Color theory and consultant shortage

Ultimately, it is about the discrepancy between algorithms and data structures. On the one hand, Abap tables, modifications and Z-functions that are to be returned to the standard or have to be newly customized on the Business Technology Platform, BTP.

On the other hand, there is the historical and operational data, some of which has to be transferred from AnyDB to Hana or archived. The existing SAP customer can also transfer much of this data to a data lake. But the question is always the same: In what form will the data be needed in the future?

We have talked to many SAP existing customers and almost always got the same answer: We don't have an overview of our data, so we don't know what data we want or need to access in the future, so we will demand that all data be transferred to a Hana database. I have been discussing this data conversion for many years with Datavard, where founder Gregor Stöckler has dedicated himself to this important topic and has enjoyed success. He can select the data according to predefined criteria so that a future Hana database remains lean and agile. The rest is archived in an audit-proof manner. In the meantime, Datavard belongs to SNP and Gregor Stöckler is a member of the management board.

During our research it became obvious that Datavard technology can support all S/4 version changes: from Green- to SNP-Blue- to Brownfield. And thus can also save time and costs in terms of consulting needs, as well as minimize the risk of DB conversion to Hana.

Returning to the needs of users, however, it also became obvious that neither Brown-, Green- nor SNP-Bluefield really satisfies their operational needs: transparent access to all data at all times - and preferably directly from the SAP application! Interim conclusion: Even with twice the consultant capacity, the SAP community needs a new color theory that at best halves the expenditure of time, resources and consultants.

We found a solution at Data Migration International, DMI, in Switzerland. Here, there is a data tool that extracts and archives the data structures and algorithms - in other words, keeps the syntax and semantics in an audit-proof manner and makes them available to the user independently of storage space, Hana or archive including cloud storage in the SAP application itself. Not only is much to be gained from this, but the color theory of S/4 conversion as well as future consultant capacities are also to be questioned.

You can read the results of our five-month research in compact form on page 17 of this E-3 issue. We would like to thank the many SAP partners and the existing customers we interviewed for their support and knowledge transfer. Perhaps we have not yet found the S/4 "stone of wisdom", but we have certainly found the "Egg of Columbus" for successful data conversion.