News Briefs

MDO, a hotel data platform that centralizes and operationalizes critical performance and financial data for hotel companies, is excited to announce the bolstering of its leadership team and the continued evolution of its product suite, debuting refined tools that will help hoteliers make more data-driven decisions to drive profitability.

Over the past few months, MDO has strengthened its senior leadership team with executives that combine decades of hospitality-specific technology experience with expertise in building modern and scalable software solutions. The team has quickly made a substantial impact on the direction of the company by immediately sharpening MDO’s focus on Product and Customer Success and implementing proven frameworks for scalability.

Joining MDO with decades of combined experience optimizing SaaS businesses for scalability:

• Vic Chynoweth has joined as Chief Executive Officer after working with MDO for several months as a board member at Cove Hill Partners, where he served as Managing Director and Operating Partner. Chynoweth previously served as COO and CFO at JAGGAER and CFO at Planview, Inc.
• Andrew Smedira has been named Chief Financial Officer, bringing a focus in SaaS business and experience in rigorous financial analysis. Smedira previously served as CFO at SaaS leaders Veracross and Pearson Online Learning Services.
• Shams Chauthani has joined as Chief Technology Officer, bringing over 25 years of experience leading highly successful engineering teams. Chauthani previously served as CTO and Senior VP of Engineering at Zilliant and Principal and Founder at eLogix Solutions.
• Linda Neff has been named Senior Vice President of Professional Services and Customer Success, bringing years of experience driving innovation and execution in customer-facing teams. Neff previously served as VP of Professional Services at Vena Solutions and VP of Customer Success at EdCast.

Also, several leaders with deep industry experience have assumed new roles at MDO:

• Ali Moloo, MDO founder, has been named Chief Strategy Officer.
• Sudharshan Chary, co-founder of Datavision, acquired by MDO in 2022, will assume an executive advisory role and drive strategic initiatives.
• Ryan Smith, CEO of InTouch, acquired by MDO this year, has transitioned into a leadership role on the MDO product team.
• Niki Stone-Johnson, who joined MDO in 2022 after serving in several leadership roles at Sabre, has been named Chief Product Officer.

“I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to join a company that is already impacting customers in transformative ways and is poised to have an increasingly profound impact on the hospitality industry,” said Chynoweth, newly appointed CEO. “MDO has evolved from a document storage solution to an increasingly holistic hotel performance management platform. We’re excited to debut our next-generation business intelligence tools that will further enable our customers to drive both revenue and profit, with more to come from here.”

“In 2012, we started providing one management company with three hotels a paperless night audit solution, and today we help more than 7,000 hotels store and analyze their documents and data and ultimately run more efficient businesses,” added Moloo, MDO Founder and now Chief Strategy Officer. “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and even more excited to welcome Vic to the MDO family to see where MDO can go from here as we continue to contribute to a more modern hospitality industry.”

A Modern Hospitality Data Platform

After acquiring several industry-leading hospitality technology tools, the MDO product suite surfaces the best integrations, features and functionality from each. MDO is dedicated to building best-in-class solutions to serve three primary hospitality tech capabilities: Digital Document Management, Budgeting and Forecasting, and Business Intelligence.

MDO’s Digital Document Management solution allows hoteliers to implement a paperless night audit process that automates file sharing and reporting workflows, thereby optimizing operations and compliance assurance. The MDO Budgeting and Forecasting tool allows hoteliers to accurately predict demand and financial performance across departments and to make operational and strategic decisions that optimize associated outcomes. And MDO’s newly architected Business Intelligence platform, which now offers wider integration support and deeper data sets, can be tailored for any size company.

“Accessing and analyzing data is critical to running any successful business today, and our goal at MDO is to ensure hotel owners, operators, and asset managers have the information they need to make informed decisions,” said Stone-Johnson, Chief Product Officer. “We focus resources and work at MDO to ensure our customers have the right data, in the right form, at the right time, and in a secure and scalable manner - enabling daily decision making that drives optimal business results for our customers.”

Shiji, a global hospitality technology innovator, has partnered with IPORT, an award-winning manufacturer known for enhancing the usability of iPads and iPhones, to introduce an all-in-one software solution for hotel restaurants. This collaboration will provide hoteliers with a seamless combination of a tablet and payment device to maximize their F&B operations.

The integrated iOS and payment device solution simplifies guest service for hotel restaurant servers, providing them with an effortless tool to cater to their guests' needs. As a certified Apple partner, Shiji and IPORT guarantee exceptional performance and reliability. Hoteliers can choose from multiple device options, including iPad Pro, iPad Mini, and iPhone, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with their operations.

“IPORT products are built around modularity and flexibility that empower our hospitality customers to do more with the iOS platform. We are thrilled to partner with a leading iPad and iPhone cloud PMS and POS platform provider like Shiji,” said Chris Lawson, Head of Partnerships, IPORT. “We look forward to innovating with Shiji in disrupting legacy, monolithic providers who have limited the industry from harnessing the power of iOS and mobility. The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless with IPORT, iOS, and Shiji.”

"The partnership with IPORT is a significant milestone for Shiji in our commitment to provide innovative technology solutions for the hospitality industry," said Ryan King, Senior Vice President of Shiji in the Americas. "By combining our expertise with IPORT’s hardware solutions, we empower hoteliers to streamline restaurant operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences. This collaboration represents another step forward in our dedication to driving success in the Americas, and globally."

