SAP Data Services Reviews

I currently use this solution for data walls and the custom URL system.

The API tool in this product is very valuable; it is very easy to onboard and use.

We would like the different tools offered within this solution to be available as standalone entities, rather than having to purchase the entire package when we only require a few features.

I have been using this solution for 20 years.

We have found this solution to be very stable.

This is a very scalable solution, with a multi-user environment.

The technical support for this solution is not very good, they don't really care about assisting with issues.

The initial setup of this solution was very complex. The process requires multiple steps, but there is very limited documentation available to aid the implementation tasks. This results in deployment being very slow.

We configured and implement this solution using our in-house team.

This is a good solution for medium to large organizations, but a lot of prior training is needed in order to support the product post-implementation.We would not recommend this solution for smaller organizations, due to the large numbers of staff required for ongoing support and maintenance.

Also, if an organization is considering this solution, I recommend they look at the cloud-based version, which is less support-dependent

I would rate this solution a six out of ten.

The ease of mapping and creating the queries are quite useful aspects. Manipulating an integration to different systems is relatively better than any of the ATL2, which are available as well.

It's a flexible solution. You can always manipulate a lot of things as long as you have the skill level.

The initial setup is usually pretty straightforward. 

There is always room for improvement when it comes to the sources being dynamic, however, it is not something that can be done easily. These changes, take years to come into the picture, and it's usually the patch upgrade that comes in. Those are very less at the functional level. 

At the integration level, there could be a certain set of improvements to connect to various other systems.

There are still a lot of glitches with SAP Data Services as of now. 

I'd like for them to make scheduling much more dynamic when we create jobs. 

The dependencies to other systems, when we are running a job, we have certain problems, some optimization schemes, if it can be implemented for the data flows when we run it. If we had multiple data loaders and if we could use that at the same time while ensuring the backend data system doesn't get affected, it would be ideal. 

I've been using the solution for seven years now. 

I cannot confirm stability. It depends on the kind of projects when you get them or if you work in an enterprise-style project that is analytics-based. 

Scalability-wise, we are ATL2. We are not really doing anything pertaining to improving the data quality directly through the group - we are just converting it up, applying business rules from that perspective. It's a bit flexible compared to other ATL2s when it is connecting to data databases. In terms of scalability right now, there is some improvement needed.

Technical support typically caters to us if any of the server systems are down. Otherwise, technical support, pertaining to the builds, I usually don't require assistance. I fix it up at my own speed sometimes with certain tricks I know. Otherwise, the SAP communities are there and you can find answers that way. In worse-case scenarios, if you mess stuff up, you can always raise a ticket to SAP and they can come in with certain experts and they can try and fix the problem.

I'm also working on learning Azure Data Factory. 

The ease of setup depends on the systems you're connecting to. If I'm just forming a data store with say any database it's easy. However, if I'm forming it with any of the SAP systems targeting S4 or above, it's slightly complex and takes some time. There are also a lot of authorizations required and due to all that it's not a thing for an individual person to just pass through. That said, on a technical level, it is still relatively easy if you do receive all the required inputs.

The level of maintenance needed is always dependent on the projects and the amount of data that you're getting. Supposedly if you're giving me ten to 20 million records, my application issues I've stabilized. Data is going fine, and one person can support it if he has a bit of knowledge (somewhere around two to three years working with SAP). However, if it is much more dynamic and still there is a lot of junk data coming in, corrections are needed. In that case, a team of seven or even eight members will not suffice. I've worked once in a team of 40 members and it took us close to four years to stabilize the entire application. 

We used an integrator for the implementation process. 

The licensing costs vary. It depends on the company, on the project. A regular person cannot afford it. It's more for enterprise-level organizations. I'm not sure about the licensing based upon monthly or yearly, however.

There should just be one set fee, however, there may be costs associated with ancillary platforms a company has integrated with SAP. 

I'm an end-user of SAP. I'm using it with my partner. 

