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Author's profile photo LaRose Currie

Understanding the Various Analysis for Microsoft Office Versions

For anyone who entered the world of Analysis for Office, even for a brief time, you might have become confused with the many acronyms thrown around: AO, AFO SAC Edition, AO, Full Version, AFO for Office 365, AFO Web Edition. With that said, the following will simplify the world of Analysis for Office with the goal that by the end of the blog you have an understanding of which version of Analysis for Office may be suitable for you and your business needs. 

History of Analysis for Office

Before we dive into the various versions of Analysis for Office, it is important to set the stage on why and how Analysis for Office came to market. SAP Analysis for Office was released more than 10 years ago as a “premium alternative” to BEx Analyzer; SAP’s previous Excel add-in. Web Application Designer (WAD) was the web-based version of BEx while Analysis for OLAP was, and still is, the web-based version of Analysis for Office. While there were various Analysis tools introduced into the market, the goal and design of these tools was to provide users a pivot table-like experience for “slicing and dicing” tabular data. As these tools began to evolve, three distinct versions of Analysis for Office emerged. 

SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office, Edition for SAP Analytics Cloud

The SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office Edition for SAP Analytics Clouds is also referred to as “AFO” and “AFO SAC Edition” and is best suited for SAP Analytics Cloud applications from HANA or BW data models. The AFO SAC Edition enables users to get the most out of their SAP Analytics Cloud license by providing an Excel interface to access data connections established in SAC. To unlock the potential of SAC with AFO, AFO SAC Edition must be installed on your local machine where AFO connects directly to a SAP Analytics Cloud system. Therefore, the AFO SAC Edition’ consumes data through the live or import connection in SAP Analytics Cloud. To reiterate, the data does not live in SAP Analytics Cloud; the user is just able to connect to the HANA or BW live or import connection established in SAC.

For the diagram below, the purple line is the import connection. The blue line is the live connection. When the SAC system is configured a live connection to either HANA or BW is established and maintained.  

Analysis for Office: SAC Edition

In terms of use cases, SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office Edition for SAP Analytics Cloud is an excellent supplement to SAP Analytics Cloud as it offers users the ability to continue to slice and dice data, drill down, and filter through data with pivot table functionality. From there, users can drill down into hierarchies established in the live or import models. In addition, users can create custom reports with Excel formulas, SAP Styling, and even VBA Macros all while using a familiar Excel interface. 

All in all, there are two main points to remember when thinking about SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office Edition for SAP Analytics Cloud: AFO is included with all SAC licenses and requires SAC credentials to connect to the on premise or cloud data source. 

SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office (Formerly SAP BusinessObjects Analysis for Microsoft Office)

The SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office is the longest standing Analysis tool from SAP. SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office is sometimes referred to as “SBOP”, “AO”, “Full Version.” 

SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office was released as a premium alternative to the BEx Analyzer. While the AFO SAC Edition is available through the purchase of an SAC license, SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office is not free and is not available to buy by itself.  SBOP is available as part of the Business Objects Business Intelligence suite of tools. Though, unlike the SAC version of AFO, users just need one license to leverage the full version of AFO with their HANA or BW connection because the user is not logging into a BOBJ platform; the user is just opening the full version of AFO in Excel and establishing the HANA or BW connection there. An added benefit of this integration with the Business Objects Business Intelligence toolset is the user can log into and connect directly to these systems without an SAC license. 

SAP%20Business%20Objects%20Analysis%20for%20Microsoft%20Office

SAP Business Objects Analysis for Microsoft Office

While SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office comes at a price, the SBOP version is the fully featured version of AFO which connects to SAC, BW, HANA, and other supported products. The SBOP version includes everything in the SAC edition plus additional features provided by two plug-ins: EPM Plug-in and BPC Plug-in. 

Speaking of plug-ins, SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office consists of three components: Analysis Plug-in, Enterprise Performance Management Plug-in, and BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation Plug-in. 

The Analysis Plug-in is similar to SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office, Edition for SAP Analytics Cloud. With the Analysis Plug-in, the user can utilize “SAP Queries, query views, and InfoProvider as data sources which can be displayed in workbook crosstabs.”

The EPM Plug-in component availability and functionality depends on the connection of the user. Depending on the connection, some EPM features will not be supported. The EPM Plug-in gives access to “SAP Business Objects EPM Solutions product data and performs reporting and analysis on this data.” For some data sources, the plug-in permits users to enter data and save it to the database; summarized as data retrieval and data input.

