TECHNOLOGY
HO
THE
OB
NEXT
WHY HOTELS ARE HIRING DATA SCIENTISTS .
Contributed by JULIANA SHALLCROSS
WANTED :
Savvy data cruncher to analyze copious amounts of information related to guest behavior , sales opportunities and revenue results . Previous hospitality experience not necessary .
Hotels no longer wonder if they should be collecting various points of data regarding rates , occupancy , revenue and guest behavior . Nor do they wonder about what to do with all this data , which is to put it through intense analysis and then create solutions to the problems or opportunities the data reveals .
But what they do need to consider is this : Who is most qualified to comb through all that data ? Is it the revenue manager with 20 years ’ experience — or the kid fresh out of college with a minor in data science ?
Nancy Pyron , a hospitality consultant with a focus on business analytics , says it ’ s a little bit of both .
“ There are a range of skills required in the fields of data science that include not just the ability to understand how to analyze the data , but the ability to understand the business logic surrounding the data being analyzed ,” explains Pyron , former senior director of operations research and revenue management at Marriott International .
Pyron cites an internship program at both Starwood and Marriott in which candidates were recruited from universities to handle analytical tasks . But sometimes the results
December 2018 hotelsmag . com 51