digitalization readiness in the hospitality industry

Bridging the Digital Divide: CiMSO’s Hospitality Education Initiative Recognised by UNESCO

20th February 2024
Johan Marais

Technology is rapidly transforming industries, and the hospitality sector is no exception. As the demand for digital skills in hospitality continues to rise, there is a pressing need to equip future professionals with the necessary tools and a world-class hospitality education to thrive in this evolving landscape.

CiMSO was invited to present its “give-back” policy at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conference in Singapore in 2023. This initiative was born out of a commitment to address the disparity between graduates’ digital skills and the hospitality industry’s evolving digital skill requirements.

Government-accredited training institutions have free access to software.

At the initiative’s core lies a simple yet powerful concept: providing government-accredited training institutions, including colleges, universities, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), free access to CiMSO’s management software. By extending this technology to educational institutions, CiMSO aims to equip students with hands-on digital expertise, ensuring they graduate with the practical digital skills and hospitality education necessary to excel in the modern hospitality landscape.

Hospitality Education

Leveraging Hospitality Education to Ensure a Brighter Future

Understanding the importance of proper training and support, CiMSO offers comprehensive training programs, hospitality education for teachers, and ongoing support to institutions implementing their software. This approach ensures educators and students can effectively leverage technology’s power.

The impact of CiMSO’s initiative has been published under the UNESCO International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, alongside other international best practices for innovative and promising practices in TVET. This acknowledgement underscores the significance of CiMSO’s efforts to advance digital education within the hospitality sector.

“Through world-class hospitality education we can bridge the digital divide and create a brighter, more inclusive future for all aspiring hospitality professionals”

Anle van Eeden – CiMSO’s training resource manager.

Recognized by UNESCO, CiMSO’s initiative pioneers change in hospitality education. Offering free access to their management software, CiMSO equips students with essential digital skills, contributing to a more inclusive future for aspiring hospitality professionals.

These institutions are part of CiMSO’s initiative to bridge the digital skills gap in the hospitality industry by providing government-accredited training institutions with free access to its management software.

  • Gondwana Collection (certified) in Namibia provides training and uses stock and recipe management, point-of-sale for bakery sales, and stock management.
  • The African Hospitality and Tourism School in Windhoek, Namibia, which has trained 12 trainers and 82 students on CiMSO software
  • The Katutura campus of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), which has purchased software for its hotel and uses stock management
  • The Gondwana Lodge in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), which has benefited from CiMSO’s software donation and received training and installation from a reseller
  • The African Hospitality and Tourism School in Windhoek, Namibia, has trained 12 trainers and 82 students on CiMSO software.

CiMSO’s Digital Empowerment: Revolutionizing Hospitality Education

Discover CiMSO’s software suites, spotlighted above, transforming hospitality education. This integrated range redesigns operations, enhances guest experiences, and effortlessly streamlines management. Here’s a sneak peek into our holistic suite:

  • CLIENTmanager: to manage client relationships (CRM) and protect valuable client data (CDP)
  • ACCOUNTSoffice: to control accounts receivable (debtors) and accounts payable (creditors)
  • BACKoffice: to manage cashbooks, bank reconciliation, and General Ledger to balance sheet
  • WORKshop Service Tickets: Service tickets, Status management, Ticket assignment & Tracking
  • STOCKmanager: to control stock, manage procurement and facilitate scrumptious food recipes
  • INNkeeper: to manage lodging facilities, dynamic rates, bookings, front office, and guest folios
  • HOUSEkeeper: Housekeeping with staff to unit allocations, room points, and room status control
  • SPAscheduler: Treatments & venues database, therapists competency, scheduling view & billing
  • ACTIVities: Recreational activities & vessel database, staff competency, scheduling view & billing
  • SHOPkeeper: Retail touch screen points of sale integrated to stock (IN) and debtors (AR) ledgers
  • RESTaurateur: to manage food and beverage outlets with touch screen Points of Sale
  • DOCmanager: for near paperless document management, structured e-filing, and fast retrieval
  • INNsync: to seamlessly synchronize data between multiple properties and central reservations
  • TOOLbox: a comprehensive tool kit for system support out in the bush

Contact us

CiMSO supports clients transitioning from fragmented legacy software systems to integrated ERP solutions. CiMSO also manages the successful deployment of new systems in compliance with their ISO90003 Quality Management Systems and PRINCE II project management methodologies.

Don’t hesitate to contact your local CiMSO office or Value Added Reseller for more information on CiMSO’s Integrated ERP Software Suites for Hotels, Lodges, ResortsClubsTimeshare, and Leasing management.