1. What value can the Carnus Forecaster provide to my property?

The key to maximizing profit and retaining loyal customers is to have
accurate forecasts.  If having an accurate forecast is important for your
organization, we can help.

 

2.  Is the Carnus Forecaster a Revenue Management System (RMS)?

No. Carnus Systems technologies are designed to forecast covers and staffing within F&B departments, forecast rooms variables such as expected occupany, laundry poundage/tonnage, and housekeeping staff, and generate completed on-the-fly weekly staff schedules.  These capabilities are not within the purview of Revenue Management Systems, but are crucial to operations.  Our technologies serve as both a stand-alone solution and a powerful addition to any PMS or RMS system already present at the property.

 

3.  Why does Carnus Systems' software use Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Hotels, restaurants, and casinos represent some of the most challenging outlets to forecast.  Hospitality demand is governed by customer behavior, a factor that is influenced by hundreds of variables and their complex interactions.  Accurate forecasts can only be achieved with the use of a non-linear forecasting methodology that can trace these underlying variable interactions.  Artificial Intelligence is the tool best suited for this task.

 

4.  Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) used in other industries?

Yes. Artificial Intelligence forecasting methodologies are used in a plethora of industries that experience non-linear trends, everything from stock market prediction to prostate cancer diagnosis.  Using rigorous statistical analyses, it can be shown that hotel-relevant variables are generally non-linear in nature.  Therefore, regression, moving averages, and capture ratios are all inappropriate techniques to use within the hospitality industry since they all have a linearity assumption that fails.  Since AI is a non-parametric, non-linear technique, it outperforms other methodologies that are in current use throughout the industry.

 

5. What makes the Carnus ADR Forecaster inexpensive compared to other RMS systems?

•  Internet-based software (ASP), no installation is required.

•  No cost for upgrading other systems to make it compatible.

•  Features are simple and straightforward. There is no unnecessary clutter programmed into our interfaces.

•  Low marketing and sales costs on our end.

 

6.  Can you provide forecasts for each meal period as well as for the next 10-days and 90-days?

Yes.  We can customize the Carnus Forecaster to suit your outlet's particular forecasting needs.

 

7.  Our restaurant and room service department observes radical daily fluctuations in covers. Would Carnus Forecaster be effective?

Yes.  The Carnus Forecaster is designed specifically for outlets that observe radical fluctuations in patrons or usage.

 

8.  Will your software perform better than a human forecast?

Almost always- we guarantee it!  To date, our forecasting technologies have exceeded human forecasts with all of our clients while dramatically cutting scheduling time from many hours down to mere minutes.  Our technologies are designed to detect the interactions between hundreds of variables that influence the human behavior governing hospitality demand.  It would take a human years to perform the same complex calculations that our system performs in a matter of seconds.

 

9.  Our hotel staffing is currently lean. Would the Carnus Forecaster still be helpful for our hotel?

Yes.  Better forecasts of demand and labor yields saved labor cost and more consistent service quality.  Furthermore, if demand at a site were to suddenly increase following renovations or surrounding changes, the forecasting architecture will be in place to ensure high quality service when business picks up.

 


10.  How does Artificial intelligence know if there is a special day such as mother’s day or valentine day?

Artificial Intelligence learns from history, just like a human.  However, it is better suited to scrutinize the underlying interactions that effect hospitality demand.

 

11.  How long does it take to implement Carnus Forecaster?

It generally takes approximately two weeks from data aquisition to implement the Carnus Forecaster at a new site.

 

12.  How much data is required to implement the Carnus Forecaster?

More data yields better results. While 2-3 years of data is optimal, strong forecasts can be made with 6 months of data.

 

13.  What if our site has little or no data?

No problem!  By implementing the Carnus Forecaster now, the built-in Carnus Data Depository will begin collecting pertinent information from your hotel.  All new data will be analyzed, studied, and stored by the system on the spot.  Access to this recorded data will be available instantly, and accurate forecasts will be produced in a matter of months.

 

14.  Does Carnus Systems use data and analysis from one property to benefit another property?

No.  Data confidentiality is a committment that we take very seriously at Carnus Systems.  We will never share any information between clients, and analysis from one property will never be used to benefit another.  Each property is completely unique with a different set of pertinent variables and non-linear interactions.  Therefore, in addition to confidentiality protection, analysis cannot be successfully applied to varying properties.  We custom-tailor each software package and corresponding artificial intelligence engine to the specific hotel to which it is being implemented.



15. We have a lot of small hotels (< 100 rooms) that do not have a lot
of labor cost.  How can Carnus Systems benefit these hotels?
 
Multi-property owner groups and management chains often lack visibility
into demand and costs.  However, we can fulfill the needs of this
multi-property environment by allowing hoteliers to view data and maintain better control across multiple properties in a clear, accurate, and timely manner.



16. How long does it take to train employees how to use Carnus Systems' software?

Only 10 minutes.  We can provide a simple tutorial session that will get your property going almost immediately after implementation.  All Carnus technologies are straight-forward and easy to learn.



17. Is there any way to know how accurate the system will be for our property prior to making a purchase decision?

Yes!  Using our unique artificial intelligence engine, Carnus Systems offers clients an estimate of the system's accuracy for their property of interest.