01 · The Client
A Global Pharmaceutical Manufacturer
The client is a global pharmaceutical manufacturer with operations in over 115 countries, producing and distributing post-patent, branded medicines across both hospital and consumer markets.
In South Africa, they manage the movement of stock from depots to healthcare facilities across multiple provinces, including Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. This is a critical process that relies heavily on accurate, real-time reporting to maintain service delivery to the healthcare sector.
02 · The Requirement
A BI Environment No Longer Fit for Purpose
The client's existing business intelligence environment, built on Qlik Sense, had reached its limits. As the organisation's data strategy evolved towards Microsoft Azure, the Qlik platform created mounting technical and financial friction.
- High Qlik licence costs creating significant and ongoing financial pressure on the business
- Proprietary QVD files that could only be read within the Qlik ecosystem, limiting data portability
- Mixed data maturity levels across the user base, requiring extensive support and training overhead
- Limited integration with the organisation's Microsoft Azure data platforms and broader cloud strategy
- Insufficient visibility of stock movement between depots and healthcare facilities across four provinces, directly impacting service delivery
