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      Dex AI Advanced Guide

      Master Key Data Dashboard's AI Capabilities

      Table of Contents

      1. Understanding Dex AI Architecture
      2. Advanced Prompting Principles
      3. Feature-Specific Guides
      4. Prompt Template Library
      5. Common Mistakes & Solutions
      6. Use Case Examples
      7. FAQs
       

      1. Understanding Dex AI Architecture

      What Dex AI Knows

      Dex AI is trained on vacation rental performance patterns and has access to:

      • Your Portfolio Data: All your properties, bookings, and performance metrics
      • Market Data: Anonymous aggregated data from comparable properties in your market
      • Vacation Rental Expertise: Understanding of ADR dynamics, occupancy patterns, seasonal trends, and revenue optimization strategies
      • Key Data Dashboard: All reports, dashboards, and KPI definitions available in your account

      What Dex AI Does NOT Know

      • External factors (local events, economic conditions) unless you provide that context
      • Your internal business strategies or constraints
      • Information from systems other than your connected PMS (Rate management systems, CRM) unless you describe it
      • Future market conditions (it analyzes current and historical data)

      How It Works

      1. You ask a question in natural language
      2. Dex AI analyzes your data and relevant market benchmarks
      3. AI generates insights based on vacation rental performance patterns
      4. You receive clear, actionable answers with supporting data
       

      2. Advanced Prompting Principles

      The SPEC Framework for Better Prompts

      S - Specific
       Define exactly what you want to know, including metrics, properties, and comparisons.

      P - Provide Context
       Give background information about your situation, goals, or constraints.

      E - Explicit Format
       Tell the AI how you want the information presented (table, chart, ranked list, etc.).

      C - Conversation
       Build on previous responses - ask follow-ups, request clarification, dig deeper.

      Specificity Levels

      Level

      Example

      Effectiveness

      Level 1 - Generic

      "How's my performance?"

      ⭐ Least Effective

      Level 2 - Basic

      "Show me my occupancy rate"

      ⭐⭐

      Level 3 - Targeted

      "Show me occupancy rates for 3-bedroom properties in the last 60 days"

      ⭐⭐⭐

      Level 4 - Advanced

      "Compare occupancy rates for my 3-bedroom properties in the last 60 days vs. the same period last year, and show me which properties are pacing behind market average"

      ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Most Effective

      Context Types That Improve Responses

      Timeframe Context:

      • "In the last 30 days..."
      • "Compared to Q4 last year..."
      • "For the upcoming holiday season..."

      Comparative Context:

      • "...vs. market average"
      • "...compared to my top performers"
      • "...relative to last year's performance"

      Goal Context:

      • "I'm trying to improve RevPAR..."
      • "I need to optimize pricing for..."
      • "I want to identify properties for promotions..."

      Constraint Context:

      • "Excluding properties currently under renovation..."
      • "Only considering properties with 5+ bookings..."
      • "Focusing on properties within 5 miles of downtown..."
       

      3. Feature-Specific Guides

      Feature 1: AI Performance Breakdown (Home Page)

      What You See: Every time you log in, you receive an automatically generated analysis with three sections:

      ✅ What's Working

      • Metrics performing above market
      • Top-performing properties or segments
      • Positive trends and momentum

      ⚠️ Needs Attention

      • Performance gaps vs. market
      • Underperforming segments
      • Properties at risk

      💡 Next Moves

      • Specific, actionable recommendations
      • Property IDs for targeted actions
      • Pricing tests or operational adjustments

      How to Maximize Value:

      1. Review Daily: Check the landing page each morning for fresh insights
      2. Take Action: Click on specific properties or metrics to investigate further
      3. Share Strategically: Use "Share Insights" to send summaries to your team or property owners
      4. Track Changes: Monitor how adjustments impact future Performance Breakdowns

      Interpreting the Analysis:

      • Look for patterns across multiple properties (e.g., "all 4BR units underperforming")
      • Prioritize recommendations with specific property IDs
      • Pay attention to market context (your performance vs. market trends)

      Feature 2: Conversational AI (Individual Reports & Dashboard Templates)

      Best Practices:

      Start Broad, Get Specific:

      You: "Show me my underperforming properties"

      AI: [Shows properties below benchmarks]

      You: "Of these, which have ADR above market?"

