Guide to Embedded Analytics inside the Business Suite: A Webcast Summary
The other week Nick Wall of the SAP EMEA BI Centre of Excellence provided this SAP webcast on embedded analytics inside the SAP Business Suite.
Figure 1: Source: SAP
Nick said embedded analytics makes information available quickly. He said it allows front line task workers want to obtain information at the right time.
Executives & analysts are supported by BI but front line task workers are not.
Figure 2: Source: SAP
Legacy reports has limited grid reporting
On the right of Figure 2, the embedded analytics uses “best of breed” BI solutions.
Nick said embedded analytics is context relevant BI in your business process, enables pervasive BI at all levels of the shop floor, allows you to make “well informed decisions.
Figure 3: Source: SAP
Figure 3 shows that “modern BI through Crystal Reports”. Additionally it offers interactive visual dashboards. Note you must be on enhancement package 5 for this functionality.
Content is delivered in business process it is context relevant and you can act on it and offers preconfigured content. It includes list views, ALV and to BW content.
Figure 4: Source: SAP
Figure 4 shows some of the pre-configured content available. Content is built by the suite teams, not the BI teams, said Nick.
Figure 5: Source: SAP
Figure 5 shows that you use the ALV reports and leverage in the business suite with Crystal Reports.
You can show jump to transactions in RRI
Figure 5 displays that you can transport with the lifecycle management.
Figure 6: Source: SAP
Figure 6 shows the three scenarios. Scenario 1 is Crystal Integration. The middle scenario shows you can deploy as BW content – from ERP/BW and embed in business process. Third is mash-up.
Figure 7: Source: SAP
Figure 7 shows that you can go from an ALV report to Crystal – WYSIWYG and deliver something more specific.
You can also develop something like you see in the right – more graphical Crystal Reports.
Figure 8: Source: SAP
Figure 8 shows how you can go from an ALV report, display it as a Crystal Reports, edit it in Crystal, and then upload it back to the Business Suite.
Figure 9: Source: SAP
Figure 9 shows that you can deliver Crystal and Dashboards from BW and use launchpads for reports (Scenario 2)
Figure 10: Source: SAP
Nick said it is similar to business content in BW. You can use the transient provider to report data real time on BEx queries.
Figure 11: Source: SAP
Figure 11 shows embedding a dashboard inside business suite using Web Dynpro Flash Islands.
It has two way communication with business components and dashboard components.
With the sliders you can write information back into the Business Suite.
Figure 12: Source: SAP
Figure 12 shows how it works. Note this is also covered in Rich Heilman Thomas Jung SAP Press book Next Generation ABAP Development.
Figure 13: Source: SAP
Figure 13 shows the delivered content (Crystal Reports and Dashboards) that come with enhancement package 5.
Question & Answer
Q: What is relationship between suite & design studio?
A: See
SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio, aka SAP Zen, Can I Connect to SAP ECC?
Q: Are there any benchmarks using embedded analytics with respect to performance against ERP
A: Large scale reports on ERP are not recommended – currently no benchmarks














Hi all,
is there a tutorial which can help me to build an alv to a crystal report like figure 6/7?
Thanks for help, cheers
See “Pixel Perfect” Financial Statements inside SAP ERP? Yes, with Crystal Reports
First you have to configure it and you must be on enhancement package 5
thank you for your answer! It works, if i open an alv in webdynpro. If i try it with an "normal" alv, i can't switch to "Crystal Reports". http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=15q5i4h&s=5#.UklUBxAuuW4http://
Any ideas..? thx a lot!
Are you on enhancement package 5 in ECC? If so you need to configure it so Crystal shows up in your ALV.
Please confirm if you are on enhancement package 5 or higher
we're on EHP 6..
Then you should be able to configure this.
See this document for step by step instructions:
http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/f0cc8092-619a-2e10-fa9b-eb1cda60afe2?overridelayout=true&51715701242423
Tammy
thx! i set the customizing settings last week. at least i downloaded the Crystal Reports Add-On for Business Suite Applications 1.0 from the sap marketplace and now the report works!!!
thanks for your support!
Michael