Analysis of Kellogg¡¦s Databases and Database Application Programs
¡§Consumer product companies have one mission: to build a customer base by giving customers the products they need ¡V fast¡¨ (www.sap.com). In order to achieve this mission, real-time sales information needs to readily available of analysis. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate what databases Kellogg Company currently uses at their Wal-Mart field sales office, in order to build a customer base and provide customers with the products they need. In addition, the paper will explain what database application programs are utilized when working with the databases.
Kellogg Company Background Information
¡§With 2004 net sales of nearly $10 billion, Kellogg Company is the world¡¦s leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, frozen waffles, and meat alternatives¡¨ (Kellogg Company 2004 Annual Report). Their business goals in 2005 include growing their cereal business and expanding their snacks business. In order to achieve this, Kellogg¡¦s will need the assistance of numerous information systems to ensure that sales forecasting is accurate, budget goals are met, trade spend is on target, and business is trending in the right direction.
The databases and database applications that are utilized the most at Kellogg¡¦s are:
?« Wal-Mart¡¦s custom data warehouse ¡V Database
?« DB2-Database
?« Retail Link ¡V Database Application Program
?« SAP-Database Application Program
Kellogg¡¦s Databases
¡§A database is a collection of data and relationships between the data stored in secondary storage¡¨ (Nickerson, 2001, p 114). At Kellogg¡¦s Wal-Mart field sales office, they empl ...