What are the best ways to manage hotel supply chain logistics?

There are three broad buckets in which operational efficiencies can help on the SCM issue:- 1. Having a well thought out Annual Operating Plan (AOP) that encapsulates how resources will be allocated as well as utilised to drive business plan/objectives. 2. A well envisioned AOP will be driven by a good forecasting tool preferably AI based, that will accurately forecast demand/ service level deliverables based on data mining of past data. Forecasting accuracy is directly proportional to efficacy of SCM. For the hotel industry we can expect accuracy of minimum 75-85% based on scale of business. 3. Inventory management, holding days, average cash cycle, working capital requirement and free cash flows management are other good pointers.

Managing a hotel supply chain logistics involves various aspects like inventory control, vendor management. Inventory Management Implement systems to track and control inventory levels, ensuring optimal stock without overordering. Vendor Relationships Cultivate strong relationships. Demand Forecasting Use historical data and market trends to predict demand accurately. Employee Training Train staff to understand the importance of supply chain management and how their roles impact it. Continuous Improvement Regularly review and optimize supply chain processes for efficiency and cost effectiveness. By focusing on these aspects, a hotel can enhance its supply chain logistics and ensure a seamless flow of goods and services.

Best Practices- Efficient hotel industry supply chain management Automation holds the key. Have an established strategy. Inventory velocity is crucial. Lean Logistics. Bring customers into your supply chain.

To manage a hotel's supply chain effectively, it's important to keep track of what you have, build good relationships with suppliers, figure out how much you'll need, buy smartly, use technology to stay organized, be eco-friendly, check for good quality, train your staff, be ready for problems, watch your spending, and keep open communication.

A hotel's vision and mission are pivotal for its supply chain, dictating procurement and logistics to align with quality and sustainability goals. Supply Chain Management (SCM) must balance cost-efficiency with unwavering quality to protect the brand. Constant high-quality supply is vital for the hotel's reputation and guest satisfaction. SCM teams need to understand that meeting guest expectations is challenging but achievable with strategic planning and backups in place. In today's fast-paced information era, even a minor oversight like insufficient tissue paper can tarnish a hotel's image through rapid social media dissemination..

Your suppliers are your partners in delivering value to your guests. Therefore, you need to build strong relationships with them based on trust, communication, and collaboration. You need to select your suppliers carefully, considering not only their price and quality, but also their reliability, flexibility, and innovation. You need to negotiate fair and transparent contracts, establish clear expectations and standards, and provide regular feedback and recognition. You also need to collaborate with your suppliers on improving processes, solving problems, and creating new opportunities.

Strongly agree. Suppliers are a very important Pillar of the Organization and the number one stake holder in the brand building & its sustenance.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) in hotels must embody the establishment's vision, focusing on quality and eco-friendliness. Cost-effective strategies should not compromise quality or the hotel's image. Consistently delivering high standards is crucial for maintaining reputation and customer contentment. SCM must grasp the intricacies of guest expectations—demanding yet manageable with careful planning and contingencies. In an age where social media quickly broadcasts any service flaws, even small missteps, like a tissue paper shortage, can significantly damage a hotel's standing.

Right product from right source at right price on right time. This strategy is very helpful to buy best product for cutomer satifaction. The supplier of product must be authorized distributor of manufacturer manufacturing the product fully capable of delivering on-demamd product. The purpose of product should be to solve the problem. The relationship between buyer and suppier is mandatory to keep going on smoother way without any disrution to supply and demand of the product. The invoices should be clear from buye side. Product supply according to preset criteria must be supplied by supplier.

1) Hire Head of supply chain - Hotels are still to recognize the need for this role 2) Build a Digital Supply Chain strategy - Where are the costs, where are the lead times- and how do you bring visibility to this 3) Build awareness at board level that Hotels need to prioritize supply chain - it's not a topic well understood at the board level of Hotel chains

Along with the others recommendation I also like to include below points: 1. Purchase as a cluster (same boq for couple or more hotel), that will increase the competition among vendors and Hotel will get the best price from the market. 2. Need to utilize food seasonality to get price benefit. 3. based on historical data approximate consumption of materials can be share with the vendors while taking the price. 4. there should be a specific standard or couple of standard for the food and other items.

Hotels need to have proper Supply Chain systems to recognize the power of demand planning and supply planning, something even retailers havent been able to figure out correctly. That will help reduce inventory and have a better demand to supply equation, hotel industry must have this role. Procurement, Material management, Logistics, WMS all should be a part of supply chain with Procurement also having KRAs with Finance to work on Transformation or negotiated savings. When ORGANIZATIONS realize the importance of such Operating models , and supplement them with the right capital to IMPLEMENT tech tools , then only they will run an efficient Sales and Operations Planning. It needs a top down approach with strict vendor management .

La logística es una sola y el enfoque principal debe ser siempre el nivel de servicio sea para una planta industrial, un restaurante o un hotel. No hay producto más caro que el que no se tiene o no llega a tiempo o bien se paraliza una planta o queda un cliente insatisfecho y no vuelve. Lo que determina como manejar la logística eficientemente es el conocimiento de toda la cadena de abastecimiento del mercado que se va a atender, desde el input hasta el output process. la logística de un hotel debe ser manejada por un especialista en logística, no necesariamente un experto hotelero.

The best ways to manage hotel supply chain logistics are involving optimized inventory levels through demand forecasting, establishing strategic supplier relationships for reliable and timely deliveries, implementing efficient storage and distribution systems, utilizing technology for real time tracking and management, and prioritizing sustainability initiatives to minimize environmental impact and reduce costs.

When it comes to managing the supply chain logistics of the hotel/hospitality industry, it comes down to balancing the same aspects of most every other industries supply chain - costs/resources/scalability. Consulting industry experts would potentially be a great start to gain insight into any nuance's unique to you that need to be addressed. Supply Chain Management/Logistics is an area that can largely be outsourced (3PL, 4PL, 5PL). There's no one size fits all. The best way to manage one hotels supply chain may not be the best way to handle another's, there are so many factors and moving pieces involved. Current needs and future needs always need to be taken into consideration as well for a comprehensive decision.

Taking care of your Custumers! To make them feel very comfortable. Build a trust between you and them. Facilitate them they Journey in your Hotel.

Building a strategic fit is very crucial as already shared. Aligning your competitive strategy (unique service that customers prioritize, which the hotel has specialize in, example product or service availability, service variety, response time, high customer experience etc) and Supply Chain strategy(efficiency and responsiveness) For example: If your hotel prioritizes fast response time, high customer experience, provision of variety of services and product and consistent service availability, it best aligns with responsiveness which requires effective management of supply chain drivers such as transportation, inventory, sourcing, information, pricing) to achieve a best fit. NB: short lead time will not match slow mode of transport.