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RolfSieberg
Advisor
Advisor
Dear readers,

we are living in challenging times.
I hope you and your loved ones are and will all stay healthy. Good Luck!

I am thrilled to open a new chapter: With the release 2020, SAP S/4HANA on premise integrates SAP Analytics Cloud for an embedded experience for business users.
Check out my new blog for details and please refer to Answer 14 below.


Questions have been raised about direct access to the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud. The longer explanation can be found below.
Upfront: The embedded SAP Analytics Cloud is fully managed by SAP S/4HANA Cloud. There is no need to log on to the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud and it is actually not possible.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud exposes the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud functionality through Fiori applications and this is all customers need to work with it.


Below you find my blog, which I will continue to update.
Thank you for your continued interest,
Rolf


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To get us started, let me share a demo recording with you and share the key capabilities

  • Pre-defined Dashboards included in Fiori navigation

  • Intuitive ad-hoc reporting with Data Analyzer (scroll to 7:35)

  • Key user enhancements using "Manage KPIs and Reports" (scroll to 10:00)


You may also find the video here.



This following blog provides additional insights, trying to help answer the questions that this announcement may have triggered for you:



 
Q: What exactly is SAP Analytics Cloud?

A: SAP Analytics Cloud is a SaaS solution for analytics, planning and smart prediction. Please refer https://www.sapanalytics.cloud/ for details.

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Q: Why does SAP S/4HANA Cloud embed SAP Analytics Cloud?

A: Next to integrated operational processes, it takes first-class analytics to make an enterprise intelligent: Business users expect pre-defined reporting, seamlessly embedded into their daily work. They expect personalized access to data and ad-hoc analytical capabilities to get as much value out of their enterprise data as possible. And with the deep integration of SAP Analytics Cloud into the solution, this is exactly what SAP S/4HANA Cloud customers get with the 1911 release.

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Q: How does the embedding work?

A: For each SAP S/4HANA Cloud tenant, a new SAP Analytics Cloud tenant is provided. The SAP Analytics Cloud accesses the ABAP CDS views live, using the transient analytical queries generated automatically for the CDS views. Please look at the Architecture diagram in Figure 1: High Level Architecture. SAP Analytics Cloud UIs will be embedded in iFrames and published on the Fiori Launchpad.
All relevant SAP Analytics Cloud features – from tenant provisioning and connectivity to content management and lifecycle – have been published as APIs, so the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud can be “remote controlled” by the embedding applications. These APIs are available to other applications and even Partners.
This means, that the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud is completely managed by SAP S/4HANA Cloud. Customers do not need to log on to the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud specifically, nor can they.


Figure 1: High Level Architecture


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Q: Does “embedded SAP Analytics Cloud” go beyond a simply iFrame integration?

A: Yes! SAP Analytics Cloud is deeply embedded into the Fiori UX paradigms: Launched from the Fiori launchpad and based on live data connections and thus up-to-date information, SAP Analytics Cloud stories are integrated by means of a “wrapper application”: This software takes care of offering screen-variant saving and personalization features as well as intend-based navigation between analytical and operational applications. Role-based assignment of the SAP Analytics Cloud Stories is also available, and the content lifecycle is also fully handled by SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

A lab preview showing screen variants and Intend-based navigation can be found in Figure 2. Of course, users will not be able to simultaneously trigger both option. These options have been overlaid in one screen for simplicity.


Figure 2: Screen Variants and Intend-based Navigation (edited to show both features in one screen)


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Q: What scenarios are supported? In which way are embedded and enterprise tenants different?

A: The embedded SAP Analytics Cloud uses the live data connection to the embedding SAP S/4HANA Cloud data exclusively. Thus, up-to-date dashboards and ad-hoc data analyzer scenarios as well as the consumption of analytical applications are supported. Incidentally, the authorization concept of S/4HANA Cloud remains valid as well.

Other SAP Cloud applications and also SAP partners will eventually also offer embedded analytics and thus spin off embedded SAP Analytics Cloud tenants. In any given customer situation, one might thus find several embedded SAP Analytics Cloud tenants, each working exclusively for the embedding application. They are also fully managed by the respective embedding application. The embedded SAP Analytics Cloud tenant is available only in the scope of the embedding application and cannot be used for any other application or 3rd party data. It is not necessary to directly log on to the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud and the the case of SAP S/4HANA Cloud, it is not possible even. SAP S/4HANA Cloud exposes the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud functionality through Fiori applications and this is all customers need to work with it.

