Published research from Starfleet Research

Research & Analysis

Explore what our studies found about how organizations choose, use and evaluate technology. Browse survey findings, published studies and analysis for the industries we cover.

Selected findings

What the research found

Findings from studies across hotels, restaurants, retail and healthcare.

Hotels

Both hotel eBooks draw on a Starfleet Research survey of 253 hotel executives, IT staff and other practitioners.

Staff efficiency

82%

of surveyed hoteliers who adopted integrated, cloud-based platforms reported measurable improvements in staff efficiency.

How Top-Performing Hotels Harness the Power of Technology to Turbocharge Operations

Centralized guest data

34%

of surveyed hotels managed guest data centrally. Another 42% relied on disconnected systems and 16% used manual methods.

How Top-Performing Hotels Turn Big Data Into Big Wins

Predictive staffing

15%

of surveyed hotels used predictive or AI-driven tools for labor planning. Meanwhile, 44% still based staffing plans on historical data.

How Top-Performing Hotels Harness the Power of Technology to Turbocharge Operations

More hotel findings
  • 24% · Core systems integration

    24% of surveyed hotels reported that their core systems were fully integrated.

    How Top-Performing Hotels Turn Big Data Into Big Wins

  • About 1 in 3 · Loyalty and guest profiles

    About 1 in 3 surveyed hotels integrated loyalty and engagement data with both their property management and customer relationship management systems.

    How Top-Performing Hotels Turn Big Data Into Big Wins

  • 20% · Staff onboarding

    20% of surveyed hotels reported onboarding staff in under a week.

    How Top-Performing Hotels Turn Big Data Into Big Wins

  • 63% · Labor cost expectations

    63% of surveyed hoteliers believed automation could reduce labor costs by at least 15%. This was an expectation of savings.

    How Top-Performing Hotels Harness the Power of Technology to Turbocharge Operations

  • 27% · Mobile and contactless guest services

    27% of surveyed properties had fully implemented mobile and contactless guest services. Another 44% had implemented them partially.

    How Top-Performing Hotels Harness the Power of Technology to Turbocharge Operations

Restaurants

Starfleet Research surveyed 253 restaurant executives, IT staff and other practitioners for At the Edge. The Restaurant Optimization Playbook draws on surveys with 379 qualified respondents.

Predictive insights

74%

of surveyed restaurant operators rated predictive insights using external factors as very or extremely valuable. Examples include weather, local events and neighborhood traffic.

The Restaurant Optimization Playbook

Revenue lost to system failures

70%

of surveyed restaurant operators reported losing revenue when critical systems failed.

At the Edge: Powering Peak Restaurant Performance

Forecasting confidence

18%

of surveyed restaurant operators were very confident in their ability to forecast sales, labor needs or guest traffic on a daily or weekly basis.

The Restaurant Optimization Playbook

More restaurant findings
  • 20% · Fully integrated systems

    20% of surveyed restaurant owners and operators reported that their technology systems were fully integrated. Half said their systems were only partially integrated.

    At the Edge: Powering Peak Restaurant Performance

  • 15% · Edge computing adoption

    15% of surveyed restaurant operators reported using edge computing extensively. Another 30% used it for specific systems such as point of sale or kitchen management.

    At the Edge: Powering Peak Restaurant Performance

  • 67% · Average check size

    67% of surveyed restaurants using self-service ordering kiosks reported an increase in average check size. Operators pointed to upsell prompts and the freedom guests had to explore their options.

    The Restaurant Optimization Playbook

  • 79% · Handheld orders routed to the kitchen

    79% of surveyed operators using handheld ordering devices said the devices were integrated with their kitchen display systems.

    The Restaurant Optimization Playbook

  • 27% · Gaps in tracking basic metrics

    27% of surveyed operators said they could not reliably track basic metrics such as average order time, prep duration or upsell conversion rates.

    The Restaurant Optimization Playbook

Retail

Source: How Top-Performing Convenience Retailers Speed Up Checkout and Bring Shoppers Back

Checkout speed

76%

of surveyed convenience retailers that added self-checkout reported shorter wait times during peak hours after rollout.

Loyalty and repeat visits

68%

of surveyed convenience retailers that let shoppers redeem rewards at self-checkout reported more repeat visits from loyalty members after rollout.

Mobile payments

63%

of surveyed convenience retailers that tracked payment times by method reported that mobile wallet transactions took less time to complete than chip card transactions.

Healthcare

Source: Everything You Need to Know About Next-Generation Medical Practice Management Solutions

Appointment attendance

72%

of surveyed medical practices that offered automated reminders with a link to reschedule reported fewer missed appointments after introducing the feature.

Insurance eligibility

67%

of surveyed medical practices that automated insurance eligibility checks before appointments reported that front desk staff spent less time resolving coverage questions at check-in.

Claims processing

64%

of surveyed medical practices that used automated checks to flag errors before submitting claims reported fewer claims rejected on the first submission.

Publication library

Published research by industry

Browse selected Smart Decision Guides and research eBooks.

Hotels

Property systems, revenue strategy, operational integration and data use.

Smart Decision Guide to Hotel Property Management Systems cover

Smart Decision Guide

Smart Decision Guide to Hotel Property Management Systems

Evaluation criteria for the property system that connects reservations, front-desk work and other hotel operations.

Smart Decision Guide to Hospitality Revenue Management cover

Smart Decision Guide

Smart Decision Guide to Hospitality Revenue Management

Buying considerations and operating practices for forecasting, pricing and revenue decisions.

How Top-Performing Hotels Harness the Power of Technology to Turbocharge Operations cover

Research eBook

How Top-Performing Hotels Harness the Power of Technology to Turbocharge Operations

Research on integrated hotel systems and their relationship to staff efficiency and day-to-day operations.