      AI: [Filters to high-rate, low-occupancy properties]

      You: "What pricing adjustments would improve occupancy for these?"

      AI: [Provides recommendations]

      Use Comparative Language:

      • "How does [X] compare to [Y]?"
      • "What's the gap between my performance and market?"
      • "Rank my properties by [metric]"

      Request Specific Analyses:

      • "Break down my revenue by bedroom type"
      • "Show me seasonal trends for coastal properties"
      • "Identify properties with the widest ADR vs. market gaps"
       

      Feature 3: Dex AI Studio (Dashboard Creator)

      Dashboard Components You Can Request:

      • Summary KPI cards (Revenue, ADR, Occupancy, RevPAR)
      • Comparison charts (your data vs. market benchmarks)
      • Property lists (ranked, filtered, segmented)
      • Trend visualizations (time series, performance over time)
      • Geographic views (performance by location)
      • Segment breakdowns (by bedroom count, property type, location)

      Prompt Structure for Dashboard Creation:

      [GOAL] + [DATA SCOPE] + [METRICS] + [COMPARISONS] + [FORMAT]

      Examples:

      Simple Dashboard: "Create a dashboard showing revenue, ADR, and occupancy for all properties in the last 90 days"

      Comparative Dashboard: "Build a dashboard comparing my performance to market benchmarks for 2BR, 3BR, and 4BR properties with charts showing the gaps"

      Trend Dashboard: "Create a dashboard tracking weekly booking pace for Q4 with comparisons to last year and market average"

      Segment Performance Dashboard: "Build a dashboard analyzing my beachfront properties vs. non-beachfront properties, showing ADR, occupancy, and RevPAR with year-over-year comparisons"

       

      4. Prompt Template Library

      Performance Analysis Templates

      Template 1: Segment Performance

      "Analyze the performance of [segment, e.g., '3-bedroom properties'] 

      in [timeframe, e.g., 'the last 60 days'] compared to 

      [comparison, e.g., 'market average']. 

      Show me [metrics, e.g., 'ADR, occupancy, and RevPAR'] 

      and identify [insight goal, e.g., 'which properties have the largest gaps']."

      Example: "Analyze the performance of my beachfront properties in Q4 2024 compared to Q4 2023. Show me ADR, occupancy, and RevPAR and identify which properties improved the most."

      Template 2: Gap Analysis

      "Show me properties where [metric] is [condition] compared to [benchmark].

      For these properties, provide [additional context] and recommend [action type]."

      Example: "Show me properties where occupancy is below 50% compared to market average. For these properties, provide ADR comparison and recommend pricing adjustments."

      Template 3: Trend Investigation

      "What's driving the [increase/decrease] in [metric] for [segment] 

      in [timeframe]? Break down the contributing factors and show 

      [additional analysis]."

      Example: "What's driving the 18% increase in RevPAR for my 2-bedroom units in March? Break down the contributing factors and show whether it's ADR growth or occupancy gains."

      Comparative Analysis Templates

      Template 4: Portfolio vs. Market

      "Compare my [metric] to market average for [segment] in [timeframe].

      Show me [format, e.g., 'as a table ranked by gap size']."

      Example: "Compare my ADR to market average for all bedroom types in the last 30 days. Show me as a table ranked by gap size."

      Template 5: Property Benchmarking

      "For property [Unit Name ID], show me how [metrics] compare to 

      [benchmark type] in [timeframe]. Highlight [specific insight]."

      Example: "For property C-UNIT123, show me how ADR, occupancy, and RevPAR compare to other 3-bedroom properties in my portfolio. Include the last 90 days and highlight where this property is underperforming."

