The Definition of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

The Definition of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Integrated Pest Management is a control strategy that uses all available information to give long-term pest control. Integrated pest management incorporates targeted sustainable and environmentally sound methods.

Methods of Integrated pest management (IPM) include education, habitat modification, biological control, cultural control and, where necessary, the use of the least hazardous pesticides.

The three E's are a simple way to remember the main principles of IPM.

Effectiveness - (How well will the method work?)
Economics - (How much will it cost?)
Environment - (Does it include non target animals/organisms?)

Integrated Pest Management Assessment

The Basis...
The basis of Integrated Pest Management is to make a correct assessment of existing pest infestations and forecast likely future pest infestations. The assessment is based on an Integrated Pest Management Survey, including correct identification of any pest species that are present. Practical knowledge of pest behaviour and the effectiveness and risks associated with the available pest control methods.

To carry out an effective pest assessment and identification we need a good understanding of the relationship between hazard and risk.

Hazard is the potential something has to cause harm. Harm may include a skin rash a cough or in extreme cases even death.

Risk is the likelihood that the hazard will cause you harm. Integrated Pest Management assessments should follow a six-point plan:

* 1 Assess the extent of the problem by undertaking a full survey of the premises.
* 2 assess if the problems can be solved by good housekeeping alone.
* 3 Assess if the problem can be solved by the use of non-chemical methods.
* 4 If the problem cannot be solved by using non-chemical methods what is the most suitable and least hazardous pesticide.
* 5 Assess post treatment action to reduce risks to both occupiers and the environment.
* 6 Assess whether future treatment and monitoring visits are required.

Integrated Pest Management Survey Techniques

The Survey...
An Integrated Pest Management survey is one that collects the data required on the pest species, including the distribution and numbers of pest at a given point in time.

When surveys are conducted over a longer period they are considered to be monitoring operations. Which are to show us how the pest population changes, so we can check the performance of our control operations.

The ability to accurately survey a property is fundamental to the Integrated Pest Management monitoring process. Firstly obtain a site plan and undertake a walk around to familiarise yourself with the premises. Take note of any signs of pest activity this may include droppings and damage to property or products. Ask people who work on the site if the have noticed signs of pests or have had pest problems in the past. Note any housekeeping issues, as all pests need food and moisture to survive. Look for cracks/ holes in walls and broken drain covers. Once the survey is complete you should consider whether you have all the information you require to make a full Integrated Pest Management assessment. Do you need to make another site visit? Consider undertaking a night survey.

Integrated Pest Management Monitoring

Monitoring...
Site visits may not be enough to discover all pest species monitoring traps should be used to assess possible pest activity. Some monitoring devices are designed to attract and trap and kill insects other traps will catch the pest alive such a live catch mousetraps. The presence of pests in a monitoring trap gives us a good indication of the size of the infestation. Monitoring dust is also a useful tool to track and monitor pest activity.

Pest Identification

Identification...
Accurate pest identification of pest species is a critical factor in IPM. Pest can usually be identified from their external anatomy. Occasionally a Specialist in insect identification may need to be used.

Pest Control

Control...
Once the extent of the problem has been identified the best method of pest control can be decided. The most environmentally acceptable methods should always be considered first.

Non-chemical methods include proofing to keep the pest out of the infested area. The use of bristle strips and fly screens can be a good solution. Activities such as filling Rodent access holes with rodent proof paste or even better cement will have very good effect. Investigate the possibility of changing the environment to make it unsuitable to the pest to live. Consider trapping methods.

Chemical control is the last option you should consider Pesticides come in many forms these include bait, gels and sprays. A good pesticide will be selective in action meaning it will have a good effect on the target but be safe to use where non target animals / organisms may be present. Most pesticides will present some hazard to animals and humans but the risk can be lowered with proper application techniques and the use of PPE.

When it has been established that the use of a pesticide is required a properly approved product must be used and must be applied using the correct method.

Always check the product label for application rates required PPE and that is suitable to treat the particular pest. Most pesticides can only be purchased and used by trained and qualified operators.

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Debt Management, Budgeting and Financial Controls - Planning The Budget

Planning the Budget

In the previous exercise, we have identified all costs and all income and now have a clear picture of the current situation. Using this information, the budget we set will, in effect, be an overview of how we live our lives from this point on. There will be certain rules that we have to stick with, but we will know that sticking to the rules will allow us to achieve our future financial goals.

The next part of the process is a little more painful and certainly more laborious than the last, but nevertheless must be done. Begin with the easy stuff first. This is the middle section on the budget sheet, i.e.:

- motoring expenses;

- food and housekeeping;

- miscellaneous goods and services;

- personal and leisure;

- sundries and emergencies.

There will be lots of low hanging fruit here (easy savings to be made).

