BOTS Companion of a Modern Revenue Manager

Bots have become an important part of human life both, at the personal and professional front and their involvement is climbing new peaks with every passing day. They surround us in our daily life in the form of Artificial Intelligence, Search Engines, and Software. Part of it has also paved way for smarter and efficient revenue management for hotels fueling the debt that if humans should be irrevocably replaced with bots for this complex round the clock function. Although the practice may be at a nascent stage to draw concluding, it has certainly made a mark in the real of the hospitality industry and has become an indispensable part of any hotel revenue management.

Artificial Intelligence powered robots can analyze and synthesize large chunks of hotel data collected at various touch points in a fraction of seconds to present meaningful insights about the booking pattern, demand, guest behavior which is impossible to be grouped or processed by any amount of human workforce with the same efficiency as bots. It will not be an exaggeration to say that the Artificial Intelligence has sort of revolutionized the hospitality industry across the globe, enabling every business to improve on multiple fronts like hotel pricing, price optimization, revenue management, guest experience management, booking management, demand and even capacity optimization of properties.

Furthermore, these bots are also capable of analyzing trends and trace upcoming events in the town to estimate the rise in demand, providing enough room for revenue managers to tweak the pricing and availability instead of fire fighting the situation at the last minute.

Leading hotels have already started betting big on AI powered bots and poised to explore new ways to make bots a part of their business operations. One significant advantage bots have over humans is that they can work tirelessly 24X7 with the same precision. Hotel industry requires attention 24X7 and is one of the most dynamic industries with continuous fluctuations in trends, demand, and prices. That is where these robust machines have huge value to add to the revenue management realm. These invisible machines can not only quickly determine the best rates at a particular time for your property, (room rate optimization) but also advise the revenue managers on which segment to target and the kind of promotional offers to be run to maximize the revenue.

Another major area where hotels continue to hustle is direct bookings. Hotels have been continuously trying to improve booking numbers on their own website since OTA missions are touching skies, eating up a major revenue share of hotels. Hotels would be surprised to know that even in this area, bots can improve their game and help increase the number of bookings by a decent percentage. With advanced learning capabilities and rigorous analysis of visitor's purchasing behavior, AI powered bots can refine the visitor experience and personalize every visitor's journey to their needs and interests. This increments visitor engagement and reduces the cycle time of purchase leading to conversion on the hotel website itself.

This again brings us to the joke that wherever revenue managers can be gradually replaced by bots completely risking their roles and jobs in the industry altogether. The answer is obviously NO since these micro machines can only process and analyze only a set number of parameters in their decision and often neglect external market implications that may not be considered by such bots but are easily identifiable only by human revenue managers and this acumen is gained by experience.

Therefore, the ideal mix should be machine results mediated and supervised by human revenue managers. For eg, Pricing is one area which could have been automated with a reasonable amount of diligence and control of the revenue manager. Similarly, online reputation management can also be monitored with technology; however, a personalized approach will take you a long way. The key is to automate the processes that require minimum human intervention and involve human where necessary. This will help revenue managers to don more hats at the same time like exploring more avenues to maximize per guest audience and focus on other revenue increasing strategies.

Thus, witnessing the scenarios discussed above, we can conclude that the status of the bots is of a companion to revenue managers instead of a successor who will complement them at every step with razor fast information and analysis of the market and competition, enabling revenue managers to take informed decisions in no time and help them optimize revenues and drive the hotel towards new millions of success.

10 Advantages Of Field Data Collection With Mobile Devices

Field Data Collection can be a very difficult and time-consuming process. Collecting field data manually requires a great supply of money, materials, staff and other resources. With such an investment comes the great responsibility of collecting the right data in the short amount of time, as the data collected on the field affects the productivity of the company.

All thanks to the ever-evolving technology, with the help of mobile devices seems to be the only solution to the challenges faced by the field data collection teams. This not only replaces the age-old obsolete Pen-Paper method of data collection but also provides new ways of utilizing the time of the workforce available on the field. The field data collection app is built suitable for all devices be it data collection app for Android or be it data collection app for iOS.

