Workflow Automation Tools: How PMS Automations Can Save Accommodation Operators Hours Every Week
Running an accommodation business involves a constant stream of repetitive tasks. Guest emails need to be sent. Payments need to be followed up. Reports need to reach the right people. Check-in and check-out communications need to go out at the right time. Review requests need to be sent after a stay.
Individually, these tasks may only take a few minutes. Across dozens or hundreds of bookings, however, they can quickly consume hours of valuable staff time. This is where workflow automation tools within a property management system can make a significant difference.
By automatically completing routine tasks based on pre-set rules, PMS automation can help accommodation operators reduce manual administration, improve consistency and give staff more time to focus on guests and the day-to-day running of the property.
What Are Workflow Automation Tools?
Workflow automation tools are designed to automatically complete tasks when a particular event or condition occurs.
Within an accommodation property management system, this usually involves two key elements:
A trigger: The event or point in time that starts the automation.
An action: The task the system automatically completes when the trigger occurs.
For example, an accommodation operator could create an automation where:
- The trigger is three days before a guest arrives.
- The action is to automatically send a pre-arrival email.
Once the workflow has been created, the property management system handles the task automatically for every booking that meets the relevant rules.
This rule-based approach to property management automation means staff no longer need to remember to complete the same repetitive tasks manually every day.
Set the automation up once, and it continues working in the background.
How Does PMS Automation Work?
PMS automation connects the information already held within your property management system with automated actions.
Because a PMS knows important information about each booking, such as arrival dates, departure dates, booking status and guest details, automations can be triggered at precisely the right stage of the guest journey.
Depending on the workflow automation tools available within your PMS, triggers may be based on:
- A particular date or time
- A guest’s arrival
- A guest’s departure
- A booking event
- A payment requirement
- Specific conditions associated with a reservation
An action can then be carried out automatically when the appropriate trigger and conditions are met.
More advanced workflows can also include conditions that determine whether an automation should run. This gives accommodation operators greater control over which guests, bookings or circumstances an automated action applies to.
When an integrated booking engine connects directly with the PMS, new reservations, availability and guest information can flow into the wider property workflow automatically.
Why Is Property Management Automation So Valuable?
The biggest advantage of automation is simple: it removes recurring tasks from your team’s workload.
Front desk and property management teams frequently juggle guest enquiries, phone calls, check-ins, late check-outs, emails, payments, reports and countless other operational tasks throughout the day.
Automating predictable processes can help properties operate more efficiently without relying on staff to manually remember every task.
Automation can also extend beyond front desk workflows. For example, channel management software can automatically synchronise rates and availability across connected booking channels.
Save Time on Repetitive Tasks
Many property management processes follow the same pattern for every guest or booking.
Rather than manually sending the same emails, preparing the same reports or carrying out the same follow-up actions each day, workflow automation tools can complete these tasks automatically.
Even saving a few minutes per booking can translate into substantial time savings across a busy week.
Create More Consistent Guest Communication
Good guest communication often depends on timing. Guests may need arrival instructions before check-in, reminders during their stay or follow-up messages after departure.
Automated email and SMS workflows help ensure important messages are sent consistently and at the right stage of the guest journey, without relying on staff availability.
Reduce the Risk of Tasks Being Missed
Busy accommodation environments leave plenty of room for human error.
A payment follow-up may be forgotten during a busy check-in period. A report may not be sent until someone remembers. A guest communication may be delayed.
PMS automation helps create repeatable processes that run automatically, reducing reliance on manual task lists and staff memory.
Give Staff More Time to Focus on Guests
Automation is not about removing the human element from hospitality. It is about removing unnecessary manual administration.
When routine processes happen automatically, accommodation teams have more time to deal with the tasks that genuinely benefit from personal attention, from assisting a guest with a problem to improving the overall experience at the property.
What Can You Automate With GuestPoint?
GuestPoint Automations allows accommodation operators to create workflows using triggers, actions and conditions.
Each automation can be configured around a particular event or point in the guest journey, helping properties build processes that suit the way they operate.
Some of the most commonly used GuestPoint automations include the following.
1. Automated Guest Emails
Email is one of the most useful applications of property management automation.
GuestPoint can automatically send emails at the appropriate point in the guest journey, helping properties maintain timely communication without requiring staff to manually send individual messages.
Automated emails could be used for communications such as:
- Booking confirmations and information
- Pre-arrival instructions
- Check-in information
- During-stay messages
- Check-out information
- Post-stay communications
- Guest review requests
Templates can be created in advance so the right message is automatically sent when the relevant trigger occurs.
GuestPoint also provides a central Template screen where operators can manage their automated email and SMS templates in one place.
2. Automated SMS Messages
For messages that guests may need to see quickly, SMS automation can provide another valuable communication channel. Properties can create automated SMS workflows that send messages at specific times or when particular booking events occur.
