in the new environment
Technomic provides insights into consumer, industry and menu trends in the U.S., Canada and 23 countries around the world.}