In the Marketplace: Inn-Flow's John Erhart

When John Erhart first joined the hospitality industry in 2008, he didn't expect to be developing what he describes as the “best back-office platform in the hotel industry,” yet here he is doing just that for Inn-Flow. Inn-Flow is a hotel-specific accounting and management software designed by hoteliers for hoteliers. The flexible platform enables hoteliers to streamline hotel finances and operations and has sales, labor, payroll and other modules.

John Erhart

In 2008, Erhart joined the executive team at CMC Hotels, a company founded by his father-in-law, Gary Chhabra. As vice president of technology, one of Erhart’s first tasks was to overhaul a spreadsheet-based system used for everything from accounting to payroll.

“This system was crucial for CMC but couldn’t scale with our growth,” he said. “My experience implementing and testing leading applications exposed the limitations of existing market solutions and propelled me to develop a more robust, web-based application tailored to our specific needs. This challenge utilized my tech background and passion for solving complex problems, setting the stage for future innovations in hospitality technology.”

After refining CMC Hotels’ in-house software and sharing it with peers in the industry, Erhart received enthusiastic feedback. Many hotel operators faced similar issues, such as difficulty controlling expenses and lacking visibility into essential metrics. This widespread validation, coupled with a clear market gap for effective back-office software, led to the founding of Inn-Flow in 2014.

Initially, Inn-Flow was focused on delivering a cloud-based application for accounting and labor management tailored specifically for hotel operations. It was designed to be as user-friendly as QuickBooks, integrate seamlessly with the PMS, and provide hotel-specific reporting metrics like cost per occupied room, all while being 100 percent cloud-based, Erhart explained.

“Early on, we recognized the need for visibility, process control and automation to address common industry challenges,” Erhart said. “For example, our clients can significantly reduce their administrative time, which allows their GMs to focus more on guest interaction and overall experience. This feedback was instrumental as we expanded our services to include payroll and bookkeeping. Additionally, the platform was developed to support operations across multiple hotels and multiple brands, ensuring scalability and flexibility. We have continually adapted our offerings based on hotelier needs to enhance functionality and improve user experience.”

On the Horizon

Inn-Flow has committed to aligning closely with product-market fit and developing features that significantly impact its users' daily operations, which has led to high client satisfaction ratings. Several additional leadership positions have been created to allow the company to scale effectively. “These leadership additions are pivotal as we focus on broadening our customer base and enhancing our market reach,” Erhart said. “By attracting top-tier talent and bolstering our capabilities, we are setting the stage for accelerated growth and continued innovation in serving an ever-expanding array of hoteliers across the globe.”

Inspired by Apple’s approach to product development, Erhart said the company aims to create a core group of seamlessly integrated products. “We’re staying ahead of the curve in the industry, ensuring that our platform not only meets but exceeds the modern technological needs of hoteliers.”

Moving forward, Inn-Flow plans to deepen its core offerings and enhance integration with other key platforms, ensuring a seamless user experience, while leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to boost operational efficiencies.

Last year, the company introduced AI-driven AP automation to streamline financial operations. AI has become a central focus for the company’s research and development team and the company is embedding it into more areas of the product suite. “Soon, we’ll launch an interactive P&L feature in our analytics product, enabling team-wide review and feedback directly within the report,” Erhart shared. “This feature will streamline processes and improve collaboration.”

The company is preparing to launch a new product that will further enhance its tools, along with new partnerships that will expand the company’s capabilities and reach.

Clicking with Clients

Inn-Flow offers free support to hoteliers that often extends into consultancy. “By hiring hotel operators and controllers for customer-facing roles, our team brings firsthand experience in hotel operations to the table, providing valuable insights,” Erhart said. “We proactively work with our clients through quarterly reviews and continuous feedback to optimize their use of our platform. During onboarding, we focus on understanding our customers' businesses, highlighting how Inn-Flow can impact their operations most beneficially and jointly crafting a success plan.”

This article was originally published in the June edition of Hotel Management magazine. Subscribe here.