The tablet and payment device solution seamlessly integrates with multiple payment gateways, allowing hoteliers to choose the system that best suits their needs. By simplifying the payment process, it reduces operational complexities, minimizes errors, and saves valuable time and resources for hoteliers.

Steak n Shake will offer PopID Check In and PopPay on its self-ordering kiosks in select locations in the Orlando market, with plans to expand to more than 300 corporate locations. PopID Check In is an opt-in service that enables consumers to scan their face to automatically sign into their loyalty reward account and see their past orders, making the ordering process as convenient as possible. When a guest checks in with PopID, they also have the option to use PopPay to automatically complete their payment.

• 57% of respondents say enabling new payment options is a  top business driver impacting POS upgrade decisions, according to HT’s2 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

“Our partnership with PopID is a key part of our effort to provide guests with a fast and seamless ordering experience," said Keith Correia, Chief Information Officer. "When using PopID Check In, a guest does not need to use their phone or take out their wallet as part of the ordering process. They will automatically be checked in for loyalty rewards, and they can choose to make an automated payment with PopPay. A guest can even see their past orders and quickly reorder their favorite menu items. Ordering at Steak n Shake has never been easier or more convenient.”

In addition to enhancing the guest experience and improving order throughput, PopPay helps to reduce fraud and offers lower payment processing fees.

On The Fly POS, a provider of  point-of-sale solutions, releases its one-click migration tool for Clover. This tool empowers businesses to seamlessly transfer their entire inventory, pricing information, SKU numbers, and menu modifiers from Clover to the On The Fly POS system with a single click.

• 71% say the ability to integrate with other systems is driving their POS purchase decisions, according to HT’s2 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

 

Inventory migration has traditionally been a complex and time-consuming task for businesses when transitioning to a new point-of-sale system. Recognizing this pain point, On The Fly POS has developed a solution that simplifies the process like never before. With the new one-click migration tool, businesses can now effortlessly transfer their inventory and menu modifiers from Clover to On The Fly POS within a matter of seconds while assuring accuracy and data integrity.

The one-click migration tool is now available to all On The Fly POS customers, enabling them to unlock the full potential of the On The Fly POS system and enhance their business operations. 

For more information about On The Fly POS,  visit www.ontheflypos.com.

Paytronix announced that industry veteran and current Paytronix Board member Jeff Hindman has been appointed company Chief Executive Officer, and that founder and current CEO Andrew Robbins will assume the new role of Executive Chairman. These moves will help position Paytronix to accelerate its growth and expand the footprint of its digital guest engagement platform to help customers around the world excel as the industry evolves.

Hindman’s appointment is part of the company’s long-term vision to position Paytronix for the future. Over the past few years, the company has continued to add senior talent, including Chief Customer Officer Andrea Mulligan, Chief Revenue Officer Charles Gray, and Chief Marketing Officer Pamela Robertson. 

• Paytronix Partners with Voicify to Bring Voice-Based Ordering to Restaurants

Hindman joined the Paytronix Board of Directors in 2022. He is an expert in go-to-market strategy and has led such efforts at several companies, including at NCR, where he headed the hosted solutions team. In his role as Chief Revenue Officer at Snap One, Hindman was a vital part of the team that led the company to a successful initial public offering. He also has deep expertise guiding technology companies in building channel partnerships that open new markets.

In his role as executive chairman, Robbins will continue to play an important role in the future of the company, as he will be intensely involved with the Paytronix executive team. He’ll remain active within the organization, focusing his vast experience on strategic initiatives, customer and partner relationships, and product strategy.

Duetto, the hospitality industry’s #1 Revenue Management Software (RMS), has released its latest look at the global hotel market, reporting positive signals in all metrics through to year-end.

Globally, Duetto data shows that room nights for this year are up 14%, ADR is up 9%, and rooms revenue is up 19% versus STLY.

For North America, all segments are enjoying a 6% uptick in room nights for 2023, a 3% gain on ADR, and an 11% lift in room revenue for this year compared with 2022 figures.

Focusing on Q4 2023, Duetto data shows a promising year-end for hoteliers.

Globally, room nights for Q4 2023 are up 20%, ADR is up 14%, and room revenue is up 23% versus STLY. For North American properties, Q4 2023 is trending up 6% on room nights, up 5% on ADR, and up 17% on room revenue versus STLY.

“These figures show us that business levels continue to normalize, as booking patterns and demand levels fall back in line with, or in some cases exceed, 2019 figures. This continued growth is a testament to the resilience of the global hotel industry, which has consistently looked for new opportunities and better ways to do business in recent years,” said Chris Crowley, Chief Revenue Officer, Duetto.

Business Returns for Convention Center Hotels

Convention Center hotels are seeing huge gains over STLY. Duetto data for Q4 2023 shows a 240% increase in room nights and a 283% growth in room revenue for properties in North America.

In North America, the Extended Stay model is also performing well, with Q4 2023 showing a 19% increase in room nights booked and an 8% increase in ADR, compared to the same time last year (STLY).

Full Service hotels in North America are showing a 14% increase in room nights for Q4 and a 3% increase in ADR versus STLY.