I'd advise new users that if they want to be on an equal level in the data analyst field, this is one of the finest tools. It is still a bit under the radar of people and many don't really realize its potential. They're still sticking on the data stage or Informatica. However, there are certain dependencies that SAP has created in which this particular Data Services works best.

I'd rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

We've been using this tool for data integration in the banking sector. We gather data from different sources and prepare it for analysis. I'm an integrator and a senior data engineer. 

SAP is quite easy to start working with, especially for those with SAP experience. The basic functionality is quite good as is the basic logic and data information. 

I have several issues with this solution. The first is that the deployment process, the migration of the solution between different environments, is quite complex. Data services doesn't have much in terms of data transformation components so if you want to do something special, it requires custom coding. The embedded features that SAP Data Services offers are not enough for me to implement everything that I want.

I've also found that the internet resources SAP provides are really poor despite the good documentation on their site. If I want to have a conversation with other developers or get an opinion from them, there's not much available. I would prefer to use other tools, but because of our current client's requirements, we are using Data Services. 

I don't have any concerns about stability. I haven't noticed any gaps or issues.

The solution is scalable. 

We previously used Talend which I found to be more flexible in terms of data transformation, applying additional logic and things like that. SAP Data Services has limited possibilities for data transformation.

The solution was implemented prior to my joining the company. We do upgrades and implement some small changes. Unfortunately, this can take some time and is not as easy as it should be. Deployment could be improved. We have a team of four people maintaining Data Services. 

I rate this solution six out of 10. 

From an integration perspective, normally, we're using SAP Data Services, however, I can only use it from an ETL perspective.

This is used to extract business content from the system. It's the tool that allows you to extract business consent and for purposes of business intelligence; businesses use it for legally reporting requirements.

There is what you call a subsystem, however, the data within stuff itself is not flexible so that you would be able to use tools like Power BI with it as it is. In order to use Power BI tools and so on, you need data to be in a certain layout and to be extracted in a certain structure. This tool allows you to do that.

Having different ways of extracting data has been very useful. We can extract data at a table level, extract data at the ETL level, and we can extract data at an ODP level. 

The solution is very stable.

It's a user-friendly product.

The deployment is quick and it's straightforward to set up.

They could make it easier to work with web services. They need to make things like connecting to Google Databases, and so on, easier. They also have a data connection layer. If you could connect to those web-based data mixes with other vendors, web vendors, that should help.

Glitches are very, very few and far between. It's very user-friendly. I won't complain much there.

We've found the solution to be scalable. 

We have five or six people who are data analysts who use it. 

There are no plans to increase usage with their current model of work.

Whenever we needed technical support services it's been there for us, however, we hardly have ever needed support.

We did not use a different solution.

The initial setup is very easy. It takes about a day for implementation and setup. 

You only need one person to handle deployment and maintenance tasks.

We used a consultant to assist us with the implementation process. 

I cannot speak to the exact cost of the solution, however, in terms of if you look at the consulting fee, and you work up debt on a yearly basis, it might be $50,000 USD. There aren't additional costs beyond the standard fee.

We did look at Informatica as well before choosing this solution.

We are end-users. We provide services for the customer. I would not necessarily be the customer. I would provide services on behalf of the customer.

We've installed what we call a specific DDI. We use a hybrid setup.

I'd advise new users to know the product more before they implement it. It's important to be familiar with it before you commit.

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten in the environment in which it's used, which is the best tool. In an environment where you've got theft as a source and you've got many targets, there are very few solutions that can match it.

We use the solution as a tool to do the deployment for the reports.

While we deal mostly with banks, who do not need complex analytics (their reports are largely static). It's useful for telecoms or other sectors that need to monitor daily trends. However, once designed, the banks can use the same report on a daily basis to see their somewhat static results quite easily.

We really like this product. Whenever we have customers, no matter where they are in the world, we suggest this app and we implement SAP for them.

The solution offers very good integration capabilities.

It's a quality product.

