2. Why was replacing legacy point-of-sale systems and implementing a data warehouse essential to an information system solution? Founded in 1873, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is one of the world’s top-rated zoological institutions, and the second oldest zoo in the United States. It is also one of the nation’s most popular attractions, a Top 10 Zagat-rated Zoo, and a Parents Magazine Top Zoo for Children. The Zoo’s 71-acre site is home to more than 500 animal and 3,000 plant species. About 1.3 million people visit this zoo each year.

Although the Zoo is a nonprofit organization partially subsidized by Hamilton County, more than two-thirds of its $26 million annual budget is paid from fundraising efforts, and the remainder comes from admission fees, food, and gifts. To increase revenue and improve performance, the Zoo’s senior management team embarked on a comprehensive review of its operations. The review found that management had limited knowledge and understanding of what was actually happening in the Zoo on a dayto-

day basis, other than how many people visited every day and the Zoo’s total revenue.