IT Online magazine interview: Choosing the right data warehouse product

Michael May (CEO, s-peers AG) and Hagen Jander (SAP) were interviewed by IT Online Magazin on the topic of choosing the right data warehouse. They discussed the changing expectations of companies for data warehouse solutions, the breadth of the SAP product portfolio and the benefits of cloud technology.

Changed requirements from companies

Michael May describes three main trends regarding the requirements of data-driven and intelligent companies for data warehouse (DWH) and analytics solutions. First, the speed and simplicity of answering questions has increased thanks to new technologies, which is noticeable in both the front and back end. Furthermore, the developments show a trend away from central IT and thus a stronger shift of IT to the individual departments. May identifies the third main trend as the opening of SAP to non-SAP technologies such as Java or SQL, which favours the development of self-services.

The DWH solution that fits the company situation

Why the choice of DWH is important for business success

The data warehouse forms the foundation for working with data and is therefore dependent on high-quality data (sources). Ideally, data lakes and the data warehouse can together form the basis for selecting and filtering data sets in order to generate smart data from big data, says May. Hagen Jander adds that a consolidated and harmonised view of both internal and external data is essential today due to the increased number of data available and the heterogeneity of their sources. The choice of DWH also determines differences in, for example, the connection of sources or the integration of analysis tools.

What is the direction of the SAP product portfolio?

Jander describes the SAP Data Warehouse Cloud (DWC) as a strategic solution due to its close integration with SAP source systems. By means of the Marketplace, the DWC is also open to non-SAP sources. In the on-premises and private cloud area, SAP BW/4HANA is considered a mature solution used by thousands of companies worldwide. SAP BW/4HANA can also be combined with DWC in a hybrid model. In this case, the SAP BW Bridge enables the transition to DWC: This allows companies that want to switch to a cloud-based data warehouse to benefit from the advantages of a cloud-based solution without having to start from scratch.

SAP's product portfolio thus covers the entire data-to-value chain and is growing ever closer together.

The advantages of cloud technology

According to May, a cloud-based data warehouse enables analytical questions to be answered more quickly, so speed and agility are increased. Fast and regular release cycles also ensure that new and innovative functions are always available. The solutions and consulting services can be used across all industries and are applied in pharmaceuticals and manufacturing, among others. In addition, the use of the diverse SAP content makes it possible to implement requirements quickly, which allows for customised expansion.

How does the migration and transformation of the data warehouse work in practice?

Through the SAP BW Bridge, DWC can be implemented in a hybrid approach combined with tool-supported integration, says Jander. May also points to SAP's broad portfolio of state-of-the-art warehouse solutions: Those who are still looking for guidance in selecting the right data warehouse can take advantage of a one-hour orientation workshop at s-peers AG and/or are provided with a guide.

Click here for the full interview with IT Online Magazine.