Case Analysis Cincinnati PDF

Preview

Summary

A Case Analysis for Cincinnati Zoo...

Description

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 71acre 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.

Answers: 1. What are the problems with the existing system of the Cincinnati Zoo? - They wanted to increase the visitors attendance and revenue from secondary sources, so these are the existing problems and problems that will likely occur : * Difficulty in monitoring the customer’s behavior due to increased guest count *Sales Report *Financial Management, on activities, projects, maintenance, utility expense since they wanted to reduce the reliance on subsidies they have to come up with a new financial plan. - * Data management and storage, they are currently using an outdated system.

2. -

What are the data that are available to the zoo management and staff? Point of sale data Annual Budget Membership list Admission/Ticket Date Retail and food service sales Geographic

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 b. Zoo staff a. These data can be interpreted to identify the customer’s behavior so that the administrators can address their needs to improve their sales, gauge their inventory so they can limit their expenses, identifying where they need to supply the necessary workforce which will all lead to an increased revenue. b. To improve the overall customer service which is technically the front of the business, they cater to the guest and attend to their needs that usually leads to attracting more customers 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 b. Zoo management c. Zoo staff members a. A fun experience. By using all 3 type of analytics to come up with a solution. Descriptive analytics, Gather the past date to identify the customers behavior, what place, animal, event that attracts the most, or food that sells the most. Predictive, basing on the previous gathered date Cincinatti Zoo can now forecast customer behavior and buying pattern. And Prescriptive, to optimize their inventory and business performance. b. Almost identical to the solution above, gather, predict and optimize. The management should update the four legacy point of sale systems to a modern one so that they can manage data more effectively and efficiently, identify trends and manage their resources better, less expense equates to more revenue. So yes 3 type of analytics can be applied here as well. c. For the staff members they have to be effective and efficient when dealing with the customers and handling the inventory. So, Descriptive analytics will be used to have insight on the past, and Prescriptive, to prescribe a number of possible actions to guide them towards the business goals....