If you want to work in travel and tourism, hospitality management training is a great place to start. Hospitality managers enjoy the vibrant and fast-paced lifestyle of the tourism industry from supervisory positions in hotels, resorts, cruise lines, and more.
Working as a manager at any one of these hospitality workplaces involves overseeing not only the flow of guests in and out of lodging spaces but the movement of supplies throughout the hospitality supply chain. In a top hospitality management program like the one offered at Academy of Learning Career College (AOLCC), you can develop the skills you need to manage all physical aspects of a hotel, including hospitality supplies.
These four supply-purchasing tips can help you throughout your hospitality management career.
1. Prioritize Positive Relationships with Product Suppliers in the Hospitality Industry
Hospitality managers are often responsible for ordering essential housekeeping supplies like sheets, towels, baggage dollies, and cleaning products. They can also work in foodservice operations, managing restaurant supplies, and the purchasing of food products and ingredients.
The hospitality manager is often the point of contact suppliers interact with when writing orders, scheduling supply drop-offs, and more. A friendly, professional attitude and willingness to engage with everyone from delivery people to supply company owners is a great way to build strong, trusting manager/supplier relationships and keep your future hospitality property well-supplied in the long term.
2. Know to Negotiate Whenever Possible
It’s no surprise that one way to make effective and responsible supply purchases is to look for the best products at the lowest prices! Suppliers of everything from food to phones in the hotel and tourism industry expect hospitality managers to try to negotiate the best possible rates.
Equipping hotels with products often involves large wholesale purchases, and hotels of different sizes can access different discounts. If you’re a bargain hunter with an eye for a great deal, negotiating good deals on large orders can help you keep costs low throughout your hospitality management career.
Modern hospitality software and computer systems help hospitality managers work effectively
3. Maintain Open Communication With Staff Regarding Supply Purchasing
At AOLCC, students learn that strong communication skills lead to a well-managed, efficient hospitality team. The leadership and communication skills they learn to apply closely to many aspects of supply purchasing.
When you graduate from hospitality management, it will be your job to communicate your hotel’s purchasing policies to the staff members you supervise, and to ensure that they are being followed.
The best way to do this is also the simplest; talk to your future co-workers! Ensure they are informed, motivated, and respectful of the business’ financial goals. This helps staff understand what is needed of them (like maintaining clean stockrooms or processing a supply purchase transaction) and what they should avoid (such as wasting supplies and products or making purchases without permission).
4. Master of State-of-the-Art Technology
Another important part of supply management and purchasing is maintaining an inventory and performing important hotel accounting responsibilities. With hospitality management training, you can learn to use state-of-the-art hospitality management technology.
AOLCC has courses dedicated to hotel computer systems. With the help of top industry software, maintaining records of purchases is both easy and effective.
Visit Academy of Learning Career College to learn more about getting started!
