1: The way that data is obtained from the cloud is different…
- As this is a “Cloud based” system, the PMS controls the information that is communicated to all 3rd party vendors, so it is not stored on your server anymore.
- As this is no longer on your physical server, our API (Application programming interface = data feed) for Property Plus (which supplies us with your data) is not compatible with their “Cloud Storage”.
- This is what has allowed us to grab any part of PP (Property Plus) to use in LSI Tools and why the information that we can use from a cloud system will be different.
2: What this means to you….
- We can only use the data that is provided on the enabled access points from their cloud which may include an API– or Application Programming interface. It contains a lot of data, but it is not complete and unfettered access to your data.
- Part of the cloud access will likely require a unique permission setting for your 3rd party vendors.
- You will want to confirm that the correct vendors are set up to access data and make sure to review how to enable to set this correctly with the API administrator so that you are able to do so going forward, unless they require it to be set by their system support.
3: How this will affect your LSI Tools…
- Your new PMS data will be loaded as a new LSI Tools Account. The data is set up as a new data feed similar to a new account including unique security and unique coding.
- As a result, you will have two (2) LSI Tools companies, one for the PP data and one for your new data. This will allow you to have access to both past and future information. Depending on the tools you are using, this can be set to display certain information for up to one year.
- This will apply to LSI Tools as well as all Owner, Vendor and Guest facing tools (i.e. Guest Web, Owner Web, Vendor Web).
- Our estimate for a conversion ranges depending on the tools you have and the API we are able to access for the PMS, for example, we currently have a number of clients set up across all tools for V12, have begin setting ResMail Pro and Guest Web for a couple of clients on Streamline but have not completed a conversion with Barefoot as of yet.
- There may be a period of “down time” as we will need to have access to the data feed to be able to test and fully launch all tools from your “go live” date. Again, this will vary depending on the tools and our current level of compatibility with the PMS API.
- We will make every attempt to limit this as much as possible, but we will need to systematically test all of your tools thoroughly before launching.
- As stated earlier, this is a new data feed, and as such, we want to ensure that everything is working properly.
4: How this will affect your billing…
- Any 3rd Party Vendor, such as LSI, that currently accesses your PP system may be required to pay a monthly fee to access your data through a cloud based API (Application Programming Interface).
- This will likely be passed along to you, depending on the PMS and their policies. Typically, this is a flat monthly fee is applied only once per property for all tools, not per tool, but that is dependent upon their policy.
- Please note, this fee is usually applicable from the time that data is enabled for LSI Tools to access, not necessarily from the date of launch.
5: Other Notable Information …
- Special characters used in fields should be kept to a minimum in most cases, especially in Property ID names. Using these characters can cause things to get “wonky” and result in a myriad of issues.
- Try to keep Property IDs consistent during the conversion, as this will help to streamline the transfer of information.
- You will need to a good list of priority items and tools to launch as it tends to be a focused process that usually launches once the website, guest, and owner portions being the first in line.
- You will want to look and consider how changes to primary data fields are set in other PMS systems like Book Types and Owner Identifiers. Identifying these points early on can save a lot of frustration when customizing your set up.
- Any change to your internal business practices which deviate from standard practices may result in custom programming by LSI. Examples include: changing Security Deposit amounts or applications, adjusting for limited book types with new goods codes, or payment schedule changes. Please make us aware of any of these changes as soon as they are approved internally so that we can make any adjustments to those tools that may be affected.
At LSI, we are committed to being your partner through this transition should you choose to switch; whether that be providing valuable tidbits we have learned so far from other conversions, to researching options that might work best for you and your company.