If you are interested in scenarios that require data acquisition, e.g. planning or prediction, or a cross application scenario, you need to license an enterprise SAP Analytics Cloud tenant in addition.
See Figure 3: Embedded and Enterprise scenarios for details.
The embedded tenant does not interfere with the enterprise tenant, so you can continue to connect from the enterprise tenant as if the embedded did not exist. To save potential double efforts, means to move content from the embedded to the enterprise tenant are being looked at.


Figure 3: Embedded and Enterprise scenarios


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Q: Do all SAP S/4HANA Cloud customers receive the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud or do I need to apply for it specifically?

A: No need to apply or trigger anything explicitely. By now, all SAP S/4HANA Cloud customers may use the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud, as all required tenants have been provisioned.

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Q:  How do SAP S/4HANA Cloud customers receive the embedded SAC? Does an additional scope item need to be implemented? How much effort does that create?

A: After the upgrade, dedicated scripts spin off a new SAP Analytics Cloud tenant for each S/4HANA Cloud tenant (so, one for your Q and one for your P system). These scripts also set up the live data connection between SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP S/4HANA Cloud and finally hook SAP Analytics Cloud into to common user management. Thus, the entire system landscape enhancement is fully automated.
For some of the new stories or data analyzer reports, a scope item has to be activated first.
This is a small one-time effort. Please check Katharina Klug's newly-released overview blog for details and documentation: every story or data analyzer report with an asterix (*) requires a scope item activation.

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Q: What can customers expect in terms of predefined dashboards?

A: The last step of the landscape provisioning is the automatic installation of so-call business content. SAP Analytics Cloud models and stories are installed in your tenants and they are ready to run.

The best overview of the content built for the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud in SAP S/4HANA Cloud can be found in Katharina Klug's newly-released overview blog.
This blog will continuously be updated, so please find the latest information in that blog.

Below are the links that I shared in the past for your reference:

The first delivery focused on Finance. For more details, please check Katharina Klug's blog.
Additional stories/dashboards have been included in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud delivery of February 2020 (release name 2002), check out the "Analytics" section of Katrin Deissner's blog.

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Q: Can the pre-delivered dashboards be modified?

A: Yes, by making a copy of the pre-delivered dashboard and modifying the copy. Actually, this functionality will be made available in the release 2002 according to current plans. Until then, business users may use the screen variant saving to personalize the stories for their needs.

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Q: Can I build my own content?

A: Yes. SAP S/4HANA Cloud extensibility concepts also apply to content: Key users can use the already existing Fiori application “Manage KPIs and Report” to build their own stories with the intuitive what-you-see-is-what-you-get WYSIWYG SAP Analytics Cloud designer. You may even create your custom ABAP CDS view and build your own content on top of this.

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Q: Where can I find detailed information about the new features and how to use them?

A: Given you have the necessary key user authorizations, you may create your own dashboards and data analyzer reports. Let me point you to the following very detailed blogs by Avinash Kumar. They come with screen shots and step-by-step explanations how to ...

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Q: How does the lifecycle of custom content work?

A: SAP Analytics Cloud artefacts will be moved to receiving tenants using the standard SAP S/4HANA Cloud mechanisms. SAP ensures, that content and other configurations or enhancements (like your custom CDS view) are consistently treated automatically.
Technically, the Analytics Content Network (ACN), an integral component of SAP Analytics Cloud, takes care of moving content between tenants. This technical process has once more been included into the Fiori tool set and thus customers do not need to trigger any additional processes to move content.

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Q: Does the “embedded scenario” require additional licenses?

A: No, the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud features are covered by the existing SAP S/4HANA Cloud license.

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Q: Does the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud replace any other technology or product?

A: No, it does not. It is an additional offer to support dashboard and data analysis. If at a later state technology or products will be substituted by SAC, this will be announced 2 releases in advance as always.

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Q: Is the embedded scenario restricted to SAP S/4HANA Cloud? What about on premise or STE?

A: Yes, the embedded scenario is restricted to SAP S/4HANA Cloud. The complete embedded experience is not available for SAP S/4HANA on premise, nor for the STE (single tenant edition).

However, with the release 2020, SAP S/4HANA on premise integrates SAP Analytics Cloud for an optimized experience for business users by offering a similar wrapper code. Please check the my new blog for details.

In fact, from a business user perspective, there is not much difference: The integration works in much the same way for SAP S/4HANA on premise and SAP S/4HANA Cloud. In both scenarios, the business user launches the SAP Analytics Cloud story from the personal Fiori Launchpad, it opens in the iFrame and screen variants and intent-based navigation are supported.
The business user experience is therefore similar, except for one aspect: Data Analyzer reports are not offered for SAP S/4HANA on premise users, this feature is available in the cloud only.

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Q: Can I test the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud in SAP S/4HANA Cloud?

A: Yes, SAP S/4HANA Cloud offers a trial.

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