Hi All,
S/4HANA is steadily gaining shape in the market and so is the S/4HANA Embedded Analytics.
Part1 of the Blog can be found here -->
Part2 of the Blog can be found here -->
Introduction:
What is S/4HANA Embedded Analytics?
It is a set of Analytical Features integrated in SAP S/4HANA, that enables users to perform real time analytics on the live transactional data. It comes with a set of inbuild representations of operational data, called VDM (Virtual Data Models) which will allow users to arrive at better decisions from the available data.
It doesn’t require a separate installation or implementation or any other licenses. It is a part of the S/4HANA Software and is generally available with the new S/4HANA releases.Customers can extend the existing CDS Views VDM’s and build new ones.
Please be informed that SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics will not replace any existing SAP Solutions and S/4 HANA has an Embedded Analytical engine, but certain steps/activation needs to be done for making this engine to work.
Most of the operational reporting can be done with S/4HANA Embedded Analytics.BW would be required for EDW, which will help to analyze the historical data, data consolidation from multiple sources.
SAP Best Practices for Analytics with S/4HANA: (RDS now be renamed as Best Practices) (Available in SMP since March 7th 2016-- http://service.sap.com/analyticswiths4h) (V1.0)
SAP Best Practices for analytics with SAP S/4HANA provides a comprehensive portfolio of analytical content based on SAP S/4HANA. It provides guidance on how to get started with SAP S/4HANA embedded analytics and how to integrate with best in class analytical platform and solutions from SAP for ex: SAP BI platform, SAP BW etc.
3 Options/Scopes:
1) Embedded Analytics with SAP S/4HANA (Mandatory)
--> Set up of SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics with CDS views and various analytical apps based on CDS views.
2) Integration between SAP S/4HANA and SAP BO (Optional)
Enhance analytical use cases by integrating between SAP S/4HANA and SAP BI platform. Pre-built reports and content built in SAP BI client tools ex: Design Studio 1.5 (Ex: --> Core Finance, P2P, O2C), Webi (Ex: Sales revenue, Sales Analysis), Crystal Reports can be leveraged and extended based on business use cases. (Based on BI 4.2 Version, works on 4.1 aswell).
Procurement of a separate License for BO platform would be required, the Best Practices would have only the configuration content.
3) Integration between SAP S/4HANA and SAP BW (Optional)
Consolidate data from SAP S/4HANA in SAP BW and build analytical use cases based on enriched data environment from other data sources in SAP BW.(using SDA Concept)
Procurement of a separate License for BW Platform(7.4) would be required, the Best Practices would have only the configuration content.
My Personal opinion here is with SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics, SAP BW (Embedded BW) has got a lot of significance.
Now we will go through the various S/4HANA Embedded Analytics options:
5) Analysis Edition For Excel:
Open an analysis for Microsoft excel:
Access the Analysis Tab and click on the Select Data source option within “Insert Datasources”.
Skip the next screen:
Select the S/4HANA System:
Enter the system credentials:
Select Search for the required Object
{
Hope you remember that we had defined the SQL View name as CFIDAYSSLSOUTSTG.
The Transient Provider naming convention is 2C*.
So Prefix 2C with the SQL view and search with the name:
(2CCFIDAYSSLSOUTSTG)
}
The system will prompt for the Variables Screen which we have added in the CDS definition using Parameters:
Create the Final report according to your requirement.
A sample report is shown in the below Screenshot.
The above scenario is just an overview of how to bring in the CDS View in Analysis of Excel. Hence the later steps of how to showcase more flavours to the final report is not been explained in this blog.
6) SAP DESIGN STUDIO:
Open Design Studio
The Design studio application will open.
Create anew Analysis application
Provide a Application name and select a layout.
Add a Datasource
Select the S/4HANA System.
Provide the credentials:
Select Search for the required Object
{
Hope you remember that we had defined the SQL View name as CFIDAYSSLSOUTSTG.
The Transient Provider naming convention is 2C*.
So Prefix 2C with the SQL view and search with that name:
(2CCFIDAYSSLSOUTSTG)
}
Check the details:
Drag the data source from Left to the Right Pane and proceed with your requirement.
PS: My Skill in this tool is very bad. Hence don't want to take a risk here, by designing a complex report.
Once you have completed your requirement, there is an option to "Execute Manually".
The created application/report will look something like below:
7) Cloud for Analytics(C4A):
The integration between S/4HANA and C4A seems to be in the early stages.
We will discuss on that integration, once it is generally available.
Thanks for going through the Document. Do let me know your Reviews and Suggestions.
This is a 4 Part Blog Series. In the Subsequent part, we will see more S/4HANA Embedded Analytics options. Stay Tuned..
BR,
Prabhith