The Data Upload Centre is where you manually upload various types of data, including budgets, forecasts, actuals, CO2 factors and KPI targets. Anyone with controller rights can access this feature. Access the Data Upload Centre via the...
PMI Knowledge base
List of all articles in the current, selected, category.
FAQ
How do I add a schedule to my cockpit?
Select the relevant cockpit. Click on the tools icon. Choose ‘Add new schedule’. a. For a dependent cockpit, make sure you select the correct parent cockpit that this new schedule should be linked to. (You will have this option only if you...
If I delete a user who no longer needs access to our property, will that delete their access to our property only, or will it delete them from PMI completely?
You should not delete or deactivate users from your property if they have access to other properties. This will remove their access to all other properties in PMI. To remove a user's access to your property, you should remove the property from...
How do I calculate ARR and ADR?
What is the difference between ARR and ADR? ARR stands for average room rate while ADR stands for average daily rate. ARR and ADR are the same when looking at a single day, but they differ when looking at a period total. ARR is used within PMI as...
What is the difference between Forecast and Live forecast?
The forecast is your monthly target and expectation before entering a new month. This should not be changed during the month. Live forecast is a rolling forecast that is updated regularly throughout the month, depending on your latest expectations...
Can I edit the figures in the Flash report?
You can edit the revenue in the Flash report for past days by clicking on the pen next to the date. One reason for editing could be that revenue was registered on a wrong day in PMS or POS. In order to get correct historical data, you may remove...
How do I map the categories in Timekeeping (TKS)?
In PMI we should register all paid hours as either productive or non-productive hours. Productive hours are those working regularly, i.e. you are doing the job you are supposed to and paid to do. Regular work is marked with 1 on the cost column....
What are Categories in PMI Timekeeping system?
Categories in PMI are the different types of shift codes used in your Timekeeping system (TKS). Most TKS are connected to your payroll system and therefore need a detailed description of how you work for legal purposes. There will be different...
There is a position missing in the Timekeeping system mapping. How can I fix this?
Each department and position can only be mapped to one place. If you need to split a position or shift, you need to do this in your Timekeeping system. If you want the split to appear in PMI only, you can use Schedule to make a shift code that...
I cannot see my department in Timekeeping System (TKS) mapping. How do I see it?
If a department does not appear in PMI, it is not registered in your TKS. Whenever a department or code is not mapped anywhere, there will be a warning on the PMI home page, and it will appear in red on the mapping list.
What is Departments in Timekeeping system (TKS) mapping?
Departments refer to the cost centers in your property, where you have staff registered in the Timekeeping system. In PMI, the departments should be mapped to a specific Cockpit. In some Timekeeping systems, you will also have the departments split...
What is mapping – timekeeping system?
This is where you decide where departments and codes from your timekeeping system should go to which Cockpit in PMI.
How do I know if the mapping is correct?
You can check in the Flash Report if the registered revenue on your trial balance corresponds to what is recorded in PMI. If you import the rooms forecast, you can check your original file with what is recorded in PMI on future dates in the Flash...
How do I know where accounts should go in PMI?
All the revenue and statistical codes in your PMS should have a corresponding account in PMI. It is important to ensure revenues are going to the right revenue center and the correct segment. Trial Balance for Rooms should be mapped to the hotel...
What is mapping accounts?
The Mapping module is where the revenue and occupancy data (room nights, guest nights, covers, etc.) from the various source systems is imported to PMI. Usually there is very little maintenance of this module except in cases involving: the first...
Can I change the properties I see in Benchmarking?
In View options of the Benchmarking module, you can choose what you want to display. Here you can exclude/include different groups. Which properties you see is dependent on your region, user rights and preference
Can I print the report in Benchmarking?
In the Benchmarking module, you can click the Tools icon toexport the report to Excel or PDF.
What are RevPAR and TrevPAR?
RevPAR Stands for Room Revenue Per Available Room and TrevPAR stands for Total Revenue Per Available Room.
