SAP Datasphere Intelligent Lookup
- Data warehousing
- Data warehousing, datasphere
- 3 min reading time
Lukas Weixler
Definition SAP Datasphere Intelligent Lookup
When building complex data models in the SAP Datasphere, data is often drawn from different sources such as the Data Marketplace.
The next step in harmonizing this data is largely automated thanks to the Intelligent Lookup function: Instead of making formal adjustments, users can specify the extent to which they want to manually intervene in the data integration process. As a result, users without any prior technical knowledge are able to independently perform and verify comprehensive steps to extend an existing data model.
Case study Covid-19 and commodity prices
Our other wiki article on Data Marketplace already demonstrates data import using data on commodity prices and global Covid-19 case counts.
How do I apply the SAP Datasphere Intelligent Lookup?
This example is now supplemented by the step of data preparation and visualisation. The comparison of two imported tables requires the alignment of the respective dates of commodity prices and Covid-19 case numbers. If the corresponding date fields are written in the same way, an inner join could help. In the present case, however, this would not be possible without prior adjustment, as the date notation of the tables differs considerably:
Datasphere's Intelligent Lookup function provides a simple solution for this case. With the help of the "Fuzzy Match", users can independently define the score that is to be evaluated as a match. Instead of manually adjusting one of the two date fields, the matching values can be extracted directly.
In the present example, 24 entries are marked as matches (see Figure 2). These are the 24 months between January 2020 and December 2021, as significant Covid-19 case counts were only recorded in this period. This result can be used for visualization in SAP Analytics Cloud once it is stored as an Analytical Dataset in SAP Datasphere.
Data visualisation using the SAP Analytics Cloud
In order to display the multitude of different commodity prices with the worldwide Covid-19 case number on a monthly basis, a bar chart is suitable, which accumulates the individual commodities. On this basis, user groups can independently decide whether they want to examine certain commodities in more detail within the given time period. Especially against the background of the much noted general price increase due to the Corona infection, this chart can be used to show that a considerable number of commodities are not affected. Furthermore, a downstream increase in commodity prices can be observed, especially in the months following particularly high numbers of cases recorded worldwide. Further interpretation would require statistical analysis, but this graph provides some initial indications of a possible effect.
Conclusion: How and where does the SAP Datasphere Intelligent Lookup function help?
Thanks to the Intelligent Lookup function, the technical effort for data integration is kept within limits, making these work steps available to a broad group of users. In the existing example, this function was successfully applied using two data sources from the Data Marketplace. A similar approach can be used to combine an internal data model with an external data source. The Intelligent Lookup function makes the working environment of SAP Datasphere even more agile, allowing requirements for a data model to be designed even more individually.
Learn more about Intelligent Lookup & SAP Datasphere?
For more information on SAP Datasphere pricing, visit SAP's Datasphere Pricing page or talk to us in person.
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