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Strawberry
Harmony in Motion - The Ballet of Technology
I could start this article by stating that we live in exciting times like many before I have.
And as is proper. We do, of course. We do live in exciting times.
I suspect, though, that most times have been quite exciting for those who lived them. In that sense, these times are not unique: our purpose and goals are much the same, but the tool sets keep changing, and lately, they are changing at an almost incomprehensible pace.
We keep inventing new ways of doing things, increasing efficiency, broadening our insights, and using this insight to personalise our experiences through technology and (hopefully) make more informed and smart decisions.
My reason for working with technology is not that I love writing code. I’m not even very good at it. My love for technology relates to my love for human beings, all that surrounds us and my love for creating. I want to create something that positively affects people's lives. And technology is a very efficient tool to do that.
As the global vice president of technology in Strawberry, one of the largest hotel chains in the Nordics, I am fortunate to be introduced to and allowed to play with various new technologies and inventions. It’s a privilege to work in the hospitality industry and have such a grand playground of technology to support both our guests and employees.
However, to make any difference, it's important not to get lost in the bling and ‘endless opportunities’ trap of technology. So how do we navigate?
I suppose there is no universal answer, but here is my truth on how not to get lost and make sure we create something of value.
To create, we need to focus less on technology, less on what we can do and more on what we want to achieve.
To me, technology is all about storytelling. It’s a symphony with a variety of instruments. It’s the perfection of a ballet.
Ballet is renowned for its grace, poise and intricate movements. Every performance is a display of elegance, harmony and precision.
All of this happens, of course, because the choreography is a carefully crafted sequence of steps, leaps, and tins. It’s designed to convey emotions and tell a story.
Similarly, IT Architecture and introducing new technologies should involve planning and organising to fulfill specific business objectives. Like the lead dance, who sets the tone and direction of the performance, the IT architect should establish the framework, defining how each system interacts and ensuring they align.
When we explore the parallels between these two seemingly diverse domains, we discover that the success of both lies in the ability to plan and prepare for each dancer’s idle, ensuring they move in harmony to create a mesmerising symphony of movement - just like the interconnected systems in IT architecture. IT architecture should combine the grace of a ballet, culminating in elevating the story we want to tell.
Let me exemplify this by looking at hospitality technology from a ballet perspective.
What story do we want to tell in hospitality? Where do we want to go?
We want to create great experiences. We want our guests to thrive when they stay with us when they think about us, and we want them to come back. We want to be a pleasure to interact with. And we want the most service-oriented and solution-oriented people to interact with our guests and run the guest services.
We want a seamless guest experience but also a seamless team-member experience.
To achieve this, let’s try to choreograph a dance of systems—a ballet of technology.
The front-end and back-end systems would be the principal dancers on stage. The front-end, representing the user-facing applications, will welcome visitors (the audience) with pleasing user interfaces, effortless navigation, swift payment options and personalised experiences. Meanwhile, the back end operates as the supporting dancer, ensuring the behind-the-scenes processes, such as reservations, inventory management, accounting and billing, are flawlessly executed. Maybe we could even picture the caption of data and analytics as the orchestra? The instruments and the music they play carefully but steadily guide the dancers in their performance - keeping them alert, coordinated and on time in their performance.
And then, just as a ballet dancer’s performance relies on rigorous training, the IT architecture would be built on a robust and meticulous infrastructure foundation. Let’s see the infrastructure as the stage; the props, the curtains, the costumes. Network systems, databases, and servers are the solid ground upon which the entire performance rests, guaranteeing uninterrupted service delivery. Advanced technology, such as cloud computing and AI-driven analytics, complements the ensemble.
Like a symphony conductor directing a full orchestra, we´ll harmoniously integrate various components and send and collect data throughout the dance. For hospitality, we'll have the property management systems (PMS), customer relationship management (CRM) software, point-of-sale (POS), meeting and events (MICE), spa systems, key card systems and all other applications working in unison, synchronising their movements. They’ll stitch out and dance with the web, the digital sales and payment systems and the personal systems that our guests bring in. They will dance with them and then float back through the core systems and over to accounting and analytics, always synchronised in their dataflow to create a symphony of services for guests and employees alike.
Embrace the essence of ballet's meticulous planning and preparation, and you'll undoubtedly lead your systems to dance in perfect harmony, leaving your audience - be it uses or spectators utterly mesmerised
The grand finale of this ballet and symphony-inspired IT architecture is the creation of a remarkable guest journey. Just as ballet and symphony combine individual artistry with collective precision, the orchestrated IT systems blend seamless functionality with personalisation to create an unforgettable stay.
So, the next time you find yourself architecting an IT platform, I suggest remembering the poise and artistry of ballet. Embrace the essence of ballet’s meticulous planning and preparation, and you'll undoubtedly lead your systems to dance in perfect harmony, leaving your audience - be it users or spectators utterly mesmerised.
This harmonious ensemble demonstrates that, when choreographed adeptly, technology is a crucial enabler of exceptional hospitality experiences, where every system plays its part in a symphony of service that resonates long after the guests have left the stage.
