Innovative reporting with the SAP Analytics Cloud

What are the main features of SAP Analytics Cloud? How do customised solutions work with SAP Analytics Cloud? What are the genuine advantages of reporting with the SAP Analytics Cloud? Find the answers to these and other questions here.

What is the SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC)?

The SAP Analytics Cloud is a complete solution for analytics, planning and predictive analytics. By bringing together the various areas, it is therefore an "all-in-one platform" and promotes data-driven decision-making by closely integrating reporting and planning.

Distribution & Collection Banner Homepage II (1)

Business Intelligence & Reporting

  • The SAC combines data from different sources (on-premise, cloud, SAP, non-SAP, ...)
  •  Seamless integration into SAP solutions (S/4HANA, SAP BW, SAP Datasphere) and connection to on-premise and cloud data sources.
  • Innovative reporting through ad hoc analyses and standardized reporting, as each dashboard element can be analysed in any depth and multidimensionally. Further analyses can also be carried out directly.
Distribution & Collection Banner Homepage II (2)

Planning

  • The SAC eliminates the separation between reporting and planning.
  • Replacement of manual Excel planning with planning masks in the SAC.
  • Driver-based simulations of planning scenarios (what-if analyses).
  • Control of the entire planning workflow in the SAC calendar by using the SAC as a single point of truth.
Picture with man holding tablet with dashboard in his hand

Predictive analytics & generative AI

  • AI integration within the SAP AI strategy (Joule Copilot, Just Ask Feature).
  • Various Smart Features (Generative AI) such as Smart Insights, Smart Predict & Smart Discovery.
  • Numerous integrated functions, e.g. various forecast models based on time series analyses.
  • More information can also be found in the SAP video here.

     

     

What are the advantages of reporting with SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC)?

  • Complete solution for analytics, planning and predictive.
  • SAC natively supports live and import data connections for a variety of SAP and non-SAP data sources, both on-premise and in the cloud.
  • The SAP Analytics Cloud offers two main types of connections to data sources: Live connection and Import connection .
  • Use of Generative AI for value creation, for example by means of the Joule Copilot or Just Ask
  • Fast provision thanks to ready-made business content for various specialist areas and industries: Directly available and customizable with customer-specific data.
  • Using the SAP Analytics Cloud as a managed self-service tool, users can be enabled to create their own reports and share them with their colleagues.
  • Simple integration and use of existing authorization concepts (e.g. SAP BW or SAP DSP) and creation of individual authorization concepts.
  • The standardized and advantageous visualization based on the IBCS® notation concept is already firmly implemented in the SAC. No add-on from external manufacturers is therefore required in this respect.

Reporting with SAC makes it possible to (1) build individual BI applications for different recipient groups quickly and easily; (2) integrate artificial intelligence to get new forecasts and insights, (3) customise the respective reports by the users (self-service) and (4) provide a central reporting platform and the ability to use it on all common devices.

Innovative reporting

Ad-hoc analyses and standardised reporting are combined, as each dashboard element can be analysed in any depth and multidimensionally. Further analyses can also be carried out directly.

Automated analyses and reports

The use of artificial intelligence sees controllers supported by numerous functions ranging from automated annotation to the creation of individual dashboards at the touch of a button.

Customisation

The stories can be analysed and compared in almost unlimited fashion via individual filters.

Real-time dashboards

Dashboard elements and pages from different stories are combined in the digital boardroom, eliminating the need to create time-consuming presentations.

Management information design seminar

Presentation of the reporting functions of the SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC)

Innovative reporting

  • With the Unified Story, the SAP Analytics Cloud offers a further development of the Optimized Story Experiencein which story designers and developers now work together in one environment to ensure seamless collaboration to enable seamless collaboration.
  • This enables specialist departments to create their own dashboards quickly and easily.
  • But functionalities such as Coding + Custom Visuals + R-Scripts also enable the presentation and flexibility of more complex issues.

Ad-hoc analyses in the Data Analyzer or the Excel add-in

  • In-depth multidimensional analysis of data sources is possible. The selected drilldown-states and ad-hoc analyses can also be used as reusable insights can be saved.
  • Using the Data Analyzer or the Excel add-in (SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office, edition for SAP Analytics Cloud), you can start ad-hoc analyses based on live SAP BW queries, live SAP S/4HANA CDS views or SAP Datasphere models, for example, and save your drill-down data statuses and ad-hoc analyses as reusable insights.
  • Calling from existing stories or on the basis of a query mask

Live vs. import

  • The SAP Analytics Cloud offers two main types of connections to data sources: Live connection and import connection.
  • The live connection ensures real-time access to data and offers users the opportunity to interact directly with and analyze current information from various data sources. Only metadata is stored in the cloud here.
  • The import connection allows users to integrate data from different formats and systems. This enables comprehensive data transformation, modeling and analysis.

Empowerment of specialist departments through self-service

  • If you make your specialist departments wait too long, they often opt for a quick solution instead of the right one.
  • Using the SAP Analytics Cloud as a managed self-service tool, users can be enabled to create their own reports and share them with their colleagues.
  • The SAP Analytics Cloud supports SSBI with various templates, a SAC catalog, the SAC calendar, functions for sharing stories, roles adapted to each user and the use of existing authorization systems, for example from SAP BW or SAP Datasphere.
  • Integration with Datasphere enables further user empowerment.

Customisable solutions with the SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC)

Reporting with SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC): Overview of the SAC dashboard.

Thanks to the high-performance in-memory technology of SAP HANA, detailed data analyses can be carried out in real time via SAC, with the service rounded off by an app. The responsive design component allows the display to be adapted to the end device. As an SaaS (software-as-a-service) solution, SAC is very easy to use and cost-effective. By definition, the software is always up-to-date and provides maximum performance. The SAC can also be implemented quickly, giving a productive start at short notice.

The SAC is not just a tool for visual representation - it represents a unified concept with a strategic character. On one single platform, it offers a combination of all relevant functions, namely:

This is further enhanced by options for forecasts via predictive analytics. The individual functionalities complement one another and thus increase the overall performance, while a seamless integration of various data sources (including on-premise and non-SAP) is also possible.

End users in the business units can retrieve and visualise data directly and in a very user-friendly way through central access via self-service BI, and can also create their own reports and stories. IT provides the IT governance and qualitative data centrally for this purpose, with users networked via a uniform platform and benefiting from simplified cooperation through modern, interactive collaboration functions.

Individual analyses using SAC are based on the concept of so-called storytelling, whereby each story can consist of various elements (e.g. diagrams, tables, geo-analyses). The SAC system generates suggestions for visualisations and the structure of story boards. Thus, reports and dashboards can be realised intuitively. In addition, SAC is currently the only SAP product that has already firmly implemented the standardised and advantageous visualisation based on the notation concept IBCS®. Therefore, no add-on from external manufacturers is required in this respect.

Your point of contact for reporting with the SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC)

"The SAP Analytics Cloud offers a revolutionary all-in-one platform that combines analytics, planning and predictive. Through the seamless integration of data sources and the use of innovative functions, it enables data-driven decision-making at the highest level. With the SAP Analytics Cloud, companies can not only optimize their reporting processes, but also significantly increase the efficiency and accuracy of their planning and forecasting."

Philipp May is Head of Planning | Reporting | Analytics / SAP® at s-peers AG
Philipp May
Head of reporting workshop

More information

Further analytics solutions