What does the absence column display?
The absence column displays the non-productive hours. Hours that are paid for but non-productive at your department/property.
What are the KPI’s displaying?
The KPI indicates how you are pacing MTD vs Forecast, Budget, and LY. The direction of the arrow shows the trend compared to last year. An arrow pointing upwards means that the KPI is performing better than last year and vice versa. A green arrow...
What is Benchmarking?
Benchmarking is a report listing the properties in your group (or the ones you have access to see), allowing you to compare (benchmark) your property’s revenues and productivity.
Why are my departments marked in red
When rows in the table or bars in the graph are red, the respective cockpit has not been saved for the last day(s).
I want to see my actual submitted numbers
To see submitted Forecast, Budget or Actual Last Year, select “Incl static number” box in View options. An additional column will appear to the right of SMART, displaying the submitted Forecast, Budget or Actual Last Year, depending on the choice...
What are the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Management perspective?
Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a type of performance measurement. In PMI, a symbol is used to show the correlation of specific indicators to Forecast, Budget and Last year. The direction of the arrow shows the trend compared to last year. An...
What is the Management perspective?
The Management perspective is a consolidated report that gives the most complete picture for pin-pointing total and departmental performance, in terms of both revenue and productivity, month-to-date and month-end. How is the revenue pacing for each...
How can I switch between viewing daily and monthly figures?
Click on the period-type next to the date at the top right of the module, and select days, month, several months or year as your view option. Then choose the period interval you want to review.
How can I print the report?
You can print the data found in the Flash report. Choose “Print to File” from the tools menu. You have the option to choose PDF format or Excel.
How am I performing compared to my forecast/budget/last year?
The flash report will display a percentage ratio of how you are doing month to date and month-end vs Forecast, Budget and Last Year for each revenue center. The Forecast index is calculated by taking the month-end figure and dividing it by the...
Different view options in the Flash report
In View Options, you may choose what you wish to display 1. Include Period End − This will include Live forecast. 2. Displayed Data − You have the option to see Live forecast, and can compare actual and Live forecast figures, Forecast figures (last...
Why are my room/guest nights wrong?
A common source of deviation when room/guest night is wrong can be because of: Mapping - Some accounts might be incorrectly mapped. Today’s import of room/guest nights has not been imported. It can be seen on the homepage if files are missing.
How do I edit my covers?
The easiest way to edit covers is to double click on the covers for the day, enter your number and save. If you have more than one segment in the revenue center, you must click on the plus next to the date to open the segment. This function must be...
How do I check what segments add to the total daily figure?
In the Flash report, if you click the + sign beside a date, you will open a summary of the segments that add to the total.
Why is my revenue wrong?
The Flash report is a good tool to validate figures and find deviations. By clicking on any actual figure (historical), a popup will show you the import from your PMS or POS system with the actual accounts imported, as well as revenue. You will...
What is the Flash Report
The Flash report is a daily updated operation report that gives you an overview of all daily, month-to-date and month-end revenue for all departments in PMI. Month-to-date and month-end figures can be compared to Forecast, Budget and Last Year.
How do I copy to Live forecast?
What do I copy to Live forecast? You can sync your current Live room forecast with last year's data, the budget, or the most recent forecast you submitted. To do this, click "Copy to Live forecast" in the Tools menu of the Live forecast module. You...
What is Pickup statistics?
The Pickup statistics display the movement in your on-the-books figures. You can access Pickup statistics from Live forecast in Rooms and Meetings & Events, or from the main PMI menu. Use the Pickup statistics to analyze and get a better...
How do I reset the pickup for a full month?
There are 2 different ways to reset pickups for future days. From the Tools menu of the Live forecast module, you can choose to Reset Pick up, which will zero out the pickup columns for the remainder of the month. Alternatively, you can click on...
How do I submit my Live forecast to forecast?
