What are Aksel’s key strengths?
Wojciech Słowik: Aksel was founded in 1993 and has grown to be one of the leaders in the European telecoms industry. We’ve worked on a range of projects, including flood monitoring, railway fuel-monitoring systems and fire rescue communications. We aim to provide comprehensive services to all of our customers through technical expertise, consultations, and design and implementation advice.
What is SynergyMMS, and how does it simplify communication between hotel departments?
John Clark: All hotels have multiple departments in their operations, each having a core discipline and mission. Many hotels in Europe have outsourced these services, but because team members are quite busy – or are from an outsourced company – they sometimes don’t have the time to consider how their work impacts other departments. In other words, there are numerous opportunities for efficiency arising from the effective and timely communication of critical business information. SynergyMMS does this automatically and uploads all the information to a cloud that staff can access easily. At the same time, SynergyMMS crosses cultural barriers – we offer 14 different languages and interfaces – making it easy to use for non-technical staff too. Information is shared in real time and displayed in unique ways to each user in the system, reducing clutter and increasing the focus on what really matters: guests and their comfort.
What benefits have customers seen from using SynergyMMS in practice?
JC: Based on improved communication and staff efficiency, we have seen a 30% reduction in guest complaints regarding property condition and maintenance. Moreover, our customers have reduced the compensation that is paid to guests by up to 80%. In addition, our technology helps hotels process roomcleaning assignments more efficiently, meaning that rooms are ready several hours earlier than before.
Why should customers choose your software over systems that are provided by competitors in the marketplace?
JC: With so-called ‘software as a service’ solutions, such as SynergyMMS, revenue is dependent on a continued relationship with the customer, since annual fees are much less than an up-front purchase of software. This forces us to put a strong emphasis on product quality and service. We strive to continually innovate, based on feedback from the field, and also work with Aksel on implementation by forging a strong relationship with customers. In short, we are partners, not vendors.
What lessons have you learned since becoming a supplier of communication systems for multiple international markets?
JC: We have learned to respect the unique needs of our customers wherever they live, even if this involves language, practice or legal concerns. With this in mind, we have included cultural customisation in our applications, which makes adopting our system far simpler for everyone. At the same time, we have learned that having a partner like Aksel makes a huge difference to our business. After all, our global customers deserve the same availability and local support that our domestic customers enjoy, and Aksel makes this possible.
What plans does your company have for the future?
JC: We are currently working on strategies to support the upcoming EU General Data Protection Regulations, and will be ready well in advance for its requirements. The company is also developing more capital management tools for our major brands, so they can roll up data from multiple properties in support of their capital budgeting needs. As we say, "software is never done".