The mobile device based tools have been established in almost all developed as well as developing countries. It is but obvious that the companies which adopt this online method prosper more than the ones who are still stuck in the age-old methodologies.

Let's take a look at the advantages to executives and workers who have specialization in this area.

1. Supercharged Productivity













Mobile forms based platforms allow systematic and efficient organization of the data collected thanks to its real-time indicators. This allows a lot of time to be saved in collecting data and reporting it back to the head office. All the employee has to do is simply fill the form on his/her mobile device and submit them instantly for analysis.

2. Never Lose Data













Data, mostly old data is always required to verify or sometimes even to compare with the new data allowing a company to set new benchmarks and define long-term goals. The data collected on the mobile form is saved directly to the cloud. This helps in enabling the user to access the data whenever and wherever the user wants without the fear of ever losing the data.

3. Allows Collection Of Rich Data













Collection of just numbers and text is just like some other methods. But the collection of rich data is now possible all because of mobile data collection forms. Rich data includes things like images, location, audio, video and also scanning a barcode. This enables one to determine authenticities of the collected product or information.

4. Huge Cost Savings













Saving idle time and resources lead to the savings of huge amounts of money. Mobile forms do the same thing and cut costs in the processes like transportation or even cutting the use of paper and many more such things. As it also saves data to the cloud the losses occurring due to loss of data is also eliminated.

5. Works Even Offline













Mobile forms can be filled both online and in offline mode. This works very well as there are a lot of areas in the world which still do not have mobile network coverage. All the worker needs to do is fill in the form and save it to upload later whenever the device gets internet access.

6. Comparing With Other Data













It is very easy to compare data on field apps rather than comparing it manually. Data collected on the App can be easily compared with the already existing data. This allows the management to take important decisions that can further add to the productivity of the company in near future.

7. High Service Quality













Mobile forms do the evaluation of work in a faster and efficient way with great accuracy, This adds to the satisfaction of both the service provider and the customer.

8. Workflow Automation













Zero or minimum human interference minimizes the time required to do work and also eliminates errors made by humans. The workflow is made smooth as it is being automated and hence follow every step as set by the form builder at the start and is followed again and again without the actual involvement of the user.

9. Accelerated Process













Instant email of collected data is sent to the customers, colleagues, and partners instantly. The dispatch feature allows to assign jobs quickly and handle approvals with mobile workflows.

10. The Ease Of Use













Perhaps the best advantage of field data collection is its Ease of use. Mobile forms are prepared easily using drag and drop method on their websites. These data collection mobile forms are then distributed on the mobile devices of the field worker to fill up and provide necessary details.

Life Success Learning to Create Positive Habitual Behavior & Overcoming Negativity

The first and sometimes most important success habit that must be formed is one of positive thinking. Dwell on the positive exit that's desired and avoid thinking about anything that's not wanted. Nothing will ensure failure faster than the very thought that the failure will occur. People say that it's absolutely normal for negativity to creep into our thoughts. Be that as it may, any negative thought has to be banished immediately and replaced with a positive one. This simple, yet effective technique, practiced regularly can help you move towards success like nothing else.

Forget about the past, it's gone and there's no going back. Regardless of what's happened before, today is a new day. Holding onto the past ensures that you'll stay right where you are in life. Letting go of past failures allows you to see the potential for future success and to move towards it. Realize that any past failures, real or imagined, were purely lessons that you thought to this moment in time. Appreciate the education you received and bravely move towards success with the knowledge you've gained.

Overcome the desire to put things off until another time. For most people that procrastinate, another time never comes. Things pile up over time and there's no way to catch up, adding to frustrations and even more procrastination. Whether it's taking out the trash or calling a client, get to it right away. Only by getting straight to work and finishing tasks can success really be accomplished. Practice this non-procrastinating lifestyle and you'll soon find not only that things are being accomplished, but that you have time left at the end of the day too.

