Voice Recognition Technology in Accor Hotels: Strategy Planning

This report discusses the strategy planning for implementing Voice Recognition technology in Accor Hotels. It includes a short term and long term strategy analysis, case studies, and recommendations for the hotel industry. A cost benefit analysis is also provided.

Running head: VOICE RECOGNITION
VOICE RECOGNITION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1VOICE RECOGNITION
Executive Summary
With the advent of technology, it has become increasingly important for any business
organization to ensure that it successfully updates the different capabilities of the firm in order to
ensure the long term success of the firm. The report is based on the Voice Recognition
technology which is very prevalent in the hotel industries presently. The previous assignment
was based on the analysis of the idea and the given assignment has laid down the strategy
planning of the implementation of Voice Recognition in the chosen hotel named Accor Hotels.
The report follows a systematized format which briefly described the scenario which is then
followed by the short term as well as the long term strategy analysis. Recommendations and
conclusions have also been provided.

2VOICE RECOGNITION
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
About the scenario...........................................................................................................................3
Strategy............................................................................................................................................4
Short term strategy.......................................................................................................................4
Long term strategy.......................................................................................................................9
Services roadmap and minimal viable services process................................................................14
Identify the issues and integrations of “Voice Recognition” in the Accor Hotel..........................15
Recommendation & Conclusion....................................................................................................16
References......................................................................................................................................17
Appendix........................................................................................................................................19

3VOICE RECOGNITION
Introduction
While formulation of the strategy which is required to be adopted by an organization is
an easy procedure, it is very difficult for a firm to implement the strategy which has been
formulated. This means that the organization needs to come up with a proper strategy plan which
will assist them in ensuring that the strategy which has been formulated is put into action easily
and that the different components of a strategy are aligned in a manner such that the organization
is able to gain maximum benefit out of it (Vogel & Güttel 2013, p.426-446)
The report is based on the strategy plan formed in order to implement the concept of
Voice Recognition in an organization. As identified in the previous assessment, there exists an
opportunity to implement Voice recognition in the Accor group of hotels (Accorhotels.com
2018). For this purpose, the primary aim of the given report is to highlight the short term as well
as the long term strategy to launch the Voice Recognition in the organization and to use it for the
maximum benefit of the firm. The scenario existing will be explained which will then be
followed by a brief description of the short term as well as the long term strategy by making use
of various cases, processes and tactics. Certain recommendations based on the same will also be
provided.
About the scenario
The Voice Recognition technology has become one of the primarily used technological
advancements in the hotel industry. Having stated this, it can also be stated that the other hotels
as JW Marriot and Starwood Aloft have already enabled the use of Voice Recognition
technology in their offerings (Ginter, Duncan & Swayne 2018). The voice recognition facility
goes a long way in assisting a firm to maintain a better relationship with the different consumers

4VOICE RECOGNITION
and also to ensure that service as provided by the organization improves considerably. Hence, the
previous assessment highlighted the scope of Voice recognition in the Accor Hotels and
highlighted the ways in which it can be successfully incorporated into the daily operations of the
hotel and act as a competitive advantage for the hotel.
Strategy
A strategy forms an essential aspect of the organization and in order to bring about a
certain change in a firm, it is important for the organization to formulate an effective strategy
which will go a long way in assisting the organization to find success in their endeavors
(Williamson et al. 2013). The following section will lay down the short term as well as the long
term strategy which can be adopted by Accor Hotels with respect to the Voice Recognition
technological advancement.
Short term strategy
Mission
To incorporate voice recognition in the daily operations of the hotel like reception, room
service and achieving assistance while searching for places to travel by the guest as present in the
hotel room (Tran 2015).
Vision
To ensure that the customer service of the organization increases considerably.
Goals
1. To incorporate voice recognition into room service assistance

