IBM Global Center for Smarter Analytics

Case Analysis 1: Cincinnati Zoo

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is one of the most popular attractions and a Top Zoo for
Children according to Parent’s Magazine. Each year, more than 1.3 million people visit its 71-
acre site, which is home to more than 500 animal and 3,000 plant species. Although the Zoo is
a non-profit organization and is partially subsidized by Hamilton County, more than two thirds of
its $26 million annual budget is generated through its own fundraising efforts. Cincinnati Zoo
takes pride in the fact that it has the lowest public subsidy of any zoo in Ohio and generates
more than two thirds of its $26 million annual budget through its own fundraising efforts. In
challenging economic conditions, the Zoo wanted to reduce its reliance on subsidies even
further by increasing visitor attendance and revenues from secondary sources such as
membership, food and retail outlets. This would secure the Zoo’s future and enable it to
continue its pioneering work in conservation, preservation and research. Currently, Cincinnati
Zoo makes use of four separate legacy point-of-sale systems with a single platform to provide
data on all admission, membership, retail and food service sales. To monitor the number of
visitors in certain areas, the zoo staff members make their rounds to observe. You have been
hired by Cincinnati Zoo to provide them a solution that will enable them achieve their business
objectives.

Business Objectives:
• Increase attendance and revenues by enhancing the customer experience for each visitor
• Boost sales for food and retail outlets through more effective marketing and promotions
• Optimize labor costs by gaining a better understanding of demand patterns throughout the
year • Maximize the workforce by identifying areas of the park that are in need of more staff

Questions:
1. What are the problems with the existing system of the Cincinnati Zoo?

- Lack of Centralized Information System.

- Highly weather-dependent business.
- The executives had restricted information and comprehension of what was occurring in
the zoo on everyday premise.
- Formulating ideas and coming up with strategies to reduce expenses and increase
income from departments such as purchases, food and retail outlets, admissions, and
membership and merchandise control.
- According to the point-on-sale system, just the administration can evaluate it without
thinking about that the zoo incapable its workers to know data they expected to settle on better
operational choices.
- Finally, the target they are attempting to accomplish additionally isn't as a rule for a
non-benefit association, it's by one way or another unified to mid-market organizations.
2. What are the data that are available to the zoo management and staff?

The Available Data of Zoo Management: Cincinnati Zoo makes use of four separate
legacy point-of-sale systems with a single platform to provide data on all admission,
membership, retail and food service sales. Also, more than two thirds of its $26 million annual
budget is generated through its own fundraising efforts their business objectives

The Available Data of Employee and Workers: Monitor the number of visitors in certain
areas, the zoo staff members make their rounds to observe.

3. How can these data be used to help the following perform their work better to achieve the
business objectives of the Cincinnati Zoo?
a. Zoo administrators
- For the Zoo's Management, the information on having a point-a-sale system would
assist them with surveying the deals and incomes without any problem. They could make a
pattern of behavior from their visitors’ records.
b. Zoo staff
- The information can be utilized to assist them with improving the administrations they
provide for their clients. They could find or pinpoint their shortcomings and create quick
response or solution.

4. What solutions can be provided for the following stakeholders so that the business objectives
of Cincinnati Zoo are achieved?

Explain in detail the proposed solution for each stakeholder. In each solution, identify which
type of analytics will be applied (i.e., descriptive, predictive or prescriptive).
a. Zoo visitors
- With the use of descriptive analytics, guests could answer a survey with regards to the
administration of the zoo so they could get thoughts regarding how to continue improving
and keep giving them significant encounters.

b. Zoo management
- Using descriptive analytics, they could look at past data of guests which they can use
to help improve their service. They could look on how different seasons affect the number of
visits to their zoo, also look on the number of sales of their souvenirs, which is most likely
bought by the visitors and eliminating the ones that have the lowest sales.

c. Zoo staff members

- (Descriptive Analysis) As a part of the data collected from the visitors, Customer
service would help with the improvement of the staff members 'efficiency and effectiveness. As
well as to allocate where to assign employees to their designated areas or to maximize
workforce.