Catching up to the computerised future

With the birth of the new century and the new era in front of us, I encourage all around not to dwell on the past but to move forward and plan ahead.

So, it is with reflection over both the past 12 months and the next 12 months that I must prepare my report to my partners. This must demonstrate our ability to meet our aims and ideals as well as review changes that must be made.

I am tempted to recall marketing successes which saw us grow yet again last year. Many of the positive points come from good fortune, but some can be attributed to calculated judgement.

Two years ago we transferred some of our marketing budget from Europe to our North American campaign. This, with the low-key assistance of Pride of Britain, and the link to the travel trade through travel consultant API, has helped us reap the rewards and soften the blow of the strong pound in European markets.

Once again, the start of the year will be hectic with the training of new staff and alterations in procedures in order to try to stay ahead of our competitors. Combined with this is my insistence that we continue to market ourselves strongly overseas.

In other changes, we have decided to computerise not only our accounts but also partially our front office.

We feel that we can obtain value for money not only from software suppliers but also from the information we can deduce from such systems.

Having sat through various presentations by suppliers, I have now cast my vote as to the most suitable system. Rowena, my assistant, has passed her opinion on the simplest for training purposes, so now the proof of the pudding will be in producing the information we want with the minimum of irritation.

Certainly, I do not envy the installers when they come next week. We have our questions, queries and worries stored up. Our bookkeeper will continue to question the number of rainforests destroyed to create the reports, and my parents will ask for exactly the same information as before, while I will be satisfied with a smooth transition initially and a quiet life, before I begin to generate the real improvements it promises.

BEPPO BUCHANAN-SMITH is director of the Isle of Eriska, a privately owned hotel on the west coast of Scotland

Next diary from Beppo Buchanan-Smith: 9 March