This metaphor looks at the fact that data \u2013 like oil in the 20th-century economy \u2013 is the core commodity of today\u2019s digital economy. Looking backward 10 or 15 years, companies controlling oil enjoyed the largest market capitalization. Today, these companies have been replaced by the likes of Google, Apple, and Amazon. Whereas the 20th-century economy ran on oil, the digital economy runs on data.<\/p>\n
Commodity control is one thing; value is another. This was as true back then as it is now. In an oil economy, nobody put crude oil in their cars unless they were looking for trouble. No, this crude oil first needed to be refined before end consumers could get the value.<\/p>\n
Similarly, raw data is of little use on its own; it needs to be refined to be useful, which is Humby\u2019s ultimate point. The value of raw data, in other words, is only potential<\/strong> value \u2013 all depending on what you do with it.<\/p>\n The foundation of the intelligent enterprise<\/strong><\/p>\n Doing the right thing with the data is what the intelligent enterprise is all about. Take a look at the graphic below. This represents SAP\u2019s technology landscape model for the intelligent enterprise \u2013 the kind of company that uses data to thrive in the digital economy.<\/p>\n Notice that data management is foundational. It\u2019s a core part of your digital platform, undergirding everything else you do.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you\u2019re an HVAC manufacturer and you\u2019re under competitive pressure to Internet-enable the machines you install. Your goal, in the end, is to move to an entirely new business model. You want to move from making, selling, and servicing machines to delivering temperature-controlled air on demand.<\/p>\n Under this model, your customers don\u2019t buy your machines \u2013 rather, you install, monitor, and service the machines as a part of a contract where the customer pays per usage. Usage is monitored by sensors built into the machines and transmitted back to you.<\/p>\n This is where the middle section of the graphic \u2013 intelligent technologies \u2013 comes into play. Technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning are effective only with the right data going in: \u201cGarbage in, garbage out,\u201d to use another old but relevant metaphor. A data platform that can effectively leverage the overwhelming volume of data that is accessible today and then process it for truly meaningful insights: That\u2019s a data platform worthy of the intelligent enterprise.<\/p>\n Moving upward in the graphic, you\u2019ll notice the \u201cintelligent suite.\u201d This is your set of integrated business software \u2013 highly extensible and flexible, available in the cloud or on-premise. The applications in this suite are fueled by the data fed from the data platform. Managing the supply chain, engaging customers, or billing based on a pay-per-usage business model \u2013 whatever you\u2019re doing, the right data (refined to your needs) is critical for success.<\/p>\n Technology landscape of the intelligent enterprise<\/em><\/p>\n What\u2019s needed<\/strong><\/p>\n But what exactly should you expect from your data platform? At SAP, we think there are three vital components for the data management layer. These include:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fh.com.br\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/07\/fh-consulting-sap-hana-data-fuel-intelligent-enterprise-cloud-architecture-fexibility.png\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n