Improvements on Query less Reporting in BPC/4HANA Embedded and BW4/HANA

In the last blog on improvement of the Query less Reporting in BPC embedded we showed the possibilities to do sheet based creation of a report by creating a local query using local restrictions, local formulas and local members.

Meanwhile we have introduced new capabliities like

• Grouping or Local Hierarchies on the Fly
• Axis Sharing
• Input Ready Restrictions
• Improved New Line Handling with Member Recognition

Let us have a short glimpse of the different features in detail

Dynamic Grouping

Beside the dynamic restrictions and the new AO feature of axis sharing, we have developed also the dynamic grouping in order to facilitate the sheet based definition of reports. In a similar way as with the MS Excel feature of grouping, you can now also bundle rows in the result set. By doing so, one is generating BW hierarchies on the fly which exist lives in the backend session of the BW or BW4/HANA system. This hierarchy is stored with the query view of the workbook and is recreated in each session. It behaves like a modelled BW hierarchy but is not visible in the BW hierarchy maintenance. Watch the movie on dynamic grouping if you want to get an impression. By the way grouping is also possible for objects which are not hierarchy enabled in BW.

Axis Sharing

So far it was only possible to combine data from different sources by using IT modeled Multi- or CompositeProvider. With AO 2.4 it is also possible to combine multiple queries if they have a common row or column axis. For example, in a rolling forecast you might have one query showing the actual data, another query for showing and entering the short -term forecast, and third to the long-term forecast. All queries have the same characteristics in the rows and so they show the same rows. With the feature axis sharing it is possible to combine all three queries so they are displayed as one table. The characteristics on the rows are only shown once. Operations on the rows affect the entire table (and thus all the queries), while operations on the columns only affect the underlying (single) query. See for example the movies for rolling forcast. In addition you can also see an example where we combine an account model with drill down in the account dimension and a hierarchical key figure structure in another query. Please be aware that  some features like inverse formulas or locking will work only within one query. We will see what new options will come up and wait on the feedback.

Input Ready Dynamic Restrictions (created by End User)

With BW 7.5 SP4 and Analysis Office 2.4 we started our roadmap for sheet based report definition which was described in the blog ‘Query less Reporting in BPC embedded’. The main part of your first delivery was the ‘restriction on the fly’ which is described in the blog  ‘Planning Engine Improvements for BPC Embedded Model, PAK and BW-IP with BW 7.50 SP4′.

So far it was only possible to create a ‘read-only’ restriction. Planning was not possible. With BW/4HANA SP4 and BW 7.5 SP7 it is also possible to create restrictions which are ready for input. However, those restrictions are only input ready if the underlying base key figure is also input ready. All disaggregation settings are inherited from the base key figure.

Improved New Line Handling with Member Recognition

The old feature of creating new lines in a planning grid had a lot of functional, performance, and usability limitations. Therefore, we invested a lot in improving this important feature. Now with BW 7.5 SP8 or BW/4HANA SP4 together with AO 2.5 patch1 you will be able to create lines on any level, have an own F4 help configuration for new lines, have member recognition when typing in names of characteristics, or prefilter the result set of the F4 help for potential new members. Also key board combination for control and space can be used for member recognition or to trigger a filtered F4 help in case of ambiguous values .  In addition, dependent characteristics (defined by characteristic relationships) are automatic supplemented. With the improved performance, also mass creation with new lines will be possible. Also, it is now possible that in special cases you show only posted values but disaggregate to all master data combinations or all combinations  allowed by the characteristic relationships. See the blog on improvements for “First Steps from BW-IP and PAK towards BW/4HANA SP4 planning with embedded Model” for details. See also the small video to get some impressions for the autocomplete and the other video for the new line on any level.