This can be especially useful for short, time-sensitive information such as arrival reminders, access instructions or other important guest updates. By automating these messages, staff can maintain consistent communication without repeatedly sending the same texts manually.
3. Automated Reports
Reporting is essential to accommodation management, but manually generating and distributing the same reports every day can quickly become another repetitive administrative task.
GuestPoint can automate the delivery of regular reports, ensuring the right operational information reaches the relevant people without someone needing to manually run and send the report each day.
For managers and owners, automated reporting can help important information become part of the daily workflow without adding another task to the front desk team’s workload.
4. Automated Check-Out Actions
GuestPoint Automations can also trigger check-out actions automatically.
This can help accommodation operators streamline processes around departures and reduce the number of routine actions staff need to manage manually.
By linking check-out actions to clearly defined triggers and conditions, operators can create a more consistent departure workflow across eligible bookings.
5. Automated Payment Processing
Payment administration is another area where automation can significantly reduce manual workload.
GuestPoint Automations includes the ability to create Take Payment actions as part of an automated workflow. This allows operators to configure payment actions based on defined triggers and conditions rather than relying entirely on manual payment processing.
For properties managing a high volume of reservations, automating appropriate payment processes can help reduce repetitive administration and create a more consistent workflow.
When used with GuestPoint Pay, payment actions can form part of a more connected property management workflow.
6. Automated Payment Pre-Authorisation
Properties can also create workflows that automatically initiate a payment pre-authorisation when specified requirements are met.
Using conditions alongside triggers allows operators to control exactly when the automation should run.
This flexibility means payment-related automations can be incorporated into existing operational processes while still reflecting the requirements of different bookings or circumstances.
Create More Targeted Workflows With Conditions
Not every automation should apply to every booking.
Conditions allow accommodation operators to introduce additional rules that determine whether an automation runs.
Instead of creating a workflow that automatically fires whenever a trigger occurs, conditions provide greater control over the circumstances in which the associated action is completed.
This makes it possible to build more targeted workflow automations around the specific way a property operates.
The combination of triggers, actions and conditions gives accommodation managers the flexibility to automate routine tasks while maintaining control over their operational processes.
How to Decide What to Automate
A useful starting point is to look at the tasks your team completes repeatedly.
Ask:
- What tasks happen every day?
- What tasks are completed for almost every booking?
- What messages are regularly sent at the same point in the guest journey?
- What tasks are easy to forget during busy periods?
- What processes do staff spend time manually repeating?
These are often the best candidates for automation.
It can also be helpful to begin with a small number of high-volume tasks rather than trying to automate everything at once.
For many properties, automated guest emails, SMS messages and daily reports are logical places to start because they are frequent, repetitive and relatively easy to turn into consistent workflows.
Work Smarter With GuestPoint Automations
The best workflow automation tools quietly take care of repetitive tasks in the background.
For accommodation operators, effective PMS automation can mean fewer manual processes, more consistent workflows and hours of administrative time saved across the week.
GuestPoint Automations allows operators to connect triggers with automated actions across guest communication, reporting, payments and operational processes, with conditions providing greater control over when each workflow runs.
Set up the right workflows once, and your property management system can take care of recurring tasks while your team focuses on running the property and looking after guests.
See what GuestPoint Automations can do for your property.
FAQs About Workflow Automations In Property Management
Workflow automation tools allow a property management system to automatically complete tasks when predefined events or conditions occur. An automation typically combines a trigger, such as an upcoming arrival or departure, with an action, such as sending an email, delivering a report or processing an appropriate payment action.
PMS automation refers to using a property management system to automatically manage repetitive operational tasks. Depending on the capabilities of the PMS, this may include guest communications, reporting, payment processes and other actions connected to bookings and the guest journey.
Property management automation reduces the need for staff to repeatedly complete predictable tasks manually. Automating regular emails, SMS messages, reports and operational actions can save time across large numbers of bookings while also reducing the risk that routine tasks are forgotten.
GuestPoint Automations can be used to create automated workflows involving actions such as sending emails and SMS messages, delivering reports, processing check-out actions, taking payments and initiating payment pre-authorisations. Conditions can also be applied to provide greater control over when an automation runs.
A trigger is the event that starts an automated workflow, while the action is the task that happens as a result. For example, an approaching guest arrival could act as the trigger, while sending a pre-arrival email could be the automated action.
Yes. GuestPoint Automations allows conditions to be added to workflows so an action only occurs when specified requirements are met. This gives accommodation operators greater control over which bookings or circumstances an automation applies to.
No. The purpose of property management automation is to reduce repetitive administration rather than replace the personal service provided by accommodation teams. By automating predictable tasks, staff can spend more time helping guests and managing situations that require human judgement and interaction.
Ready to see what GuestPoint Automations can do for your property? Book a personalised demo today.
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