Technical Articles
SAP Analytics Cloud Planning – Converting Unit of Measure – Illustrated configuration example
This blog has been inspired by the requirement of a customer to convert its quantity measure into different Units of Measure (UoM).
This blog presents an example on how to configure this specific type of “conversion”.
Please note that this illustrated example is a workaround (with limitations) providing a solution to our customers until the release of a dedicated feature in the future.
For more information and updates, please check out our Roadmap SAP Analytics Cloud Roadmap Explorer
Use case
The customer wants to convert sold Daily doses into distributed Package and amounts of Active Ingredients.
Two options are available, one using the Currency conversion inbuild capability of SAP Analytics Cloud, another using the data actions and storing the calculation on another measure.
This blog illustrates the first option.
Design requirements
The end user wants to know on the fly, when planning the quantity of one SKU sold, how many packages will to be distributed and how many active ingredients are requested for the production .
The data input uses the measure Quantity to store the planned Daily doses.
Configuration in SAP Analytics Cloud
This example was developed using the New model, the Currency conversion table and the Currency conversion calculations in the story.
Outcome (in the story)
The business user of the BU1 plans to sell in 2023 1000 daily doses of the product SKU3,
One dose corresponds to 15 gr of active ingredients and 100 doses correspond to 1 distributed package.
Model configuration
Activate the currency conversion in the Preferences of the New model.
Add a Currency property in the SKU dimension
Currency conversion table
Populate the currency conversion table.
Please note that the standard of the IDs is 3 characters as the table relies on the Currency ISO code.
Story configuration
The story calculations generate on the fly the number of packages to be distributed and the number of active ingredients requested to produce those planned daily doses.
Create the measure calculation to convert Daily doses into Packages
Create the measure calculation to convert Daily doses into Active Ingredients grams
This example can be adapted with several SKUs but not with thousands as the configuration effort would be too cumbersome.
See below adaptations to be done to the first configuration in order to convert several SKUs.
Currency table
In order to differentiate the conversion rate per SKU, use the Specific rate and the rate version.
In my example, I decided to use the SKU to name the rate version but there isn’t any relationship or check within SAP Analytics cloud with the dimension members.
It’s just a naming convention that helps me when configuring.
Story
Calculation conversion from Daily doses to Active Ingredients for the SKU4
Calculation conversion from Daily doses to Packages for the SKU4
Story (outcome)
Please note that when configuring, nothing prevents you in SAP Analytics Cloud to combine in the story the conversion specific to SKU4 with another SKU, so please check and test carefully your configuration.
Useful links
Thank You for the blog, Charlotte.
The blog is really inspiring, leveraging the Currency Conversion table for Unit of Measure Conversion.
As you mentioned in the blog, "This example can be adapted with several SKUs but not with thousands as the configuration effort would be too cumbersome."
We are currently designing a UoM conversion solution for our client and they have a large number of products. So, the solution might not be feasible for them.
Currently, SAC has a limitation on the length of currency ID. Thinking if it is removed, then we can use the currency table without rate version and multiple restricted measures. We can combine the "Unit of Measure" and the "Material Number" as the ID for conversion. For example, dose of SKU4 will have an ID "DOS_SKU4". Then, we can maintain the conversion rate accordingly for the product and UoM.
In this case, only 1 calculated measure need to be maintained for each UoM (similar to currency conversion).
Not sure if this is a feasible idea, as the 3-character limitation comes from the standard ISO code. But if the limitation can be removed, then the clients can have a quick solution for unit of measure conversion without store extra data in the model.
Hello Kinson
Thanks for your kind comment, I'm glad that this blog based on a customer use case resonates to others.
Indeed,it's the isocode that limits the number of characters, that's why it would help to vote for this influence
Improvement Request Details - Customer Influence (sap.com)