Reach the buyers planning their next technology investment.
Industry-specific research. Credible buyer guidance. Guaranteed qualified leads.
The 2027 Smart Decision Guides will examine how hotels, restaurants, retailers and healthcare organizations use technology to improve business performance. Each guide brings original research and practical buying guidance to a clearly defined technology decision.
Underwriters gain visibility through an established research brand, a managed campaign with an agreed minimum number of qualified leads, and a licensed edition they can keep using across their own marketing and sales programs.
How SDG sponsorship worksFind the research that speaks to your buyers.
Review every planned title, its research focus and the public survey. The series combines established Smart Decision Guide categories with focused new titles addressing the technology decisions practitioners face today.
Planned 2027 titles · Research is in development. These guides are not yet available for download. Cover designs show placeholder underwriter areas. Publication timing and sponsorship availability are confirmed for each title.
Hotels
Four focused guides examine the technologies connecting hotel operations, guest relationships and financial performance. The series includes the eighth edition of Hotel Property Management Systems, the sixth edition of Hotel Revenue Management & Profit Optimization and the second edition of Hotel Guest Engagement and Experience Management.
Hotel Property Management Systems
The operational core of the hotel: reservations, inventory, guest information and front-office workflows. Research will examine integration, usability, data access and the implementation practices that help hotels get more from their PMS investment.
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Hotel Guest Engagement and Experience Management
How hotels connect guest communications, requests, personalization and feedback with service delivery. The study will examine cross-department workflows, employee handoffs and the measures hotels use to evaluate guest experience and staff productivity.
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Hotel Revenue Management & Profit Optimization
Demand forecasting, pricing, distribution costs and the wider financial implications of revenue decisions. The guide will examine connected data, AI-assisted analysis and the practices hotels use to evaluate revenue opportunities and profitability.
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Hotel Direct Booking and Guest Relationship Management
The technologies and practices connecting the booking journey with guest relationships and repeat business. Topics will include booking conversion, guest profiles, relevant communications, personalization and marketing measurement before, during and after a stay.
View research survey Request sponsorship detailsRestaurants
Five focused guides build on six successful editions of Restaurant Management and POS Systems. Each takes a closer look at a distinct buying decision while examining the connections between guest experience, operating discipline and profitability.
Restaurant POS Systems and Payments
Ordering, payments, kitchen connections and reporting across restaurant service formats. The guide will examine how operators evaluate reliability, usability, integration and the workflows affecting order accuracy, staff productivity and the guest experience.
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Restaurant Loyalty, Guest Data and Digital Marketing
How restaurants use guest data, loyalty programs and digital marketing to encourage profitable repeat business. The study will examine data quality, relevant offers, customer preferences and the measures used to distinguish incremental visits and sales from routine activity.
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Restaurant Purchasing, Inventory and Food Cost Control
The decisions affecting food costs from purchase order to plate. Topics will include purchasing, receiving, inventory visibility, recipe costing, forecasting and waste, with attention to the information managers need to protect margins.
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Restaurant Voice AI for Ordering and Guest Service
How operators evaluate voice AI for phone ordering, guest questions and service interactions. Research will address accuracy, menu and POS connections, language support, complex requests, employee handoffs and testing under real operating conditions.
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Restaurant Workforce Management Systems
Aligning staffing with demand, service needs and employee availability. The guide will examine labor forecasting, scheduling, time and attendance, workforce coordination and the practices that reduce administrative work while supporting managers and employees.
View research survey Request sponsorship detailsRetail
Five guides examine the connected decisions behind modern commerce, inventory, customer relationships and store execution. The research brings technology capabilities together with the data, workforce practices and security controls needed to put them to work.
Retail POS and Unified Commerce
Connecting transactions, orders, inventory and customer information across channels. The guide will examine payments, mobile and self-service checkout, returns, order management and the integration needed to support reliable service and reduce duplicate work.
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Retail Inventory Management and Omnichannel Fulfillment
Knowing what is available, where it is located and how to fulfill a customer promise. Research will examine inventory accuracy, AI-assisted forecasting, replenishment, order routing and returns, alongside fulfillment costs and store productivity.
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Retail Loyalty and Personalized Customer Engagement
Connecting customer profiles, rewards and personalized communications across stores and digital channels. The study will examine consent, recommendations, associate tools and how retailers assess incremental visits, sales and profit.
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Retail IoT and Connected-Store Cybersecurity
The visibility, ownership and protection of connected devices across stores. Topics will include device discovery, access, network separation, software maintenance and incident response, with attention to reliability and the practical demands of store operations.
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Retail Workforce Management and Store Operations Solutions
Coordinating the people and tasks behind consistent store execution. The guide will examine demand forecasting, scheduling, communications, employee self-service and task management, alongside schedule quality, service levels and manager workload.
View research survey Request sponsorship detailsHealthcare
Two focused guides examine the administrative, operational and financial technologies supporting healthcare organizations and medical practices. Both will address implementation, staff readiness, integration and the measures leaders use to assess results.
Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management and Automation
How information and work move from registration and coverage checks through claims, payments and follow-up. The guide will examine AI-assisted administrative work, appropriate staff review and measures such as days in receivables, cost to collect and the patient billing experience.
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Medical Practice Management Systems
The systems supporting scheduling, patient access, referrals and day-to-day practice administration. Research will examine connections with clinical and billing systems, patient self-service, staff coordination, usability and implementation requirements.
View research survey Request sponsorship detailsResearch, audience access and qualified demand in one program.
Starfleet Research develops the research and buyer guidance. Starfleet Media manages production, promotion and qualified lead delivery, bringing the program together around the audience your company wants to reach.
Research buyers can use.
Each guide benchmarks best practices in technology-enabled business initiatives and translates the findings into buying considerations, evaluation criteria, must-ask questions and implementation priorities. The research examines technology alongside people, processes, data and performance measures to help practitioners drive continuous improvement.
Qualified leads matched to your market.
A managed Starfleet Velocity campaign promotes the guide through channels selected for its audience. Your team agrees on the target prospect criteria and minimum lead commitment before the campaign begins. Captured leads are reviewed and validated before delivery.
A licensed edition for ongoing use.
Participating underwriters receive their own branded edition with perpetual licensing rights. Use it across landing pages, sales outreach, nurture campaigns, social media, trade shows and other marketing initiatives, alongside the shared guide and its managed promotion.
Your experience helps make the findings useful.
If you have direct insight into one of these technology areas, we invite you to take the relevant survey. Your perspective helps ground the research in the realities of implementation, daily operations and performance improvement.
Each survey explains participation, confidentiality and the option to receive the report. Thank you for sharing your time and experience.
Make the right research part of your growth strategy.
Tell us which Smart Decision Guide interests you and the companies and decision-makers you want to reach. We’ll discuss sponsorship availability, research plans, publication timing, promotional channels and the qualified-lead criteria for your program.
Starfleet Research maintains editorial control so the guide remains a useful, credible resource for buyers. Participating underwriters can review drafts and contribute input as the research and content develop.
A sales associate will follow up with sponsorship details.