How a pharma distributor built an AI-ready data platform in 90 days

How do you compete in an AI-powered market when you're still running on spreadsheets? In the fast and tightly regulated pharmaceutical sector, compliance and speed to market are key competitive advantages. As the industry leaned into AI and cloud transformation, a $200M pharma distributor in the US found itself at a crossroads. To modernize their data stack, they turned to our team. And in just 90 days, we deliver a fully cloud-native Snowflake implementation.

Key outcomes:

• 80% reduction in reporting lead times across all business units
• Complete cloud migration from fragmented on-premises systems to a unified data platform
• Enterprise-grade governance with pharmaceutical compliance controls and auditable access
• AI-ready infrastructure with scalable foundation for advanced analytics and machine learning

Working with Snowstack was a game-changer. Their team came in with a clear methodology, deep Snowflake expertise, and zero handholding needed. We didn't have to move a muscle in-house - they brought it all, tailored it to our business, and delivered fast                                    — CTO


Client overview

Operating across the Southeastern United States, the client had built a solid $200M business serving healthcare providers with essential medications and medical supplies. The team relied entirely on fragmented, on-premises systems, including legacy ERP, CRM, and custom databases that had served them well for years but now created significant operational issues.

The challenge

As competitors adopted cloud analytics and AI to optimize inventory, refine pricing, and enhance customer operations, the performance gap was no longer something that could be overlooked.

The cost of waiting was becoming clear: decisions took longer, compliance became risky, and competitors with better data systems were pulling ahead.

Our solution

Instead of investing time and resources into building internal data teams from the ground up, the company engaged with our team to deliver a fully managed Snowflake implementation using our proven Summit Quest Framework (SQF).

• Discovery and audit

We started by conducting a deep audit of the client's legacy ERP, CRM, and inventory systems. This allowed them to surface integration gaps, data duplication issues, and performance issues.

• Snowflake implementation and migration

With the client, we deployed Snowflake as the central data platform and automated the ingestion of historical and operational data. Through our proprietary accelerators, we helped establish scalable data pipelines and standardized data models across domains.

• Managed data platform setup

With our architectural guidance, the client built a production-grade Snowflake environment tailored to their business needs. We implemented logical data models across finance, sales, and supply chain, integrated dedicated compute layers, and rolled out monitoring dashboards for performance, usage, and cost control.

• Governance and compliance enablement

To support data security and meet relevant compliance expectations, we implemented a practical governance framework. This included role-based access controls (RBAC), data lineage tracking, and fully auditable permissions. Our work ensured the client could confidently manage sensitive data, such as pricing and patient records, while enabling secure access across teams.

• AI readiness foundation

Positioning themselves for long-term innovation, the client used our support to define a clear AI roadmap. Together, we prioritized use cases such as predictive analytics and segmentation, curated trusted datasets, and built the architecture to support Snowflake-native AI and machine learning at scale.

Execution

We delivered the project with a structured approach that balanced steady progress and expert input. A dedicated team ensured clear communication, alignment, and steady progress across the full timeline. At key stages, we brought in specialists to address Snowflake optimization, governance, and AI architecture. This allowed us to resolve complex challenges without slowing the project and ensured the final solution was high-performing and ready to support advanced analytics.

From legacy systems to future-ready operations

Still making strategic decisions with fragmented systems and inconsistent KPIs?

This pharma distributor replaced outdated systems with a modern data foundation built for real-time insights, regulatory compliance, and AI-driven innovation. With our team as their strategic partner, they now operate much more efficiently across every function.

The companies that dominate their markets in the next 5 years will be those that turn data into competitive advantage today. The question is no longer whether you need a modern data infrastructure. It is whether you can build it fast enough to make an impact.

If your organization is still navigating disconnected systems, manual reporting, or limited data access, we can help you take the next step. Our team delivers more than implementation. Ready to see what's possible?

Book your strategy session

Project details:

• Industry: Pharmaceutical Distribution
• Duration: 3 months implementation
• Engagement Model: Full buildout + knowledge transfer
• Team Composition: Snowflake Solution Architect, Data Engineers, BI/Visualization Specialist, Project Manager, Governance Specialist
• Frequently Used Snowflake Components: Warehouses, RBAC, Snowpipe, Tasks & Streams, Secure Data Sharing, Materialized Views
• Other Tools Integrated: AWS, Python, dbt, Fivetran, Power BI, Excel, REST APIs, Active Directory

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