WO2013021392A1

WO2013021392A1 - Hotel inventory management system and method.

Info

Publication number: WO2013021392A1
Application number: PCT/IN2011/000521
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vikram KAMAT
Original assignee: Kamat Hotels India Ltd.
Priority date: 2011-08-09
Filing date: 2011-08-09
Publication date: 2013-02-14

Abstract

The present invention is a hotel inventory management system for booking hotel rooms through sales agent. In this process, appointment of the sales agent is carried out on a regular basis. The inventory is sold in advance through specific delivery date. The inventory is presold to the sales agent for distributing it to the consumers. Distribution of inventory is carried out for maintaining original purchase price low. This hotel inventory management system is useful for elimination of perishability of the product as well as for minimization of inventory wastages. This process is very effective in advance of loading of stock to the appointed sales agent as well as in disability of service capacity storage.

Description

Title of invention: - Hotel inventory management system and method.

Field of the invention: - The invention generally relates to the field of inventory management and distribution and more specifically to the management of time dependent inventory such as hotel rooms, airline seats, rental automated and other inventory of time related business dealing with commodities which are perishable in nature.

Back ground of the invention with regard to the drawbacks associated with the known art:-

Institutions dealing in goods or services which are perishable nature face the problem of high perishability. Hence always there is fight against time to ensure consumption of inventory, in regular manner so that fixed costs associated with the business can be recovered from start. High demand dates leads to a sudden rise in the prices of the goods/ services. Whereas low demand days, despite, inventory present, consumption is limited. Due to inelasticity of the Inventory, the fixed costs on these low dates remain the same. Thereby causing loss of revenues to the business / institution. Therefore what is required is a process which is continuous and regular , allowing proper distribution of inventory , before production such that at the arising of demand the service/product is ready thereby minimizing wastage to due elapse of time or lack of demand.

In US Patent no.20070075136, a system and method for managing time- dependent inventory such as hotel rooms, rental automobiles, and airline seats as well as associated items is disclosed. The system and method may be used to manage the price of inventory, the type of inventory, and the dates the inventory is offered for sale. The disclosed system and method simplify the management of inventory across multiple inventory types, inventory prices, and inventory availability dates by creating hierarchies and allowing changes to one element of a hierarchy to cause changes to other elements in the hierarchy.

In US20080135684, method of booking hotel reservations is disclosed. The present invention is a method for collecting same day hotel room availability based on unsold rooms or same day cancellations, and creating a database containing this information, wherein said database is then accessed over the internet by a website and searched by hotels, corporations or individuals looking to book a room on the same day.

In CN20071049218, the invention discloses a hotel self-service book system, comprising a server and a member intelligent card engaged with the server and provided with room number information and effective time section set by a hotel lock controller. And the member intelligent card and the hotel lock controller are engaged to switch door, comprising that a, the server with a hotel self-service book system recognizes the member intelligent card and enters into the hotel self-service book system, b, a member self-service book module of the system displays room state and price information, c, selecting the free room on the book module, and the hotel self-service book system writes the room number and the effective time section into the card, charging and completely the book self-service. The invention can protect privacy of consumer, with short time, simple process, reduced cost or the like.

The disadvantages of the prior art are as follows. 1) Time consuming process.

2) Not helpful regarding business for the total year.

3) Causes perishability of the product.

4) Wastages of inventory as no advance of loading of stock to the appointed sales agent.

5) Fixed costs are managed in advance

6) Perishability of the product.

7) Over booking situation.

In the present system, due to distribution being done in advance, and on continuous and regular basis, the fixed costs risks are minimized, consumers easily get the product, peaks and troughs of demand and supply are reduced.

Advantages of present embodiment are as follows

1. Time saving and cost effective system.

2. Helps in prevention of inventory wastages by of loading stock in advance on regular basis to appointed sales agent.

3. Minimizes inventory wastage.

4. Consumer gets good price in advance.

5. Helps to overcome "overbooking" situation.

Object of the Invention: - The objective of the present process is to ensure minimizing risk of unsold inventory by proper advance distribution, sale, and minimizing variance between demand and supply mismatches.

Statement of the Invention: - This novel and innovative system has been discovered for the first time in India by "MR. VIKRAM KAMAT". This hotel inventory management system and method has proved to be very effective in prevention and minimization of inventory wastages. This process and system has proved (do we want to write proved , as it means it is in use ) to be very effective in advance of loading of stock to the appointed sales agent as well as in disability of service capacity storage thereby minimizing risk and increasing profitability with ease of distribution and preventing wastage .

Summary of the Invention :-

The present invention is a hotel inventory management system for booking hotel rooms through sales agent. In this process, appointment of the sales agent is carried out on a regular basis. The inventory is sold in advance through specific delivery date to the appointed sales agent. The inventory is presold to the sales agent for distributing it to the consumers. Distribution of inventory is carried out for maintaining original purchase price low. This hotel inventory management system is useful for elimination of perishability of the product as well as for minimization of inventory wastages and reducing the peaks and troughs of demand and supply mismatch.