After working with the tool for so many years, I can say that overall their services are a really good deal. They continue to enhance their services regularly and are always improving their offering.

The tools that are provided are some of the best on the market and the pricing is really great.

In terms of data integration or other tools, we have a road map and we send out requests for enhancements through our marketing team who is involved in the process.

There should be some kind of enhancement that can be done on the admin side of certain sites where we can assign the roles and responsibilities. We should be able to control who is using the tool and how.

We have used the solution for ten to 12 years. I myself started with SAP in 2006.

The stability of the solution is excellent. There aren't bugs or glitches that I have seen. The system doesn't crash. Organizations can rely on its performance.

The scalability of the solution is very good. If an organization needs to expand it further after implementation, they shouldn't have any issues. 

We've never had to contact technical support. We have our own team in-house. If there are queries, we tend to resolve them ourselves or use SAP's portal.

We've never really faced any difficulty that would require us to involve SAP directly.

Initially, we did have a few issues around Arabic localization and Arabic values, but once we resolved it, we didn't find many other issues. Most of the reports, the layouts, the data headers, etc. are now in Arabic and it's no problem. 

For myself, I find the initial setup quite simple. However, I have many years under my belt working directly with the product. Someone with beginner-level knowledge might find it a bit challenging. In general, however, it's easy, not difficult.

The length of deployment depends on the organization and requirements. It does take a few days, but some projects are longer than others. It really depends on the client's needs. Each situation is unique.

We're a technical team, so we aren't directly involved in the prices or cost of the solution. Our marketing department handles the details and negotiates prices with SAP. They try to get reductions to lower pricing in the contracts. I have no idea what the exact amount is our company pays on a monthly or yearly basis.

Currently, I am doing some research into an Oracle solution that a client is asking about. While we focus on SAP, they are interested in this Oracle tool. I've been doing some analysis into it to compare the two solutions in case the bank decides that they do indeed want to migrate from SAP to Oracle. 

We are already an SAP gold partner. We have a significant level of partnership with SAP. We also used to do the reports for SAP. This is the only tool that we suggest to our clients and we do the implementation for banks in the Middle East. Nearly all customers have the same tool that we use. We are one of the leading banking software providers in the region.

We do not work with the cloud. We do local installations only. We don't use anything on the cloud because banks normally have policies in place where they cannot share with the cloud for security and risk aversion reasons. 

It is one of the nicest tools on the market and people really should use it.

As compared to the other tools it is easier to implement and easier to understand. It's very efficient especially if you are looking at performance and stability. 

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. I'd give it perfect marks, but there is always room for some more enhancements.

We use Data Services for data integration, MDM, quality assurance, etc.

I like how SAP Data Services links reporting and data integration. That's what's most interesting. You also have the opportunity to leverage the power of the Data Services server.

I want some more business intelligence applications. People need to know more and more about data, including the transformation rules, etc. Informatica is a better product for data cataloging. SAP should update the data catalog. 

We've used SAP Data Services for around 15 years.

SAP Data Services is stable. 

SAP support is extremely helpful, and SAP Data Services is widely used, so it's easy to find a third-party specialist. It's not the same with Talend. I rate SAP support eight out of 10. 

Positive

We also use Informatica PowerCenter, but it's harder to find an Informatica consultant. SAP is more widely used.

You need some specialized knowledge about SAP tools before the setup. 

Informatica and SAP Data Services are both pricey for a small business. We may have to find another solution that's on the cloud. The license itself isn't the most expensive part. We have to pay for servers, consultants, etc. 

I rate SAP Data Services nine out of 10. 

We load data from databases into our data warehouse.

The most valuable feature is the ETL functionality.

Dealing with the REST API is not easy with Data Services.

It is mandatory to have a WADL file and it is difficult to find this file and set it up.

I would like to see a better connection with the API and the use of XML files.

It's an ETL that is very good with relational databases but not as good with files and semi-structured files. 

Also, the support could be better.

I have been working with SAP Data Services for 15 years.

