The Evolution Of
Inventory Management

Like most innovations, Clear Sky software was created to solve an existing and urgent problem. In 1989, a beverage department supervisor at a Washington DC Marriott noticed discrepancies in his inventory and beverage activity.

Since this was over 30 years ago, the hotel managers were using rather elementary methods to maintain their inventory, because what choice did they have? The non-automated methods they employed made it extremely difficult to identify where, how or why inefficiencies were occurring. It was an industry-wide problem that required a progressive solution.

The first generation of Clear Sky software, then known as BICS (Beverage Inventory Control System) was developed to modernize the hospitality industry’s inventory-management system. One of the first automated inventory applications to hit the market, BICS quickly gained a reputation for accuracy and simplicity, and as a result, demand for the product grew.

Jay Williams, a managing partner of Clear Sky Software, was part of the original BICS product development team in 1989. Lynda Murray, also a managing partner, joined the BICS effort in 2000. Together, Jay and Lynda started Clear Sky Software in 2004.

For over 53 years collectively, Jay and Lynda have consistently tweaked and adapted the Clear Sky software and service models to fit the needs of different businesses. What started as a specific solution for a local hotel is now a comprehensive information system suitable for the entire hospitality industry.

Jay Williams

Jay Williams helped found Clear Sky Software in 2004 and has been a driving force in the continuing evolution of the company and its technologies.

Today, as a managing partner and the Director of Sales & Marketing, Jay plays an active role in almost every area of the company’s business. Since the beginning of Clear Sky, Jay has employed a forward-thinking approach, trying to be proactive instead of reactive in regard to fulfilling his clients’ inventory-management needs. While he doesn’t mind pushing the technological envelope to help his clients succeed, Jay has always embraced old-school values in his relationships, with integrity, honesty, and kindness as the pillars of his approach.

When he’s not thinking of ways to tweak the Clear Sky software (which isn’t often), Jay enjoys gardening, playing music (he’s a classically trained percussionist), and cruising in his vintage 1962 Ford Galaxie Sunliner convertible named Lucille!

Lynda Murray

Lynda Murray is a co-founder and managing partner at Clear Sky. Her day-to-day involvement in the company centers around her role as Clear Sky’s Director of Customer Experience & Development.

Lynda’s background in industrial engineering, manufacturing, and programming, combined with her love for helping others makes her an ideal fit for this role, as she has both the expertise and disposition needed to be a significant resource for Clear Sky clients.

Lynda considers all of her clients to be more like friends, and treats them as such, with empathy and kindness. Not only does she not mind rolling up her sleeves alongside her customer support team, she insists on it. Even beyond her ample technological expertise, fostering relationships is Lynda’s real specialty.

When she’s not at work, Lynda enjoys hiking, cooking, volunteering through her church, and spending time with friends and family. She has a special place in her heart for her cat Ghenta, who despite behaving more like a dog than a cat, can do no wrong in Lynda’s eyes.

Company News

Serving The Service Industry

Clear Sky is a versatile and customizable software platform, and as a result, we can partner with virtually any company operating in the hospitality industry, including the following:

  • Restaurants
  • Hotels/Motels
  • Country Clubs
  • Amusement Parks
  • Airports
  • Bars
  • Stadiums/Arenas
  • Concert Venues