Metropolitan Hotels International manages growth with Microsoft Business Solutions Navision

The Navision deployment, which will be carried out by Microsoft partner Algosaibi Information Systems, will bring a host of benefits through improved financial controls for Metropolitan Hotels in the Middle East and Europe.

Microsoft Business Solution's Navision is a powerful business management application, which automates key business procedures, and provides companies with greater visibility and control over their organization. Navision is a well-established product, with a comprehensive catalogue of modules designed to provide functionality for customers in a range of different industries and sectors. For UAE-based Metropolitan Hotels, Navision provides the centralized reporting of the chain's business that allows the group's management to understand the workings of the hotels and to use that to create competitive advantage.

"The hospitality sector is highly competitive, especially in Dubai, so it is very important that the senior management is able to see exactly how the business is running in all of our properties," said Rahim Abu Omar, Chief Executive Officer. Metropolitan Hotels. "Navision allows our hotel managers to get on with the business of running the hotel, while providing senior management with financial analysis, inventory control, asset tracking, central reporting and other functions that mean that the chain is able to optimize the way we operate."

Ayad Algosaibi, Managing Director, Algosaibi Information Systems said: "Hotels chains have to maximize the revenue from all of their establishments, balancing the potential revenues against the overheads of room occupancy, food and beverage sales, conferences, business and leisure facilities. Managing all of these is never easy and the management of Metropolitan Hotels needed to maintain control centrally, so that the group could really understand its performance. That is why they chose Navision, because it fit all of their requirements for an ERP solution."

Metropolitan Hotels, part of the prestigious Al Habtoor Group, will have up to 75 concurrent users, utilizing six Navision modules, that will govern accounting, inventory control, purchasing and asset and resources management. The group is expanding rapidly, with properties in the UAE, Lebanon and UK, with more developments underway across the region. The modular, scalable nature of Navision will allow the group to add more modules, while the solution has the scalability and ease of customization that will allow the group to expand across multiple locations and to add new users as required.

"Navision is an ideal solution for companies that are looking for a system that is fast to implement, easy to maintain and easy to use, as well as being able to meet future requirements," said Joe Devassy, SMS&P Manager, Microsoft South Gulf. "Many hotels are finding that as their business grows, and as the market becomes more competitive, that their financial systems are no longer adequate for the task. With Navision, Microsoft Business Solutions has the perfect fit for hotels that want to have complete control over their business processes. Microsoft recognizes the importance for the hospitality industry of solutions such as these, and we are happy to be working with our customers and partners in the sector."