Another important aspect of success is the ability to manage time. It can be very easy to lose track of time and difficult to get back on track. Keep track of everything you do during an average day and how much time it took to do it. Go through an entire week of this. Now evaluate and see what should be adjusted or eliminated for optimal time management. Continue to develop a schedule that allows maximum time for every activity. Include all your business and personal time in this and you'll soon find a workable and even profitable schedule for yourself.

Develop the confidence to go forth and conquer. Knowing a thing can be done and believing you can do it are two entirely different things. It's vital to your success and the success of all of your endeavors that you are confident in your self. Confidence shows through everything you do and it affects your ultimate success more than you think. Carry yourself importantly, speak with authority, be secure with yourself and walk tall. Believe in yourself and your ideas and present them with passion. Do these things and others will recognize your confidence and want to be associated with you.

Success is not a matter of predestination, it depends upon the will of the seeker. With the will to succeed, it's possible to do anything you desire. It really is as simple as that, despite the general tendency to believe otherwise. Over and over again, success stories appear that portrait down and out individuals that executed their own free will to rise above. Exert your will over the situations in your life, change them to suit you and your goals and success will follow.

What is success? Is it money, power, health or spirituality? Success means different things to different people. For some, success can only be seen in the form of financial gain and power. For others, success means a happy, healthy family with only the basics of life. Regardless of how it's defined, success is possible with the proper application of some basic habits and the development of key character traits.

TUNING-IN: A Key Element for Improved Functional Movement and Overall Wellness for Your Workouts!

When you think about health improvement, it can cover a lot of different things. Your focus for health improvement will depend on your wellness goals. What do you want to achieve? Better fitness, strength, balance, flexibility, improved sports performance, weight loss, stress management. There are many components to a well-planned health improvement program for optimal wellness and whole-body health.

Fitness however is one of the most important parts of any health improvement plan. Performing daily exercises and maintaining an active lifestyle is vital to maintaining good health. Good functional movement habits will help you achieve a strong, fit, flexible body that works well to keep you safe and injury-free for optimal wellness!

Evaluate this question; How often when you workout, do you "tune-out?"

Many people rely on their electronic toys to distract them from what the body is doing during a workout. Almost everyone works out watching TV, reading on their Kindle or iPad, or listening to music on their headphones. People do not realize that they are losing their focus on what the body is paying by paying more attention to the book, show, or song they are watching or listening to then what they're doing! The body ends up working out on auto-pilot. Who knows if the right muscles are doing the work, because we're too busy singing along with our favorite tune, or watching TV to really pay attention to what we're doing.

To get maximum benefits from your fitness activities, it's important to "tune-in" and pay attention to what the body is doing while it's moving! This is one of the great benefits from Pilates training. Usually there is no music, you HAVE TO pay attention to everything your body is doing from your head to your toes through the whole entire workout. Breathing, Control, Concentration, Flow, Rhythm, and Precision are all consistently adjusted and corrected because you're consciously moving the body.

Striving for balanced muscle development to stay fit and injury free takes focus. It takes brain-power to tell the body what to do and how to move. And then it's important to pay attention and notice if the body is doing exactly what you've asked it to do.

This is why "tuning-in" is so important! You can get much better results if you are aware of what your body is doing. Not only do you have the chance to notice if you're working well, but you can also quickly evaluate whether you're doing things right, or wrong, and make adjustments. Why waste time during your workouts. Tune-in to practice efficient functional movement habits for improved health!

By focusing on what you are doing, you will become more aware of how things feel, what muscles are really working or are not working, how easy or difficult the challenge is. Learn to be conscious of your body's posture while moving, feel the right muscles do the work, and notice if you are breathing properly!

These may all seem like simple, small things to pay attention to, but when you start taking them into consideration during every single second of your workouts, BIG results will come your way! Get the best results possible from your health improvement program, start by re-evaluating your health and fitness goals. Check out your wellness routine, then "tune-in" and see what you notice!

If you need help optimizing your form, function, and being sure you've got the right exercises in your workout program to get results, consult with a Pilates teacher or functional movement specialist. Quickly improve your functional movement habits and increase the results from your training efforts!

