May 28, 2015 Owner & Franchise Communications, GPMS

Update on Timing of Marriott’s GPMS Rollout

As part of our ongoing commitment to keep you informed about Marriott’s initiatives, we would like to share new details regarding the rollout timing for the Global Property Management System (GPMS) project.

Update on Rollout Schedule

In late March, we shared that GPMS installs and conversions would be temporarily suspended until technical challenges could be adequately addressed. Since that time, significant progress has been made to address the critical issues that caused the interruption of the Phase 1 rollout to SS/ES (FOSSE) properties, including new openings. We expect to resume pilots for Phase 1 starting in mid-July for conversions and in October for new openings. An updated rollout schedule for Phase 1 can be found on MGS.

For full service hotels, beta properties are expected to launch in late Q3 with full service new openings launching in Q2 2016. The full service rollout schedule will be published in the coming weeks and will be communicated via Weekly Update.

Key Areas of Progress

Software Defects: Several key defects related to reservations and balancing between GPMS and MARSHA have been fixed. Properties are reporting improved performance as a result of this update. We expect all remaining defects to be resolved by mid-June.
System Stability: The fix for interface stability (e.g., telephone, property Internet/other on-property interfaces) has been implemented at the properties using GPMS. We will continue to evaluate an option for hosting the interfaces with Oracle that should further improve stability.
Oracle Support: Oracle is actively hiring additional resources and improving training of their service desk associates.
User Readiness: The project team has identified opportunities to deepen the knowledge base of GPMS trainers for both conversions and new openings. In addition, a number of job aids and resources have been produced to ensure associates have guidance on how to execute key tasks. We recognize it is difficult for users to adapt to certain aspects of GPMS, and we are identifying ways to bridge these learning gaps.

Action Items & Additional Information

As part of the GPMS implementation, all properties will be required to install a 4G network in order to ensure maximum reliability. This requirement will provide a wireless network component which prevents any physical interruption to network services in the event the primary network connection becomes unusable for any reason. Details regarding costs and required next steps for properties will be communicated to hotels via the June 1 Weekly Update.

Updated FAQs are available on the GPMS page on MGS.

We appreciate your patience and commitment to this project, and we will continue to keep you up-to-date. It is our goal to ensure that properties have a stable solution that meets their operational needs moving forward. If you have any questions about the GPMS project at this time, please contact Kermit Littlefield.