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Payment and Workforce Solutions at HITEC 2025 – Image Credit Unsplash
As my final blog post on payment and workforce solutions, I’d like to share insights gained from valuable vendor meetings on the HITEC 2025 show floor. These conversations offered practical perspectives on how to assess and plan for these types of applications. Below are some helpful hints to guide your own evaluation process.
Modern Payment Systems: What to Ask and What to Know
The primary goal of a modern payment system is simple: reduce the time and expense of processing invoice payments. That means cutting back on printing, signing, mailing checks, and managing the reconciliation of outstanding payments.
When evaluating solutions, keep these key questions in mind:
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Do individual vendor payments appear as separate entries on the bank account, or is there a lump debit for the full batch?
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Does the solution automate invoice posting through email or scanned images, including GL account assignment?
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How is the vendor compensated? Is there a rebate program tied to ghost card volume, or does the vendor retain all rewards and offer the service at no cost?
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Can the vendor handle international payments, or are there regional restrictions due to banking laws?
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Is their system fully integrated with your purchasing, AP, and GL software to support accurate reporting and reconciliation?
Where Vendor Solutions Come From
Solutions to automate accounts payable generally come from three sources:
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ERP Vendors – Your current ERP may have a preferred payments partner with integrated features.
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Procure-to-Pay Vendors (P2P) – Purchasing vendors may bundle payments functionality with inventory features.
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Third-party Payment Vendors – These can often work with your existing systems but may lack full integration points.
Workforce Solutions: Matching Tools to Organizational Needs
In a previous post, I covered six categories of workforce and talent applications. While some vendors offer a combination of these tools, it’s rare to find one that does it all. It’s best to start by focusing on your most critical needs.
Key Functional Areas to Explore
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Recruiting and Onboarding – Digital hiring tools eliminate paperwork and may pass data to payroll, but integration is often limited.
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Time and Attendance – Most include scheduling, mobile apps, and self-service features. Some even offer dynamic scheduling tied to business forecasts.
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Payroll Processing – Often outsourced, modern payroll platforms include features you’d expect from full HRIS/HCM systems, like benefits management.
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Hospitality-specific Vendors – Given the complexity of our industry, vendors with hospitality experience are strongly recommended.
Tailoring Solutions by Property Type
The size and structure of your organization will shape your tech needs.
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Smaller, limited-service properties may not require scheduling or time clocks.
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Larger, full-service hotels and resorts should prioritize tools like dynamic scheduling and labor forecasting.
A Recommended Starting Point
Start with your payroll application—it’s the foundation of workforce management. A solid payroll system with GL integration is essential. Once that’s in place, your provider can often recommend trusted integration partners to round out your HR tech stack.
If you’re planning to explore workforce or payment solutions, use these questions and considerations as a roadmap. The right tools can deliver major gains in efficiency, accuracy, and employee satisfaction.
Ron Strecker
Ron Strecker, CHAE+, CHTP+, is an independent consultant, author, and speaker. He presently serves as chair of the HFTP CHAE Advisory Council, member of the HFTP Academy Advisory Council, and an advisor in the HFTP Certification Advisory Program (CAP). Throughout his career, Strecker has applied his finance and technology skills to improve the organization’s financial and management reporting. His consulting work aids clients in improving their back-office practices and technology. In addition to consulting, Strecker has authored numerous articles related to hospitality finance and technology and spoken at various conferences including HITEC, HFTP Annual Convention, and the FEI Leadership Summit.
This article originally appeared on HFTP.
