Chìa Khóa Tương Lai Golf - The Cloud and Golf Management

from Vietnam Golf Magazine

www.vietnamgolfmagazine.net

April 2013

Là một trong những trào lưu công nghệ “nóng“ nhất trong những năm gần đây, điện toán đám mây

Vietnam Golf Magazine
April 2013

đã có những bước tiến đáng kế tác động lớn đến  hoạt động kinh doanh. CNTT và golf cũng
không ngoại lệ.

Trước đây, việc áp dụng công nghệ tại các CLB golf truyền thống đều cần những yêu cầu dấu tư cơ bản về phần cứng, phần mềm, cơ sở dữ liệu, hỗ trợ thi công, đào tạo và nhân viên IT.  Đối với một khu nghỉ dưỡng, việc đầu tư ban đầu cho công nghệ golf có thể từ 35 – 70 nghìn đô la Mỹ hoặc hơn thế cho những phần mềm như hệ thống đặt chổ chơi golf, thể hội viễn, thủ tục tiếp nhận, POS, số liệu thống kê kết hợp với giải pháp quản lý khách sạn.

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Setting one of the hottest technology trends in recent years, cloud computing has made significant strides into every line of business, having a significant impact on IT investment and how we access corporate and personal data.

In the past, traditional golf club technology implementations have typically required a significant investment in hardware, software, databases, implementation assistance, training and additional IT staff.  For a resort, the up-front investment in golf technology could range from US$35,000 to US$ 75,000 or more.  This would provide a resort with a Golf Booking System, Membership, Reception, POS, Inventory, and integration to a hotel management solution.

For multi-property, multi-national groups, this significant capital outlay would be required at each golf site whether it be in Dubai, Danang, Melbourne, etc.  The cumulative effect would be a rather hefty and prohibitive investment for any multi-property group. 

In recent years however, cloud computing has been making its way into most global industries including golf.  In simple terms, cloud computing  offers a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a service provider and are available to end-users over a network, typically the Internet.  Since a cloud-based model provides a hosted solution, the up-front investment is minimal. 

The only required investments would be internet-capable workstations and a small initial down-payment.  Gone is the need to invest in a Server, software, DB engine, backup facilities, etc.    As many cloud-based models charge based on transactions fees, it’s a pay-as-you-go investment.  Slow periods will result in small IT payments, while busier times will require a higher payment.  Based on a small transactions fee, investment matches ability to pay.

Some of the benefits of implementing a Cloud-based solution:

No Investment in a server. A significant savings alone. The club’s data resides securely on a remote server accessible through the internet. 

Functioning as a single entity.  In traditional client-server implementations, each site is setup to run on their own, without much integration with other corporate clubs.  Data consolidation and performance comparisons often require extensive data collection from each club.   Operating on the cloud however, allows multi-site groups to function as one entity rather than disconnected organizations.

Web-based, accessible from anywhere at any time.  Golf Managers are rarely found at their office computer.   Rather, they’re out on the course, at the golf academy or at a golf or travel conference.  For the active manager, it would be ideal for them to access the club’s statistics from their mobile phone or tablet computer, wherever they may be.

Communicating with staff.  Golf resorts rely on having professional staff who are informed and on-time to assist guests.  These can range from caddies to clubhouse staff to F&B staff.   Giving staff remote access to their daily & weekly schedule allow them to be better prepared to fulfil their responsibilities.

Designed to add a new site within minutes.  There’s no more need to receive and implement a full system from a remote solutions provider.  A capable cloud-based provider allows a management group to sign-in and get a new location ready to go in a matter of minutes.

No hardware compatibility issues.  A common consideration when a golf club reviews software options is how a new solution will impact currently installed hardware.  On several occasions, I have seen a resort with a corporate directive for MS-Windows compatible hardware throughout.   However, a manager or associate may have a preference to use an iPad, MacBook or another non-Windows device.  Through a cloud-model, hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.  Most hardware with internet capability will be compatible, whether it be Windows, Linix, Apple Mac, iPhone, Blackberry, etc.

Free software updates.  No longer a need to take delivery of patches and updates.  All software fixes and upgrades are uploaded to the remote server. Traditional upgrade methods had typically become a major endeavor, as groups had needed to coordinate upgrades on multiple sites around the world.  With the cloud, all updates are immediately accessible by each and every site with minimal effort.

Reduced cost of support.  With cloud-based solutions, the cost of support is typically built into the transactions fee.  For those paying an annual support fee, the cost is lower than with a traditional client-server system due to the ease of software upgrade.

Free trial. As there’s no need to invest in hardware or databases, some cloud-based systems allow a trial period to ensure the technology is a good fit for the resort.

Additional IT staff will likely not be required.  It may even be possible that the number of technology staff can be reduced.   This would be due to several reasons:  a) no need to have staff run to all the workstations to update the client software, b) reduced reliance on an expensive server, and c) more extensive hardware compatibility.

No long-term commitment. Since a traditional software purchase is often a significant investment, most sites would be committed to it long-term regardless of the benefit achieved. With a cloud-based solution, there are no long-term commitments, allowing easy termination should the need arise.

I have been working with cloud-based CRM systems for quite a long time.  At first I hesitated to put my contact database and documents on a remote site, preferring to maintain it on my notebook computer.   I am now into my sixth year using a web-based CRM system. My use of the cloud has outlasted several notebook computers. I’ve been able to access my data from mobile phones, various internet cafes, restaurants, clubs, etc. I’ve also accessed my cloud-based documents from airport lounges around the world. 

The cloud has become a low-cost business tool providing global access to vital business data.  Cloud-based computing has recently been making it’s way into golf management.