Back on the Roller Coaster: Delak’s Journey in the Cloud

By Fred Isbell, senior director and head of Thought Leadership – Digital Business Services Marketing, SAP

As discussed in “After the Hype Roller Coaster Stops: A Business Case for the Cloud and Cloud Solution Maturity,” the hype around new technology and solutions is very similar to a roller coaster ride. Something triggers a new technology, and the hype rises over time to often unrealistic proportions – but sooner or later, reality (with a bit of delusion sometimes) sets in when we realize the actual reality and, most important, value. At this point, technology matures; we set realistic expectations; and a status quo is achieved when reality meets expectations.

The continued maturation of cloud solutions is an excellent example of this equilibrium point. Earlier this year, I hosted an SAP Webcast with the Digital Business Service organization at that featured our friends from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who presented the university’s business case for cloud solutions.  The feedback from the event made it clear that pragmatic and concise stories detailing the “how” and “why” of cloud solutions are demand.

I’m very excited to host another Webcast, “Delek’s Path to Success with SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud,” on Thursday, October 27, to expand more on this theme. The panel discussion will focus on Delek US Holdings, a diversified downstream energy company headquartered in Tennessee. We will explain how they successfully introduced SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud as a cornerstone of its digital strategy.

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud has enabled Delek accomplish critical business and IT benefits including:

• Faster, more efficient deployment of business solutions – which decreased time to value
• Integration of disparate systems and connectivity provisioning across SAP and non-SAP systems
• Lower IT costs, reduced total cost of ownership, and secure, seamless access to users – resulting in ubiquitous user access anywhere and anytime

Expect some additional “aha moments” from a great group of subject-matter experts:

• Susan Lafferty, business relationship manager, Delek US Holdings
• Jyoti Kakarala, director of ERP & Refinery Systems, Delek US Holdings
• Nicolle Sternberger, vice president of SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud Go-To-Market Strategy, SAP

By the time we go live with this Webcast, I would have just returned from a speaking engagement at this year’s TSIA Technology Services World (TSW) conference. And since the TSIA’s theme is “aligning for growth and outcomes,” I will be more than ready to share what I’ve learned.

This Webcast is a great opportunity to further examine ways companies are supporting business outcomes through the adoption of cloud solutions – specifically a private, managed cloud platform environment. I hope you decide to register for this Webcast featuring Delak. And if you cannot join us, keep an eye out for my follow-up blog, which will provide some insights from the session.

Fred is the senior director and head of Thought Leadership for Digital Business Services Marketing at SAP.

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