We have a SaaS company doing level one support.

I have not had an exchange with SAP support. I deal with my local support, and when there is a problem, they escalate the issue to SAP technical support. 

I don't deal with SAP support directly.

Previously, I had used another ETL solution.

The initial setup was straightforward and easy to complete.

The price is very reasonable.

I would rate SAP Data Services an eight out of ten.

It is a very widely used tool. We mostly use it for integration purposes between various systems and for data migration. One of the recent use cases is about the AWS database that we are trying to establish. We need the data from various on-premise systems, and SAP is one of them, which is majorly used. We want to put that data into our data lake.

We are not using the cataloging and metadata features much. We have a separate data cataloging tool.

Its integration capabilities and the data migration capabilities are the most valuable. It is very good for SAP and non-SAP tools. It has very good integration with SAP, but it also has the capabilities to connect to other systems. We find it very helpful and stable.

The skillset of data engineers matters a bit to use all the functionality of this solution. Otherwise, the delivery speed won't be faster. 

I have been using this solution for eight to ten years.

It is a very stable solution.

It is scalable.

We are getting responses from them. There were one or two issues that were very critical, and we got the needed attention from them. 

We also have other ETL tools, such as Informatica, that are being used in other teams, but SAP Data Services is the main solution that we are using. I have not heard any complaints about it.

We, fortunately, have a very good team in our organization, which makes it easy for us to implement.

It is a part of an enterprise agreement. There is another department that handles its maintenance.

Its pricing is as per the enterprise agreement and not a concern for us.

Overall, we have good experience and feedback. We have very skilled engineers in our team, and I haven't heard any kind of negative feedback about this solution.

I would rate SAP Data Services an eight out of ten.

Our primary use is for storing incidents and all of the financial information that accompany them.

We do maintenance on buildings and our customers call if there is a problem. Each time a call comes in we log the incident, solve the problem, and later invoice the customer.

The most valuable feature is the logging capability. We use it for logging incidents.

The interface is not quite user-friendly and is in need of improvement. 

In the next release of this solution, I would like to have a planning tool.

I have been using SAP Data Services for two years.

With respect to stability, we have not had any problems.

We have not had issues with scalability.

We have our own technical support group, so I have not been in contact with SAP for support.

We are currently evaluating ServiceNow to see if it meets our needs and has a better user interface.

This is not a solution I recommend for incident management. SAP works well for the financial side of the business, but for anybody who is researching solutions for incident management, I suggest that they use another product.

I would rate this solution a six out of ten.

The solution has very good dashboards. They have a good refresh rate - after every 300 articles.

The reporting on the data, even from third-party software, is very good.

The solution should offer more machine learning and automation.

The solution should add more cognitive analytics, particularly on the RPA. It should allow for data to be picked up in Outlook and processed in SAP, then communicated via any third-party software. This will help with decision making and retrieve the data per the requirements of the user.

The existing ERP doesn't have any capabilities. The features of RPA need to be built into ERP. It's lagging in not just this solution, but almost all software.

I primarily use the solution for building data cubes from existing third party software at SAP and consolidating different stages on queries.

The solution is stable.

We do plan to increase usage in the future.

We interact with technical support regularly and often reach out about two times a week. Their support office is very close to ours in Bangalore. We've been very satisfied with their level of service.

We did previously use a different solution. We switched because Data Service has a lot of upcoming technology and there's a good market for their services currently.

The solution is straightforward to set up. A lot of research needs to go into the work, however. A standard deployment takes a few months.

We had our own consultants assist with the implementation. They have a lot of knowledge about SAP and SAP environments for building a gateway.

We use the on-premises deployment model.

SAP Data Services predominantly works for event tracking or training environments. However, if you're talking about social media, where there needs to be a lot of understanding about the data, you could build this solution into that area as well. You will just need a lot of research and development.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. If they build in cognitive capabilities and went beyond just reporting on the dashboard, I'd rate it higher.