Last, the BPC plug-in allows the user to “execute Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint related tasks for the activities defined on the web client of SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation.”

In summary, SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office is included with SAP BusinessObjects licensing and requires SAC, BW, or BOBJ licenses to activate. 

SAP Analytics Cloud add-in for Microsoft Office 

SAP Analytics Cloud add-in for Microsoft Office is sometimes referred to as “AFO Office for 365” or “AFO Web Edition” as it is a full web-based offering. 

The SAP Analytics Cloud add-in for Microsoft Office, released in Spring 2020, is the newest Analysis for Office release that is gaining market attraction for its cloud-based platform and its roadmap with SAP Analytics Clouds for Planning. In essence, the add-in for Microsoft Office was created to give users the ability to plan through SAP Analytics Cloud on an Excel interface while only needing an online Office 365 platform. 

SAP%20Analytics%20Cloud%20add-in%20for%20Microsoft%20Office

SAP Analytics Cloud add-in for Microsoft Office

When AFO Office for 365 is used with SAC Planning, the Excel add-in provides an Excel based method for performance planning. Therefore, if users want to plan through Excel (and have an SAP Cloud for Planning license) then the AFO Office for 365 is the most appropriate version. While the AFO Office for 365 version is gaining popularity, there are limited features. The feature set is limited to: 

  • Report on and write back data into different versions on top of SAP Analytics Cloud model
  • Pivot and filter
  • Add calculations and use formulas
  • Collaborate with teammates 

With that said, a new release of AFO Office for 365 is expected with feature updates, like the ability to select currencies, which will be available in the AFO Office for 365 version but not the SAC Edition available on desktops. 

When thinking about SAP Analytics Cloud, add-in for Microsoft Office, remember that the software is free to download, has limited features (for now) and, like the Edition for SAP Analytics Cloud, requires a SAC license for use. 

Now that the distinction has been made for each of the Analysis versions, SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office Edition for SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office, and SAP Analytics Cloud add-in for Microsoft Office, be on the lookout for additional Analysis for Office blogs. In the meantime, please feel free to post your question in the community or reach out to NIMBL or myself with questions or comments. 

For additional information, please navigate to the blog, “Extending the reach of SAP Analytics Cloud data from Microsoft Office front ends” by Jeanne Bigonnet, SAP’s Analytics Project Manager.

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      19 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Tinus Marais
      Tinus Marais

      Questions to start using the MS Office Analysis plug-ins for SAC & BO/BW when licensing is sorted:
      1. So each plug in be installed/activated separately - no plan to have one SAP Analysis plug-in that cover functionalities used by the SAC & BO versions ?
      2. The process to install/activate - is it a download from SAP store and install on your laptop?
      Thank you for the clarifications

      Author's profile photo LaRose Currie
      LaRose Currie
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Tinus,

      Thanks for the questions!

      1. Correct, each plug in is to be installed separately. In the most recent roadmap discussion, there was no mention of a plan to have one SAP Analysis plug in for SAC & BO versions. The roadmap did mention there would be a big push for the third 'online' version mentioned above: SAP Analytics add-in for Microsoft Office.
      2. Correct, except for the third version: SAP Analytics add-in for Microsoft Office. Since the add-in for Microsoft Office operates under Office 365 you actually go to the Microsoft app store and you will find the add in there though you may need to ask your Microsoft admin to install if for you. Please see this blog  by Alexander Peter for more information on that process. Now for the first two versions: SAC edition and BO you download the software for the SAP store and then install the software locally on your laptop. You may have to download Visual Studio Tools for Office as well.
      Author's profile photo Tinus Marais
      Tinus Marais

      Thank you LaRose

      Author's profile photo Marcelo Berger
      Marcelo Berger

      Great content!

      Author's profile photo John Leggio
      John Leggio

      Hello LaRose Currie ,  can you please add the following tag as well: SAP Analytics Cloud, add-in for Microsoft Office?

      Thanks,

      John

      PS: Check out: https://community.sap.com/topics/cloud-analytics/ms-office-add-in

      Author's profile photo LaRose Currie
      LaRose Currie
      Blog Post Author

      Hi John,

      Sure thing. I just updated the tags.

      Cheers,

      LaRose

      Author's profile photo Anna Burkhardt
      Anna Burkhardt

      Great Blog! Thanks for sharing.

      A small comment: The Analysis for Office version that comes with Business Objects no longer has BusinessObjects in the name 😉 The official name now is SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office. The standard edition is added to distinguish it from the edition for SAC.

