What is SAP Business Data Cloud really, and why should you care now?

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Summary:

SAP Business Data Cloud is not a single product. It is a framework where SAP combines its own solutions and opens up for integration with third-party platforms for data and analysis. For SAP Business Warehouse 7.5 customers, it is especially relevant as mainstream maintenance approaches in 2027.

SAP BDC, it’s not really a product. It’s more like a framework. For the first time, SAP is also opening up to third-party solutions.
Johan Berg

Participants

Johan Berg SAP BDC
Johan Berg
Business Development Manager SAP
Johan Söderström
Johan Söderström
Enterprise Lead Senior Advisor

What exactly is SAP Business Data Cloud, and why is it relevant for both new and existing SAP customers?

SAP Business Data Cloud sounds like just another new concept. But in practice, it represents a clear shift in SAP’s strategy. Johan Söderström talks to Johan Berg about what SAP BDC actually is, and why the timing is important right now.

In this episode, we talk about

  • Why SAP Business Data Cloud is a framework, and what that means in practice.
  • What SAP’s opening to third-party platforms signals for customers who have already invested in data and analytics.
  • Why SAP Business Warehouse customers on older releases need to start planning now.

Who is participating

Johan Berg, Business Development Manager at Implema Business Area SAP, responsible for staying close to SAP’s strategy, solution development, and go-to-market, to explain what it means for Implema’s customers.

SAP Business Data Cloud in brief

BDC in practice. How the way of working with SAP data is changing

The first thing that needs to be clear about SAP Business Data Cloud is what it actually is. Not another component to “add” to the landscape, but a unifying concept for how SAP wants customers to work with data, analysis, and platform going forward. This is where the difference really makes itself felt. SAP describes a more cohesive framework, and at the same time a clearer opening to third parties within analytics and data platforms. For many organizations, this is a welcome development, as it makes it easier to connect SAP data to other technologies where analysis and AI are already developing rapidly.

Two situations where SAP BDC has a direct effect. New customers and existing SAP Business Warehouse customers

For new customers who are entering SAP Cloud ERP, for example, the value is often most concrete at the start of the SAP journey. The ambition is to be able to get started faster with more ready-made, accelerated packages – Intelligent Apps for analysis and insights. Less of “build everything yourself” and more of a setup that delivers results early, and that can be further developed as needs grow.

For those of you who run SAP Business Warehouse today, the question becomes different and more urgent. The end of standard maintenance for older versions of SAP BW is approaching, which means that Business Data Cloud also becomes a natural starting point for the next step. It’s not just about a new name, but about a technology shift where older ways of working are gradually replaced by more modern tools and a shift to, for example, SQL technology. SAP Datasphere is a very important piece of the puzzle for data modeling and a more modern way of working with SAP data within the framework of the Business Data Fabric model.

Takeaways 5–6 points

  • SAP Business Data Cloud is a framework of solutions and technologies, not a standalone product.
  • SAP’s opening to third-party platforms within analytics and data platforms is a strategic change.
  • For new SAP customers or existing SAP Cloud customers without analysis platforms, faster “ready to run” setups for analytics and insights are highlighted.
  • For SAP Business Warehouse customers, timing is critical as the end of mainstream maintenance approaches in 2027.
  • The shift is also about technology and working methods, new modern tools for data models and where SQL replaces ABAP.
  • The message. Don’t wait for the “perfect situation”. Start creating clarity in what you have today and what you need going forward.

Timestamps

  • 00:01 Intro. Why SAP BDC is hot right now
  • 00:31 Who is Johan Berg, and what does he do at Implema
  • 01:11 The main question. What is SAP Business Data Cloud actually
  • 01:31 BDC explained. Framework, not product. SAP opens up to third parties
  • 02:25 New customers. Faster packages for analytics linked to SAP Cloud ERP
  • 03:05 Why customers should care now. From “cube thinking” to modern data management
  • 03:29 The BW perspective. 2027 is approaching, and what replaces BW logic
  • 04:25 Rounding off. Why this is a clear focus area for SAP going forward

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