Hilton Partners with Kronos^® to Pioneer Workforce Management in the Hotel Industry

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Overview

Hilton is the flagship brand of Hilton Hotels Corporation and one of the most recognised brands in the global lodging industry. In 2005, the Hilton Sydney completed a major refurbishment. This refurbishment presented an opportunity for the Hilton to adapt many of their internal processes in line with new technologies — including its workforce management system.

The Challenge

Hilton Sydney has 580 employees across all departments. Being in the hotel industry, the Hilton required a very complex 24-hour staff management system.

The Hilton saw the 2005 refurbishment as an excellent opportunity to implement a brand new electronic workforce management system for a brand new group of staff.

Alistair Tweedie, Revenue Manager, Hilton Sydney said: "The new look and new feel also presented us with an opportunity to use cutting edge technology and place the Hilton at forefront of customer service through effective staff management."

The Solution

Hilton Sydney decided that Kronos® offered the closest match to the hotel's requirements.

"Kronos Workforce Central® v5.1 stood out for its usability and its compatibility with the hotel’s existing technology," Mr Tweedie said.

The Kronos team worked with the heads of departments to understand the key business challenges and tailored the solution to meet specific business requirements. The team also made sure that users understood the full capabilities of the system.

"The Kronos team particularly invested time with our Operations managers to ensure a smooth transition from the old manual approach to an electronic one and to start affecting cultural change throughout the organisation," said Mr Tweedie.

The implementation commenced in September 2005 and the system is now being used widely by almost every staff member.

Key Benefits/Outcomes

The Kronos solution has resulted in a better control of payroll. Previously, payroll information was only accessible once a month. With the new system, this information can be accessed daily and in real time. This enables much better planning and forecasting.

The system has also significantly eliminated manual errors, resulting in immediate cost savings in the payroll process. The system also makes it easier for managers to track staff and provides consistency across all departments.

Hilton’s Future Plans

Impressed by the outcomes of the solution, the Hilton Sydney is looking to upgrade Kronos Workforce Central v5 to the v6 solution in early 2009. The plan is for the solution to be implemented regionally with clear key performance indicators.

"The Kronos system has provided payroll efficiency within the hotel and Hilton are assessing the opportunity for the rest of the region," said Alistair Tweedie.

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