       

      Template 6: Time Period Comparison

      "Compare [segment] performance in [period 1] vs. [period 2].

      Show [metrics] and identify [pattern/trend]."

      Example: "Compare my luxury properties' performance in summer 2025 vs. summer 2024. Show ADR, occupancy, and revenue, and identify which properties had the biggest year-over-year improvements."

      Actionable Insight Templates

      Template 7: Recommendation Request

      "Based on [current situation], what are the top [number] actions 

      I should take to improve [goal]? Prioritize by [criteria]."

      Example: "Based on my current occupancy gaps for 4-bedroom properties, what are the top 3 actions I should take to improve bookings? Prioritize by potential revenue impact."

      Template 8: Pricing Strategy

      "For properties with [condition], recommend pricing adjustments 

      to [goal]. Consider [constraints] and show expected impact."

      Example: "For properties with occupancy below 60% but ADR above market, recommend pricing adjustments to increase bookings. Consider that I don't want to drop rates below $200/night and show expected impact on RevPAR."

      Template 9: Opportunity Identification

      "Identify [number] properties with the best opportunity to 

      [improvement goal] based on [criteria]. 

      Explain why each property was selected."

      Example: "Identify 5 properties with the best opportunity to increase revenue by 20% based on market gaps and current performance. Explain why each property was selected."

       

      Dashboard Creation Templates

      Template 10: Executive Summary Dashboard

      "Create an executive dashboard showing [high-level metrics] for [scope]

      with comparisons to [benchmarks]. Include [specific visualizations]."

      Example: "Create an executive dashboard showing total revenue, average ADR, overall occupancy, and portfolio-wide RevPAR for YTD with comparisons to last year and market average. Include trend charts for each metric."

      Template 11: Deep-Dive Dashboard

      "Build a detailed dashboard for [segment/property/market] showing 

      [comprehensive metrics], [breakdowns], and [trends] over [timeframe]."

      Example: "Build a detailed dashboard for my 30A properties showing ADR, occupancy, RevPAR, booking pace, and length of stay broken down by month over the last 12 months with market comparisons."

      Template 12: Monitoring Dashboard

      "Create a monitoring dashboard tracking [KPIs] with 

      [alert conditions]. Update [frequency] and highlight [priorities]."

      Example: "Create a monitoring dashboard tracking occupancy rates with properties falling below 50% highlighted in red. Update weekly and highlight properties that have dropped more than 10% vs. last month."

       

      5. Common Mistakes & Solutions

      Mistake 1: Asking Vague Questions

      ❌ Bad: "How am I doing?"

      ✅ Good: "How is my RevPAR performing compared to market average for 3-bedroom properties in the last 60 days?"

      Why It Matters: Vague questions force the AI to make assumptions, leading to generic answers that may not address your actual needs.

      Mistake 2: Not Providing Context

      ❌ Bad: "Is $285 a good ADR?"

      ✅ Good: "My 2-bedroom beachfront properties are averaging $285 ADR in shoulder season. How does this compare to market rates, and is there room to optimize?"

      Why It Matters: Without context (property type, location, season), the AI can't provide meaningful benchmarking or recommendations.

      Mistake 3: Stopping at One Question

      ❌ Bad: Asking one question and leaving

      ✅ Good: Building a conversation asking follow-up questions:

      1. "Show me properties with declining occupancy"
      2. "Of those, which ones have ADR above market?"
      3. "For those high-rate, low-occupancy properties, what pricing tests would you recommend?"
      4. "Create a dashboard to track these properties weekly"

      Why It Matters: AI conversations build context. Follow-up questions lead to deeper, more actionable insights.

      Mistake 4: Not Specifying Format

      ❌ Bad: "Tell me about bedroom performance"

      ✅ Good: "Show me a table comparing ADR, occupancy, and RevPAR by bedroom count, ranked by RevPAR performance"

      Why It Matters: Specifying format (table, chart, ranked list) ensures you get information in a usable structure.

