Key points
- Compare the same object and field with explicit timestamps.
- Assign one correction owner under the interface’s agreed rules.
- Check event recovery before declaring the incident closed.
1. Check that the screens describe the same thing
A housekeeping status and an occupancy status do not necessarily mean the same thing. Start with the room number, stay identifier if needed, exact field and its definition in each system. Check filters, service date and the last refresh time. A list displaying a different day is not evidence of an integration failure.
Front office confirms the operational facts within its responsibility. If actual occupancy is uncertain, apply the property’s procedure for that situation instead of assuming a technical sync problem. This reconciliation process concerns the movement of information already established, with the usual controls governing room access and guest privacy.
2. Create a discrepancy record before editing anything
| Record field | Useful content |
|---|---|
| Reference | Room, object and authorised technical identifier |
| Expected source | Value and modification time with time zone |
| Destination | Observed value and observation time |
| Expected exchange | Included field, confirmed direction and agreed delay |
| Impact | Affected assignment, duplicate work or incorrect release risk |
| Controlled action | Decision owner, authorised correction and next check |
Keep screenshots limited to necessary information and share them through the approved support channel. Remove guest information that does not help the investigation. A useful record allows support to connect the operational discrepancy to technical logs without repeatedly requesting the same details or relying on an undated screen capture.
3. Identify the authoritative source for each field
The correct source can differ by field. The interface agreement and configuration should identify who produces the information, who receives it and which corrections are permitted. Add the expected trigger and the step to investigate to the discrepancy record: sending, receiving or applying the value. Support can then check a specific step without assuming that the connection behaves like another connector.
The nominated lead consults the suppliers before restarting a feed, replaying events or overwriting values. Meanwhile, departmental leads maintain one temporary list of affected rooms or tasks. Every authorised manual correction is recorded there for later reconciliation. Separate the person who approves a correction from the people who need to know its operational consequences.
4. Work through one shared timeline
Fictional example: front office confirms a departure in the PMS at 10:04. At 10:12, the operations app still shows the previous state. The property expects the exchange within the delay agreed with its suppliers. Front office records the identifier and both times; housekeeping retains the room on the discrepancy list and passes on the assignment through the approved temporary process.
Support checks whether the event was received and processed. If the problem concerns one room code, it also examines other events using that code. If the whole feed is delayed, the affected population may be broader. A single discrepancy does not justify an undiagnosed property-wide restart, particularly when other teams are still working normally.
5. Establish that consistency has returned
After the correction, compare an agreed set of affected objects and one new controlled change. Check that old values do not reappear, tasks are not duplicated and the temporary list has been reconciled. Suppliers confirm technical processing; departmental leads confirm that staff can use the resulting information. Record any exceptions that still require manual coordination.
Close the incident with the known cause or explicitly remaining hypothesis, completed actions, evidence and planned monitoring. A corrected screen is insufficient if events remain unprocessed. This discipline helps investigate why digital tools fail in hotels without treating every discrepancy as a mistake by frontline staff.
Frequently asked questions
Should both systems be corrected immediately?
Only under an explicitly approved procedure. Editing both can create conflicts or hide the cause. First identify the authoritative field and the person responsible for the correction.
Does a missing update prove the integration is broken?
Not necessarily. Check the contracted scope, filters, definitions and expected delay. Some fields may not be included in the configured exchange at all.