A Brief description of the accompanying drawing:-

A complete understanding of the present invention may be by reference to the following detailed description which taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein

Fig 1 is an illustration of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.Fig.1 illustrates the direct sales process for hotel inventory management between sales agent and consumer. Fig 2 illustrates indirect sales approach in between sales agent and consumer. Fig 3 illustrates direct approach of consumer to the hotel. Detailed description of Invention with the reference to drawing:-

The foregoing objects of the invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with prior art techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention described in the present embodiment.

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein; however, it is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or matter.

The present invention is a hotel inventory system for managing inventory resources. This process is beneficial for particularly businessman. In this process, sales agents are appointed for a fixed term and some fixed quantity of vouchers named pickets are given to sales agents for a fixed period of time for selling it to consumers. One picklet means one day charges for one room in a hotel. Validity of picklet is for a fixed limited period, the period which the sales agent has to purchase regularly, in this case. It is one month, one quarter or one year. Picklet is having a particular bar code and hologram. The present embodiment is a hotel inventory management system and process for booking hotels.

The present embodiment is useful for elimination of perishability of the product and subsequent inventory is consumed before the expiry of the product. The sales agent program entails the regular consumption by the consumer through appointed sales agent on a regular basis for which the specified inventory is purchased in advance through the specific date of the consumption of the goods may or may not be known at the time of purchase. Validity of the inventory and the purchase amount will always be same. For eg. If purchase frequency is monthly, then validity will be monthly. Hence inventory will be available on daily basis for a period is presold to appointed "sales agents" of the program who in turn distribute it to consumers at the time of the consumption of the consumer for an additional mark up on the product. Therefore the original price of purchase must always be lower and/or equal to the price of sales by the sales agent to the consumer.

This process helps in prevention of wastages of inventory by offloading stock in advance on regular basis to appointed sales agent who holds on the inventory. This process allows sales agent, consumer, unit to become sales agent make mark up, minimizes inventory wastage, consumer gets good price in advance.

The hotel inventory management system and process is performed in three different ways. First one is direct sales process of picklets in between sales agent and customer as shown in fig.l. In this process the customer approaches his sales agent and books the hotel room by paying sales agent the requisite price. On booking, he/she receives the picklets which he or she carries along and shows to the reception while check in. Second one is indirect sales process of picklets in between sales agent and customer as shown in fig.2. In this process the customer books the hotel through the sales agent and makes the payment either online or through depositing in sales agent account and the sales agent directly sends the picklets to the hotel while the customer goes to the hotel with the booking information. This situation arises where the booking is confirmed on telephone or online and customer is not able to collect the picklet as he may have no time or may have booked through his regular sales agent while he is at an outstation destination. Third one is direct approach of customer to hotel through only reference of sales agent as shown in fig.3. In this situation the booking is done through the sales agent but the payment of the booking is collected at the hotel and picklets is send by the sales agent directly to the hotel reservation place. The sales agent pre inform the hotel about the reservation done by its customer as well as the price to be collected by the hotel. So when the customers arrive with the booking information, the money is collected on behalf of sales agents and room is allotted as per the reservation. The hotel then sends the money back to the sales agents.

The embodiments of the invention as described above and the methods disclosed here in will suggest further modification and alterations to those skilled in the art. Such further modifications and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; which is defined by the scope of the following claims.

Claims

Claims:-We claim,

1. A hotel inventory management system and method for managing inventory of service resources comprising of ;

appointing sales agent on regular basis;

selling picklet to sales agent;

distributing inventory to consumers.

2. A hotel inventory management system and method for managing inventory of service resources where the said appointment of sales agent as claimed in claim 1 is carried out.

3. A hotel inventory management system and method for managing inventory of service resources where the said inventory as claimed in claim 1 is presold to the sales agent for distribution of it to the consumers.

4. A hotel inventory management system and method for managing inventory of service resources where the said inventory distribution as claimed in claim 1 is carried out for maintaining original purchase price low.

5. A hotel inventory management system and method for managing inventory of service resources where the said inventory distribution as claimed in claim 1 is carried out by selling the room nights at the purchase price plus mark up by the sales agent.

6. A hotel inventory management system and method for managing inventory of service resources where the said inventory distribution as claimed in claim 1, where in one picklet means one room night.

7. A hotel inventory management system and method for managing inventory of service resources where the said inventory distribution as claimed in claim 1, where in sale of picklets is possible in three different method viz., a) direct sale to customer on payment basis by the sales agent, b) collection of cash from customer by the sales agent and sending picklets to hotel directly and c) collection of cash from customer by the hotel reservation counter and sending picklets to hotel directly by the sales agent.