Every month, usually with a deadline of the 20th to the 25th of the month, you need to freeze the forecast for the coming month or months. That means that by the 25th of the current month you need to take an extra good look at the Live forecast for...
What are the seasons in PMI?
Seasons are defined as different periods with the same expected booking behavior or activity level. In a year, there could be similar periods with the same booking behavior spread out over the year. Seasons are not necessarily the same as calendar...
What are covers?
Covers are the number of guests served in restaurants, bars, and M&E at some properties. Please note that beverages are not commonly counted as covers.
Why do I have a red triangle to the left of the date?
A red triangle is related to the revenue driver. It highlights that for a specific segment, PMI does not have enough seasons or historical data to calculate the revenue driver. In this case, PMI looks at the last 50 days to give a suggestion. If...
Why does on the books in PMI not match what we have in our PMS?
PMI imports on the books figures from your PMS system every morning. There could be several reasons why the figures do not match: Future on the books figures have been adjusted in your PMS after it has been sent and imported to PMI. The recent...
What is a revenue driver?
A revenue driver is used to forecast/predict revenue or covers in a profit center. A revenue driver looks at what drives the revenue or level of activity in a department. Different departments can have different revenue drivers such as guests,...
What do the pickups show and why are they sometimes negative?
Outcome vs Historical For future dates, the pickup column displays the difference between on the books/Revenue driver and the last saved Live forecast. In the pickup column, you can revise or adjust how many rooms/covers/revenue you expect to end...
Do I have to change my budget & forecast manually every month?
The budget should be uploaded/entered once a year while the Forecast should be updated every month. Below are some steps on how to update the budget or Forecast: Uploading your budget and Forecast – Upload actuals, budget and forecast is a...
How do I set a productivity goal?
A good way to set a productivity goal (target) is to use last year as a reference and see if you can achieve similar or better productivity this year. Budget is also a reference, as we don’t want to be less productive than what we have budgeted....
How does the cost driver effect my hours and productivity?
Some departments (operational) have productivity as their main target, so when the cost driver changes, this will give the department more or fewer hours, depending on the latest Live forecast. Some departments have hours as their main target...
How can I see what the current cost driver is?
The cost driver is what drives the labor cost/hours in a department. The cost driver is what gives the department work to do. This could be room nights for the housekeeping department or revenue/covers for a restaurant outlet. When hovering the...
Why are my budget and forecast locked?
When you enter a new month, the forecast/budget will lock for the current month. In most cases, this is a request from your Head Office to avoid accidental or unauthorized changes that conflict with the data submitted to your reporting system...
Where can I find the upload function?
In PMI you can upload your budget, forecast and actual data,. The Upload function is found in the main menu under the Administration column. From the Upload module, you can download an excel template where you enter or copy/paste data from another...
How do I navigate the tools in the schedule?
There are many different functions within the Tools menu in the Schedule module. All of them are described with a brief text. As a basic principle, what you see in the schedule is what is going to be exported to print. For a detailed explaination...
What are timekeeping system (TKS) excluded hours for?
In the Schedule module near the bottom of the page is a row called Timekeeping system (TKS) excluded hours. If you have hours in the department that are not imported through the TKS, you can add the hours in this row. An example of this would be...
How do I copy hours into the unspecified row (Timekeeping system excluded)
From the Tools menu in the Schedule module, choose to “Insert value into unspecified row”. This allows you to populate your schedule with different choices. A percentage of Cockpit Target or Cockpit Planned can automatically be inserted by using...
How do I create a rotating schedule?
Creating a rotating schedule is a good option when you have a rolling schedule in place. This function lets you copy a schedule that you have created for the period you want. Choose a period for which you have entered the schedule that should be...
How do I make a new schedule?
From the Tools menu in the Schedule (or Cockpit) module, you can choose Add New Schedule. You can have several schedules for one department/cockpit, but we recommend only one schedule in place to save time and effort.
How do I add a shift code?
