By Stephen Burke, Founder & CEO, RobosizeME
In today’s hospitality environment (see our previous article), “do more with less” has become more than a mantra, it’s a structural necessity. Modern workflow automation has reached a mature stage; it’s a practical, proven lever for operational transformation. But for hotel executives, the real question is how to start effectively.
At RobosizeME, we’ve supported automation journeys for over 5,000 hotels worldwide, and our experience confirms one truth: success lies in starting small, smart, and strategically.
Step 1: Identify Repeatability for Fast ROI
The first and most essential step is workflow identification. The goal isn’t to chase after the most complex workflow but to target the small repetitive, easy to automate workflows, the rules-based tasks that consume time and distract your team from higher-value work.
Here’s what to look for:
- Tasks that are done daily or weekly (e.g., OTA payment and routing, rate code updates, VIP guest tagging)
- Processes with a high risk of error (e.g., financial reconciliations, payment voucher matching)
- Tasks that require frequent training due to staff turnover
One Group we worked with saved over 7300 hours on automating batch deposits, while another automated profile suspensions, instantly freeing up 30% of workload in that area.
Step 2: Prioritize with Purpose, Focusing on Impact, Not Complexity
Once you have a list of automation-ready tasks, the next move is prioritization.
Use a two-factor filter:
- Effort to implement: Is the task clearly defined and easy to automate? for example Batch deposit processing, OTA commission reconciliation.
- Impact when automated: Will it save time, reduce cost, or improve guest or employee experience?
I personally advise starting with a few “quick wins” to build confidence internally. These types of projects typically:
- Deliver ROI within weeks, in under 3 months
- Require almost no process change
For example, automating OTA reservation enhancement can eliminate dozens of manual inputs per day, improve guest satisfaction by ensuring preferences are captured, and avoid errors that result in negative reviews. Another example is PMS report management. One Hotel chain saved 5900 hours after automating that specific workflow. Searching for canceled or modified reservations, checking applicable rate plans, and automatically posting relevant fees to the PMS is another automation that can rapidly be implemented.
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Step 3: Prove the ROI – Every Automation Must Pay for Itself
The hospitality sector lags behind others in automation maturity. As a matter of fact, 75% of hotel IT budgets still go toward maintaining legacy systems. That’s why proving ROI is vital.
With RobosizeME automations, customers frequently report:
- 10x faster execution vs. manual workflows
- Over 50 working days saved annually per automation
- Error reductions that avoid rework, chargebacks, or lost commissions
A typical workflow automation can return its investment within weeks. One financial reconciliation automation, for instance, saved €10,492 annually in labor cost and freed 49 working days; all for a €7,148 total investment.
Ask your vendor if they have a real-time dashboard, tracking both usage and savings in hard numbers. That’s how you build a business case that speaks to Finance, not just IT.
Step 4: Get Started With a “Minimal Disruption” Model
This might be a repeat, but I just want to stress that traditional automation efforts often fail because they try to boil the ocean. This is a risky path. We advise you to take a different approach: look for the easy wins first. If you’re working with a vendor who knows the hotel industry, they should have “off-the-shelf” automations that can give you a rapid return with minimal disruption.
There’s:
- No upfront software investment
- No internal IT disruption
- No requirement to train internal developers
Automation vendors who know the industry should handle design, deployment, hosting, and support. Major Hotel Groups we’ve accompanied began their journey with a single automation, and scaled from there once results were visible.
As one CIO put it:
“We had our first automation running in no time. Unlike traditional automation consultants, RobosizeME understood our systems from day one”.
A Final Word: The Best Time to Start Is Now
Every hotel operation has its friction points, whether it’s financial reconciliations that take hours, staff wasting time updating OTAs, or managers toggling between systems. These are not strategic tasks. They’re ripe for automation.
Every day you delay is a day your team stays buried under manual processes that don’t move the needle. The good news is that you can rapidly unburden your staff and improve operational efficiency by applying the simple, low-risk steps outlined in this article.
Workflow Automation is a proven, practical solution used by hotel groups worldwide to reclaim time, reduce costs, and boost team morale.
So don’t wait for the perfect moment or a budget cycle. The right time to begin is now.
📩 Ready to identify your first workflow automation candidate?
Reach out to schedule a free discovery session with one of our hotel automation experts.
You can also download the complete The Executive Guide to Hyperautomation in Hospitality
