SAP BDC Starter Package
Your introduction to the
SAP Business Data Cloud
With the SAP Business Data Cloud Starter Package, ISR lays the groundwork for a structured, low-risk introduction to SAP Business Data Cloud and SAP Datasphere.
Instead of starting with an isolated pilot project, we work together to define the architectural, organizational, and technical guidelines for a data platform that is designed from the outset for scalability, governance, and business value.
This offering is designed for companies that want to implement SAP Datasphere in a targeted manner or integrate it into their existing SAP or hybrid data landscape—with a clear vision, robust standards, and an initial prioritized use case. This approach helps you avoid making early architectural decisions that could lead to long-term costs and establishes a solid foundation for the future expansion of your data and analytics landscape.
On this page, you’ll learn how the starter package is structured, what the governance and setup components entail, how optional knowledge-building and pilot implementation work, and which package size is right for your project. This will give you a clear overview of the process, scope of services, and concrete benefits of a methodologically sound introduction to the SAP Business Data Cloud.
SAP Datasphere & BDC
Your architecture decision
The SAP Business Data Cloud is relevant for both innovation initiatives and the further development of existing SAP landscapes. While early adopters want to strategically establish new data architectures and governance structures, established SAP organizations are faced with the task of integrating the BDC and SAP Datasphere into mature BW or hybrid environments in a controlled manner.
In both cases, the quality of the initial architecture definition determines scalability, operational reliability, and long-term added value. The ISR starter package provides the methodological and technical basis for this—regardless of the maturity level of your existing data landscape.
SAP Business Data Cloud is creating a new generation of integrated data platforms. SAP Datasphere plays a central role in this: modeling, integration, provisioning, and, in the future, data product structures.
But Datasphere is not an isolated tool.
It changes:
- Your layer logic
- Your tenant strategy
- Your space design
- Your security and lifecycle mechanisms
- Your modeling standards
Anyone who starts here without a clear architectural framework will make implicit decisions that are difficult to correct later on.
Arrange an architectural consultation
SAP Business Data Cloud
Typical implementation risks
The introduction of SAP Datasphere is often started as a technical project—with the goal of quickly identifying initial business use cases. What is often underestimated is that every early modeling decision is also an architectural decision with long-term implications for costs, maintainability, and scalability.
Without clearly defined governance structures, implicit decisions are made regarding tenant organization, layer logic, and security structure. These decisions are rarely made consciously, but they have a lasting impact on operation, expandability, and performance. Initial results may be visible quickly, but as complexity increases, so do coordination efforts, integration costs, and refactoring risks.
This becomes particularly critical in existing SAP or hybrid data landscapes. If Datasphere is not cleanly embedded into the overall architecture, parallel structures, duplicate modeling logics, and increased long-term operating costs will result. This reduces the strategic impact of the actual platform investment.
The main risk therefore lies not in the individual use case, but in a lack of architectural control at the start of the project. Those who define governance, development guidelines, and lifecycle mechanisms only after the pilot phase often end up correcting decisions that are already having a productive effect at that point.
A structured approach significantly reduces these risks by clarifying architectural issues prior to operational implementation and documenting them in a binding manner.
These risks do not arise from a lack of competence, but rather from a lack of structured initialization.
This is exactly where the starter package comes in.
Systematic BDC implementation process
Our approach
With our starter package, we offer you a structured, proven introduction to using SAP Business Data Cloud: from governance and setup to optional training and the implementation of your first flagship project (pilot implementation).
The governance and setup workshop begins with an introduction to SAP Datasphere as the technical foundation.
ISR brings proven templates, reference architectures, and project experience from numerous customer projects to the table, which serve as a structured starting point and are adapted specifically to the customer's individual requirements, framework conditions, and objectives during the course of the project. On this basis, a customer-specific solution design is created as a binding foundation for the pilot implementation and further expansion stages.
In detail
This is how the starter package is structured
Before implementing the first technical use case, we work together to develop a robust solution design.
This includes, among other things:
- Tenant strategy and sizing
- Connection of source systems
- Layer and space concept
- Optional: Consideration of a data product approach
- naming conventions
- workload management
- Security and user management
- Life cycle and transport concepts
- Introduction to Monitoring in SAP Datasphere
- Identification of automation potential
Optionally, further topics are also covered, such as:
- Integration of SAP BW (PCE)
- Use of the HANA Object Store
- Data Products and Intelligent Applications
Finally, binding development guidelines are created—including performance considerations and clear modeling rules.
Result:
No implicit architecture.
Instead, a documented, coordinated architecture framework.
The defined architecture is not only documented, but also directly implemented technically in the SAP Datasphere:
- Initial system settings
- Basic configuration in accordance with governance requirements
- Support with onboarding the first developers
This ensures that there is no gap between conception and implementation.
Optionally, a hands-on introductory training course on SAP Datasphere data modeling can be added. For this course, ISR provides training content that is imported into the customer’s own SAP Datasphere instance.
General conditions:
- Duration: approx. 16 hours
- Max. 7 participants
- Remote or on-site implementation
Contents (excerpt):
- Overview of SAP Datasphere and project practice
- Introduction to the training data model
- Modeling objects (tables, views, intelligent lookups, data flow, analytic model, etc.)
- Data modeling exercises
- Integration with SAP Analytics Cloud, including simple story
The pilot implementation is based on the fundamentals developed in the governance and setup workshop (solution design, architecture, development guidelines).
The scope of the pilot phase depends on the complexity and technical specifications of the selected use case. ISR offers predefined package sizes from which the customer can select the appropriate package depending on the planned scope of the pilot (see package matrix). In addition to the pilot implementation, each package includes the complete governance and setup component, thus ensuring a consistent quality and architecture standard.
The pilot implementation serves as a robust starting point for:
- the assessment of technical added value,
- technical and organizational validation,
- as well as the structured expansion of further use cases.
The pilot is therefore not an isolated prototype. It is based entirely on the defined architectural framework and serves as a reference module for further use cases at
.
As part of the pilot implementation, the customer will be equipped to work independently with SAP Datasphere.
The optional basic training course provides the perfect foundation for this.
Scalable and transparent
Our package matrix to help you get started with BDC
The ISR Starter Package has a modular design and provides a structured, low-risk introduction to SAP Datasphere. The package options differ only in the scope of the pilot implementation. The core architecture and methodology remain the same in every case.
Regardless of the package size you choose, every starter package includes a fixed component dedicated to governance and setup. Together, we develop a customized solution design, define the organizational and technical framework, and thoroughly prepare the environment for implementation. This ensures that even smaller pilot projects are built on a robust and future-proof architecture and do not end up as isolated prototypes.
Billing is based on a fixed price. As the scope of the project increases, the technical scope of the lighthouse project expands in terms of man-days (MD), while the average price per scope of work decreases. This provides planning certainty—both technically and financially.
We will work with you to determine which starter package best suits your target vision. We will examine your existing data landscape, planned use case, and strategic objectives—and define the next steps for a stable, methodically sound introduction to the SAP Business Data Cloud.
Request prices for BDC starter packages
Contact us now
We are ready to assist you!
We would be happy to discuss with you which starter package best suits your technical objectives and planned use case. In a joint exchange, we will clarify the next steps for a stable, predictable, and methodically secure introduction to SAP Datasphere.
Carl Stegat
Professional Business Development
SAP Information Management
carl.stegat@isr.de
+49 (0) 15142205480