It’s no secret revenue managers have a lot on their plates.
Between reporting, monitoring, strategizing and training, it’s understandable if earning a professional certification—no matter how useful it may be—ends up a bit lower on their list of priorities.
It’s time to rethink that.
While earning a professional credential like the IDeaS G3 RMS Certified User: Essentials certification will certainly take some time and effort, there are substantial benefits for both revenue managers and employers alike. Let’s explore some of top perks of pursuing this certification with the help of recent certificate earner, Inna Nekrassova, Head of Revenue at The Lanesborough (London, UK).
Why pursue the IDeaS G3 RMS Certified User: Essentials credential? 3 notable benefits
Before we dive in, it should be noted that this certification is best suited for revenue managers (or other closely related primary user roles) with at least six months of practical working experience in G3 RMS.
With that point set aside, let’s take a closer look at why G3 RMS certification may benefit you.
1. You’ll develop a deeper understanding of the platform (and reinforce what you know)
A powerful tool is only as useful as the people wielding it. Revenue management software can provide transformative insight and ultimately help boost the profitability of a property. But like with any tool it takes practice and education to use it to its full potential.
Nekrassova, who had amassed nearly a decade of reservations management and revenue management experience, found her certification preparation efforts to be an excellent supplement to her established knowledge. Prior to pursuing certification, she’d built a solid foundational understanding of revenue management through industry association coursework, on-the-job training, help from the IDeaS account management support team, and some trial-and-error experimentation.
“Early on, I’m sure I made overrides in the system that would make my skin crawl now,” she said. “I felt at the time that an RMS is very sophisticated but I wanted to understand more about how it works.”
While that experience was certainly enough to get established and comfortable using the G3 RMS platform, Nekrassova says she developed a better understanding of the “why” behind how the system worked and learned more about its reporting capabilities while preparing for certification.
“It was a good reminder of what reports are available and how to use them more strategically to better present information to stakeholders,” she said. “By understanding the data better with business analysis and pace tools, I can optimize the way the system works with our business and minimize overrides. That’s one thing you need to be careful with when using the system – either your input isn’t right, or your understanding isn’t.”
Whether you’re a well-established everyday user of the G3 system or just starting to get your sea legs, pursuing the IDeaS G3 RMS Certified User credential can help push you to deepen your expertise.
2. Confidence and competency help bolster wider organizational buy-in
Creating a revenue-focused culture across departments in a property is no small feat, and it requires teammates to trust revenue managers and the tools at their disposal. The added boost of confidence and G3 system expertise that comes with achieving certification has helped Nekrassova in her efforts to build wider organizational alignment.
“Part of Revenue team’s job is to promote a revenue culture within the wider business,” she said “Commercial communication is vital. Tools like IDeaS G3 RMS mean we can spend less time behind closed doors staring at an Excel sheet and more time communicating with departments about results and how to use data in a strategic way—and data doesn’t lie.”
Her passion for revenue management is empowering others within The Lanesborough. The IDeaS G3 RMS is now used by their Head of Reservations in forecasting occupancy and making basic revenue decisions, while the next goal is for the Sales team to engage with the system to make quick and effective group business evaluations.
“You have to be comfortable explaining how group evaluations are created to the team. A lot of the time with pricing, you have to explain the decision process,” Nekrassova said. “Something like overbooking—where the front office or your MD or GM may have different opinions—the certification gave me the confidence to understand the controls that the technology has and how it works to overbook.”
3. Certification showcases a commitment to professional development
Pursuing professional certifications and credentials is an undoubtedly good look across industries, and that’s certainly true for those working in hospitality revenue management. By putting in the time and effort to earn a certification, you’re not just refining your expertise—you’re showing in concrete terms your commitment to a career path.
In fact, according to a 2020 survey conducted by IDeaS’ parent company, SAS, 84% of respondents believed that earning a software certification improved their performance and advanced their careers.
IDeaS G3 RMS software is widely used among hotels and resorts, which makes this a valuable credential even if your career takes you beyond your current employer. By investing in yourself and your professional development, you send a clear signal to your employer—or next employer—that you’re dedicated and worth their investment.
Is revenue management certification right for you?
As you can see, there are plenty of good reasons for becoming a G3 RMS Certified User. If you think you or a member of your team would be a good fit for this professional development opportunity, visit the IDeaS Global Certification Program page.