      Mistake 5: Expecting Mind Reading

      ❌ Bad: "Fix my underperforming properties"

      ✅ Good: "I have 5 properties with occupancy 20% below market. They're all 4-bedroom units priced at $350-400/night. What specific pricing and promotion strategies would help close the gap?"

      Why It Matters: The more specific you are about the situation and constraints, the more targeted and actionable the recommendations.

      Mistake 6: Ignoring Metric Relationships

      ❌ Bad: "Increase my occupancy to 100%"

      ✅ Good: "My current RevPAR is $210. Should I prioritize increasing occupancy from 75% to 85%, or raising ADR from $280 to $300? Show me the RevPAR impact of each scenario."

      Why It Matters: Vacation rental success requires balancing ADR and Occupancy. Understanding tradeoffs leads to better decisions.

      Mistake 7: Not Iterating on Responses

      ❌ Bad: Getting a response that's not quite right and giving up

      ✅ Good: Refining your prompt:

      1. First attempt: "Show underperforming properties"
      2. Refine: "Show properties with RevPAR in the bottom 25% of my portfolio"
      3. Refine further: "Of those bottom 25%, separate them into 'low ADR' and 'low occupancy' groups and recommend different strategies for each"

      Why It Matters: The best insights come from iterative refinement. Don't hesitate to ask for adjustments.

       

      6. Use Case Examples

      Use Case 1: Revenue Manager - Identifying Pricing Opportunities

      Scenario: You want to find properties where you can increase rates without hurting occupancy.

      Conversation Flow:

      You: "Show me properties where my ADR is below market average and occupancy is above 80%"


      AI: [Returns list of 8 properties]


      You: "Of these 8, which ones have had consistently high occupancy (above 75%) for the last 90 days?"


      AI: [Filters to 5 properties]


      You: "For these 5 properties, what ADR increase could I implement while still maintaining 75%+ occupancy based on market data?"


      AI: [Provides rate recommendations with projected RevPAR impact]


      You: "Create a dashboard tracking these 5 properties weekly so I can monitor the impact after implementing rate changes"


      AI: [Builds custom monitoring dashboard]

      Use Case 2: Operations Manager - Property Performance Review

      Scenario: Weekly property performance review to identify operational issues.

      Conversation Flow:

      You: "Show me all properties that received zero bookings in the last 7 days"


      AI: [Returns list of properties]


      You: "For these properties, compare their ADR to similar properties in my portfolio and to market average"


      AI: [Provides pricing comparison]


      You: "Which of these properties have availability gaps larger than 14 days in the next 30 days?"


      AI: [Identifies properties with large gaps]


      You: "For the properties with large gaps AND ADR above market, recommend promotional strategies to fill these dates"


      AI: [Provides targeted promotional recommendations]

       

      Use Case 3: Owner Relations - Performance Reporting

      Scenario: Preparing monthly performance report for property owners.

      Conversation Flow:

      You: "Create a summary of property [ID]'s performance in October 2024 compared to October 2023 and market average"


      AI: [Provides comprehensive summary]


      You: "Highlight the top 3 positive performance indicators and explain what drove them"


      AI: [Analyzes strengths]


      You: "Also highlight any areas of underperformance and recommend 2-3 actions to address them"


      AI: [Provides improvement recommendations]


      You: "Format this as an owner-friendly report with charts showing monthly trends"


      AI: [Generates visual report]


      You: "Create a dashboard I can use for all owner reports that includes these same metrics"


      AI: [Builds reusable owner reporting dashboard]

      Use Case 4: Strategic Planning - Market Positioning

      Scenario: Evaluating portfolio positioning for strategic planning.

      Conversation Flow:

      You: "Segment my portfolio into 'budget' (ADR <$150), 'mid-range' ($150-300), and 'luxury' (>$300). Show me performance by segment compared to market."


      AI: [Segments and analyzes portfolio]


      You: "Which segment has the largest gap between my performance and market average?"