Better Functional Movement Habits + Repetition of Good Habits with Exercise = Amazing Health Improvement Benefits!

Make the most of your efforts for health improvement all the time! "TUNE-IN" and pay careful attention to form and function for optimum fitness.

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What Is Bitcoin and Is It a Good Investment?

Bitcoin (BTC) is a new kind of digital currency-with cryptographic keys-that is decentralized to a network of computers used by users and miners around the world and is not controlled by a single organization or government. It is the first digital cryptocurrency that has gained the public's attention and is accepted by a growing number of merchants. Like other treaties, users can use the digital currency to buy goods and services online as well as in some physical stores that accept it as a form of payment. Currency traders can also trade Bitcoins in Bitcoin exchanges.

There are several major differences between Bitcoin and traditional currencies (eg US dollar):

1. Bitcoin does not have a centralized authority or clearing house (eg government, central bank, MasterCard or Visa network). The peer-to-peer payment network is managed by users and miners around the world. The currency is anonymously transferred directly between users through the internet without going through a clearing house. This means that transaction fees are much lower.
2. Bitcoin is created through a process called "Bitcoin mining". Miners around the world use mining software and computers to solve complex bitcoin algorithms and to approve Bitcoin transactions. They are awarded with transaction fees and new Bitcoins generated from solving Bitcoin algorithms.
3. There is a limited amount of Bitcoins in circulation. According to Blockchain, there were about 12.1 million in circulation as of Dec. 20, 2013. The difficulty to mine Bitcoins (solve algorithms) becomes harder as more Bitcoins are generated, and the maximum amount in circulation is capped at 21 million. The limit will not be reached until approximately the year 2140. This makes Bitcoins more valuable as more people use them.
4. A public ledger called 'Blockchain' records all Bitcoin transactions and shows each Bitcoin owner's respect holdings. Anyone can access the public ledger to verify transactions. This makes the digital currency more transparent and predictable. More importantly, the transparency prevails fraud and double spending of the same Bitcoins.
5. The digital currency can be acquired through Bitcoin mining or Bitcoin exchanges.
6. The digital currency is accepted by a limited number of merchants on the web and in some brick-and-mortar retailers.
7. Bitcoin wallets (similar to PayPal accounts) are used for storing Bitcoins, private keys and public addresses as well as for anonymously transferring Bitcoins between users.
8. Bitcoins are not insured and are not protected by government agencies. Here, they can not be recovered if the secret keys are stolen by a hacker or lost to a failed hard drive, or due to the closure of a Bitcoin exchange. If the secret keys are lost, the associated Bitcoins can not be recovered and would be out of circulation. Visit this link for an FAQ on Bitcoins.

I believe that Bitcoin will gain more acceptance from the public because users can remain anonymous while buying goods and services online, transactions fees are much lower than credit card payment networks; the public ledger is accessible by anyone, which can be used to prevent fraud; the currency supply is capped at 21 million, and the payment network is operated by users and miners instead of a central authority.

However, I do not think that it is a great investment vehicle because it is extremely volatile and is not very stable. For example, the bitcoin price grows from around $ 14 to a peak of $ 1,200 USD this year before dropping to $ 632 per BTC at the time of writing.

Bitcoin surged this year because investors speculated that the currency would gain greater acceptance and that it would increase in price. The currency plunged 50% in December because BTC China (China's largest Bitcoin operator) announced that it could no longer accept new deposits due to government regulations. And according to Bloomberg , the Chinese central bank barred financial institutions and payment companies from handling bitcoin transactions.

Bitcoin will likely gain more public acceptance over time, but its price is extremely volatile and very sensitive to news-such as government regulations and restrictions-that could negatively affect the currency.

Therefore, I do not suggest investors to invest in Bitcoins unless they were purchased at a less than $ 10 USD per BTC because this would allow for a much larger margin of safety .

Otherwise, I believe that it is much better to invest in stocks that have strong fundamentals, as well as great business prospects and management teams because the undering companies have intrinsic values ​​and are more predictable.

