When one of the world’s largest logistics companies set out to modernize its data platform, they faced a massive challenge: migrating decades of custom SAP data models (including Z-tables, domain-specific objects, and client-specific extensions) into a common data model in Snowflake.
The stakes were high. Their business supports a global network of supply chain and logistics operations, and their clients rely on accurate, timely insights. To unlock the full potential of Snowflake, they needed transparency, speed, and confidence in how their SAP source systems mapped into their Snowflake target models.
The Challenge
Traditional source-to-target (S2T) mapping is notoriously slow, manual, and error-prone.
- Hundreds of custom SAP objects needed to be reconciled.
- Client-specific models had to be harmonized into a shared Snowflake common data model.
- Business teams demanded visibility into how data flowed from SAP into Snowflake, and the ability to validate the mappings, not just “trust the process.”
By addressing these challenges head-on, the aim of this engagement was to create a foundation where accuracy, transparency, and confidence in data pipelines were no longer afterthoughts but central to the transformation effort.
Why This Matters in the Supply Chain Space
In the supply chain and logistics world, speed, accuracy, and transparency are everything. Enterprises in this space need to be able to manage complex networks of shipments, warehousing, and customer data across industries, all while navigating multiple SAP instances and custom models in the process.
- End-to-End Visibility: By automating source-to-target mapping into Snowflake, the company now has a clear, unified view of how data flows across all clients and business domains.
- Faster Decision-Making: With lineage and mapping validated in real time, logistics teams can spot disruptions earlier, model alternative routes or allocations, and reduce downtime.
- Scalability for Multiple Clients: Harmonizing different SAP instances into a Snowflake common data model gives them the ability to onboard new clients faster, with less manual rework.
- Customer Confidence: Transparency in KPIs and data transformations ensures that clients have consistent, accurate metrics, regardless of if they’re looking at delivery performance, tracking costs, or monitoring inventory levels.
By combining AI-driven insights with human oversight, the logistics company transformed a once slow, manual mapping process into a strategic advantage while equipping internal teams to deliver on-time, accurate, and reliable services for their customers.
Hakkōda’s Solution: AI Acceleration with Human-in-the-Loop
Hakkoda deployed its AI Migration Platform with our Source-to-Target Mapping Accelerator to tackle this complexity head-on.
Key Capabilities We Brought to the Table:
- Automated Dependency Discovery: Parsed all SAP source data dependencies and generated complete data lineage.
- AI-Powered Mapping Recommendations: Suggested mappings for Bronze → Silver → Gold layers in Snowflake.
- Row-Level Data Classification: Validated mappings by analyzing actual source data to confirm business meaning.
- Alternative Mapping Options: Provided multiple transformation paths, enabling business users to confirm or adjust based on KPIs and domain knowledge.
- Human-in-the-Loop Transparency: Business and data teams could review, validate, and adjust AI recommendations, ensuring accuracy and trust.
Client Success: Measuring the Impact of AI Powered Source-to-Target Mapping
By combining AI acceleration with human oversight, Hakkoda helped the client cut mapping time by over 50% when compared to traditional methods. The solution also Increased transparency into lineage, transformations, and KPI definitions, empowering business teams to bypass historical guesswork and validate mappings with confidence.
Finally, Hakkoda’s AI accelerator did exactly what its name implies: slashing migration timelines for the client and unlocking Snowflake’s analytics capabilities faster than traditional methods. This shortened time-to-value runway meant the client team was able
Modern SAP Analytics Deserve a Modern Migration Approach
Hakkoda’s AI-accelerated source-to-target mapping solution understands that modernizing your technology stack is about more than just moving data from one system to another.
Rather, equipping analysts and engineers with an “Iron Man suit” of AI-powered tools, our work is enabling faster, more accurate decision-making for our clients while eliminating inefficiencies that have long plagued ERP migrations.
By reducing manual effort, improving accuracy, and giving teams AI-powered visibility into complex workflows, solutions like this one help organizations turn migrations into a catalyst for long-term transformation.
Ready to modernize your data foundation and free your teams to focus on innovation? Connect with Hakkoda’s data experts today.
