Now FedEx is about to launch a potent weapon in its war on financial waste. Call it a digital X-ray. It's about data. FedEx has been testing software from InfoRay Inc. in Cambridge, Mass., that allows it to view information in any of its more than 40 incompatible databases. That helps FedEx diagnose trends that allow it to save money and better manage resources.
Early results seem promising.
And that came from an examination of just seven of its databases. Now, FedEx is rolling out the software across its global operations and hopes to save millions more. This isn't FedEx' first attempt to unlock the value in its data. Like many large corporations, the company has spent tens of millions of dollars on data-mining technology. And like many others, it has had mixed results.