5VOICE RECOGNITION
2. To incorporate voice recognition into search assistance (Morschett, Schramm-Klein &
Zentes 2015).
3. To improve the different services of the hotel and to improve the operations being
provided to the different consumers.
Objectives
The primary objective of the Accor Hotels is to ensure that it is able to integrate all the
activities of the organization into a streamlined Artificial Intelligence procedure so as to be able
to successfully incorporate the services of the organization in the form of the Voice Recognition
as available (Bryce 2017). The hotel group aims to ensure that the hotels are more customer
friendly and provide all round the clock assistance to the different customers present and to
ensure that in case the employees are unable to manage the staff effectively, the Voice
recognition application is able to make up for it.
Strategies
The strategies which can be adopted by the Accor Hotels are very simple in nature and stated as
follows:
1. Integrate all the departments of the organization
In order to implement voice recognition the primary procedure involves to integrate all
the departments of the hotel through an integrated system which needs be facilitated by the
Artificial intelligence (Grant 2016). This shall enable the firm to ensure that when the guest
makes use of the Voice Recognition service, the guest is easily able to ensure that he can reach
out to all aspects of the firm.

6VOICE RECOGNITION
2. Install the required technology
There exists specific technological equipment’s available to ensure that the Voice
Recognition technology can be adopted by the organization. This means installing the new
available Echo Dot by Amazon or using the Siri from Apple to help the customers to make the
request to the different departments (Wheelen et al. 2017).
3. Train staff
The staff is required to be trained in order to ensure that the organization is successfully able
to incorporate the given technology in their daily operations.
Tactics
The tactics which need to be used by the organization involve the following:
Engaging in regular training sessions: This will assist in ensuring that the staff is trained enough
and is easily able to get accustomed to the changes which will be brought about in the
organization (SiteMinder. 2018).
Engage in regular meetings with the departments: The regular meetings need to be conducted
with the organization in order to ensure the long term success of the firm.
Cases to validate the process of Voce recognition
The case of JW Marriot
The JW Marriot group of hotels makes extensive use of the Artificial Intelligence
technology with the help of Voice Recognition in order to provide efficient services to the
different guests. Using the Voice Recognition facility, hotel group in San Antonio Hill Country
Resort as well as Spa will easily able to cater to the needs of the different consumers and be able

7VOICE RECOGNITION
to provide access of the instant restaurant services, services of the of other tourism details and
will lead to less time being wasted by the travelers (Moutinho & Vargas-Sanchez 2018). As the
hotel availed to this service, it was successfully able to improve the customer service of the hotel
and the review ratings also increased considerably. For this purpose, it is suggested that even
Accor Hotels can make extensive use of this technology. Just like JW Marriot found success in
implementing voice recognition, even Accor Hotels may be able to find success in the similar
scenario and at present it can plan to implement basic services and later on move ahead with the
future prospects.
Cost benefit analysis
Costs associated
FISCAL YEAR
Cost Items 2018 2019 2020
Consultation 40000 45000 42000
Voice Recognition 27500 42000 40500
Others 25000 10000 18000
Employee and Staff
Training 12000 9000 65000
Project Total Cost by Year 104500 106000 165500
PROJECT TOTAL COST 376000

8VOICE RECOGNITION
Benefits Associated
Fiscal year
Benefit Sources 2018 2019 2020
Enhanced Revenues 25000 25000
Decreased Employee Salaries 100000 120000 125000
Decreased National Insurance, Pension and
Others 12500 12500 11500
Total Benefits Per Year 112500 157500 161500
Confidence factor 100% 100% 100%
Benefits Claimed for Analysis 112500 157500 161500
Project Grand Total Benefits 431500
Analysis
Fiscal Year
2018 2019 2020
Undiscounted
Flows
Costs 104500 106000 165500
Benefits 112500 157500 161500
Net Cash Flow 8000 51500 -4000
Discount Factors

