Briefs

Sep 30, 2002. Home Depot said that it's building a massive new database that will give it a clearer picture of its customers and operations. The new system will store information about customers, sales, inventory and company finances from a multitude of computer systems. The world's biggest home-improvement retailer, Home Depot expects to get the database up and running by the end of the year.

The system will replace 50 data mining and analysis systems now in use across the company. The steadily expanding chain, which is adding 200 new stores this year, is outgrowing it current systems, said Bob DeRodes, chief information officer at Home Depot.

Data mining, the use of statistical analysis to uncover hidden patterns in otherwise random information, remains a top priority for many North American businesses, according to a recent Forrester Research study on information technology spending. Through data mining, marketers can target customers with personalized special promotions and other information they are likely to use, dramatically reducing advertising budgets and boosting revenue.

Here is full story at C|net.