Merlin Software pushes timeshare boards to audit processes before 2027 budgets

Merlin Software is urging legacy timeshare resort boards to add a Business Process Analysis to their 2027 planning agendas before they finalize budgets, fees, staffing and capital plans. The company says the review can expose outdated workflows, hidden manual work and operational risks that affect owners, employees and long-term governance.

Why it matters: - Legacy timeshare resorts face growing pressure from changing owner demographics, higher delinquencies, rising association-owned inventory and increasing demand for online service. - A process review can show whether a resort needs better procedures, better use of existing systems or a longer-term technology upgrade. - Boards that rely on undocumented workflows or employee memory can face continuity risk when staff leave or retire.

What happened: - Merlin Software said established timeshare resorts should add a Business Process Analysis to 2027 board agendas. - The company placed the review alongside budgets, maintenance fees, reserves, insurance, staffing and capital improvements. - Merlin Software CEO Mike Pnematicatos said boards should examine how operations and technology work before making 2027 decisions.

The details: - A Business Process Analysis examines how an organization actually operates. - At a timeshare resort, the review can cover reservations, owner records, maintenance-fee billing and collections, accounting, inventory, rentals, front-desk operations and reporting. - Merlin Software said many legacy resorts still use procedures built for older operating conditions. - The company said some resorts depend on spreadsheets because the main system does not present information in a usable form. - Merlin Software said critical operating knowledge is often concentrated in one long-serving employee. - Ownership demographics are changing, delinquencies and association-owned inventory can rise, rental programs are becoming more important and staffing pressures are increasing automation needs. - Owners increasingly expect online access to reservations, payments, statements and account information. - Boards need reliable information to guide budgets, reserves and long-term direction. - Pnematicatos said the deeper question is whether a resort understands how its operations function today, including procedures, exceptions and workarounds built over decades. - Merlin Software said the analysis should identify work that happens outside the primary management system. - Examples include reports assembled by hand from separate systems, owner requests tracked through emails and handwritten notes, and accounting teams reconciling systems that cannot communicate. - Merlin Software said those workarounds consume staff time, increase error risk and create dependence on a few employees who understand the full process. - Pnematicatos said that dependence is a governance issue, not just a technology issue. - Merlin Software said the review should document property-specific ownership rules, billing cycles, accounting procedures and reservation requirements so institutional knowledge survives retirements and board turnover. - The company advises boards to define operational requirements before comparing software features. - Merlin Software said that sequence is especially important for legacy properties because their ownership structures and operating rules differ from conventional hotels. - A BPA does not automatically mean a resort must replace its current technology. - The review may instead reveal ways to improve procedures, eliminate redundant tasks, strengthen documentation or use existing capabilities more fully. - In some cases, Merlin Software said, the review may point to modernization as a longer-term strategy.

Between the lines: - Merlin Software is framing process review as a management and governance exercise, not a software sales pitch. - The message also suggests legacy resorts may be carrying hidden operational debt that technology alone will not fix. - The emphasis on documentation and institutional memory points to succession planning as a growing board concern.

What's next: - Merlin Software wants boards to assess processes before finalizing 2027 budgets and operational plans. - The company expects resorts to use the review to decide whether to improve current workflows, better document operations or pursue modernization later. - Merlin Software said its own approach starts with understanding existing processes before configuration or migration.