Pioneering Enterprise Modernization with SAP Databricks

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, organisations face the daunting task of making sense of an ever-expanding volume of data spread across legacy systems, modern applications, and cloud-based environments. To remain competitive, enterprises must not only integrate these disparate data sources but also extract actionable insights quickly and reliably. At VE3, our unique position as a partner to both SAP and Databricks enables us to deliver a groundbreaking solution that unifies mission-critical SAP data with the rest of your enterprise’s information. This integration, offered as part of SAP Business Data Cloud with SAP Databricks, drives enterprise modernisation—empowering organisations to innovate, make data-driven decisions, and maintain a competitive edge.

The Evolving Enterprise Data Landscape 

In the modern enterprise, data is generated from an array of sources: transactional systems, customer interactions, supply chain operations, IoT devices, and even social media. However, the promise of data as a strategic asset often remains unfulfilled due to several persistent challenges: 

1. Fragmented Data Silos

Critical information is frequently isolated within individual departments or systems. This fragmentation prevents companies from gaining a complete, unified view of their operations. 

2. Inconsistent Data Quality

When data is not governed properly, errors, duplicates, and inconsistencies creep in. These issues undermine the reliability of the insights derived from such data.

3. Complex Data Integration

Integrating structured transactional data with unstructured sources—such as multimedia content, emails, or social media posts—requires sophisticated technology and expertise. Traditional ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes are often time-consuming, resource-intensive, and prone to error. 

To truly unlock the value of their data, enterprises must adopt an integrated approach that brings together all data sources, ensuring that insights are both comprehensive and actionable. Enter SAP and Databricks—a powerful combination that addresses these challenges head-on. 

SAP and Databricks: A Landmark Partnership 

1. Unifying Data with SAP Business Data Cloud 

For decades, SAP has been a cornerstone for enterprise software, powering global business operations with its suite of mission-critical applications. The introduction of SAP Business Data Cloud represents a transformative step in data management. This cloud-based platform is designed to unify data from SAP’s robust applications—such as SAP S/4HANA, SAP Ariba, and SAP SuccessFactors—with information from third-party systems. The result is a trusted, semantically enriched data foundation that empowers organisations to: 

2. Integrate Data Seamlessly

SAP Business Data Cloud consolidates data from various sources into a single repository. This integration ensures that every data element retains its inherent business context, allowing for meaningful analysis across functions. 

3. Deliver Managed Data Products

The platform offers ready-to-use data products tailored to different business domains. These products enable executives and decision-makers to quickly access reliable, high-quality data without the overhead of manual extraction or complex transformation processes. 

4. Provide Real-Time Insights

With real-time data integration capabilities, the platform ensures that decision-makers have immediate access to up-to-date information. This immediacy allows organisations to respond nimbly to changing market conditions and operational challenges. 

Databricks: The Engine for Advanced Analytics and AI 

While SAP Business Data Cloud forms the backbone of a unified data estate, Databricks is the engine that drives the advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The Databricks Data Intelligence Platform is purpose-built to empower organisations with: 

1. Data Engineering and Warehousing

Databricks offers an array of powerful tools for data ingestion, transformation, and storage. This allows enterprises to build scalable, efficient data pipelines that minimise the complexities typically associated with large-scale data integration. 

2. Advanced Analytics and Machine Learning

The platform is designed to support sophisticated analytics and machine learning frameworks. Enterprises can quickly develop predictive models, perform exploratory data science, and run comprehensive SQL analytics across massive datasets. 

3. Bi-Directional Data Sharing

One of the most compelling features of SAP Databricks is the ability to enable bi-directional data sharing between the SAP Databricks environment and native Databricks (non-SAP) setups. Utilising Delta Sharing, organisations can seamlessly integrate their SAP data with data stored elsewhere—all without the need for cumbersome ETL processes. 

4. Unified Data Governance with Unity Catalogue

Data governance is crucial for ensuring that insights are derived from reliable, secure data. With Unity Catalogue, enterprises benefit from a consistent governance framework that tracks data lineage, enforces security policies, and maintains regulatory compliance across all integrated data sources. 

