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Ingo Hilgefort, SAP MentorFebruary 2015
Picking the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI Solution for Your Reporting and Dashboarding Needs
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioHow can you find the right BI Tools ?
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioHow can you find the right BI Tools ?
• Common obstacles
– BI and BW are separate teams
– BI and BW teams not talking the same language
– Assumption that everything works “just like BEx did”
– Desire to standardize on a single tool/approach, rather than choosing the right tool for the right job
– Misunderstanding of the capabilities of the solution
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioHow can you find the right BI Tools ?
• Understand your audience
• Listen !
• Shape your business requirements
… without using product names
• Understand the SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio
…and the limitations
… and the strategic direction
• Match requirements to products
• Monitor your users
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioShape your business requirements
• Your role is to LISTEN to the requirements – Do Not make suggestions
• Create user stories and use cases for your requirements
– without using product names
• Involve your business users in all stages for early feedback
– …not only the BW / DWH team
• Shadow your business users (1 day in their life)
• Ask questions at important steps
– Why are you exporting the report to Excel ?
One Use case is one type of user, one type of usage, one department
Who is your audience?
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioUnderstand your audience
Decision Maker Analyst Consumer Designer IT
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioUnderstand your audience
Decision Maker Analyst Consumer Designer IT
• Quickly visualize trends
• Receive alerts and notifications
• Needs quick answers to questions
• Can not wait for IT
• Visually analyze information
• Share findings and “tell a story”
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioUnderstand your audience
Decision Maker Analyst Consumer Designer IT
• Analyze data
• Turn data into “answers”
• Create compelling visualizations
• Prepare content for others
• Understands underlying data model
• Can not wait for IT
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioUnderstand your audience
Decision Maker Analyst Designer IT
• Consumes prepared content
• Limited editing requirements
• Needs information for day to day operations
Consumer
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioUnderstand your audience
Decision Maker Analyst IT
• Develops professional content
• Creates templates
• Designs meta-data
• Understands data model
Consumer Designer
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioUnderstand your audience
Decision Maker Analyst Designer
• System configuration for scheduling / broadcasting
• Defines users and roles
• System Management
• System Monitoring
• Usage Statistics
Consumer IT
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioShape your business requirements
You did everything right and more than one BI tool can fulfill the
requirements
If unsure, let the business user decide
• Use your two best options and create the content
• Provide the users with the tools to evaluate both options
What are your options in the BI portfolio?
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioUnderstand the BI portfolio
ReportingAgile
Visualization
Dashboardsand Apps
Deliver engaging information to users where they need it
Track key performance indicators and summary data
Build custom experiences so users get what they need quickly
Securely distribute information across your organization
Answer related questions by interacting withpre-defined reports
Build printable reports for operational efficiency
Discover areas to optimize your business
Adapt data to business needs
Tell your story with beautiful visualizations
Discover. Predict. Create.
Build Engaging Experiences
Distribute Information
Agile Visualization
Discover. Predict. Create.
Agility for business analysts and business users
Discover trends, outliers and areas of interest in your business
Adapt to business scenarios by combining, manipulating, and enriching data
Tell your story with self-service visualizations and analytics
Forecast and predict future outcomes
Portfolio
Lumira
Explorer*
Analysis*
Predictive Analysis* **
* SAP BusinessObjects Explorer; SAP BusinessObjects Analysis; SAP Predictive Analysis **Predictive Analysis details are part of Advanced Analytics
Dashboards and Apps
Build Engaging Experiences
Build engaging, visual dashboards
Powerful environment to build interactive and visually appealing analytics
Rich set of controls: buttons, list boxes, drop-down, crosstabs, charts…
Use custom code to extend and build workflows
Portfolio
Design Studio*
Dashboards (aka Xcelsius)*
* SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio; SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards
ReportingShare Information
High productivity design for report designers
Quickly build formatted reports on any data source
Securely distribute reports both internally and externally
Minimize IT support costs by empowering end usersto easily create and modify their own reports
Enhance custom applications with embedded reports
Portfolio
Web Intelligence*
Crystal Reports*
* SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence; SAP Crystal Reports
Planned Simplification of BI Client Portfolio
Reporting
Discovery and Analysis
Dashboards & Applications
Office Integration
Crystal ReportsWeb IntelligenceDesktop Intelligence
Crystal ReportsWeb Intelligence
Lumira DesktopSet AnalysisLumira Cloud/ServerExplorerAnalysis OLAP
Design StudioDashboardsBEx Web & Web App Designer
Analysis OfficeEPM Add In
Lumira
Design Studio
Converged OfficeClient
INTE
RO
PER
AB
ILIT
Y
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioCONSUME
Decision Maker Analyst Consumer
Lumira
Explorer / Exploration Views
Design Studio
Dashboards
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Analysis Office
Lumira
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
Designer IT
Exploration Views
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioCREATE
Analyst Consumer Designer IT
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Web Intelligence
Analysis Office
Lumira
Web Intelligence
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
Decision Maker
Analysis Office
Lumira
Explorer
Let’s compare functionality now
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – End user features
Drill Down Merge data Create Calculations
Interactive Filtering
Interactive Sorting
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Mobile access
Web basedAuthoring
Mobile BI Offline Support Scheduling Broadcasting / Publication
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio Limited
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Export
Excel PDF
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Comparison Charts
Line Bar Stacked Bar Column Polar Area
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Distribution Charts
Scatter Histogram
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Composition Charts
Stacked Column Stacked Area Pie Waterfall
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Relationship Charts
Scatter Bubble
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Performance Indicator Charts
Gauge Bullet Spark Lines
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Additional Charts
Box Plot Tree Map Heat Map Radar Gantt Funnel
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products
• Visual Extensions possible
– SAP Lumira / Predictive Analysis
– SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio
Let’s look at SAP BW and SAP ERP specifics
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Data Access ERP and BW
BEx Query Access InfoProviderAccess
BW Access via Universe
Direct ERP Access (Transient Provider)
ERP Access via Universe
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer (1) (1)
Predictive Analysis (1) (1)
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
(1) Using SAP NetWeaver BW on SAP HANA you can generate a BEx Query Snapshot which can be access by SAP BusinessObjects BI
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Data Access SAP HANA
Direct Access Universe Access Tables / SQL Views / Attribute Views
Analytical Views Calculation Views
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Hierarchy Support (1 / 3)
Hierarchies with Linked Nodes
Time-dependentHierarchies
Time-dependentHierarchy Structure
Hierarchies with Temp Join
Hierarchy Version
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Hierarchy Support (2 / 3)
Hierarchical Member Selection
Level Based Selection
Select specific Hierarchy Levels
Skip Levels Show Leafs only
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – Hierarchy Support (3 / 3)
Ranking data with
Hierarchies
Exchange hierarchies
Expand to Level Placing Subtotals
Hierarchical Charting
Compact Axis (Display as hierarchy)
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – End user features
Conditions Exceptions Zero Suppression Cell Editor Local Calculation (BEx Query)
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards Limited
Crystal Reports Limited
Web Intelligence Limited
• Local Calculation: Crystal Reports for Enterprise, Web Intelligence, and SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards to support BEx queries with two structures and cell definitions created with the cell editor but in cases where the cell definition combines different data types, the resulting output in these BI clients will be a string value instead of a numeric value.
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – End user features
Selection Option Variable
Manual Entry for Variables
Variable Variants Variable Personalization
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards Limited
Crystal Reports Limited
Web Intelligence Limited
• Selection Option Variable: Crystal Reports for Enterprise, Web Intelligence, and SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards are creating range variables for a selection option variable from a BEx Query. In addition the option to include or exclude values and to select an operator is not supported.
SAP BusinessObjects BI PortfolioMatching requirements to BI products – End user features
Report Report Interface (Sender)
Report Report Interface (Receiver)
OpenDoc with Variable support
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
Some Examples
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Financial Area
As Financial Manager for the West Coast Region of North America I need to be able to analyze cost and profit center actuals towards the allocated budget along several dimensions. I need to be able to see these measures along our company structures as well as being able to compare information from several sources. I also need to be able add my own calculation to answer on-demand requests from senior management.
I would like to leverage the information inside Microsoft Excel, but it also should be possible to use it in a browser.
Decision Maker
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Financial Area
Decision Maker
What did we hear ?
– Use of hierarchies (cost center / profit center / company structures)
– Probably usage of BEx Query Structures
– Usage of Microsoft Excel and browser based access
– Creation of calculations on the fly
– Accessing multiple sources
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Financial Area
Hierarchies Custom Structures Microsoft Excel Browser based Creating Calculations
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Financial Area
• Summary
– Based on the combination of requirements from the Financial Area the recommendation would be to use
• Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office
• Analysis, edition for OLAP
• Design Studio
– Design Studio could be leverage to create a custom BI application / template for the user audience
– For less hierarchical driven reports and a more consumer (less power user) type of audience Web Intelligence might be an alternative
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Sales Area
The Sales Manager for Canada asked me to create a report for his sales representatives that would allow them to see their current sales pipeline. He mentioned that the information needs to be available in the office, on the road, and on mobile devices.