9VOICE RECOGNITION
Discount Rate 7%
Base Year 2018
Year Index 0 1 2
Discount Factor 1 0.9346 0.8734
Discounted Flows
Cost -104500
-
99065.4206 -144554.11
Benefit 112500
147196.261
7
141060.354
6
Net 8000
48130.8411
2
-
3493.75491
Cumulative 8000
56130.8411
2
52637.0862
1
Net Present Value
$
54,664.03
Hence, from the cost benefit analysis it can be stated that the organization will benefit
greatly if it adopts the basic voice recognition software.
Long term strategy
The long term strategy of the organization can be effectively described as the strategy for
the future. These strategies are generally adopted by firms which aim to gain future success and
ensure long term durability of the selected plan in place (Lee, Denizci Guillet & Law 2013,

10VOICE RECOGNITION
p.95-107). The long term strategy which can be adopted by Accor Hotels has been given as
follows:
Mission
The mission of the Accor Group is to ensure that their customer services improve and
they are able to ensure more bookings.
Vision
The vision of the Accor Hotels is to become one of the most customer friendly hotels as
present in the hotel industry. The Accor Hotel aims to integrate the Voice Recognition system in
its software and ensure it is able to effectively become a hotel where all its branches will have
the given facility.
Goals
 To ensure maximum bookings- This will contribute towards increasing the revenues of
the organization (Chan, Okumus & Chan 2018, pg. 829-852).
 To increase the customer satisfaction rates- This will ensure that the brand name of the
company improves and that the performance of the firm becomes as per the global
standards.
Objectives
The objectives of Accor Hotels have been given as follows:
To implement Voice Recognition in all aspects of the firm: The short term strategy of the
firm involved integrating voice recognition system in certain aspects of the organization like the
restaurant suggestion, reception and for the room service, however, the long term strategy is to

11VOICE RECOGNITION
integrate this aspect to adjust room temperature, book schedules, adjust the light and perform
other related tasks as well (Alkhafaji & Nelson 2013).
Strategies
The strategies to be adopted by the Hotels has been given as follows:
To provide staff training: If the staff is not trained with respect to the voice recognition
software and related services, this may have a direct impact on the performance of the firm in the
long run. To implement technology to infrastructure, the staff needs to be provided with a proper
training in order to ensure that they are able to match with the particular technological
advancement.
Tactics
The tactics which may be followed have to be followed are given as follows:
 Taking consumer feedback: Undertaking the guest feedback is very crucial for the
welfare of the organization and for this purpose, it becomes extensively important for the
firm to ensure that they incorporate customer feedback well into the organization in order
to be successfully able to improve the offerings being made (PCMA.org. 2018).
 Bringing about infrastructural changes: The long term strategy involves providing
services like changes in the temperature and other aspects which need to bring about the
installation of suitable hardware as well as software to make the necessary changes into
the system.

12VOICE RECOGNITION
Hence, after this has been incorporated, the organization should be successfully able to
implement the detailed business model which was proposed in the previous assignment and has
been attached in the Appendix.
Case study to validate long term strategies
For the long term, the Accor Hotels aims to integrate voice recognition in all its aspects
and implement the system for the betterment of the organization and hence the case of the
Starwood Aloft needs to be considered effectively (Lee, Denizci Guillet & Law 2013, p. 300-
324). The Starwood Aloft has successfully made use of the Voice Recognition software and in
this manner the temperature, lights and other tasks can be performed , Moreover, the Wynn
Resorts in Las Vegas is another case which has made extensive use of the Voice Recognition to
ensure an automated system of consumer service (Bettis et al. 2014, pg. 949-953). This has led to
a better business opportunity for them and the requests as received by the different customers can
be easily saved and used for the future. The traveler saves time using system and hence, the guest
stay can be made pleasure bale.
Cost benefit analysis
Costs
FISCAL YEAR
Cost Items 2018 2019 2020
Consultation 45000 42000 42000
Voice Recognition 28500 43000 45500
Infrastructure 24000 10000 20000
Employee and Staff 11000 20000 65000

