Pet Food Experts original cloud data warehouse architecture was based on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Snowflake, and Tableau. However, after the initial setup, it quickly became apparent that their solution wasn’t easy to scale without a lot of further investment. New data sources (including multiple on-prem SQL databases) could not be added easily to the warehouse and different data sources lived in different places, making cross-analysis prohibitive.

They ended up relying on their ERP system as the source of truth for reporting. This in turn created performance issues, as generating Tableau reports slowed down the ERP system and disrupted operations. They needed a data warehousing solution that could integrate with their on-premise systems, easily and gracefully handle changing requirements, and work with Tableau, but that wouldn’t break the bank.

Hundreds of tables from disparate branches of the business and SaaS products now live in a single location, making cross-comparison much easier and allowing their analysts to develop a holistic view of the business. It also serves as a source of truth for powering new investments in client focused applications like eCommerce and OPAL, an order processing system also developed with 66degrees.

As a result of this effort, Pet Food Experts’ name continues to ring true with their clients, and they’ve maintained their edge in a competitive and rapidly changing industry.

• Success driven by data rather than experience & intuition
• 80% reduction in the upfront development cost per data source
• 60% reduction in operating costs