For example, let's say your daily expenditure diary reveals that on your commute to work you buy a newspaper at the railway station and a coffee while you wait for the train. You buy lunch at the deli around the corner, but go to the local pub for a sit down lunch and a drink on a Friday. You have a drink with colleagues after work on average 2 nights a week and buy an evening paper to read on the train on the way back from work. This is what this expenditure looks like over the week:

Morning coffee: 1.50 x 5 = 7.50

Morning paper: 0.60 x 5 = 3.00

Lunch at the deli 2.50 x 4 = 10.00

Bar lunch: 7.50 x 1 = 7.50

After work drinks: 2.80 x 2 = 5.60

Evening paper: 0.50 x 5 = 2.50

Weekly total: 7.50 + 3 + 10 + 7.50 + 5.60 + 2.50 = £36.10

Look at this again. Every single item is discretionary, yet it will cost you £144.40 in a 4 week month.

You may not be able to give everything up on the list, but taking a flask of coffee to work with a packed lunch may be a start. Many newspapers now offer yearly subscriptions that will cut the weekly bill by more than half - if you still need to have a newspaper every morning and every evening (do you?). The pub lunch could be dropped and the drinks with the colleagues after work cut back to one drink one evening a week - still sociable enough for most people.

In this example we might get back something like £130 per month. If there are two of you doing it, it might be more like £260 per month.

You need to do this type of breakdown and cost reduction exercise on each line item. Drop things like takeaways to a once a month treat and (if you do not already) learn to cook and cut out ready meals and other prepared food. You will not only save money, you will find you start living healthier too.

Examine closely how you do your motoring. Could you mange with one car instead of two? Could you get rid of the gas guzzling 4 x 4, which would reduce insurance, maintenance, road tax and fuel bills - all at once? Hopefully you are getting the idea by now.

Once the individual figures have been reviewed and cost reductions identified, you can put the new figures into the budget sheet and we can now start to see the new budget taking shape.

Next we can look at the first section. That is:

-housing costs;

-rates and utilities;

-important household services;

-personal insurances.

These are largely fixed costs, but there are opportunities here too. Housing costs such as rent or mortgages can be reduced. Mortgage deals can be switched to take advantage of new lender deals, or fixed rate schemes taken on if interest rates look like rising in the near future. The term of the loan can be extended or (if things are really tight) payments dropped to interest only for a while. You need to ask the question.

If you are renting, could you manage with a smaller property, or a one in a less fashionable area? Could you move closer to work at the same time and reduce daily travelling costs?

Take a look at what seems to be fixed costs such as personal, or household, insurances and compare rates and benefits. Deals in this area change literally every week.

Gas and electric costs can be reduced by switching supplier or, better still, turning down the heating and switching off lights and appliances when they are not being used. Focus on this for a while and you might be pleasantly surprised at the difference it will make.

And so on.

The last cost section is the credit card and unsecured debt one. Much like insurances this may be a more flexible area than you think. If your credit rating is good then you have lots of room here to take on new cards and deals with 0% interest rates. Make sure when you do this that you close down the accounts you are transferring from. That is, you do not increase your overall indebtedness, or availability of debt.

If your credit rating is already poor, or bad, this may not be an option for you, so you will have to find other ways to reduce your repayments. One thing that creditors like to see is that their debtors are in control of the situation. A well put together budget sheet like the one we are in the process of outlining here can be a huge help.

Using the budget sheet you can identify all income and expenditure that needs to be made before handling your unsecured debt. This will leave you a set amount that can be used to negotiate reduced payments to your creditors.

This is a separate subject in its own right, but showing you are in control of your own finances may allow you to negotiate a reduced payment plan with the companies concerned.

Any other thing you can do in this area to consolidate debt and reduce overall interest payments needs to be examined closely.

However, you need to resist the temptation to make any loan consolidations that involve using your property for security. There is probably another way, so explore the other ways first.

The last section is income. You may have been tough with yourself in the cost section, but the other dimension to the budget is of course income. The more you increase your income, the less you need to cut back (or the bigger the benefit if you do).

Whilst writing 'increase your income' is very easy for me to do, in reality it is much harder to do. However, there may be opportunities you had not considered which may be worth exploring such as overtime, weekend shifts, unsociable shifts, additional responsibilities that could be taken on, or even a second job. Switching jobs could also be an option as could be starting a completely new career.

In other words increasing income is not always about getting further up the greasy pole, sometimes it is about taking a sideways move into any area you had not considered before.

One last point on income: while you have the budget sheet in front of you it is worth evaluating the cost of work. In other words, when you add up travel, parking, fuel, dry cleaning, child care, work wear etc then subtract it from your income - that will give you a true figure of what you earn.

Finalising the Budget

The above represents a substantial investment in time and effort. The end result will be a budget sheet which is accurate, personally optimised and which puts you in control of your own finances.

Having made this effort, you should now have identified specific allowances for each item and you now need to be sure that money is allocated each month to cover those items whether they occur weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly.