From the Schedule module, you can add, maintain and work with predefined shift codes. Click the Tools icon at the top right, then select Shift Codes, to see the options. For indepth details about shift codes, please read this article Predefined...
Can one employee work in two departments?
Yes, if needed, you can create a shift code that divides the hours between different departments. Click on the link to see how you create an employee for several departments using a split shift code. You can read more about split shifts in this...
Where do I change my food cost forecast?
Go to the navigation menu, choose Budget & Forecast and select your cockpit. Here you can insert or update your forecast and budget for food cost and percentage.
My food cost % is wrong (too high/low). Why is that?
1. Make sure you are looking at the correct period, MTD or Month-end. 2. Are opening and closing correctly inserted? 3. Are purchases entered correctly? 4. Verify that food revenue is correct. 5. Please check with your financial controller if...
What is the recommended number of turnover days?
Fewer turnover days means that you are selling your food quickly and often indicates less waste and lower food cost. The recommended number of turnover days is 8 days, plus or minus 2 days.
My turnover days are set to 32. What does that mean?
Turnover days that are greater than 10 indicate that the amount of stock is higher than your business need.Fewer turnover days means that you are selling your food quickly and often indicates less waste and lower food cost. The recommended number...
How do I estimate my Closing Inventory?
Ending Closing Stock formula: Opening Inventory + Purchases = the Cost of goods available for sale (COGAS) COGAS x Cost percentage = Cost of goods sold (COGS) COGAS – COGS = Closing inventory Example: Your Opening Inv. Is 50.000€ + Purchases of...
Why is opening and closing stock important?
1. Keeping track of opening and closing stock helps head chefs to efficiently manage and control their stock to minimize the risk of waste, track product value and optimize quality and food cost. 2. With a record of opening and closing stock,...
What is opening and closing stock?
Closing stock is your inventory or estimated inventory, if you do not have a counted stock account. Opening stock is the closing inventory from last month.
What is turnover days and how is it calculated?
Turnover days is how many times an average stock is being converted into sales. Fewer turnover days means that you are selling your food quickly and often indicates less waste and lower food cost. Calculation: Step 1. Opening inventory + closing...
What do I enter in the Purchase column?
Manually enter the total value of your food purchases as a lump sum in the Purchase column on the day they are delivered, excluding VAT.
What are my routines in the Food cost cockpit?
Daily routine (5 min): 1. Enter the total value of your food purchases as a lump sum in the Purchase column on the day they are delivered, excluding VAT. Weekly routines (10 min): 1. Update your closing stock by inserting your estimated...
How do I know if I am scheduling according to activity?
Reaching the monthly productivity target is your key goal. Keeping the blue hours bars as close to the yellow line (SMART Forecast) as possible means that you are achieving your daily productivity target. Keep in mind that this is not always...
How do I enter the rates?
The rates that you see in the cockpit are picked up from the Budget & Forecast module. In the Budget & Forecast module, you can enter either the rate or total labor cost, depending on the settings chosen. If you work with total labor cost,...
What are the rates and how are they calculated?
Rates are average total labor cost per hour in the department (cockpit). It should include taxes and social charges. These are calculated by dividing the total labor cost by the total number of hours worked.
Why do the planned hours in the Timekeeping System (TKS) not match PMI?
The planned hours in the time keeping system are only calculated for the length of time that the Schedule Horizon is set. After that, PMI uses the SMART forecast suggested hours. Horizon days are used beyond the period you have scheduled in your...
What is min/max hours?
The Min and Max setting allows you to set the minimum and maximum hours required in a department each day of the week. Using this function will affect forecasted productivity, because you are manipulating hours needed on slow and high activity...
What are fixed hours?
Some departments like Admin & General and sales may have a fixed number of hours each month regardless of occupancy and activity. The total fixed hours for a cockpit will be divided equally every day of the month, giving a straight, yellow line...
How is productivity calculated?
