Technology
Business intelligence
Also written: BI
What Business intelligence means
Business intelligence (BI) is the technology-driven process of aggregating, analyzing, and visualizing raw operational, financial, and guest data from disparate hotel systems like the PMS, POS, and CRM into actionable dashboards to optimize performance, forecasting, and profitability.
How it is used
Revenue managers, general managers, and asset managers use BI platforms to break down data silos between departments. Instead of manually exporting spreadsheets, operators use automated BI dashboards to track real-time pick-up, monitor labor costs against budget, evaluate channel profitability, and identify booking trends across market segments. These insights drive daily decisions on dynamic pricing, marketing spend allocation, staffing levels, and capital expenditure priorities.
Worked example
A multi-property owner connects their property management and point-of-sale systems to a BI tool. The dashboard reveals that while Property A achieves a higher ADR, its total revenue per available room (TrevPAR) lags behind Property B due to underperforming food and beverage outlets. The owner uses this insight to restructure Property A's dining promotions and menu pricing.
Common mistake
A common mistake is treating BI software as a passive reporting tool rather than establishing standardized data entry protocols, resulting in inaccurate dashboards and poor commercial decisions.
Related terms
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