From Brownfield to Greenfield to Bluefield

Most large enterprises rely on a handful of expansive technology platform solutions to run their business, and the most prominent and widely deployed in oil and gas is SAP. As I've outlined in my books, enterprise solutions such as SAP are also migrating to digital technologies, which triggers a major question: what is the optimal upgrade path for an SAP customer, or any enterprise technology, to adopt?

Broadly speaking, there are two strategies to this vexxing question: a brownfield migration or "lift and shift" and a greenfield re-implementation or "start afresh". The problem is that brownfield upgrades rarely deliver any ROI while greenfield is seen as too risky, costly, or complex to execut, especially at the global scale one encounters among the oil and gas majors.

Is there a third path, where organizations can preserve their historical data, stay compliant, and still deliver tangible business outcomes?

In this episode I speak with Don Mahoney, Global Head of Products and Innovation at SNP Group about a new approach, coined 'bluefield'. Bluefield lets companies dial in just the right amount of transformation, one that preserves key data, avoids excessive risk, and achieves a positive ROI. I'm very interested in how Bluefield works, how it supports AI training strategies, when to use it, and why it's becoming an attractive model for SAP S/4HANA transitions, and indeed all major platform solution transformations.

👤 About the Guest

Don Mahoney is the Global Head of Products and Innovation at SNP Group, where he leads strategy for the company's transformative deployment technologies, including its flagship Bluefield methodology. Don brings over 30 years of experience across process industries, enterprise software, and solution management. He previously held senior roles at SAP, overseeing strategic accounts like ExxonMobil and leading SAP's global chemical industry business unit.

🔗 LinkedIn: Don Mahoney

🌐 Website: SNP Group

⚒️ Additional Tools & Resources:

🎬 Go backstage and check out my studio:
👉 https://geoffreycann.com/mystudio/
🎓 Take my one day digital strategy training course for oil and gas:
👉 https://www.udemy.com/course/digital-oil-and-gas/?referralCode=0161D4D49AB75735A185

🔗 Connect with Me:

🖥️ Blog series: https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/
🎧 Podcast: https://geoffreycann.com/broadcast/
📇 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/advocate-digital-innovation-for-energy/

🤬 X: https://x.com/geoffreycann

🎤 Contact for Lectures and Keynotes:

I speak regularly on these and other topics. Contact me to book a brief call about your upcoming event needs. Click here 👉 https://geoffreycann.com/contact/

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The views expressed in this podcast are my own and do not constitute professional advice.