For a healthcare distribution company, trusted data has consequences that extend beyond reporting and analytics. Data accuracy and reliability affect medicine delivery, business decisions and the outcomes organizations expect from AI. In Cencora’s operations, the connection is particularly clear.

In the first installment of a three-part CDO Magazine interview series, Jig Patel, SVP, Enterprise Data, Analytics & AI at Cencora, speaks with Gorkem Sevinc, Co-founder and CEO of Qualytics, about the growing importance of trusted data across healthcare operations. Patel explains how data has evolved from a supporting component of business solutions into an asset that informs decisions and supports the organization’s progression from traditional machine learning to generative and agentic AI.

Patel shares examples of how trusted data connects directly to Cencora’s purpose of creating healthier futures. The company delivers approximately five million pharmaceutical products daily, with 80 percent reaching destinations within 12 hours. Patel also discusses the use of 550 million retina images at Retina Consultants of America to help identify clinical trial candidates and improve treatment efficacy.

The conversation also explores how changing data consumption is reshaping business operations. Finance teams have moved toward real-time querying and analysis, while Cencora is shifting its approach from traditional business intelligence toward AI-powered insights.

Key topics include:

• Trusted Data: How reliable data supports timely medicine delivery and business decisions.
• AI Readiness: Why data must become an asset to achieve the AI outcomes organizations seek.
• Real-Time Analytics: How teams are moving beyond static dashboards to investigate business questions directly.
• Data Leadership: How Patel’s responsibilities have expanded across data platforms, governance, analytics and AI.

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