The Secret to 5-Star Experiences? Enterprise Asset Management
Have you ever been on vacation and had a negative experience? Perhaps the pool was closed, a ride wasn’t available or your hotel room felt hot and stuffy. Perhaps the sink wouldn’t drain properly? These experiences leave lasting impressions on guests, affecting loyalty, reputation and revenue. Ensuring positive guest experiences provides a competitive advantage and drives growth.
Creating a positive guest experience gives hospitality businesses an edge over the competition and helps them grow. A significant part of operating a successful hotel or resort is keeping the building and equipment in good shape. Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) tools provide a crucial window into the status of all assets for single- and multi-site organizations, aiding in maintenance, operational efficiency and cost management.
Guest Experience
Your guest experience in hospitality is the “sum of interactions and impressions a guest has during their stay, shaped by emotional, physical and digital touchpoints,” as noted from the book by Daniel H. Pink, "The Guest Experience: A Holistic Approach”. Maybe there was a leaky faucet, broken AC or malfunctioning elevator? Those experiences have an adverse effect on the revenue of a property.
In fact, research from “The Impact of Employee Satisfaction on Business Outcomes: A Study of Private Sector Organisations in India" by S. Chakraborty and S. Biswas states that each point increase in guest satisfaction [score] equals an additional $3-$5 million in revenue annually”. This is coupled with the increased costs of deferred maintenance. Studies show that the lack of a preventative maintenance program can shorten asset life by 30% and increase maintenance costs by 7% annually. When you consider this, a proactive maintenance strategy just makes sense.
Fortunately, real-time visibility using IoT-enabled sensors and digital systems enables rapid responses to guest needs. A Deloitte study found that 60% of guests are more likely to return to a property that resolves issues promptly and professionally. Real-time monitoring makes that possible on an even larger scale.
Operational Efficiency
In many hospitality settings, maintenance processes are still paper-based or rely on spreadsheets—systems that are slow, error-prone and heavily reliant on memory. These outdated methods create delays, reduce productivity and limit a team’s ability to respond quickly to guest issues.
Through enterprise asset management (EAM), tasks are automatically prioritized, assigned and escalated based on urgency, criticality or location. These real-time assignments can be delivered to work crews through mobile devices, improving resolution time and guest experience. Routine tasks such as inventory counts, purchase requisitions and equipment inspections can also be automated.
Common automatable tasks include:
- Routine equipment inspections
- Fire and life safety system inspections with auto-escalation of failures
- Room condition reports pre- and post-guest check-in
- FF&E (furniture, fixtures & equipment) lifecycle tracking
Cost Management
Whether overstocking or understocking, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) materials have consequences, such as excess waste or a lack of availability, contributing to a bad guest experience. Facilities utilizing EAM systems can set minimum thresholds on stock and automate reorder processes to reduce manual input and increase availability. This can lead to intelligent procurement processes, including vendor and product quality analyses and better decision-making.
What if you could reduce your equipment breakdowns by 70 to 75 percent?
In a McKinsey study, it was found that using condition-based maintenance (CBM) and advanced troubleshooting (ATS) reduced maintenance costs by 18 to 25 percent and reduced handling time by 40 percent. Less downtime directly translates to a better guest experience and the reduced costs add to the benefits experienced by hospitality properties.
Conclusion
In an era where every guest interaction counts, the role of maintenance and facilities teams has never been more crucial. Hospitality providers must create frictionless experiences for guests while ensuring smooth back-of-house operations and maintaining financial control.
HxGN EAM empowers hospitality properties to:
- Prevent disruptions with proactive maintenance
- Boost staff efficiency through automation
- Lower operational costs with predictive analytics
- Forecast Reserve/Replacement needs
- Deliver high guest satisfaction consistently
For facilities managers and procurement leaders, this isn’t just about managing assets —it’s about protecting your brand, elevating the guest experience and ensuring long-term profitability.
About the Authors
Eric Faith is a seasoned Director of Business Development at Total Resource Management (TRM). With over 30 years of expertise in the HxGN EAM industry, he collaborates with diverse sectors, including Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, and Public Sector, to deploy innovative EAM solutions that enhance asset management and operational efficiency. Renowned for his practical mindset, PMP-certified leadership, and knack for aligning business and IT goals, he delivers streamlined operations and lasting value. Outside of work, Eric is an avid traveler and cook, always experimenting with new recipes from his journeys. A passionate Washington Capitals fan—despite never learning to ice skate—he’s also a proud new grandpa, cherishing every moment with his two-month-old grandson, Wyatt Faith.
Angela Overstreet is an industrial technology professional partnering with hospitality and entertainment organizations who look for ways to improve the management of their assets throughout each phase of its lifecycle. Specializing in digital solutions for asset investment planning, design, construction project controls/cost management, operations & maintenance processes, and procedures, as well as alarm management, and OT cybersecurity. Angela is known for her collaborative approach, passion for innovation, and ability to listen to ensure a best-case scenario outcome. Outside of work, she enjoys a somewhat competitive game of pickleball and hitting the open road in her converted minivan turned campervan, exploring the outdoors with her pup, Ebbie Grace.