Weather will be what weather will be and we have to accept cost-cutting challenges, which incidentally are not too unlike challenges faced by other businesses that operate in a mature market. How to maximize the productivity of the quality people we are able to attract and hold could be an even bigger challenge. Supplying tools that increase productivity is key. These tools may be automated snowmaking or bigger, faster, quicker groomers. But for inside staff, increased productivity will probably come from personal computers and the training required to use them effectively.
Regardless of the complexity under the hood, personal computer’s can increase productivity in simple ways: 1) PC’s have an insatiable appetite for math that most of us have never mastered; 2) hard-drive failures aside, they don’t forget; 3) you can always read their writing; and 4) unlike humans, they have a willingness to do it over until it’s right.
Among the things that PC’s can’t do is to save time. They will not give you more time to ski or go home early. Computer work, like it’s distant cousin “real” work, expands to fill the time allotted for its completion.
PC’s also are not universally loved. Some people cannot come to accept computers no matter how “personal” they become. Upper management people in corporate America, although pro-computerization, are notoriously disdainful of a PC on their own desks which is an attitude that managers at small ski areas can ill afford. The best equipment, running the perfect application will fail without a commitment to computerization from the bosses as well as the worker bees who run it.
Objections aside, if management selects the right application and provides the proper equipment and training, personal computers can greatly extend the capacities of all staff members.
Equipment Needs
When buying or upgrading PC’s, think big. Personal computers have become commodities, so they can develop a lot of bang for the buck. You will need lots of speed, memory and storage capacity because today’s user-friendly, but powerful, programs demand huge amounts of horsepower to run efficiently.
For a front office machine, at a minimum get an Intel 468 processor with a clock speed of 33 mhz, 8+ megabytes of RAM memory and 200+ meg of hard-disk storage. If the machine is to be dedicated to a single application that does not require blinding speed, you could get by with a 386 processor, 4 meg of memory and a 100 meg hard drive. However, many computers bought for one application find themselves running other, more demanding programs. Because the initial cost is only slightly more, it’s best to err on the big side.
Unless information stored on the machine is off loaded daily, as in some ticketing systems, or the information can be easily restored from another source, every machine should have a high-speed, high-capacity tape backup system for the hard drive. Such backup systems, when used religiously, are critical in accounting and payroll applications.
For some applications, consider laptop or notebook portable computers with a small countertop footprint, which are particularly useful in ticketing and race timing. The built-in battery backup eliminates problems of power fluctuation or failure and lost transactions and their portability permits them to be setup quickly for ticketing or other applications in temporary locations. Notebooks are also great for workaholic ski area operators who feel they need to do some crunching on vacation.
Macintosh computers were the first truly “personal” computers and still have a devoted, almost cult-type following among literary users and granola heads. They are easy to use and probably dominate the graphic arts field. For most business applications and ski area use, however, IBM and its computer clones should be the system of choice, because of the tremendous amount of software available for them.
When looking for a computer dealer, don’t be afraid of buying direct, mail order or off-brand clones. IBM clones made by Dell, Gateway, AST, Zeos and many others can cost less than half the price of a real IBM with guts that are basically the same and service that can be better.
Operation Systems
Before any computer can run much of anything, it needs an operating system. The DOS system for IBM-type machines has an arcane command language that makes them more awkward to use than Macintoshes, which use a graphic command system. But recent innovations make it possible to cloak DOS in a product called Microsoft Windows 3.1, which uses graphics like the Macs. This interface has its detractors, but it does make learning to use the computer much easier. Once you’ve learned one Windows application, you can learn the second without picking up the manual. Almost. At the least, its common interface can cut training time.
Most specialized ski area applications, like ticketing and rentals, are not yet written for Windows, but they can run in Windows. They are written to run in DOS or UNIX. Not a problem since, with dedicated programs, you rarely have to deal with the operating system. For word processing and spreadsheets, presentation graphics and desktop publishing, Windows is absolutely the way to go.
The only caveat is that Windows takes a lot of machine to run at speed. No problem if your buying new equipment, but use caution if your trying to get by with anything smaller than a 386 with 4 meg of memory.
Standardized Software
As a ski area acquires more personal computers, the software can become as personalized as the machines. If the marketing department, for instance, keeps a mailing list on Paradox and writes letters on Ami Pro, the ski school should not use D-Base and Word Perfect for the same functions. Eventually they will want to share information, machines or personnel, which can require a lot of unnecessary maneuvering to pull off. The decision to purchase, change and upgrade software should be a company decision, made company-wide.
On the other hand, individual departments may sometimes benefit from using software that does not appear anywhere else in the company. Desktop publishing need not appear on the computer used in lift maintenance, for example. However, most computers would be better utilized if a core of commonly-used programs for functions such as word processing, spreadsheet and data base appeared on most machines. This permits ticket sellers, for example, to enter names into the mailing list during slow times if that software appears on their machines. The Windows operating environment lets them switch back and forth instantly as needed without losing their place in either program.
When installing programs on multiple machines, it is important to fully understand the copyright and licensing policies of the software. Unless, of course, you are comfortable allowing multiple skiers to share the same lift ticket, you already have a point of identity with software developers.
Where to Start
Productivity gained from front office computerization is well documented, so this is an obvious place to begin. Even the smallest business can do all word processing, bookkeeping and accounting and personnel record keeping on PC’s. This can be followed with tremendous benefits by bringing computerization to the marketing department, rental shop, ticketing, food service and ski school. The next step may be computer monitoring of weather and snowmaking data. From that point, small area operators can take a cautious look at other opportunities around the mountain. I know I am.