He also stressed out that each sales representative needs to be able to change the report “as they wish” so that they can see the information by opportunity, product, week & month, and other angles. Actual hierarchies are only used limited.
For him as Sales Manager for Canada, he mentioned it would be a great value to be able to run some simple scenarios to see how certain changes could impact the pipeline, for example a change in the product cost or price.
… and he then also mentioned that sometimes people prefer just to get an eMail with a PDF file.
Decision Maker
Analyst
Consumer
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Sales Area
• What did we hear ?
– The information needs to be available on-premise (in the office), offline (on the road), and on mobile devices
– Users need the ability to change the report and change the view on the data.
– Only limited use of hierarchies
– Distribution of the reports via eMail in a PDF format is also required
– For the Sales Management some simple what-if scenarios would be a great asset
Analyst
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Sales Area
Offline Mobile Broadcasting Editing / changing What if Scenario
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Sales Area
• Summary
– Based on the combination of requirements from the Sales Area the recommendation would be to use
• Web Intelligence
• Web Intelligence Rich Client
• Mobile BI
– What – if Scenarios will be created using SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards or Design Studio
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Executive Area
As Executive Manager in this company I need consolidated information, which provides me with a high-level overview on all critical corporate KPIs. I need to be able to access this information anytime, anywhere.
If needed I need to be able to get to the root cause and see the detailedinformation.
I also can not always wait for my business analyst or IT to send me the information when I ask them a question. It would be good to be able to simply search for the answer by entering my question.
Decision Maker
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Executive Area
Decision Maker
• What did we hear ?
– Consume highly aggregated information
– Strong data visualizations needed
– Provide the ability to drill down and navigate to detailed information when needed
– Fast response time
– Information needs to be available via mobile device
– Allow for search and exploration
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Executive Area
Highly Aggregated Strong data visualization
Drill Down Mobile Search / Explore
Analysis Office
Analysis OLAP
Lumira
Explorer
Predictive Analysis
Design Studio
Dashboards
Crystal Reports
Web Intelligence
This BI clients are not suitable for the intended audience.
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientUsing Business Requirements – Executive Area
• Summary
– Based on the combination of requirements from the Executive team the recommendation would be to use
• SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio
• SAP BusinessObjects Explorer / Lumira Cloud
– In addition consider SAP NetWeaver BW on SAP HANA for performance improvements
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI ClientDifferent Needs Require Different Experience
Phases
Sele
ctin
g th
e R
igh
t SA
P B
usi
nes
sOb
ject
sB
I Clie
nt
Auditing
Use SAP BusinessObjects Auditing to track the BI activity
Use SAP NetWeaver BW statistics to track the activity on BW
Leverage the information in combination with the IT and BW team for performance improvements
Use Case
What are the business requirements ?
What is the audience doing with the information ?
How are they doing this today ?
How is your audience using the software right now ?
Create a use case on department level, don’t try to make one use case for all your requirements
Audience
Who is your audience?
What are the skills of your audience ?
How is your audience using the software right now ?
Remember,
a business analyst in sales
might be different to
a business analyst in finance
Your BI Strategy should start with the business requirements, not with the DWH.
Key Points to Take Home
Focus on the business pain points by area. One use case after the other – not all in once
Design from the business need and not from the data source
Understand your audience. Let them describe their workflow. Listen !
Remember – Your BI Strategy starts with the business requirements.. Not with the DWH
Additional Resources
Agile Analytics: A Value-Driven Approach to Business Intelligence and Data
Warehousing (Agile Software Development Series)
Agile Data Warehousing Project Management: Business Intelligence Systems Using Scrum
Extreme Scoping: An Agile Approach to Enterprise Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence
Additional Resources
Reporting and Analysis with SAP BusinessObjects (2nd Edition)(SAP Press, 2012)
Integrating SAP BusinessObjects BI with SAP NetWeaver (3rd Edition)(December 2013)
Mastering SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for OLAP with SAP NetWeaver BW
Best Practices for integration SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.x with SAP NetWeaver BW
Mastering SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio with SAP NetWeaver BW
INGO HILGEFORT, SAP MENTORTWITTER: @IHILGEFORTEMAIL : [email protected]
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