A Focus on Cloud Flexibility 

While our primary emphasis is on delivering a unified, integrated data solution, it is important to note the inherent flexibility of the SAP Databricks offering. The solution is sold as part of SAP Business Data Cloud and is set for a staged rollout on major public cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

Key Advantages  

1. Choice and Flexibility

Enterprises can deploy the SAP Databricks solution on the cloud platform that best aligns with their strategic priorities and operational needs. This flexibility means organisations are not locked into a single vendor ecosystem and can leverage the unique strengths of each platform.

2. Streamlined Integration

While the core functionality remains consistent across cloud providers, the ability to deploy on multiple clouds enhances resilience, performance, and geographic reach. This cloud strategy is supported by VE3’s established relationships with all major public cloud providers, ensuring that integration and support are seamless and efficient. 

4. Optimised Cost and Performance

The option to choose among AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud allows enterprises to optimise for cost, performance, and compliance requirements. This strategic advantage ensures that organisations receive the best possible return on their technology investments. 

Our comprehensive approach ensures that our clients not only adopt the latest technologies but also derive tangible business outcomes. Whether it’s through cost savings, revenue growth, or enhanced customer satisfaction, our dual partnership with SAP and Databricks is designed to deliver measurable value. 

Enabling Domain-Specific AI 

Another critical component of the integrated solution is the ability to harness domain-specific AI. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, the integration allows for the development of AI models that are finely tuned to the unique processes and challenges of individual industries. 

Benefits of Domain-Specific AI 

1. Customised Insights

Domain-specific AI models are trained on an organisation’s proprietary SAP data, ensuring that the insights they generate are directly relevant to the business context. This targeted approach allows enterprises to address specific challenges—be it optimising inventory levels, forecasting financial trends, or enhancing customer service—with unprecedented precision. 

2. Unlocking Intelligent Agent Systems

The Mosaic AI capabilities integrated into the solution empower companies to develop intelligent agents that can autonomously manage critical business functions. These agents, designed for domain-specific applications, can automate workflows, streamline decision-making, and reduce operational bottlenecks. For instance, in the finance sector, AI agents can process claims more efficiently and optimise cash flow management. 

3. Enhanced Productivity and Innovation

By leveraging domain-specific AI, organisations can accelerate the development and deployment of applications that directly address their most pressing challenges. This tailored approach not only increases the productivity of data teams but also fosters a culture of innovation across the enterprise. 

VE3’s role is to help enterprises identify the key areas where domain-specific AI can drive value and then develop customised models that deliver actionable insights. This targeted use of AI ensures that every organisation can maximise the benefits of its data without the need for extensive data engineering or complex integration processes. 

VE3’s Unique Role in Enterprise Modernisation 

At VE3, we are uniquely positioned at the intersection of two technological powerhouses. Our longstanding partnerships with both SAP and Databricks enable us to deliver comprehensive, end-to-end solutions that address every aspect of the data lifecycle—from ingestion and integration to advanced analytics and AI deployment. 

Bridging Two Powerhouses 

1. End-to-End Integration

By combining SAP’s rich, business-critical data with Databricks’ advanced analytical capabilities, we create a seamless data pipeline that unifies disparate information sources into one cohesive ecosystem. This integrated approach eliminates the inefficiencies of isolated data silos and accelerates the time-to-insight for enterprise teams. 

2. Tailored Solutions for Every Industry

Recognising that every enterprise is unique, we leverage the combined capabilities of SAP and Databricks to develop customised solutions tailored to specific business needs. Whether addressing the challenges of financial analytics, supply chain optimisation, or customer engagement, our solutions are designed to deliver measurable, strategic value. 

3. Accelerated Modernisation

As organisations shift toward modern, cloud-based infrastructures, VE3 stands ready to guide clients through this critical transition. Our expertise ensures that customers can rapidly deploy new solutions, streamline operations, and realise benefits in record time. 

Enhancing the Proposition: Pre-Configured Integration Frameworks 

To further accelerate our clients’ journey towards enterprise modernisation, VE3 is proud to introduce our pre-configured integration frameworks. This offering is designed to reduce complexity, accelerate deployment, and ensure a smooth transition to the integrated SAP Databricks ecosystem.

Pre-Configured Integration Frameworks: Reducing Complexity, Accelerating Deployment 

Objective

Ensure rapid, seamless integration of SAP Databricks within the client’s existing data landscape by leveraging pre-built connectors, automation tools, and industry best practices. 

Key Features

1. Pre-Built Data Connectors

We offer ready-to-use integrations for SAP S/4HANA, SAP Ariba, SAP SuccessFactors, and various third-party systems. These connectors facilitate the smooth ingestion and sharing of data without the need for extensive customisation. 

2. Automated Data Mapping & Transformation Pipelines

Our frameworks standardise and automate the extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) of SAP data into Databricks. This significantly reduces manual effort, minimises errors, and accelerates the integration process.

3. Delta Sharing Configuration Templates

With pre-configured Delta Sharing templates, clients can easily enable bi-directional data sharing between SAP Databricks and their native Databricks environments—ensuring seamless, real-time data integration. 

4. Unity Catalogue Governance Policies

Out-of-the-box governance and security configurations are aligned with industry standards, ensuring that all data is consistently managed and compliant with regulatory requirements. 

Benefits for Clients

✔ Faster Implementation: Deployment time is reduced from months to weeks, accelerating the realisation of business value. 

✔ Lower Risk: Proven integration patterns reduce potential failure points. 

✔ Reduced IT Burden: Minimal custom development and ongoing maintenance requirements allow IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

Accelerating Innovation and Operational Efficiency 

Enabling Agentic AI for Business Processes 

One of the most exciting outcomes of the SAP-Databricks integration is the potential to power agentic AI—intelligent systems that can autonomously collaborate across business functions. SAP’s generative AI copilot, known as Joule, is at the forefront of this innovation. Joule agents can leverage the high-quality, semantically enriched data from SAP Business Data Cloud to: 

1. Automate Complex Workflows

From processing claims in finance to managing customer service inquiries, AI agents can streamline multi-step processes, reducing manual effort and improving operational efficiency. 

2. Enhance Decision-Making

By providing real-time, data-driven insights, AI agents help executives simulate scenarios, predict outcomes, and identify opportunities for optimisation. 

3. Personalise Customer Experiences

Leveraging insights from both SAP and non-SAP data sources, AI agents can tailor recommendations and interactions, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

VE3’s role is to help organisations deploy and customise these AI agents, ensuring they are aligned with specific business objectives and industry requirements. Our deep expertise in SAP and Databricks technologies allows us to build AI solutions that are both robust and scalable, setting the stage for next-generation enterprise innovation. 

Streamlined Data Engineering and Unified Governance 

Modern enterprises demand data solutions that are robust, scalable, and secure. The combined strengths of SAP Business Data Cloud and Databricks address these needs by: 

1. Zero-Copy Data Sharing

Delta Sharing allows for the seamless, bi-directional exchange of data between SAP Databricks and native Databricks environments. This eliminates the need for cumbersome data replication and reduces latency, ensuring that insights are derived from the most current data available. 

2. Consistent Governance with Unity Catalogue

With Unity Catalogue, all integrated data is managed under a single governance framework. This unified approach ensures that data quality, security, and compliance are maintained consistently across the enterprise—regardless of the source. 

3. Optimised Data Pipelines

VE3’s solutions streamline the entire data lifecycle, from ingestion and transformation to analytics and reporting. This not only accelerates project timelines but also minimises operational costs, allowing organisations to focus on strategic innovation. 

Enabling Agile Decision-Making 

In today’s fast-paced business environment, the ability to make informed decisions quickly is crucial. With a unified data ecosystem powered by advanced analytics and AI, enterprises can: 

Rapidly Identify Trends: 

Real-time data integration and sophisticated analytics enable businesses to detect emerging trends and anomalies faster than ever before. 

Simulate Business Scenarios: 

With access to semantically enriched data, executives can model various scenarios and forecast outcomes, enabling more proactive and informed decision-making. 

Drive Operational Efficiency: 

Automation of complex workflows and streamlined data governance lead to improved efficiency, reduced manual intervention, and significant cost savings. 

Customisable Roadmap: A Strategic Path to Data Modernisation 

Objective

Provide a clear, structured modernisation plan that aligns with the client’s strategic goals and ensures a smooth transition to a unified data intelligence platform. 

Key Components

1. Enterprise Data Strategy Workshop

We begin with a collaborative workshop to assess the current data landscape, identify key challenges and opportunities, and define a clear vision for the future state. This workshop forms the foundation of a tailored modernisation strategy.

2. Phased Implementation Approach

Our roadmap outlines immediate priorities, medium-term objectives, and long-term transformation goals. This phased approach minimises disruption and allows for gradual, controlled adoption of new technologies. 

3. Business Case & ROI Modelling

VE3 works with clients to build a data-driven business case, quantifying the financial and operational benefits of SAP Databricks integration. This modelling helps justify investments and guide decision-making. 

4. User Training & Change Management

Comprehensive training programs and change management initiatives are included to empower teams and ensure smooth adoption of the new data ecosystem. 

Benefits for Clients:  

✔ Business-Driven Approach: Aligns modernisation initiatives with strategic business goals. 

✔ Risk Mitigation: A structured, phased approach minimises disruption. 

✔ Maximised ROI: Clear, quantifiable benefits help justify investments and drive sustainable growth.

The Road Ahead: Embracing a Modernised Enterprise 

A Unified Vision for Enterprise Modernisation 

The integration of SAP Databricks into SAP Business Data Cloud, enhanced by the advanced capabilities of Databricks’ analytics platform, represents a significant leap forward in enterprise modernisation. This unified data ecosystem provides organisations with the tools they need to streamline operations, drive innovation, and make data-driven decisions that fuel growth. 

At VE3, our mission is to guide enterprises on this journey toward modernisation. We offer a comprehensive suite of services that includes strategic consulting, tailored solution architecture, custom AI and analytics development, and ongoing support. Our goal is to ensure that your organisation not only adapts to the rapidly changing data landscape but thrives in it. 

Building a Culture of Innovation and Agility 

Technology is only one part of the equation—successful modernisation also requires a cultural shift. Organisations must foster an environment where innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning are the norm. We work closely with our clients to:

1. Empower Your Workforce

Provide training and resources to help your teams leverage advanced analytics and AI-driven insights effectively. 

2. Promote Cross-Functional Collaboration

Break down silos and encourage collaborative problem-solving across departments, ensuring that every team member contributes to the organisation’s success. 

3. Cultivate a Data-Driven Mindset

Build a culture where decisions are based on reliable, real-time data, and where every layer of the organisation understands and values the strategic importance of data. 

Through these efforts, VE3 not only delivers cutting-edge technology solutions but also helps create an organisational culture that is agile, innovative, and primed for success. 

Conclusion 

The integration of SAP Databricks into the SAP Business Data Cloud—augmented by advanced analytics, bi-directional data sharing through Delta Sharing, and unified governance with Unity Catalogue—marks a transformative moment in enterprise modernisation. By unifying semantically rich business data with powerful analytics and AI capabilities, this integrated solution enables organisations to break down data silos, streamline operations, and drive strategic decision-making with unprecedented speed and precision. 

VE3’s unique position as a partner to both SAP and Databricks allows us to deliver end-to-end solutions that address the full spectrum of modern data challenges. With additional benefits such as multi-cloud flexibility and the targeted development of domain-specific AI, our approach is designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s enterprises—empowering them to innovate faster, operate more efficiently, and maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly complex market. 

As enterprises embrace this new era of modernisation, VE3 stands ready to be your trusted partner on the journey. Together, we can transform your data estate into a unified, intelligent platform that drives sustainable growth and operational excellence. 

For more insights into how VE3 can help you navigate the challenges of modern data management and enterprise modernisation, please contact us or visit our website. Let’s embark on this transformative journey together and unlock the full potential of your data for a brighter, more agile future. 

Don’t let your SAP investment become a legacy system. Embrace the power of a modern, cloud-native data platform with Databricks and VE3.