      Additionally the standard edition can do anything the SAC edition can do and more. So if a client has both licenses to SAC and BOBJ and installs the standard edition, they have the SAC edition included within. There is no need to have both of them installed. However there can of course be reasons to use the SAC edition instead for example to have each user log onto SAC.

      Author's profile photo LaRose Currie
      LaRose Currie
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Anna,

      Thank you for the update. I just updated the name in the blog to stay current.

      To your second comment: Yes, great point. Your point is illustrated in the picture below. By downloading the Standard Edition, you have the ability to access SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP HANA.

      Author's profile photo Jeanne BIGONNET
      Jeanne BIGONNET

      Hi La Rose,

      Thanks for your great blog 

      Could you please add in your blog the link to mine? 

      https://blogs.sap.com/2021/02/23/extending-the-reach-of-sap-analytics-cloud-data-with-microsoft-office-front-ends/?preview_id=903538  ,

      on the same related  topics but adding road map and positioning. 

      Thanks

      Best

      Jeanne (AO &SAC Add in Product Manager)

       

      Author's profile photo LaRose Currie
      LaRose Currie
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Jeanne,

      I just added a link to your blog.

      I attended your webinar a couple weeks ago and appreciated the insight you gave on where SAP Analysis for Office is going. Exciting developments are happening!

      Cheers,

      LaRose

      Author's profile photo Ahmed Baseer
      Ahmed Baseer

      Hi La Rose,

      Thanks for the blog , I'm trying to install SAP AO but I've Microsoft Office 365 and it's not allowing me to install , is there anyway I can install SAP AO for MO 365 ?

       

      Thanks

      -Baseer

      Author's profile photo Guilherme Magalhaes
      Guilherme Magalhaes

      Hello Ahmed,

      Did you try to install the "SAP Analytics Cloud add-in for Microsoft Office" version?

      Regards,
      Guilherme

      Author's profile photo Ravi Ravipati
      Ravi Ravipati

      Great blog!  Explained very clearly.  thanks for sharing.

      Author's profile photo Komik Shah
      Komik Shah

      Hi La Rose,

       

      Nice blog and very informative.

      Just one question. if customer is using SAP BW and want to migrate from BEx Analyzer workbooks to Analysis for Office workbooks & they don't have SAP Business Objects, Do they still need buy licenses since it's just add-on to Microsoft Excel like BEx Analyzer ?

       

      Regards,

      Komik Shah

      Author's profile photo Sunny Sun
      Sunny Sun

      @larose.currie  Great blog. Question if one has Standard edition of AFO which will give access to SAC, BW and HANA if now one wants to save these workbooks where they will be saved?

      or if one has only AFO SAC edition where one can save workbooks?

       

      Thanks

      Author's profile photo Vi Tran
      Vi Tran

      In order to use analysis with office 365 you would need to upload the data to SAC or have a live connection via SAC, is that correct?

      Author's profile photo Sebastian Hausen
      Sebastian Hausen

      Hello LaRose,

      First of all - thanks for that article. But I have a question: Wouldn't that diagramm regarding the connection between AfO and SAC be outdated now with this new feature: https://blogs.sap.com/2021/05/20/closing-the-gap-with-analysis-for-office-2.8-sp9/?

      Thanks again and best regards

      Sebastian.

      Author's profile photo Efrain Garcia Perez
      Efrain Garcia Perez

      Hello.

      i migrate recently to AFO SAC edition but  i got some issues after this, for example,  when i ran a workbook or planning bex query in excel i got the  next issue.
      note: i uninstalled previous version at all and install SAC edition.
      with the previous version i didnt have any kind of issue when i execute the workbook or the bex query in planning mode. after the  upgrade i cant chose nothing in the master data list without error

      ERROR:

      a) An exception occurred.
      Send the attached log file to your administrator.
      SAP BI Add-in will be closed.
      If you want to save the data in the document, you must save a copy of the document
      because the data needed for  the addin functions cannot be saved correctly. (ID-102001)

      b)

      [da39-a3ee-5e] Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.:

      [da39-a3ee-5e] Old format or invalid type library. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80028018 (TYPE_E_INVDATAREAD))

      select%20the%20value%20for%20new%20record%20from%20MDselect the value for new record from MD

      after%20CLICK%20i%20got%20error

      after CLICK i got error

       

       

      error%20description

      error description

      thanks in advance for your help

      Author's profile photo Sachin Joshi
      Sachin Joshi

      Hi LaRose,

      While working on AfO, there is one query

      How do any person distinguish between local copy or workbook that has been opened from Server?

      Thanks in advance for your help