13VOICE RECOGNITION
Training
Project Total Cost by Year 108500 115000 172500
PROJECT TOTAL COST 396000
Benefits
Fiscal year
Benefit Sources 2018 2019 2020
Enhanced Revenues 25000 25000
Decreased Employee Salaries 200000 220000 225000
Decreased National Insurance, Pension and
Others 16500 16500 18500
Total Benefits Per Year 216500 261500 268500
Confidence factor 100% 100% 100%
Benefits Claimed for Analysis 216500 261500 268500
Project Grand Total Benefits 746500
Analysis
Fiscal Year
2018 2019 2020
Undiscounted

14VOICE RECOGNITION
Flows
Costs 108500 115000 172500
Benefits 216500 261500 268500
Net Cash Flow 108000 146500 96000
Discount Factors
Discount Rate 7%
Base Year 2018
Year Index 0 1 2
Discount Factor 1 0.9346 0.8734
Discounted Flows
Cost -108500
-
107476.636
-
150668.181
Benefit 216500
244392.523
4
234518.298
5
Net 108000
136915.887
9
83850.1179
1
Cumulative 108000
244915.887
9
328766.005
8
Net Present Value
$
396,968.89

15VOICE RECOGNITION
Hence, it can be witnessed from the given analysis that the installation of the system is
very beneficial for the organization and that any firm which wants to implement the given set of
changes needs to ensure that it benefits in the long run.
Services roadmap and minimal viable services process
Activity Months
M
Jan
M
Feb
M
Mar
M
April
M
May
M
June
M
July
Analyzing the idea
Collecting data from secondary
sources
Forming a layout of the changes
Conducting case studies and
research
Forming the short term strategies
Training the employees
Forming long term strategies
Trail phase
Interpretation of feedback received
Making changes
Designing a rough draft of strategies
Implementing the entire process in
all hotels
From the given roadmap it can be witnessed that the organization will be following a
systematic procedure in order to ensure that the voice recognition system can be successfully
implemented into the organization (Wright, Paroutis & Blettner 2013, p.92-125). At first
various discussions and possibilities will be assessed, which will then be followed by a trial

16VOICE RECOGNITION
period, the staff will be trained and the initial idea will be launched in certain rooms or certain
hotels, which will then be followed by implementation in other parts of the world based on the
success which has been received.
Identify the issues and integrations of “Voice Recognition” in the Accor Hotel
The different issues which the organization could face have been given as follows:
1. Financial investments: The organization will be incurring high amount of initial
investments for the implementation of the Voice Recognition system in the different
hotels and branches of the Accor Hotels. Although, the organization will benefit in the
future, but setting aside the high amount of funds in the beginning is difficult.
2. Employee approval: The employee approval also needs to be considered before making
the given changes, this is because, this implementation will lead to the removal of a
certain number of employees due to the automated services and hence, their cooperation
is crucial for the firm.
3. Response of the customers: When the trial period will be conducted, the organization is
required to ensure that the customer feedback is attained regularly and that, the hotel
incorporates these changes.
Recommendation & Conclusion
Therefore, from the given analysis it can be stated that the Voice Recognition
technological update is one of the most popular advancements in the hotel industry and for this
purpose, any firm who is operating in the industry needs to ensure that they remain updated with
the technology and are able to easily gain a competitive advantage against its competitors. The
report was based on the case of Accor hotels and the manner in which they will benefit by

17VOICE RECOGNITION
ensuring that they indulge in voice recognition system. The report laid down the long term as
well as short term strategy which is required to be adopted by Accor to ensure effective
implementation of the Voice recognition technological process.

