Coca-Cola Pools Data for BI Warehouse

In the US, Coca-Cola has created an integrated business intelligence data warehouse, to provide its marketing, sales and supply chain execs with immediate access to point-of-sale (POS) and scanner data.

Previously the firm's data centers were spread among its headquarters and 72 corporate and independent bottling operations.

The new warehouse will serve internal users with analysis of sales information, pulled together from different databases in a tool that can be easily accessed through PCs, mobile devices and laptops.

In cases where retailers don't want to share scan data, Coca Cola sources syndicated data from IRI, Nielsen and SPINS.

According to Coca-Cola Director of Customer Intelligence, Justin Honaman, the firm is using the system to help focus on the process of understanding what is selling, what is happening in the store, and trends in the areas that are increasing sales.

Honaman said that while some retailers do not have robust POS data, larger retailers 'are well ahead of the consumer goods industry'.

'We've got to win together, and we've got to have good information so we can win together,' he stated. 'The business decisions need information to be enabled. For us, that means having clean information that makes sense in the format that users can use.'

Web site: www.coca-cola.com .