Newport Beach, CA - April 22, 2008 - Birch Street Systems today announced that Carlson Hotels Worldwide has selected its Capital Projects Management Suite for a major brand renovation project consisting of more than 250 Country Inns & Suites By Carlson properties throughout North America.  Carlson Hotels Worldwide is using the Capital Projects Management Suite (CPMS) to track and manage Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E) purchasing for managing the roll-out of the brand’s new interior design upgrade to keep the Country Inns and Suites by Carlsonsm brand relevant and appealing to today’s business and leisure travelers staying at mid-priced hotels. 

Individual franchisees will utilize CPMS to manage their property’s renovation project, make design theme choices and procure products to support their project. Carlson will be able to track progress from an online dashboard as each hotel moves through the renovation cycle.  Detailed reports and drill down capabilities are also part of the system, providing information at the product or room-type level. The CPMS will also highlight problem areas by measuring progress against a master schedule.

According to Jim Grimshaw, vice president Guest Experience & Brand Standards, Carlson Hotels Worldwide, “A renovation project of this magnitude is highly complex with dozens of sub-projects happening concurrently. We wanted to ensure brand consistency while adding value by simplifying the process for our hotel licensees.  We selected Birch Street’s Capital Projects Management Suite because it is the only solution tailored to the needs of our industry that combines project management with procurement on a portfolio-wide scale.”