Episode 24: What does Data Unification really mean in Hospitality? w/ Kyle McCaig

Welcome to the latest episode of Hospitable! In this engaging discussion, we dive into the world of data unification in the hospitality industry with our special guest, Kyle McCaig, Director of Technology for MCR, one of the leading property management companies in the United States.

Join us as Kyle shares insights on the challenges and strategies of data management in the hospitality sector. From understanding the importance of data to implementing automation and AI tools, Kyle's expertise offers valuable perspectives on how data can drive decision-making and improve hotel operations.
Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of data storytelling and the evolving landscape of technology in hospitality. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation filled with valuable insights and practical advice for navigating the complexities of data management in the digital age.

Podcast Timestamps:
[00:00:10] Data unification in hospitality.
[00:05:30] Legacy systems challenges.
[00:08:51] Data unification in hotel operations.
[00:11:46] Snackable content.
[00:15:30] Leveraging data for impactful decisions.
[00:19:32] The importance of data insights.
[00:24:28] Accounting system challenges and solutions.
[00:26:56] Data unification platform.
[00:29:42] Automation for process efficiency.
[00:36:40] Automation in the workplace.
[00:38:57] Identity management in hospitality.
[00:42:39] Big players in hospitality industry.
[00:46:37] Kyle's availability for networking.

Quotes:
00:01:49 - "We have 180 hotels and we want our data to be unified, go."
00:03:36-00:03:48 - "A lot of the times it's like, hey, here's the problem. It's well-defined. Go and solve it. There may be no solution and that might take a long time. This was a case of nobody even knows what the problem is other than that there's a problem."
00:06:11-00:06:21 "they're not ever built in a way where that was a core tenant."
00:09:25-00:09:36 - "it's really, uh, exciting, but also like, okay, how do we, how do we, how do we process all that?"
00:13:37-00:13:47 - "People talk about it all the time, but what they actually mean is just backing up what they already decided with any data they can find to support it."
00:15:15-00:15:25 "Data can tell a story and you can leverage data in multiple ways to tell the story you want it to."
00:20:28-00:20:39 - "Everyone's like, data, data, data. And it's the one tool to roll them on. It's like, well, the one tool to roll them all at the end of the day comes down to your accounting system and making sure your books are in order."
00:24:08 - "And what it really came down to is the biggest, well, how the fuck do we fix that, was our accounting system wasn't up to what we needed it to be."
00:27:31-00:27:42 - "How do we solve that problem? Where are we not profitable? Why? And then once we figure that out, it's okay. What can we, what kind of data can we give them to, Hey, this is our path to profitability."
00:30:38 - "changing process or implementing process for process sake changes nothing."
00:32:33-00:32:43 - "it's supposed to set you up where you could have scalable, repeatable processes to make things more efficient and better and better experiences."
00:35:00 - "A lot of people hear automation in the same way they hear AI or robotic or whatever buzzword or tech word is used and think all they're trying to do is save money and replace jobs."
00:37:47-00:37:57 - "Life is a series of problems, complex problems that we have to solve."
00:41:26-00:41:37 - "I like how you say modernization, right? And with the modernization comes data integrity."
00:43:46-00:43:57 I do not think airlines could have done a worse job than they have over the past 20 years. No
00:46:30 - 00:46:40 "And it's really cool that you have put so much time, energy, and effort to create that base layer with your small team."