Productivity is calculated by dividing the output in a department (i.e. revenue, rooms occupied, covers) with the number of hours paid for. We differentiate between total productivity, that takes the output divided by the total hours, and...
What is a cost driver?
A cost driver is an operational factor in the department that effects the need for labor, whether that is guests, rooms or revenue. For example, Housekeeping uses rooms occupied last night as a cost driver, because that determines the amount of...
Why is the total number of hours for the month too low/high?
The cockpit is only a mirror of what is imported from your timekeeping system. The first thing you need to check is whether all hours have been updated/confirmed/approved in your timekeeping system. Incorrect mapping could be another reason, or...
What are non-productive and productive hours?
Productive hours are paid hours for work connected to the department. Non-productive hours are a paid absence, i.e. there is a cost for the hours although they have not been used for regular work in the department. This could be sick leave paid for...
How does PMI summarize the hours?
In the cockpit, you will see three columns displaying hours. Total, Productive and Non-Productive. Productive hours are hours that have been worked and payed for. Non-productive hours are payed hours that have not been worked. Productive and...
How can I see the hours that are imported to PMI?
To check the hours imported from a time keeping system for a specific date or period, click the plus sign next to the date double, click on time keeping system hours. A list will appear with an overview of the number of productive and...
What is SMART?
The SMART forecast in PMI is a daily breakdown of your monthly productivity/hours forecast. The SMART forecast allocates the month forecast to each day based on the expected activity levels of hotel using the cost driver forecast and historic...
Which rights do my users need?
User rights depend on what role and what department the user should have access to. You need to decide if the user needs editing rights or only view rights. Click on the below link to find the different user rights available to be assigned. Click...
How do I change my password?
To change your password, enter Settings from the main menu. Here you can edit settings and preferences, including changing your password. Click here to read more about user settings.
How do I manage users?
All user administration (adding, editing, and deactivating and deleting users) is done via the User Administration module, accessed from the main menu. You need user administration rights to make any changes. Contact your chain, your property’s PMI...
What happens when I save/activate the plan in set up?
The final step creates the prepopulated pages for the budget holders to review and edit. When you press the Save button, PMI will create a set of plan pages for the period specified with the name you chose. Adjust the title to refer to it as a...
Why can’t I change the budget/forecast values directly?
If direct changes are made to the plan rows, then the whole link to a usage and a price will be broken and we will not be able to prepopulate future plans correctly. The best practice is to change the unit price, if possible. The prices initially...
Why can’t I change data in previous months?
All data in previous months is actual data. There is no need to make an estimate for something that has already happened. If you need to make a change to the data because it is incorrect, you need to ask to have the period unlocked so that the...
How is the plan data prepopulated? Where does the plan data come from?
The plan is pre-populated from two main sources when initially created. A snapshot is taken from the Live forecast which is used to populate the predicted room nights, hours, kWh of energy, and all the productivity drivers that are a focus in the...
When do I set up a plan?
Set up and activate a new plan when you need to pick up the latest information from Live forecast. A snapshot of Live forecast is taken at the point the plan is created. While you can submit a plan to cockpits at any point to pick up the latest...
What is comparative data?
It is a fancy name for a set of data you are comparing your draft plan against. The dataset shown under comparative data is also used to calculate other elements of your new plan. Look for ‘based on comparative data’ in a section header like...
What do the colors on the Cockpits mean?
The green plus sign means that the Cockpit is updated and is using fewer hours than the forecasted productivity target or hours, month to date. The yellow question mark means that the Cockpit is not updated. Best practice is that all Cockpits...
What is the PMI adoption index (formerly called PMI index)?
The PMI adoption index, as it is called now, measures your resource and productivity management skills on a department level. The score indicates how well your productivity management skills and habits are according to PMI best practices. A PMI...
What is RevPOLU?
RevPOLU stands for Revenue Per Operational Labor Unit, and is the total revenue earned per paid labor hour. It is calculated by dividing the total revenue from all profit centers by the total hours worked in all cockpits, both productive and...