Libra OnDemand Summer'10 Release Adds Major Enhancements

We are pleased to announce the release of the Summer’10 version of Libra OnDemand, which is a major release that incorporates several significant enhancements on both the back-end and the application levels.

Back-End Enhancements

Optimized Data Model

The data model for the application has been optimized to provide better support for the functional enhancements that have taken place since the product launch in March 2009. We have removed deprecated data components, standardized the structure of guest preferences, improved the model for storing statistical data, introduced new objects for storing availability and rate information, introduced dynamic components on reservations and built support for group blocks and multi-rate records. This new optimized data model provides a solid foundation for future growth of the product.

- Removed deprecated objects and fields
- Removed non-essential Tabs and Report Types
- Removed LOD Settings object, replaced with Salesforce Custom Settings functionality
- Combined Reservation preferences, notes and specials into a single object
- Combined Contact preferences, notes and specials into a single object
- Enhanced standard Activities object to support Flags on Reservations
- Synchronization of Flags and Preferences between Reservations and Guest Profiles (Contacts)
- Converted multiple field types on Reservations from Text to Lookup and Picklist
- Added Group Blocks, Room Types, Rate Codes, Room Rates and Negotiated Rates objects to support new functionality
- Replaced Revstat Rooms object with Stat Roomtypes to support storing of availability data
- Replaced Revstat Accounts object with Stat Reservations to support storing of both daily reservations statistics and planned daily rate and roomtype changes
- New Queue object for receiving and updating statistical and availability information
- New MatchQueue object for receiving new and updated reservation profiles data
- Matching logic is now stored in unmanaged state to allow customer-specific customizations

Optimized Matching Engine

The matching engine is a core component of the application that provides the ability to match incoming reservations with existing guest profiles and other reservations that already exist in the system. A number of significant enhancements have been introduced in the new release, with the focus on flexibility and ease of customization of matching rules based on specific requirements of each implementation.

- Matching is now done between incoming and existing guest profiles, incoming reservations and existing profiles, and incoming and existing reservations
- Ability to create custom matching formulas for each of the three matching groups
- Ability to configure custom matching rules by Site
- Ability to store reservations without profiles if match not found (default behavior, will greatly minimize data storage requirement for guest who stay only one time)
- Option to create profiles only after on checkout
- Option to always use PMS profile without matching

Informatica API Integration

Libra OnDemand has partnered with Informatica to use Informatica Platform and Informatica Cloud services as the foundation for third party system integrations. Current release ships with a web services connector between Informatica Cloud and Libra OnDemand, utilizing standard Libra OnDemand web services APIs (Reservations WSS and Stat WS).

Application Enhancements

Guest Room Availability Management

To support the use of Libra OnDemand as a Group Sales Management application, we have enhanced the product with the ability to manage guest rooms inventory and are allowing for both interfaced (with the PMS) and non-interfaced usage scenarios. In an interfaced environment, rooms inventory will be uploaded from the PMS, and availability will be calculated based on received group blocks and reservations. If there is no PMS interface, then a user is able to manually specify rooms inventory and transient allocations.

- Guest room Inventory and Availability by property by room type
- Transient Allocations (to support non-interfaced customers)
- Automatic computation of availability based on Reservations and Group Block data
- A new visualforce screen to display availability by Property, by Date and by Room Type
- Two-way Room Type and Rate Code synchronization with PMS

Reservations Enhancements

Reservations object has been enhanced to allow modification and creation of new reservations natively in Libra OnDemand, with back-end support for dynamic API calls to PMS and CRS applications.

- Last Name is now used as the primary record name field
- Support for daily room and rate changes during stay
- Lookups on room types and room rates
- Picklist fields for configurable parameters

Group Blocks and Group Rates Management Enhancements

To provide full end-to-end group sales functionality, we have added the ability to define  Group Blocks and Group Rates, including the ability to manage Agreed, Blocked and Picked Up values. The new Rates Management functionality allows to set up Rate plans with default and group-specific values, including the support for shoulder rates and comp room allocations.

- Group Name is now used as the primary record name field
- Group Blocks by date and by room type
- Agreed, Blocked and Picked Up values by room type, by date
- Rate Codes and Room Rates with occupancy-based property-specific default rate amounts
- Group Rates with group-specific rate amounts
- Complimentary rooms by group
- Shoulder rates (rates for guest stays before and after the group block)
- A new visualforce page to manage group blocks
- A new visualforce page to manage group rates
- Optional integration with standard SFDC CRM Opportunities object
- Lookup relationship to Events object to allow multiple groups under one Event

Guest Services Enhancements

The new release consolidates all previously released features on guest services management that have until now been customer-specific and existed outside of the main package. We have streamlined the process of managing guest preferences, notes, amenities and flags and implemented synchronization of these items between guest profiles and reservations.

- Guest Preferences and Contact Preferences objects now combine all types of guest-related information, such as notes, preferences, specials and amenities
- Automatic lookup of Specials if matching categories found
- Synchronization of Preferences between guest profiles and guest reservations
- Guest Flags as a Task type
- Recurring Flags (between stays and between days of stay)
- Two-way Specials synchronization with PMS (configurable)

Analytics Enhancements

The changes made to the data model of the application allow us to introduce enhanced reporting capabilities, that cover not only past performance, but also allow forecasting on occupancy, revenues and group performance (based on reservations on the books data). The optimized data structure makes reporting more straight-forward and easier to use. Removal of managed report type components allows a user to create a greater number of custom report types.

- Ability to forecast occupancy and revenues
- Ability to create custom report types
- Ability to drill down into reservation level from statistical reports
- New Stay Analytics dashboard
- New Top Producers dashboard

Release Availability and Upgrades

The Summer’10 release is available now for all new customers, through the Trial subscription at www.libraondemand.com.

Existing customers on previous release levels will be upgraded by Libra OnDemand Customer Support. There is no cost for performing this upgrade and there will be minimal downtime that will be coordinated with each customer. To schedule your upgrade, please log a case through your Libra OnDemand Support Portal or contact your account executive.