      AI: [Identifies opportunity segment]


      You: "For that segment, break down the gap by bedroom count and show me which specific bedroom types are driving the underperformance"


      AI: [Provides detailed breakdown]


      You: "Based on this analysis, what are the top 3 strategic initiatives I should prioritize to close the performance gap?"


      AI: [Provides strategic recommendations]

       

      7. FAQs

      General Questions

      Q: How often does the AI Performance Breakdown update?
       A: Twice daily, based on your PMS data sync cadence with Key Data.

      Q: Does Dex AI have access to my competitors' data?
       A: Dex AI uses anonymous, aggregated market data from comparable properties. It never reveals individual competitor information.

      Q: Can I save my conversations with Dex AI?
       A: Yes! Any dashboards or reports created through your conversation are saved automatically. You can also export insights and share them via email.

      Q: What happens if Dex AI doesn't understand my question?
       A: Dex AI will ask for clarification. Try rephrasing your question with more specific details about metrics, markets, time frames, or property segments.

      Data & Accuracy Questions

      Q: How accurate are the AI recommendations?
       A: Recommendations are based on real performance patterns across thousands of portfolios and your specific data. Every insight includes supporting metrics so you can verify the logic yourself.

      Q: What if my market has unique characteristics?
       A: Provide context in your prompts. For example: "In my market, summer is actually the slow season due to extreme heat. Analyze my performance with this in mind."

      Q: Can Dex AI predict future performance?
       A: Dex AI analyzes current and historical data to identify trends and opportunities. While it can show booking pace and projections, it doesn't predict external market factors.

      Technical Questions

      Q: What KPIs can I ask about?
       A: All Key Data Dashboard metrics including ADR, RevPAR, Adj. Paid Occupancy, Unit/Total/Other Revenue, Avg. Booking Window, Avg. Length of Stay, and more.

      Q: Can I analyze multiple properties at once?
       A: Yes! You can analyze your entire portfolio, specific segments (by bedroom count, type, market area, amenities), or individual properties.

      Q: Can Dex AI access my PMS data?
       A: Dex AI works with the data synced to Key Data Dashboard from your PMS. It includes property details, booked reservations, and availability information.

       

      Advanced Usage Questions

      Q: Can I create automated reports with Dex AI?
       A: You can create custom dashboards that update automatically. For recurring reports, build the dashboard once and check it regularly.

      Q: How do I share Dex AI insights with my team?
       A: Use the "Share Insights" button on the landing page, export dashboards, or copy/paste insights into emails or presentations.

      Q: Can Dex AI help with pricing strategies?
       A: Yes! Ask for pricing recommendations based on market gaps, occupancy targets, or RevPAR optimization goals.

      Q: What if I want to analyze a custom metric?
       A: Describe what you want to calculate, and Dex AI can help construct the analysis using available data.

      Getting the Most from Dex AI

      Daily Practice

      • Morning Review: Check AI Performance Breakdown for overnight insights
      • Active Questioning: Don't just read reports—ask Dex AI to explain patterns
      • Iterative Analysis: Build conversations to dig deeper into opportunities

      Weekly Practice

      • Segment Reviews: Rotate through different property segments each week
      • Trend Tracking: Monitor key metrics and ask "why" when you see changes
      • Dashboard Refinement: Update and improve your custom dashboards based on what you learned

      Monthly Practice

      • Strategic Review: Use Dex AI to prepare comprehensive monthly performance reviews
      • Opportunity Mapping: Identify emerging trends and opportunities for the next month
      • Team Sharing: Share key insights with your team through custom dashboards

      Next Steps

      1. Start Simple: Begin with the AI Performance Breakdown on your landing page
      2. Ask One Question: Try asking Dex AI one question about your data today
      3. Build From There: Use follow-up questions to dig deeper
      4. Create Your First Dashboard: Use Dex AI Studio to build a custom view
      5. Share Your Success: Show your team what Dex AI can do

      Remember: The more you use Dex AI, the better you'll become at asking questions that unlock actionable insights. Don't be afraid to experiment!