It is unlikely that you will be able to reduce all of your costs, move house, change jobs, etc, all at once, so you may have recognised already that this budgeting exercise can be a progressive thing that happens over time.

Therefore, to begin with, you will need to ensure that costs are under control and, as a minimum, outgoings equal income. Over time you will look for cost savings and income increasing opportunities and, once taken advantage of, you can then revisit the budget sheet, put in the new figures and move on.

One completely free benefit to all of this is that, once it is all complete and you are sticking to it, you get a full night's sleep whenever you want.

Next

Sticking to the budget

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Different Types of Hospitality Management Systems

Hospitality management systems are the software that runs your hospitality business. From the food ordering system in your restaurant, to online accommodation booking software, it enables efficient communication and management of your operation, ultimately increasing revenues.

With a range of hospitality management systems to choose from, understanding what is offered is important in order to find the right system that is tailored for your needs and budget. Depending on the type of operation you manage, you should consider the following systems, their advantages and suitability to your company.

Accommodation management software:

Accommodation software packages range from those aimed at B&Bs and small motel owners to ones for running big hotels, clubs and resorts. The basic package offers simple guest and room management, while the more complex ones cover every aspect needed to manage and run a big hotel chain. This includes reservations, service, retail, inventory, staff roster and training, accounting and much more.

Front desk: A front office software package should enable reception staff to keep track of all bookings, state of rooms, guest details and charges, coordinate restaurant reservations for guests, plan housekeeping duties and process guest check-in and check-out. They should also provide a means to communicate effectively with all travel agents and activity operators linked to the system. Features you should look out for include: Reports for arrivals & departures on a specific date. Guest ledger and reservation details, including activities and special requests. Room rates, discounts, package deals, group bookings, etc. Visual schematic of hotel rooms and status. Visual schematic of calendar with room availability. Facility for printing check-in cards for guests. Flexibility in re-assigning guests to different room. Facility to easily add charges to rooms from restaurants, spa, gift shop, etc. Incorporate all payment options upon check-out and print receipt. Print work roster for staff Facilities for storing guest history Communicate efficiently with reservation and travel agents

Housekeeping/maintenance software: Easy-to-use software for the housekeeping and maintenance departments of your accommodation place will increase the efficiency of cleaning and servicing of rooms. Main features of this module will be: Keeping track of room status - dirty, cleaned, inspected, check-ins and check-outs, etc. All information such as number of guests, number of beds, length of stay, special requests (e.g. baby cot, high chair) should be visible to both housekeeping staff and management. Staff can enter maintenance issues as they arise, and those are automatically sent to the maintenance department. Staff can request cleaning materials and toiletries ordered. Staff can keep track of laundry status for uninterrupted linen supply.

Online reservation system: This software package is essential to any accommodation place. It helps you increase direct online bookings instantly. Prospective guests can view hotel rooms (size, choice of beds), availability and prices, plus services and facilities offered. The systems should have instant confirmation of credit card payments or other secure online payment method. After payment of deposit and confirmation by email, guests should be able to login to view or change their reservation details. Cancellation policies should be stated, airport transport options mentioned.

Hospitality management systems for point of sale (POS) operations: This includes restaurants and bars, the hotel gift shop, spa, tour desk and other guest services. It should have the options of direct payment or charge to room. Apart from recording normal vending operations, it should include issuing daily transaction reports to management or the accounting office, and a daily revenue report.

In the POS sector there are many operating hospitality management systems catering for the food vendor sector, namely restaurants, cafés, takeaway shops and delis.

Restaurant (POS) management packages. For POS management packages, you have the choice of an off-the-shelf system for restaurants and cafes, where you can set the options that suit your operation, or a customised one, specifically configured for your business. Most systems are quite easy to use and are cost effective. Their features vary, but most offer the following: Order taking, tallying, and cashier options using a hand-held PDA system. Credit-card processing interface Receipts customized for your business. The more advanced systems also offer: Integrating all transactions with your accounting software. Full inventory/stocktaking facility Translation facilities to selected languages.

Administration software: This module is directed at top management and offers access to all levels of the organization. It provides instant access to the data base of all sectors, ensuring total transparency of operations Overseeing and early intervention by senior staff can prevent mistakes being made by inexperienced employees and save money and the reputation of your business. · Other facilities in this package may include:

Tools for setting different rate systems for rooms and services: daily, seasonal, special promotions, etc. Statistical data - percentage occupancy over set periods, and other data used for policy making and customized reports for board meeting presentations. Organizing promotions and package deals. Inventory for different departments. Employee accounts and employee training programs

Remember: with the high staff turnover common to the hospitality industry, it is important to choose a system that needs minimal training to use, and has 'secure areas', which only authorised personnel (with the proper clearance) may access and use.

Choosing and introducing hospitality management systems for your business is a significant undertaking, both operationally and financially. But once up and running, the system will increase efficiency, cut costs and improve the service in your company. You will have happier staff and happier guests, who will promote your business and ultimately increase your revenue.

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