What it means in plain language
Opera, StayNTouch, Mews, Cloudbeds, RoomKeyPMS - these are the PMS platforms running daily ops at most properties. Every other system in the stack (RMS, channel manager, CRS, BI) reads from or writes to the PMS. A bad PMS integration kills downstream automation; a good one is the foundation of every revenue automation play.
How PMS fits in the bigger picture
PMS doesn't live alone - it sits inside the Technology & Systems category and connects to 3 closely related concepts most working revenue managers track in the same breath. Pair this definition with the related terms below to build a working mental model - definitions in isolation are easy to memorize and easy to misuse.
Related terms you should also know
Each of these is one click away - start with whichever you don't already use daily: