Important Brand Standard Audit (BSA) Changes Coming in 2016
The Quality Assurance program is vital to ensuring the health of Marriott’s brands and the integrity of standards across the system. The program continues to evolve based on feedback from hotels, owners and franchisees, as well as identified performance deficiencies requiring increased focus. Based on feedback and deficiencies, effective January 1, 2016, Marriott will launch important changes to the Brand Standard Audit (BSA) to increase focus on product and brand standard compliance.
Separate Scores for Operations and Branded Standard Compliance
Today’s current blended scoring model allows some hotels to significantly underperform on key areas of the audit while still passing. To maintain great brands, hotels in the system must be well run and pull through standards that differentiate the brands. As a result, beginning in 2016, hotels will receive separate scores for Operations and Branded Standard compliance, and hotels must pass both to pass the audit. Examples of Operations standards include cleanliness, condition, and universal service while Branded standards will include key brand programs and product differentiators (e.g., brand amenities, collateral).
All Brands Will Be Audited Throughout the Year
Currently, content revision and audit schedules fall into specific six-month periods by brand. In 2016, all brands and all hotels will be audited throughout the year instead of being audited during a particular six-month wave. Generally, hotels will continue to receive only one audit per year, excluding required re-audits or corrective audits. In addition, content revision may take place during the year as necessary when key brand standards are due.
Over the past few months, these changes have been shared with various owner and franchise advisory councils, including CFRST Franchise Advisory Councils, the MINA Advisory Board, Owner Advisory Council and the Rooms Advisory Board. Details will be shared with General Managers via the Nov. 16 Weekly Update and a series of webinars will be offered to hotels in December to provide additional information and address questions. A webinar will also be held for franchise management companies on December 15 at 4:00 p.m. ET and we invite you to join us to learn more about the program changes at this time. Click here to register.
Please note that accountability for the BSA results, as well as the opportunity for a corrective audit, will remain in effect during this scoring and scheduling transition. Hotels are being informed that it is critical they conduct a Self-Audit using the revised BSA scoring as it will be the best indicator of each hotel’s future BSA performance classification. Updated audit content will be available for download on December 1 and will be communicated to hotels via Weekly Update.
We are confident this dual emphasis on the fundamentals of operations and brand differentiation will strengthen the health of Marriott’s brands and we appreciate your continued support of this program. Please contact your Account Executive with any questions or comments.
