DeepThink Analytics
Breaking Pharma’s Digital Gridlock by Starting Small, Winning Big

The buzz around AI tools is hard to ignore, and the promises are even harder to miss. Still, many pharma companies remain cautious, as integrating a new AI solution is neither straightforward nor inexpensive. AI adoption is often weighed down by costs, complex legacy systems integrations, and compliance hurdles. When vendors layer on ambitious five-year implementation plans, taking the first step becomes a daunting challenge.

Rebecca Greenberg, founder and CEO of DeepThink Analytics, shifts the conversation by asking pharma companies, ‘What’s the smallest, most meaningful step you can take right now?’

This is her first step to guide clients through digital transformation and AI implementation projects with a practical and feasible approach. Her strategy is use case driven, focusing on real-world scenarios, where AI or digital tools can offer immediate, tangible value, helping clients make progress without being overwhelmed by large-scale, abstract solutions.

According to Greenberg, AI doesn’t need to transform a business’ entire operation overnight. Sometimes, the best place to start is with the everyday tasks that slow the teams down. Start small, and the momentum to drive change takes care of itself.

“My clients are the experts in their world. My role is to help them rethink the systems they already know and navigate change without chaos. We don’t sell solutions—we co-create them,” says Greenberg.

That’s why Greenberg’s method stands out. As a technology-agnostic, she understands many companies are already locked into AWS, Databricks, or legacy systems they can’t easily replace, while others simply lack the budget for sweeping, all-at-once AI rollouts.Her approach begins with a pragmatic assessment of the organization’s current assets, prioritizing efficiency over costly, complex solutions. This can involve leveraging in-house tools—such as using Copilot to draft L&D scripts—or initiating low-risk, high-value pilot projects.

In some cases, it is as straightforward as organizing messy spreadsheets, where one person puts ‘Cape Canaveral, Florida’ in a single cell and someone else splits it across three columns. This step helps clients recognize how much of their digital transformation journey still lies ahead while gaining a clearer understanding of what true digital transformation entails. Small wins like these build trust and momentum. Once people see what’s possible, they’re more open to exploring larger-scale solutions that add more value.

Greenberg achieves this by leading with the right questions — the kind that help clients surface the answers they had all along.

A compelling case in point is a client who wanted to build a dashboard to consolidate all their data, expecting it to be a simple three-month project at five hours a week. It quickly became clear they weren’t ready. Data was scattered across spreadsheets, work was duplicated, key information was missing, and manual processes, especially around budgets, were inconsistent and unreliable. At one point, the client asked, “Can’t we just plug in one of those AI tools to fix this?” That question exposed the real issue: their systems were too fragmented for AI to deliver value. Greenberg helped them confront that reality and led the critical cleanup—completed on time and laying the foundation for meaningful progress.

It’s what Greenberg does best. She has always been drawn to complexity, not by following the usual playbook, but by stepping into the mess, uncovering what’s broken, and making it work. By challenging outdated processes and digging into habits that no longer serve a purpose, she helps organizations cut waste, save resources, and empower teams to own the transformation.

When pharma companies are overwhelmed by AI hype, she brings clarity, helping pharma companies start small, think practically, and build real momentum. Greenberg’s approach proves that meaningful transformation starts with asking better questions and refusing to settle for “that’s how it’s always been done.”