Best Western has no reservations about its future
With a CRM system that had grown organically over its long history, the world renowned hotel chain decided a new ERP and CRM solution was the right destination for future efficiencies...
The Best Western hotel chain dates back to 1957 when a group of moteliers got together and decided to lay down regulations regarding the standards a motel must attain before being allowed to put up a sign.
Best Western then became one of the first national standards bodies in the hospitality industry. Today, there are more than 200 Best Western hotels across Australia and New Zealand. Ranging from three to five stars, each hotel, motel, apartment and resort is independently owned and managed although they share national & international sales & marketing channels, an online presence, worldwide reservations centers, loyalty programs and operational support.
Since its inception in 1957 there have been countless changes to the company’s IT systems. By 2003, these cumulative IT changes across Best Western Australasia had led to a scenario of numerous different databases, various accounting modules and limited integration to the General Ledger. A lack of business functionality in these systems led to incomplete business processes and the worrying situation of staff storing their own copies of information on their PCs.
The best solution
Understanding they could no longer operate in this manner and effectively manage the business, Best Western decided that new ERP and CRM systems were required.
The selection process involved a wide range of mid-tier packages – with Sage Accpac ERP and Sage CRM ultimately being selected (implemented by Enabling). With the company’s focus being so clearly on delivering excellent customer service, CRM was at the heart of the system, with a number of business specific software modules being built on top of the core CRM capabilities to manage Best Western Australia’s very specific requirements. Soon after implementation it was clear the solution had delivered on a number of Best Western’s priorities, namely;
- To provide a single view of customers and their data
- To provide staff with improved access to more reliable data
- To improve the organisations efficiency results
- To integrate the sales, marketing, customer support and call centre divisions
- To provide a higher degree of data integrity
- To deliver s single database of clients, suppliers and business partners
- To enable effective marketing tracking and reporting.
For more information
Enabling Solutions
www.enabling.net
Ph: 1800 ENABLING
Ph: 1800 362 254
8/1/26_ex_m_nl
At a Glance
The independent nature of Best Western’s group members and an uncoordinated IT strategy had left the company with significant inefficiencies in its ERP delivery – specifically in the area of CRM.
Solution
Sage Accpac ERP and Sage CRM implemented by business systems providers Enabling.
Business Benefits
More efficient service delivery and information gathering around a number of Best Western’s customer focused services specifically in the sales, marketing, customer support and call centre aspects of its business.
