What’s New in SAP Analytics Cloud Release 2023.08

SAP Analytics Cloud brings together analytics and planning with unique integration to SAP applications and seamless access to heterogenous data sources. It helps everyone in your organization make decisions without doubt with trusted insights and integrated plans.

This blog post introduces the features of the SAP Analytics Cloud 2023.08 release available for SAP Analytics Cloud FastTrack customers. For SAP Analytics Cloud Quarterly Release Cycle (QRC) customers, this release and its features will be available as part of the QRC Q2 2023 release. View the QRC release schedule here.

System Administration and Technical Requirements

Although not required, you may upgrade to the latest SAP Analytics Cloud agent version 1.0.373 to take advantage of all data acquisition types.

The agent’s minimum version remains at 1.0.75, with the following exceptions:

• Version 1.0.99 for SAP ERP/SQL Database
  Version 1.0.365 for SAP universe (UNX). The SAP Analytics Cloud agent requires additional setup steps, for more details see SAP Note 3262098
• Version 1.0.353 for SAP Business Warehouse (BW)
• Version 1.0.235 for SAP HANA View
• Version 1.0.248 for File Server

For more information, see System Requirements and Technical Prerequisites.

Regarding supported features and required updates for the integration of SAP BW with SAP Analytics Cloud, refer to SAP Note 2541557 for further details.

Regarding supported features and required updates for live universe access through SAP BusinessObjects Live Data Connect with SAP Analytics Cloud, refer to SAP Note 2771921 for further details.

Please download the latest version of the Simple Deployment Kit from Service Marketplace.

Note: To avoid downloading older versions and potentially exposing users to a vulnerable bundling of the Cloud Connector with SAPJVM, or Apache Tomcat, only the three latest versions of the kits are available to download.

For Cloud agent version change management details, refer to SAP Note 3264839.

Release Highlights

• Administration and Service Management
  • Increase of Content Network Storage Size to 2GB
  • Specific Page Titles
  • Deactivate and Reactivate users
  • Private Versions Statistics and Analysis
• Dashboard and Story Design
  • Advanced Responsive Layout in Optimized Story Experience
• Data Exploration
  • Table Styling Options (phase 1)
    • Styling Templates
    • Scale / Unit / Currency Position
• Data Integration
  • Live SAP BW – Improved Support of Hierarchies with Linked Nodes
• Microsoft Office Integration
  • Date Format from Preferences
  • Loading Indicator
  • Data Action Parameter: Via Sheet Reference and via Formula
• Mobile Analytics
  • SAP S/4HANA Standard live connectivity in Android App

Administration and Service Management

Increase of Content Network Storage Size to 2GB

The default Analytics Content Network (ACN) storage size has increased from 300MB to 2GB allowing users to transport more analytic content network packages.

Specific Page Titles

The updated SAP Analytics Cloud page titles now reflect the page content, instead of all page titles labelled as ‘SAP Analytics Cloud’. Users can easily distinguish between opened browser tabs, quickly navigate browser history, dropdown for open tabs, and manage bookmarks. Each page title is unique, letting users know which tabs are open without having to click on each tab.

Deactivate and Reactivate users

Administrators can now deactivate and reactivate users in the system. When a user is deactivated, they can no longer access the system and they do not consume a license. However, their content is retained and the user can be reactivated at any time.

For more details, check out this blog post by Jimmy Yang.

Private Versions Statistics and Analysis

See what’s new in Private Version Analysis in your SAP Analytics Cloud tenant. Check out this blog post by Thomas Fery  for the latest update.

Dashboard and Story Design

Advanced Responsive Layout in Optimized Story Experience

We have further extended the responsive layout in Optimized Story Experience. With the new advanced responsive layout, it is now possible to freely position and overlap widgets. This is not possible in the classic design experience.

Furthermore, users can define advanced responsive rules for the following:

• Option to auto-flow widgets vertically or horizontally
• Option to exclude widgets in auto-flow
• Setting widget width/height/position
• Hiding certain widgets

It will also be possible to see a live-preview of your story layout in design time to see how your story will look on different screen resolutions and on mobile and tablet devices.

The responsive layout will also support advanced features like scripts, theme, CSS, custom widgets, etc.

Data Exploration

Styling Templates

In Data Analyzer users can now use a template as styling option for tables. Currently the default and basic templates are supported. Additionally, you can set alternating rows.

Scale / Unit / Currency Position

For SAP BW data sources, users can now set the following options in the data analyzer styling panel: Scale, Unit, or Currency Position. Choose whether the options should be displayed in the data cells, row header, or column header.

Data Integration

Live SAP BW – Improved Support of Hierarchies with Linked Nodes

SAP Business Warehouse (BW) hierarchies with linked nodes are now supported in the Optimized Story Experience. This provides users with flexibility to use SAP BW hierarchies with linked nodes in tables, charts, tables, member selector, linked analysis, and linked dimensions.

Microsoft Office Integration

Date Format from Preferences

The date format preference set in your SAP Analytics Cloud tenant will now be applied in SAP Analytics Cloud, add-in for Microsoft office.

This feature is available to customers as of April 5^th, 2023.

Loading Indicator

Introducing a loading indicator on the side panel to show users the system status. There are currently three statuses:

• Ready
• Processing
• Waiting for data entry

This feature is available to customers as of April 5^th, 2023.

Data Action Parameter: Via Sheet Reference and via Formula

Users can now enter Data Action Parameters either via cell references (numeric value can be entered in Excel cell) or open member selector via function in Excel cell. This will allow users to completely define a Data Actions without the task pane – all configurations are done from within the sheet.

This feature is available to customers as of April 5^th, 2023.

Mobile Analytics

SAP S/4HANA Standard live connectivity in Android App

Android mobile app users can now access live SAP S/4HANA On-Premise data using a standard S4 live (SAML SSO) connection. This update closes feature gap parity with the iOS mobile app.

This blog post only provides a high-level overview of the latest features and enhancements of SAP Analytics Cloud. You can find more details on these features in your In-App Help Guide for FastTrack customers and see this SAP Knowledge Base Article if you’d like to learn more about FastTrack and Quarterly Release Cycle releases. 

If you have any questions regarding the content in this blog post, you can comment below. If you have product specific or technical questions, post a question to our SAP Analytics Cloud Questions & Answers forum. Visit our SAP Analytics Cloud Community pages to find more product information, best practices, and more. And check out our SAP Road Map Explorer to see more upcoming features of SAP Analytics Cloud.

Are you looking to learn more about SAP Analytics Cloud?

• Experience SAP Analytics Cloud for free with the guided experience
• Take part in this free learning journey: Explore SAP Analytics Cloud with Story Design