Disclosure: Victor Liang has has no positions in Bitcoins and has no plans to change his position in the next 72 hours.

Sales Force Software Benefits Employees and Owners

The Commission is one form of incentive. Employees who are involved in sales receive their monthly salary plus commission per month as part of their compensation. In a large organization that has many sales employees, it is quite difficult to monitor sales amount with their respective quota of each employee which is the reason why managers hire more employees to do the administrative work of their sales people. More employees mean more manpower cost to the company.

One way by which a company can cut cost is through the use of Sales Force Software. Aside from no longer needing more employees to do the administrative work and monitoring work of people who focus on closing the deals, it will be able to enable the sales people to do what they are supposed to do but more effectively and more efficiently. It also enables managers to monitor the sales of their people and give what is due them. Thus, employees no longer waste time checking and rechecking what has been given them which will enable them to focus more on their work. There are many kinds of versions of the software available. All you need to do is find the one that will fit you and the type of industry that you are in. That is one way by which you can determine which sales software to get.

From an owner's point of view, a sales force software is a necessity. It will be able to give accurate numbers on the performance of the sales employees which will enable them to manage their people well. Aside from giving proper incentives, they will be able to give other forms of motivation to inspire their workers to work well or if the numbers show that there is a dip in the performance, the owners will be able to nip it in the bud which is why this software is considered as an effective tool for sales management.

Writing Your Affiliate Home Business Plan

Here's a typical scenario: You are deciding to start a home business and suddenly everyone you know has his nose in your business, literally. What do you tell them? And how do you answer your own questions? What should you expect from the company in terms of stability, longevity, vitality, trust, income, and so forth? First the bad news: there are no guarantees. Then the good news: there is plenty of information from which to draw your own conclusions. The internet is huge, and any good company will offer free marketing tools and training.

But back to the WHY of that business plan. You're going to be starting small, slow and boy! is there a lot to learn. What's the point of actually sitting down and writing a business plan? You're not Bill Gates, this is not Microsoft, just you in your home office a few hours a week, slowly building an online business presence, not really understanding what the heck you'll be doing.

Relax and breathe. Unlike Mt. Rushmore, your plan will not be designed to withstand the weathering of the ages. You can expect it will change and bend with the flow of your real experiences, which will be totally yours, not identical to anyone else's.

What writing your plan will do is cause you to pause, think, dream, study and focus. The written document, whether it is one page or twelve, will give your business a framework to work within. The internet is vast and seemingly endless. It is easy to lose focus and drift away on a different whim or idea every day. Understanding where you are today, what tools you have to work with, what your goals are, and how you can best achieve them and measure your success, will help you stay on target and not waste what few hours you may be investing in your business at start-up.

Whenever you feel lost or confused, you can return to what you have written. When you analyze your situation and decide to make a change, rewrite that part of the plan. Understand that it's a living document, intended to grow with you and your business. Your business plan is your friend.

Getting Started with the Business Plan

First you need to study the company and its management. You need to read and learn about the products, the compensation plan and the network structure. See you next month. Just kidding.

Plan on doing SOME reading each and every work day for the next few months, if not indefinitely. Keep up with the company forum entries every day; read something in the training reports every day. Your education will continue. Plan for it.

When you are ready, open up a Notepad window and answer these questions:

What service / products does your business provide and what needs does it fill?

Who are the potential customers for your product or service and why will they purchase it from you?

How will you reach your potential customers?

Where will you get the financial resources to start your business?

Ok. Maybe your company offers many products and services. What do you want to focus on? I suggest that, at first, you focus on one or two products and / or the affiliate opportunity. In other words, keep is simple. Once you get the hang of what you're doing, you will KNOW when it's time to expand. Do only what you are comfortable with, every step of the way. This is YOUR business, it's your right and privilege to decide on your approach.

Internet marketing hinges on building trust. How will you do this?

Reaching customers means marketing. Your decision, once again. And again, the options should be in your company's training materials.