18VOICE RECOGNITION
References
Accorhotels.com. ,2018. Book Hotel Online - Best Price Guarantee - AccorHotels.com. [online]
Available at: https://www.accorhotels.com/ [Accessed 11 Aug. 2018].
Alkhafaji, A. & Nelson, R.A., 2013. Strategic management: formulation, implementation, and
control in a dynamic environment. Routledge.
Bettis, R., Gambardella, A., Helfat, C.& Mitchell, W., 2014. Quantitative empirical analysis in
strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 35(7), pp.949-953.
Bryce, H.J., 2017. Financial and strategic management for nonprofit organizations. Walter de
Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
Chan, E.S., Okumus, F. & Chan, W., 2018. Barriers to environmental technology adoption in
hotels. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 42(5), pp.829-852.
Ginter, P.M., Duncan, J. & Swayne, L.E., 2018. The Strategic Management of Healthcare
Organizations. John Wiley & Sons.
Grant, R.M., 2016. Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley & Sons.
Lee, H.A., Denizci Guillet, B. & Law, R., 2013. An examination of the relationship between
online travel agents and hotels: A case study of Choice Hotels International and Expedia.
com. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(1), pp.95-107.
Lee, Y.K., Jeong, Y.K.& Choi, J., 2014. Service quality, relationship outcomes, and membership
types in the hotel industry: A survey in Korea. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 19(3),
pp.300-324.
Morschett, D., Schramm-Klein, H. & Zentes, J., 2015. Strategic international management (pp.
978-3658078836). Springer.

19VOICE RECOGNITION
Moutinho, L. & Vargas-Sanchez, A. eds., 2018. Strategic Management in Tourism, CABI
Tourism Texts. Cabi.
PCMA.org. ,2018. How the Voice-Recognition Revolution Is Changing Hotels - PCMA.org.
[online] Available at: https://www.pcma.org/how-the-voice-recognition-revolution-is-changing-
hotels/ [Accessed 11 Aug. 2018].
SiteMinder. ,2018. Face and voice recognition: The promises they make to travellers -
SiteMinder. [online] Available at: https://www.siteminder.com/r/trends-advice/hotel-travel-
industry-trends/face-voice-emotional-recognition-promises-make-travellers/ [Accessed 11 Aug.
2018].
Tran, T.K., 2015, January. SentiVoice-a system for querying hotel service reviews via phone.
In Computing & Communication Technologies-Research, Innovation, and Vision for the Future
(RIVF), 2015 IEEE RIVF International Conference on (pp. 65-70). IEEE.
Vogel, R. & Güttel, W.H., 2013. The dynamic capability view in strategic management: A
bibliometric review. International Journal of Management Reviews, 15(4), pp.426-446.
Wheelen, T.L., Hunger, J.D., Hoffman, A.N. & Bamford, C.E., 2017. Strategic management and
business policy. pearson.
Williamson, D., Cooke, P., Jenkins, W. and Moreton, K.M., 2013. Strategic management and
business analysis. Routledge.
Wright, R.P., Paroutis, S.E. & Blettner, D.P., 2013. How useful are the strategic tools we teach
in business schools?. Journal of Management Studies, 50(1), pp.92-125

20VOICE RECOGNITION
Appendix
The business canvas model
Key Partners
Restaurants who are
locally situated and can
get the deals for the
hotel
Travel companies who
often book flight tickets
and hotel rooms
Large MNCs who often
need accommodation
for their employees
The software
developers who tend to
provide support for the
AI. Companies like
Google, Amazon and
Apple
Key Activities
Providing voice
recognition service
Accommodation
Conferences
Food
Sightseeing
Private holiday
Amenities (PCMA.org.
2018).
Room service
Value Proposition
Offers
technologically
advanced voice
recognition
services
Quick and quality
service of
consumers (Tran
2015).
Luxurious stay
Free trips
Free breakfasts
Customer
Relationships
Social media
channel
Voice recognition
to advise
customers
Loyalty programs
Customer
Segments
Rich and upper
middle class
income group
Honeymoon
couple
Business
travelers
Local
backpackers
Key Resources
The infrastructure
Staff
Channels
Physical service
Online services

21VOICE RECOGNITION
The artificial intelligence
and voice recognition
device
Knowledge service
Voice Recognition
services to the
customers
Cost Structure
Cleaning and maintenance
Staff
AI Voice recognition maintenance
Food
Revenue Streams
Increased sales due to voice recognition
Guests payment
Commissions
Conference and other Business events