What activities are included in the IT Project Management Services fee for a Caption By Hyatt franchise?
Caption_By_Hyatt Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
1. Scope of Services, Part 1
IT Project Management Services - The overall process includes a Blueprint Review and IT Project Management & Planning. Listed below are the activities for each component which are included in the IT Project Management Services fee.
- Initial Discussion
- Blueprint Review.
- Provide and review IT Systems Bid Book, Hyatt IT Brand Standards, Cabling SOW, etc. (Collectively "IT Systems Requirements").
- Project Management and Planning
- Communicate status on an agreed upon schedule.
- Plan and direct the overall IT Project Management activities through implementation and sign-off.
- Monitor all Teams/Vendors with respect to standard work processes related to IT System installations.
- Coordinate installation of the standard IT Systems and facilitate communication between Vendor and hotel.
- Act as the Single Point of Contact ("SPOC") for IT problem escalation during Vendor installations.
- Provide specifications and oversight for low voltage cabling.
- Procurement Assistance
- Review IT orders for accuracy and pricing ("Purchase Orders").
- Communicate IT Systems Requirements to Vendors.
- Manage and provide reports of any modifications and/or updates to original Purchase Orders ("Change Orders").
- Vendor Management and Scheduling
- Be the SPOC for Hyatt IT Vendor scheduling and coordination.
- Work with construction general contractor or Owner to identify schedule touch points and dependencies.
- Manage Hyatt Vendor issues.
- Communicate Hyatt IT Vendor on-site dates.
- Coordinate Hyatt IT Vendor training and hotel signoff.
- Schedule and facilitate Hyatt Vendor meetings as possible.
- EMV on-property setup, on-property mobile entry setup, interface configuration support.
- Hyatt Network Operations consulting VPN setup and systems whitelisting.
- Hyatt Telecom consulting faceplate approval, Auto-attendant setup and standardization, Music on hold setup and standardization.
Source: Item 22 — Contracts (FDD page 85)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Caption By Hyatt Franchise Disclosure Document, the IT Project Management Services fee covers a range of activities related to IT system implementation. This includes an initial Blueprint Review, where Hyatt provides and reviews IT Systems Bid Book, Hyatt IT Brand Standards, and Cabling SOW.
The fee also covers project management and planning, encompassing communication of status updates, directing IT project management activities through implementation, monitoring vendors, coordinating the installation of standard IT systems, acting as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for IT problem escalation, and providing specifications for low voltage cabling. Procurement assistance includes reviewing IT orders, communicating IT Systems Requirements to Vendors, and managing modifications to Purchase Orders.
Vendor management and scheduling are also included, with Hyatt acting as the SPOC for vendor scheduling, working with the general contractor to identify schedule touch points, managing vendor issues, communicating on-site dates, coordinating training, and facilitating vendor meetings. Additionally, the fee covers EMV setup, mobile entry setup, interface configuration support, Hyatt Network Operations consulting for VPN setup and systems whitelisting, and Hyatt Telecom consulting for faceplate approval, auto-attendant setup, and music on hold setup.
These services are crucial for ensuring that the Caption By Hyatt hotel's IT infrastructure is set up according to brand standards, which can impact the guest experience and operational efficiency. However, franchisees should note that the FDD also specifies services that are NOT included in this fee, such as the installation and configuration of network, server, or workstation hardware and software, purchasing required hardware and software, and performing upgrades to existing equipment.