Business Intelligence Case Study: Hotel Taxes Receipts

Abstract

This case is based upon consulting projects the author has conducted for both corporate and governmental groups. Many governmental agencies now provide large amounts of data for use by their constituents.  It is very effective to use this live data in a classroom environment instead of that provided by textbooks and/or publishers.  This case describes a process whereby the use of business intelligence in many forms could be used for the solution.  The state of Texas Comptroller's office currently collects information concerning hotel taxes receipts that not only details remittances to both the state and local governments, they are also required to use the same data to predict the next years hotel tax receipts for use in a state budget.  This case allows the professor to discuss or actually develop a solution.  Since the data is provided in a rotating thirteen month cycle, solutions will never be numerically equivalent each time the course is taught.