IDeaS Innovation, Technology & Agility

Tell us about a recent product your team launched. How does it drive IDeaS’ mission forward?

Our flagship product, the IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System, is a testament to our deep understanding of the unique business challenges faced by hotel and accommodation companies. Serving over 30,000 properties, our clients range from small, independently owned hotels to large chains, resorts and outdoor accommodations. IDeaS G3 RMS is widely used across these segments to provide reliable forecasts and scientifically determined pricing, distribution and inventory management decisions. These features are designed to maximize revenue based on a hotel’s available demand. 

With the post-pandemic resurgence of business and leisure travel and a steady rate of mergers and acquisitions, our product team recognized the need for an add-on solution, Portfolio Navigator, that enables multiproperty revenue leaders to manage their portfolios efficiently at scale.

To address this growing need for revenue management at scale, our early solution requirements focused on critical client needs. For instance, the system provides users with notifications of unforeseen risks and opportunities within their portfolio and offers recommended actions to help clients protect and grow their revenue.
 

What obstacles and challenges did your team encounter — and overcome — while launching Portfolio Navigator?

Like with any software tool, developing Portfolio Navigator presented several challenges, but our team tackled them head-on. Early involvement of our product marketing team was crucial in shaping the value proposition and positioning of the solution. This collaboration helped us identify the ideal client profile, package and price for the solution to reflect its usability and value and devise effective go-to-market strategies. 

To achieve this, we fostered a close collaboration between internal product management and product marketing teams while incorporating valuable input from clients and sales teams. This continuous dialogue was essential to avoid developing the product in isolation, ensuring we fully understood its scope and market potential and, most importantly, addressed an unmet need in the market. 

As product development progressed, our product marketing team further refined the go-to-market plan. This included the naming of Portfolio Navigator, creating engaging content and enabling our sales teams to effectively communicate the product’s benefits. Through teamwork and clear communication, we overcame obstacles and delivered a product that meets our clients’ needs.
 

How have product launches such as this one changed the way your team operates?

By experiencing regular product or enhancement launches, we know the benefit of working closely together with product management to ensure all aspects are covered and nothing is left to chance. With each new launch, we devise improvements to the collaboration and go-to-market processes based on what we’ve learned in previous launches. This enables our teams to be nimble and ready to meet any change in course that may arise.