UniFocus Expands Global Footprint for Watson, R.M.™

NEW for 2010: Multi-Language Support, Upgraded Schedule Editor

Dallas—February 18, 2010 — UniFocus, a global pioneer in the hospitality industry for performance, workforce management and feedback analysis solutions, announced the much anticipated and imminent release of Watson, R.M. 7.5 for 2010—with multi-language support and an upgraded schedule editor interface that vastly simplifies the process of revising schedules while matching employee availability to service requirements.

The newest release of Watson, R.M. incorporates a staff portal that enables employees to check schedules, request time off and manage preferences over the web. Watson, R.M. also allows Time & Attendance users to review time clock punches, and now enables each user to work in English, Spanish or French, while providing more dynamic corporate reporting.

“Watson, R.M. systems are increasingly utilized by some of the largest hospitality organizations and most recognized brands in the world,” said Mark Heymann, President and CEO of UniFocus. “As our worldwide footprint increases, the development team continues to go the extra mile to build key enhancements for our international partners, such as additional languages and managing monthly time use (Banked Hours) calculations in 2010. The new schedule editor module is the direct result of conversations with and feedback from our global clients on continuing to make Watson R.M. easier to use.”

Many of the basic processes such as forecasting, budgeting and scheduling—that many organizations are still doing manually—can now be automated with Watson, R.M., which incorporates industry-specific statistical analysis to project business volumes. Schedules are then optimized by identifying critical relationships, such as number of guests to be served at any time and the necessary staff to meet service standards. And Watson R.M. incorporates a specific Labor Budgeting module which ensures that operating standards are integrated with the budget processes, thereby ensuring complete accountability.

“The timely, cost-effective utilization of labor resources and the delivery of impeccable service are not mutually exclusive with UniFocus’ Watson, R.M.,” continued Heymann. “Many upscale and full-service properties utilize Watson, R.M. to grow the intelligence of their workforce scheduling systems, continuously fine-tuning them so that there is always the right staffing to meet demand, plus deliver the value-added ‘wow’ factor and protect profitability. This process and system is also effective at select and limited service operations.”

One of the most important competitive differentiators today is getting an accurate read on actual cost performance in relationship to business serviced and operating standards. Watson, R.M. also provides a flexible budgeting platform in the truest possible sense—with integrated forecasting that supports zero-based cost analysis; it also enables snapshots during any P&L period to assess end of period projections. With Watson, R.M.’s latest version, hospitality organizations will be better equipped than ever to meet the demands of a discerning customer while ensuring optimal cost control.