Galgorm Collection - Innovation Case Study
Faced with a combination of expanding business, high volume of bookings, recruitment challenges, and reservations systems without integration, Galgorm Collection sought out a way to minimise team overwhelm and diminished service.
Embedding Innovation
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has been introduced within the reservations department of Galgorm Collection with a focus on process improvement for the team and enhanced experience for their daily operations.
RPA is the implementation of a software robot that mimics human interactions while interfacing with digital systems. In effect running through each keystroke as a reservations agent when they carry out tasks. They automate repetitive manual processes, are faster, consistent and need no breaks providing more time for focused and strategic work by the employee.
Impact of Innovation
This solution means that tedious manual tasks can be completed on behalf of employees leaving them less under pressure with workload as well as allowing them to do more of the jobs they prefer which in turn increases job satisfaction and supports employee retention.
The value to the customer is the availability of an in-person interaction when needed via a phone call or email as the reservationist is more available. The bot also leaves no room for error in the information transfer. This generates a level of increased customer satisfaction overall.
Since its introduction the bot is successfully processing over 90% of restaurant reservations from our online booking engine for Galgorm Resort.
Supportive Ecosystem
We were fortunate to be able to avail of mentoring support on this project under the Digital Pillar of the Tourism NI Kick-Start Programme. The Innovate NI Innovation Framework served as our roadmap, guiding us through our innovation journey and enabling us to successfully attain Gold Level Innovator status.
Continuing the Innovation Journey
We have since invested in a more complex automation for spa reservations which is in the finalisation stages. We are also shortly hoping to replicate both processes for our properties The Old Inn and The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat.