Silwood Technology Limited

How Safyr’s metadata discovery capabilitiesreduce cost and time needed to understand

Enterprise package data

30th June 2015

Information management projects

• Imagine you are a data professional

• You are involved in a large project

• Which involves finding data from SAP, Oracle or Salesforce packages

The challenge is finding the data!

• Where is the data I need? (which tables?)

• How do I find it– Documentation?– Ask a specialist?– Hire a consultant?– Hope one of the tool

vendors can provide?– Use a data modelling

tool?

Why are these applications so difficult?

• Large• Complex• Customised• Specialists only• ‘Invisible’ data model

“The data in these (ERP) systems makes sense and are useful, but only in the context of the hard-coded processes. In short, the data is trapped inside a complex web of thousands of database tables whose integrity is solely controlled by a rigid fossilized collection of software algorithms. If you don’t believe me, just ask your SAP support staff for access to directly update (or even read) a data table.”

John Schmidt (vice president of Global Integration Services at Informatica Corporation)

If you can’t access or understand the source data?

• Delay in project benefits• Late or under delivery• Increased risk from poor data• Over budget• Loss of trust

The essential question: “Where’s my data?”

Typical environment• 000’s tables (but only

need a few)• Complex relationships

(how are tables joined?)• Descriptions• Customisations

“How do I quickly and accurately find the right tables needed for my project?”

One customer’s experience

“The team was originally informed that no data model was available for the SAP application or for SAP BW”

Scott DelaneyBI Team LeaderHydro Tasmania

How did they initially approach the challenge?

• Read documentation• Ask technical specialists• Ask consultants (expensive!)• Informed guesswork• Internet search

Eventually they contacted us and bought Safyr

Automates rapid harvesting and discovery of metadata including customisations

Powerful scoping and introspection tools usable by data professionals

Fast and easy integration with 3rd party tools

Safyr summary

• Extracts metadata• Easy search and filter• Show related tables• Logical and physical• Descriptions

Safyr visualisation

• Partial view of a data model from SAP

• Safyr ER Diagrammer

• Logical and Physical names

• Relationships

Safyr provisioning 3rd party tools

• Export results for– Data modelling– Metadata Management– Data Warehouse / BI– ETL– Data Integration– Master Data– Data Governance– Data Testing

Safyr main features

Rapid start – metadata extraction and repository build < 3 hours Accurate – works with system as implemented Results of analysis in hours or days, not months Reverse engineers application metadata (inc. customisations) Finds all tables, fields, view, descriptions (logical AND physical) Automatically discovers all relationships and Application module hierarchy Search, filter, navigate functionality Comparison features (complete applications or individual subject areas) Pre-configured Subject areas for SAP, JD Edwards, Siebel, Oracle EBS “ETL for Metadata” supports other packages (eg Dynamics)

Case study details - Hydro Tasmania

• Problem– New SAP and BW– New DWH and BI (BOBJ)– “No SAP data model”– Reduced productivity– Business losing faith

• Solution– Safyr for SAP data model

• Benefits– BI project back on track– No backlog, high productivity– Improved trust– Rapid ROI

“As a result of our investment in Safyr we are able to take a more agile approach to meeting the demands for new reports and data within acceptable timescales and the business’ trust in the information provided is growing”

Scott Delaney, Hydro Tasmania

Safyr solves this challenge for Enterprise packages

“..as any data warehouse manager will confirm from bitter experience the biggest technical challenge they face is in understanding the source systems for the warehouse, extracting the data from them and building a consistent set of information from the combined sources”

Barry Devlin (2011)Data Warehouse Design Redux

A final quote

“After doing a quick prototype metadata extract from SAP, the response has been very positive! I’m really grieving for the lost years without access to this tool. It has met and exceeded my lofty expectations.”

Brian FarishIT Architecture ManagerAMD

Return and value from Safyr for rapid source metadata discovery

• Faster project delivery• Manage/reduce costs• Higher productivity• Accuracy of deliverables• Fewer surprises during

project• Improved trust in data

Want to learn more?

Visit: www.silwoodtechnology.com

Email: info@silwoodtechnology.com

Request evaluation copy:http://www.silwoodtechnology.com/safyr-evaluation-licence/

Call: +44 1344 876 553