How Top-Performing Hotels Turn Big Data Into Big Wins cover

Research eBook

How Top-Performing Hotels Turn Big Data Into Big Wins

How hotels use data integration, analytics and reporting to inform operating decisions.

Explore Hotel Technology Research

Restaurants

Profitability, restaurant systems, resilient operations and guest service.

The Restaurant Optimization Playbook cover

Research eBook

The Restaurant Optimization Playbook

Research on real-time visibility, demand forecasting and the technology decisions that affect restaurant margins.

At the Edge: Powering Peak Restaurant Performance cover

Research eBook

At the Edge: Powering Peak Restaurant Performance

A look at restaurant technology infrastructure, system reliability and operating continuity.

Raising the Bar cover

Research eBook

Raising the Bar

Technology and operating practices for bars and taprooms.

Smart Decision Guide to Restaurant Management and POS Systems cover

Smart Decision Guide

Smart Decision Guide to Restaurant Management and POS Systems

Guidance on evaluating restaurant management and point-of-sale systems, from ordering and payments to reporting and integrations.

Explore Restaurant Technology Research

Retail

Checkout, payments, shopper loyalty and connected-store security.

How Top-Performing Convenience Retailers Speed Up Checkout and Bring Shoppers Back cover

Research eBook

How Top-Performing Convenience Retailers Speed Up Checkout and Bring Shoppers Back

An examination of self-checkout, mobile payments and loyalty rewards in convenience retail.

IoT Security: Best Practices of Top-Performing Organizations in Retail cover

Research eBook

IoT Security: Best Practices of Top-Performing Organizations in Retail

Research on identifying connected devices and managing security across retail environments.

Healthcare

Medical practice management, connected devices and technology risk.

Everything You Need to Know About Next-Generation Medical Practice Management Solutions cover

Research eBook

Everything You Need to Know About Next-Generation Medical Practice Management Solutions

How medical practices use automated appointment reminders, insurance eligibility checks and claims validation to improve front-office and billing workflows.

IoT Security: Best Practices of Top-Performing Healthcare Organizations cover

Research eBook

IoT Security: Best Practices of Top-Performing Healthcare Organizations

An examination of connected-device security and operating practices in healthcare organizations.

Sample Research

Explore selected Starfleet Research publications, available courtesy of the solution providers below.

Cover: The 2025 Smart Decision Guide to Hospitality Revenue Management

The 2025 Smart Decision Guide to Hospitality Revenue Management

Evaluation criteria and practical guidance for selecting AI-powered hotel revenue management solutions.

Licensed version

Courtesy of Revenue Analytics

Read PDF
Cover: The 2023 Smart Decision Guide to Hotel Property Management Systems

The 2023 Smart Decision Guide to Hotel Property Management Systems

A guide to evaluating hotel PMS capabilities, integration requirements and operational benefits.

Licensed version

Courtesy of Infor

Read PDF
Cover: The 2025 Smart Decision Guide to Restaurant Management and POS Systems

The 2025 Smart Decision Guide to Restaurant Management and POS Systems

Buying considerations, evaluation tools and guidance for selecting restaurant management and POS technology.

Licensed version

Courtesy of Shiji

Read PDF
Cover: The Sky’s the Limit: Taking Hotel Revenue Performance to Higher Levels of Success

The Sky’s the Limit: Taking Hotel Revenue Performance to Higher Levels of Success

How AI-powered cloud revenue management and data integration support better forecasting and revenue decisions.

Courtesy of Infor

Read PDF
Cover: How Casino Resort Operations Play a Winning Hand: Technology’s Vital Role

How Casino Resort Operations Play a Winning Hand: Technology’s Vital Role

How integrated hospitality technology supports casino resort operations, service delivery and performance.

Courtesy of Oracle Hospitality

Read PDF
Cover: How Independent Hotels Book Better Performance: Technology’s Vital Role

How Independent Hotels Book Better Performance: Technology’s Vital Role

How independent hotels use technology to improve operations, guest experiences and business performance.

Courtesy of Oracle Hospitality

Read PDF
Cover: Hotel Pools Water Management: Technology Best Practices and State of the Industry

Hotel Pools Water Management: Technology Best Practices and State of the Industry

Research on automated pool monitoring, water management and hotel operating practices.

Courtesy of VivoAquatics

Read PDF
Cover: IoT Security: Best Practices of Top-Performing Hotels and Resorts

IoT Security: Best Practices of Top-Performing Hotels and Resorts

How hotels and resorts approach connected-device visibility, security and operational protection.

Courtesy of Palo Alto Networks

Read PDF
Cover: IoT Security: Best Practices of Top-Performing Organizations in the Retail Industry

IoT Security: Best Practices of Top-Performing Organizations in the Retail Industry

Research on securing connected devices and protecting retail operations.

Courtesy of Palo Alto Networks

Read PDF
Cover: The 2024 Benchmark Report on IoT Security

The 2024 Benchmark Report on IoT Security

How organizations secure connected devices, address IoT security challenges and strengthen protection against threats.

Courtesy of Palo Alto Networks

Read PDF

Research Spotlights

A closer look at individual technology decisions and what the research means for practitioners.

Hotels · Revenue management

Hospitality Revenue Management

What hotels should consider when applying forecasting, pricing and analytics to revenue decisions.

Read the analysis

Hotels · Cybersecurity

IoT Security in the Hotel Industry

How connected devices create operational risks and why visibility matters for hotels and resorts.

Read the analysis

Hotels · Property management

Hotel Property Management Systems

What hotels should look for when evaluating the platform that supports reservations, front-desk work and other daily operations.

Read the analysis

What we’re studying next

See the 2027 Smart Decision Guides and Benchmark Reports in development, and find a survey for your area of expertise.

Explore Upcoming Research