Meliá Hotels International: Connecting data from on-premise systems and third-party cloud software with analytics solutions
Explore Meliá Hotels International’s journey with SAP
Meliá Hotels International is one of the largest hotel groups in the world. It wanted to integrate the data from on-premise and third-party systems with its cloud solutions to enable centralized planning and reporting. The group’s analytics architecture now comprises the SAP Datasphere and SAP Analytics Cloud solutions to meet this need.
| Industry | Region | Company Size | Partners |
| Passenger travel and leisure | Palma de Mallorca, Spain | 39,000 employees | IBSap Consulting S.L., SDG Group, and AC eSolutions |
data-source connections to the SAP Datasphere solution.
hours to connect a new data source to SAP Datasphere.
sustainability and social KPIs centralized in SAP Datasphere.
Data Insight Lead, Meliá Hotels International
Integrating disparate systems to build a business data fabric
Founded in 1956, Meliá Hotels International (MHI) is a leading Spanish hotel group that has grown into one of the largest and most respected hotel chains worldwide. It operates a diverse portfolio of more than 340 luxury and escape hotels and resorts in 45 countries, and it employs over 39,000 people. Several of its brands cater to different areas of the hospitality market, reflecting the company’s strategy of growth and its focus on the luxury and premium segment.
To remain competitive, MHI continues to modernize its systems. Having previously used SAP BW/4HANA and SAP Analytics Cloud solutions, the company needed a product with tight integration to both. Additionally, it was important to gain smooth connectivity between the on-premise SAP products and third-party cloud-based software it used, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, and its in-house cloud solutions. It wanted to be able to integrate these data sources with its planning and reporting processes. So, the group’s data and advanced analytics department carried out several proof-of-concept projects with software providers.
Data Insight Lead, Meliá Hotels International
Embedding advanced analytics into the IT architecture
Meliá Hotels International began using analytics tools more than 20 years ago when it adopted the SAP Business Warehouse application to manage its financial, budgeting, and purchasing information. It gradually upgraded to the SAP BW/4HANA solution that it uses today. The proof-of-concept projects yielded strong interest in the SAP Datasphere and SAP Analytics Cloud solutions to meet the group’s new needs in data warehousing, consolidation, planning, and reporting. It recognized the high potential of these solutions as self-service tools for advanced analytics, especially in the HR and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) areas. The two offerings now form the group’s analytics architecture.
SAP Datasphere offers native integration with SAP BW/4HANA, where financial data is kept. And it enables connectivity and cross analytics with information from SAP and third-party software and reporting tools, such as SAP Analytics Cloud and Microsoft Power BI. MHI has produced an internal HR model in SAP Datasphere and its first dashboard version in SAP Analytics Cloud. With this, the HR department now has a better overview of employee recruitment and training and can more easily analyze and drill down into that data with regard to each hotel. Also, employees can work with the tools they prefer, such as SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office software.
After implementation, the group carried out a project to connect the two analytics solutions with its ecosystem, including the SAP ERP application, SAP SuccessFactors solutions, and the SAP Business Planning and Consolidation application, version for SAP BW/4HANA.
IBSap Consulting S.L. supports MHI in the basic tasks necessary to create data-source connections and single-sign-on configurations. SDG Group developed HR models in SAP Datasphere and stories in SAP Analytics Cloud. And AC eSolutions developed sustainability models and stories in SAP Analytics Cloud for ESG annual reporting.
Senior SAP BW/4HANA BI Consultant, Meliá Hotels International
Streamlining and centralizing planning activities
One of the main advantages for Meliá Hotels International of using SAP Datasphere is the centralization of information in one place for planning and reporting. Also, the data can be displayed to users through different service models depending on their needs. By connecting SAP Datasphere with SAP SuccessFactors solutions, the group’s HR master data can be maintained in the data warehousing cloud solution, SAP BW/4HANA.
MHI is developing a global project to assess the analytics reporting in SAP SuccessFactors offerings, including the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting, and SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals solutions. The project started with the business content offered by SAP Datasphere and adapted to the group’s needs. The development model created in SAP Datasphere was enriched with data from sources external to SAP SuccessFactors, such as the Cornerstone Talent Experience platform or e-Motiva, to provide timely and current information. In addition, the business connected the model with previously created Microsoft Power BI dashboards to analyze their performance and information.
Senior SAP BW/4HANA BI Consultant, Meliá Hotels International
Accommodating planning activities under one roof
Meliá Hotels International plans to gradually integrate SAP Datasphere into its analytics processes. It’s involving the main business units as part of the adaptation plan and aligning with its supply-side platform evolution. The group hopes to deliver its information-reporting project before the end of the year, based on the development data model and using sustainability data from SAP BW/4HANA. And it’s working to migrate customer relationship management data from third-party software to SAP BW/4HANA using SAP Datasphere. Next year, the main objective is to integrate new business data for self-service models for MHI analysts. The group is also considering an internal control system for nonfinancial information.
In 2025, the group intends to conduct proof of concepts for SAP Analytics Cloud for planning. It will use the data in SAP Datasphere to evaluate the migration from the embedded SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, version for SAP BW/4HANA to the planning capabilities. For secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) development, it’s hoping to use the planning capabilities to save data in SAP Datasphere instead of SAP Analytics Cloud, allowing the data to be combined with other information types. The group would ultimately like to have all planning activities carried out with SAP software.
After the planned migration of its ERP system to SAP S/4HANA, MHI will be able to connect the management of data loads from the core data services (CDS) views of SAP S/4HANA to the operational data provisioning (ODP) report directly through SAP Datasphere. And it will move group reporting from SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office to the cloud ERP.
Featured partners
IBSap Consulting S.L. has been partnering with MHI for 10 years, developing different projects with SAP Business Warehouse and SAP Business Planning and Consolidation applications.
SDG Group started working with MHI three years ago, helping the company with a proof of concept for the SAP Datasphere solution.
AC eSolutions, a Spanish company that provides experience and knowledge in data and analytics products and services, has worked with MHI for 12 years.