Novus AI: The new operating model for data-driven hospitality brands

We recently hosted a webinar featuring our hospitality data specialists Simon Blackbourne and Nick Baker, who introduced Novus-AI - our innovative data solution designed specifically for the hospitality industry.

Below you'll find the full recording, along with key insights from the session distilled into this article.

What's changing in hospitality data analytics?

The hospitality sector is experiencing a significant shift in how operators approach their data. During our webinar, Simon Blackbourne, Co-Founder of Tahola and Chief Customer Officer at Ometis, shared that there's been a significant change in what hospitality businesses want from their data over the past 12-18 months.

While there's plenty of discussion around AI capabilities and predictive analytics, Simon pointed out that the more fundamental change is about bringing together more diverse data sources:

"We're seeing operators wanting to look at more data sources now—table booking data, accommodation booking data, gaming data for experiential leisure concepts, loyalty data, and marketing data like CRM, Google Analytics, and digital marketing metrics."

This integration allows hospitality businesses to develop a single customer view and understand guest behaviour more comprehensively.

Why Novus-AI was created: filling the hospitality tech gap

Many hospitality operators face a common challenge: they want sophisticated data insights but lack the resources for a full data team or bespoke solution.

As Simon explained during the webinar, not every organisation, even larger ones, have dedicated data teams.

If you don't want to invest in building an internal data capability, how do you still get a solution that delivers valuable insights?

Novus-AI was developed specifically to address this gap. It offers:

• A scalable platform suitable for both small and large operators
• World-class technologies (Snowflake and Qlik Cloud)
• A subscription-based commercial model aligned with how hospitality operators typically purchase technology
• Pre-built integrations with popular hospitality systems

Simon summed it up nicely: "We saw an opportunity to build a platform that would work as well for a small operator as it would for a large operator."

How Novus-AI works alongside existing hospitality systems

Nick Baker, Director of Professional Services at Ometis, shared that Novus-AI integrates with the systems operators already use in their businesses.

"We integrate with whichever systems a customer wants to bring into Novus. Typically that would be something like an EPOS system, maybe labour data, table booking data, and guest experience CRM data."

The key advantage is the pre-built data pipelines Ometis has developed for a wide variety of hospitality systems. Nick explained that they've built connections for systems like Symphony, Fourth, Collins, 7Rooms and many more.

This means operators can quickly start visualising their data and building reports without significant upfront investment.

If you'd like to learn more, check out the recording of our Novus-AI webinar:

Key features and capabilities of Novus-AI

1. Multiple system integration

Novus-AI brings together data from various sources into a single platform. Nick highlighted that the real benefits come when you can combine different data sets together.

"We bring everything together into a single app, which we call the performance app, which brings KPIs from various places around your business into a single place."

This allows operators to examine sales alongside bookings, labour costs, and other metrics in one view.

2. Pre-built dashboards with customisation options

The solution comes with starter dashboards that provide immediate value, including:

• Sales performance dashboards showing key metrics like net sales, covers, and spend per head
• Labour dashboards that help match staffing patterns to sales patterns
• Booking visualisation to forecast future demand
• Customer feedback analysis with sentiment analysis capabilities

These dashboards are fully customisable. As Nick pointed out, "It's a self-service tool. We train people in the right tool sets and they can build whatever they like with this."

3. Mobile accessibility

Novus-AI works across devices, including tablets and phones. Simon noted that you don't need to get your laptop out to access Novus-AI; you can simply use your phone wherever you have network coverage.

How to get started with Novus-AI

The implementation process includes the following:

1. A detailed scoping session with stakeholders to understand requirements
2. Integration prioritisation, typically starting with the quickest wins
3. Data pipeline deployment and dashboard setup
4. Training for team members

Nick emphasised that the goal is to get customers using the system and gaining insight from their data as quickly as possible.

Is Novus-AI right for your hospitality operation?

Novus-AI is particularly well-suited for:

• Operators without dedicated data teams
• Organisations seeking quick implementation without complex IT projects
• Businesses using multiple hospitality systems who want a unified view
• Operations wanting to move beyond static reports to interactive analytics
  
  

See Novus-AI in action

If you'd like to explore how Novus-AI could help your hospitality operation become more data-driven, book a demo to see it for yourself: