Sydney Zoo has found an innovative and cost-effective way to gather data on visitor patterns and behavior by utilizing snapshots of vehicle license plates taken by their car park security operator. The zoo, which opened in late 2019, has implemented a Microsoft-based data stack that includes a managed SQL server instance, Azure Analytics Service, and PowerBI for data presentation.
According to Ronan Alonzo, Senior IT Manager at Sydney Zoo, the zoo required analytics and reporting capabilities for various aspects, such as pricing, finance, and park usage. Understanding visitation patterns was a key focus, leading Alonzo and the zoo’s “BI guru,” Prashant Shetye, to explore a low-cost solution for generating these insights.
The result is a license plate analytics model that not only provides valuable information on visitation patterns but also aids in special event planning. The security provider records the entry and exit of vehicles, capturing snapshots of each license plate. This data is stored in Azure Blob Storage and ingested into the analytics model, containing file names, license numbers, and timestamps.
Alonzo explains that with this information, the zoo can derive insights on dwell time, visit frequency, and the date of the last visit. Leveraging the data they have and working closely with vendors allows them to keep costs low while benefiting from the skills of their in-house resource, Shetye.
The insights from the license plate analytics model have proved useful in planning special events, including GLOW, a light festival hosted by the zoo. Understanding visitor behavior helped support the management of the car park, ensuring guests had the best possible experience during the event.
Originally, Sydney Zoo had planned to deploy numerous Wi-Fi access points throughout the park to collect additional customer analytics, such as dwell time. However, due to construction constraints, the zoo had to prioritize internet access coverage over comprehensive data collection.
Alonzo acknowledges that visitor analytics is not the sole use case for data at the zoo. Following its opening, different park functions expressed their need for analytics and reporting capabilities. To address this, a business intelligence infrastructure was established, and Shetye was hired as the second employee in the IT team. The most crucial dataset comes from the zoo’s point-of-sale and ticketing system, which provides valuable insights into admissions, memberships, sales, and bookings.
