There are several ways companies can leverage data mining to protect the health and safety of end users of products. For example, when a company is notified that its products have likely caused illness or injury to end users, data analysis of the supply chain or manufacturing chain can be conducted to pinpoint the root cause of the defect. Once the root cause is identified, data can further be used to determine where the specific products were shipped, and the dates the products were distributed and sold, with the end result of a published product recall with pertinent information for consumers to determine whether the products in their homes were affected.

Many retailers work to disseminate information and notify all customers of recalled products; Costco takes this endeavor a step further. Costco tracks transactions in detail, including who made the purchase, when and where the purchase was made, and what exactly was purchased. When Costco learns one of its products has been recalled, the company uses this vast collection of data to notify specific affected customers of the recall as quickly as possible via phone or email, with a follow up letter through the mail, instead of simply by posting the recall information to its website and sharing the link on its social media accounts.

Have you ever been notified by a retailer of a recall? What was your response? Did the transparency increase your loyalty to the retailer or brand?