Sunday 6 November 2011

Sun Tzu: Art of Hospitality - Heaven

The second of five factors that need to be "evaluated comparatively and through estimations" is Heaven.  This concept is familiar to anybody in the hospitality, tourism and leisure industries.

"Heaven encompasses yin and yang, cold and heat, and the constraints of the seasons."

There are two areas of hospitality we can relate to 'Heaven' and the 'constraints of the seasons'.

Business Patterns
Most sectors of the industry have their patterns, daily, weekly monthly and yearly, that could be described as "the constraints of the seasons".  However at the current time, most people I talk to are saying that these patterns are harder to predict.  Enquiry/Booking/Consumption windows are all much shorter.  Quite often it appears that the patterns, and the reasons behind them were taken for granted.  As patterns change every effort should be made to understand why.  Records should be kept from previous years so that you can compare notes and ideally weather comments as well as any events taking place in the local area.  As you begin to understand the reasons for the patterns in your business you can respond quicker when you see things happening that you know effect you.

Seasonal Purchasing
The other application of this factor is in menu planning, and other areas of resource utilisation.  The more you can keep it local, keep it seasonally appropriate, use natural energy, the more you harness the seasons as a way of reducing costs the more you will actually contribute to the local environment and economy and the better your end product will be!

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