Innovation

💻 Health New Zealand used a single Excel spreadsheet to track $28 billion of public funds, as reported by an article citing an independent Deloitte report. The outdated technology reliance was called a ‘major issue’. In 2020, nearly 16,000 COVID cases went unreported in England due to an old Excel file format limiting data rows, leading to incomplete data over eight days. The European Spreadsheet Risks Interest Group estimates that 90% of spreadsheets contain errors, leading to various costly mistakes worldwide, such as an input error costing a state fund in Ireland €750,000.

📡 Church’s Texas Chicken encountered frequent connectivity downtimes, affecting customer service and daily operations. SVP & CIO Ahnaf Ali highlighted the absence of backup systems and the need for digital platform integration, including POS, mobile app, and digital signage. The brand aimed to improve customer engagement with dynamic digital signage, in-store Wi-Fi, and AI-driven enhancements, necessitating a scalable technology solution.

💾 During a 2025 MURTEC University session, Felicia White and Jason Lechner discussed how 83% of organizations use Learning Management Systems (LMS), with mobile learning boosting productivity by 80%. Pizza Ranch, with 220 locations, uses LMS for consistent training and saw a 5.9-month increase in employee retention for top users. Gamified learning increases retention rates 10-fold, leading to a 41% decrease in turnover at Pizza Ranch, surpassing industry benchmarks by 51%. VR training can improve retention by 75%, while a 3% drop in turnover correlates with a 3% decrease in labor costs, and top-performing locations see a 10% higher operating income.

🏠 Travelers earning Wyndham Rewards points with the new debit card launched by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, targeting younger travelers and those who prefer a debt-free lifestyle. The card offers points on everyday purchases like gas, groceries, and dining, redeemable for free nights at over 60,000 hotels and vacation rentals worldwide. 70% of Gen Z consumers use debit cards weekly, with 65% planning to spend more on travel in 2025. Card benefits include one point per dollar on eligible purchases, Gold level membership perks, a 2,500-point welcome bonus, up to 7,500 annual bonus points, booking discounts, and waived fees with conditions. Powered by Galileo Financial Technologies and Sunrise Banks N.A., backed by Mastercard.

🚀 Real estate is evolving from traditional leases to membership models, generating $450 million in annual membership fees for venues like Soho House. This model offers predictable cash flow with members staying years instead of months, higher customer value as members spend more than one-time guests, and a unique market position out of reach for institutional capital. Emerging niches include branded home communities, adventure sports locations, marinas, and eco-friendly hubs. This shift from owning space to selling access is redefining the industry.

📌 Ronnie Fieg, founder of Kith, faced community backlash in Manhattan for trying to push through a paddle project despite known opposition to racket sports and similar rejections in the past. Alex Wilcox, founder of JSX, is creating an alternative to legacy airlines and pricy private jets by targeting the middle segment. Train travel is resurging due to environmental concerns, convenience in Europe such as Paris to Amsterdam being faster by train, and the appeal of scenic journeys with 70% of Millennials and Gen Z favoring enjoyable journeys. The Not an Hotel brand in Japan offers a hybrid model where members buy into a property portfolio, enabling access to various luxurious properties like Tokyo penthouses and beach villas in Okinawa, reflecting changing attitudes towards property ownership among young professionals who may rent primary residences while investing in vacation homes.

🏨 Mews, a hospitality management platform, raised $75 million on March 4 to modernize the industry's outdated processes. Founder Richard Valtr envisions shifting from room-centric to guest-centric services, leveraging artificial intelligence for personalized guest experiences. AI technology allows digital check-ins and room access via mobile keys while freeing hotel staff for better service delivery. The digital transformation aims to increase ancillary revenue and adapt to new remote work trends, redefining hotels as multifunctional spaces.

💰 Wyndham Rewards, in collaboration with Galileo Financial Technologies, launched a debit card for earning points on purchases redeemable at over 60,000 hotels, resorts, and rentals. The card caters to travelers, especially Gen Z, who prefer debit and includes benefits like Wyndham Rewards Gold membership. Nearly 70% of Gen Z use debit weekly, 65% plan to spend more on travel, and almost 60% value loyalty programs. The card is issued by Sunrise Banks N.A. and operates on the Mastercard network.

💻 AI transformation in the hotel industry by 2025: Marketing teams to produce content rapidly, tailor-made hotel GPTs for guest inquiries, natural AI-driven upselling, automated review responses, instant AI communication expected by guests, smarter AI-assisted event planning, automation of unique repetitive tasks for staff, and a gradual shift towards intuitive AI personalization. The risk for hotels is becoming obsolete by not adapting to AI advancements, which aim to enhance—not replace—hospitality.

📊 Large companies ($500M+ annual revenue) are advancing quickly in gen AI use, outpacing smaller organizations in adopting and scaling gen AI. More than 75% of respondents report AI use in at least one business function. CEO oversight of AI governance correlates with higher bottom-line impact, especially in larger companies where 28% of respondents note CEOs manage AI governance. Workflow redesign and centralized AI deployment are key strategies, with 21% having fundamentally redesigned workflows. Risk mitigation efforts have increased, focusing on inaccuracy, cybersecurity, and IP infringement. Hiring for AI-related roles remains high; 13% have hired AI compliance specialists, and 6% AI ethics specialists. Organizations are reskilling employees to adapt to AI, with a notable emphasis on new activities. AI use climbed to 78% in 2024 across businesses, with gen AI use also rising sharply to 71%. However, significant enterprise-wide EBIT impact from gen AI has yet to materialize for over 80% of organizations. The survey, conducted from July 16-31, 2024, included 1,491 participants from 101 nations.