So we're talking developing a reading / study schedule. Here's a possible list, once you've read enough to make your own decisions to answer the above questions, start writing. Your writing can be lists of words and phrases, free-form brainstorming, outlines, mind maps, whatever works for you. Just write it down, and do not forget to save often. If your home office is affiliated by cats or small children, they have the tendency to press on random keyboard keys. Documents do occasionally just disappear. Saving avoids total disaster.

1. Study the products.
2. Read the training materials.
3. Read about decisions, bonuses, etc.
4. Study the marketing aids and strategies
5. Find out what free tools are available.
6. Visit the forums on a regular basis. Read everything about getting started.
7. Ask questions.

Your final written business plan will have at least four parts:

Introduction / background: history of the company and its founder, internet marketing trends, why THIS company and why NOW, and so on.

Goals: I suggest you think of what you would like to be learning in two years, but mainly focus on goals for your first year. Realistic goals can be planned based on info on the company website, in newsletters, searches on the forums, and focused questions to other affiliates.

Marketing plan: based on your answers to the first 3 questions above and your study of marketing aids and tools.

Action plans: the specifics of what you will do on a monthly, weekly, and / or daily basis for the next year.

I can not tell you what your answers should be, because you have to decide how much money you have to invest. Only you can decide how many hours per day, week or month you can invest in your business. What products you feel most comfortable marketing, and who you decide to target as your customer base, are all decisions only you can make. If you get stuck and do not understand a question, do not know where to find information, or do not know how to ASK a question, contact your sponsor or someone in your upline. If they can not help you, they should be able to send you to someonewho can.

You should NEVER feel alone. Work should be FUN! ...

How to Upgrade WordPress!

WordPress is a widely accepted and extremely preferred content management system which offers a simplified and user-friendly operations and a lot more to look upon. Any software or application, when used in the latest version, offers the best of services and functions so possible and so does WordPress. The procedure of updating can be transported out in two ways namely Automatic and Manual.

• Automatic Updates: You may often get infurated with the update notifications of various kinds. WordPress relieves you with the automatic update option. For the version 3.7+, the user needs not to imprise an even bit of efforts. If the site is designed to install updates without the use of FTP credentials, the updates will itself run in the background allowing the version to update from 3.7 to 3.7.1, 3.7.2 etc. This is facilitated for minor and security updates however even for the purpose of major updates, the user just needs to click 'Update Now'.

WordPress provides the users with minor bug fixes with the minor latest versions as available. Therefore, a user is suggested to adopt minor fixes as and when available. Automatic updates are so very useful and valuable. Neverheless, if one wants to disable the option serving automatic updates, he can do it too.

If the notification conveys 'failed updates', the way out is to delete the file named .maintenance which is present in the WordPress directory. This will eliminate the message. If all the efforts of automatic updates go in vain, the user can turn up to Manual Updates.

• Manual Updates: Manual Updates can be time-consuming and tiring, however, the sense of accomplishment is satisfactory. The Manual Updates option can be exercised if the blog's URL is in the form [http://example.com/wordpress/].

The procedure involves few steps that are mentioned below.

1. The User needs to download the latest available version of WordPress.

2. All the plugins are to be deactivated which can be done by using the deactivate button in the drop-down list after selecting all the plugins.

3. Replace the previously annexed WP-includes and WP-admin directories with the latest installed ones. This can be done using the FTP or Shell Access)

4. The users without deleting any WP-content folder or directory are required to overwrite the existing WP-content folder's individual files with the new files. This can be done using FTP, file manager or shell SSH.

5. The same process needs to be followed by the rest of the files. All new files available in the root directory of the new version must overtake the old files in the existing directory.

6. The default files so customized must not be overwritten or else you will lose access to the preset ones.

7. Try the WP-config-sample.php as it might have certain new settings that could attract you and fascinate you to implicate your own WP-config.php.

8. Just in case, you hired the manual procedure after the auto-upgrade failure, a file named .maintenance will hamper you. This needs to be deleted from the directory through the FTP.

9. Log in to your database and further follow the database update instructions which are offered with an update link to assure compatibility. Also, reactivate the plugins and at this note, the task is accomplished.