Just who is the Database Liberator?
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You may have noticed SAP Services’ new campaign on the market, featuring our very own SAP consultants and the power they unlock for SAP customers across our broad portfolio. The key element of this campaign is that it’s all about our SAP Services professionals… their in-depth understanding of our customers’ most pressing needs, hurdles and opportunities, as well as their unmatched expertise on SAP solutions.
This summer, I'll be profiling many of the SAP consultants featured in the new ads. I'm kicking things off with SAP Services very own Luis Orama, VP at the SAP HANA North America Center of Excellence.
Q: So we should begin with the title of your ad from the new SAP Services branding campaign, what exactly makes you a database liberator? … Did you come up with that?
A: No! (laughing) …I did not, but I am focused on unlocking the data in customer’s enterprises. The SAP HANA-based solutions that we are providing are groundbreaking for our customers, and it goes well beyond just speed. We are providing new business insights, real-time decisions, and clear business outcomes through our projects at SAP Services.
Q: So how do you bring together a SAP HANA solution for the customer?
A: Well, in this context (SAP HANA services) each customer has a very unique set of business needs, so the solutions that we provide are quite tailored. On most projects we need to take into account all of the technical and industry-specific factors of a customer’s solution, leveraging the vast capabilities and domain expertise that we have at SAP Services, from Design Thinking to Business Transformation Services and Value Engineering early on, all the way to license and support. We need to put these roadmaps together to have a clear ROI and TCO, ensuring high business value for the customer.
Q: Are there any recent examples you can share on how this business value comes together for the customer?
A: One of the most interesting use cases has been a major grocer that wanted to do price changes more efficiently, taking into account seasonality, holidays and unanticipated events that occur during the year. Prior to SAP HANA, this particular grocer was using a myriad of manual spreadsheets, making the process inaccurate, and most often too late. Since it took 5 to 7 days, even if they came to a rough conclusion on how to proceed on product pricing, the opportunity was already lost. With SAP HANA, they now have the data they need in real-time, so they know what product to move, how to price it, and precisely when. While the project is new, it’s achieving around tens of thousands plus incremental revenue per day!
Q: Wow, that sounds impressive, are you planning to repeat this success at other grocers?
A: Certainly, but this can also apply to any retailer in reality. We expect such tailored product pricing solutions based on SAP HANA to be applicable to any high transaction volume retailer with a wide product assortment. So think of general merchandise, fashion retailers, etc… in addition to grocers. It’s a big opportunity for SAP HANA as a platform, and for SAP Services to unlock this new power for retailers around the world.
Q: As a database liberator do you have any pointers for other consultants regarding SAP HANA?
A: Especially for an SAP innovation like HANA, it’s important to keep in mind that this is a journey for the customer, and there is a wide range of starting points, everything from the more than two dozen HANA-focused rapid-deployment solutions that can be delivered on average around 6 weeks with a very focused functionality and business return, to the more complicated 30 to 40 week, end-to-end HANA-based solutions. But very often, starting small, and more focused with a rapid-deployment solution can lead customers down a long-term path of success.
Q: what do you do to recharge outside of the office? Does the Database Liberator live in some secret lab in a cave, like Batman?
A: Well, my family keeps me pretty busy outside of work, I’m married and have three girls! I also enjoy cycling on weekends, partaking in benefit rides often… so unfortunately, no Batmobile.
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