BI for SAP applications, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know – EMEA Webcast – Part 1

This was the last EMEA BI webcast of the year.  The first part was given by SAP’s Thierry AUDAS

Thierry covered “All about BI for SAP: Suite, BW, HANA

Figure 1: Source: SAP

Figure 1 covers “direct access to SAP for all organizations”

Mobile access to operational reporting allows you to bring BI to a broader audience.

Cross functional reporting might be a challenge as bringing BI to the right audience needs to be scalable

On the left of Figure 1 is the targeted data marts, with more analysts on reporting, using predefined data marts or custom data marts

On the top right, the third approach is like BW

Figure 2:

2500 customers have adopted SAP HANA

Use some of the use cases in figure 2 are as follows:

1. Agile data mart – run HANA side by side
2. Move BW on HANA using HANA as a database
3. Business Suite on HANA – bring transactions and analysis together
4. Business One on HANA – for smaller organization
5. Real time apps on HANA – SAP Smart Meter Analytics; 50-60 applications today
6. HANA Cloud – applications on the cloud

Figure 3: Source: SAP

The data mart architecture is straightforward; you apply SAP BI to data models

What does it mean to add HANA to classic scenario?  More than analysis & exploration – enable HANA with optimized integration

Enterprise BI scenarios are covered

“Go beyond Enterprise BI with Agile Visualization”.  For today’s presentation that focuses on Enterprise BI & Agile Visualization with SAP BusinessObjects Lumira

You an apply Analysis and SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio natively to HANA

The second way is to go through Universe layer; Web Intelligence users can apply their skills to this scenario, connecting universes to underlying database

Figure 4: Source: SAP

Thierry said BICS unique to the market; no one can do this.  It works with existing BEx Queries

Figure 5: Source: SAP

Thierry said that Explorer & Lumira are best with BW on HANA until they are enhanced with direct BICS access

Figure 6: Source: SAP

Figure 6 covers SAP ERP users Embedded Analytics

Those users may have had access to the reporting before on the left of Figure 6

On the right is BI embedded in SAP applications

Figure 7: Source: SAP

Figure 7 covers embedded analytics.  For more information visit Embedded Analytics

Figure 8: Source: SAP

There is also pre-configured content for HANA Live.  For more information consider attending the ASUG Webcast in January Jump-start SAP HANA Live and Next Generation Reporting with SAP Rapid-Deployment Solutions

Wrap up

Figure 9: Source: SAP

Figure 9 shows DSAG recommendations about the BI tools.

Questions:

Q: What version of BW is required to integrate with BI solutions?

A: Any version of BW that you have that is supported by SAP – BW 7.0 SP1 will work with BI

Don’t have to migrate to BW 730 to leverage latest integration

Q: Easily BI Analysis for existing queries – what happens to Workbooks and VB workbooks?

A: Conversion of BEx workbooks – do have technology to convert BEx workbooks to Analysis – it does not cover custom VBA code – need to do manually

Q: Why is Dashboards not mentioned any more?

A: Statement of Direction – explains what is going one with dashboards

Related Information:

If you are an ASUG member, ASUG is having a survey to “Shape the direction of ASUG BI webcasts and education sessions:” 2013 ASUG Business Intelligence Community Survey – Open until December 16.  The link to take the survey is https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ASUGbi2013

In return for your time, ASUG volunteers will randomly select winners to receive a copy of the just-released Integrating SAP BusinessObjects BI with SAP NetWeaver (3rd Edition) (covers BI4.1) or a copy of Mastering SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio with SAP NetWeaver BW which covers the recently released version 1.2

BI 2014 in March in Orlando will cover these topics.  See this link for a discount.

ASUG Webcast in January Jump-start SAP HANA Live and Next Generation Reporting with SAP Rapid-Deployment Solutions