- SAP Managed Tags
This blog post is a joint work of @IsabelWichmann and @irinasheftelevich
MOTIVATION
In today's fast-paced business world, the ability to effectively steer and lead an organisation is fundamental for achieving strategic goals and maintaining a competitive edge. A key success criterion is the capacity to fully harness and derive value from organisational data. Many companies struggle with data problems, such as fragmented information, outdated systems, and the super important task of preparing data for emerging technologies like AI. Recognising these challenges, we are excited to introduce a blog series dedicated to showcasing the substantial business value of SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) in the context of planning and analytics.
The motivation behind this initiative is to provide a comprehensive exploration of how SAP BDC capabilities as essential instruments, facilitating robust strategic alignment and guiding effective decision-making processes across diverse organisational requirements. We aim to illustrate how SAP BDC, equipped with powerful data management, planning, analytics and innovative AI capabilities, empowers organisations with enhanced business steering agility by providing real-time insights, streamlined data management, and automated decision support – going from insights to action, helps mainly leaders guide their businesses with precision.
Our blog series will provide valuable insights for decision-makers seeking to harness SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) to enhance operational efficiency, optimise resource allocation, and achieve long-term objectives. By featuring detailed planning & analytics topics, the series will illustrate the transformative impact of SAP BDC in addressing the operational complexities of today’s business environment. This first introductory blog post will spotlight the strategic advantages of SAP BDC, particularly in the context of Business Steering, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of its benefits throughout the blog series.
There are several blog posts in the series that will cover advantages of SAP BDC in the context of business steering, so please stay tuned for the upcoming blogs:
- The Value of SAP BDC in the context of business steering
- Planning & Analytics is an essential part of SAP BDC
- Key Planning & Analytics components of SAP BDC
- Is AI going to “retire” a dashboard?
- Simulations, a game changer in today’s volatile world
- Extend existing planning scenarios of SAP BPC/BW-IP in SAP BDC (THIS BLOG POST)
- Real-time steering with LIVE planning
- PaPM - The role of business calculation engine in business steering
- Self – service analytics and real time business steering
- Business steering powered by AI agents
- Leverage data products in the context of planning & forecasting
- Introducing AI/ML capabilities by SAP Databricks
INTRODUCTION
SAP Business Data Cloud (SAP BDC) is a fully managed SaaS solution that unifies and governs all SAP data and seamlessly connects with third-party data, giving line-of-business leaders context to make even more impactful decisions. As an evolution of our industry-leading data, planning, and analytics solutions, SAP Business Data Cloud brings together SAP Datasphere, SAP Analytics Cloud, and SAP Business Warehouse with a unified experience that delivers transformational insights across all lines of business.
To fully leverage benefits of SAP BDC in the Planning and Analytics area, it is worth to consider modernizing the Planning engine. SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) is the component that delivers cutting-edge analytics and planning capabilities while providing real-time insights powered by AI and machine learning. It integrates seamlessly with SAP Datasphere to offer a unified data analysis experience (The Value of SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) in The ... - SAP Community).
But how to get there? For those customers who are searching for a new planning engine the situation is clear. SAC is the clear strategic direction for the planning processes and xP&A. For those customers who are now using an SAP BW based planning engine like SAP BPC or BW-IP the path can be not as straightforward, so we are recommending evaluating the possible ways to start with SAP BDC as the future-state landscape.
SAP BPC PLANNING SCENARIOS WITHIN SAP BDC
There are three scenarios how you can go forward with SAP Business Planning and Consolidation (SAP BPC) as part of SAP BDC.
Based on insights from the original SAP blog on moving from SAP BPC to SAC, we would like to refresh and update scenarios of moving from SAP BPC —into the world of SAP BDC and SAC.
SCENARIO 1: MOVE
Target Landscape: SAC Planning + BDC as the data foundation
This is the option where planning use cases would be completely moved from SAP BPC into SAC. In this case we talk about re-implementation, but you can still reuse some of the things that you have created. For example, you could build a SAC planning model based on the query that is coming from your SAP BPC (embedded model, running on the SAP BW system). That way all relevant dimensions (including its members and hierarchies) could be recreated quite easily.
What´s new with SAP BDC?
- Seamless planning, links SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) with SAP Datasphere so that SAC model data (facts & master data) can be stored directly in Datasphere. This reduces data duplication, ensures real-time availability, and allows further processing and extension via Datasphere’s capabilities. ( Seamless planning between SAP Analytics Cloud and ... - SAP Community )
- Part of BW modernisation process. SAP Analytics cloud can replace SAP BPC and BW-IP, become the new modern planning engine and reduce dependency on SAP BW. It can help to shrink BW and together with SAP Profitability and Performance management solution and Datasphere can provide a foundation for an End-to-End enterprise performance management process.
SCENARIO 2: COMPLEMENT (=LIVE Planning)
In this scenario we are using SAC as a planning/forecasting data entry UX and as well for data analysis (variance analysis in reports and dashboards for example). In other words, users enter data via the SAC data entry form, and the data is being persisted directly in the SAP BPC embedded planning model. No data is being stored in SAC whatsoever. This scenario allows to:
- Retain existing BPC / BW-IP models
- Provide attractive & powerful UX to end users for:
- Data entry
- Analysis
- Mobile iOS / Android apps (analysis only)
- Use SAC Catalog for unified access to all content
What´s new with SAP BDC?
SAP BPC can be first migrated with BW into SAP BDC, modernizing data architecture. SAC can be introduced gradually, being a front end to existing SAP BPC embedded models and planning logic.
SCENARIO 3: ADD (Extend SAP BPC with SAC for new functional plans)
In this scenario, we can build new functional plans on top of SAP BPC with SAC and then we provide integration (data is replicated in both directions between SAP BPC and SAC). A simple example of such integration could be to bring an initial version of sales forecast from SAP BPC model into SAC model (model – dimensions & measures; with data is being replicated from SAP BPC into SAC). In the next step predictive time series forecasting would be applied on top of forecast data stored in SAC model. If needed, users could perform some manual adjustments or allocations and when done the updated forecast would be replicated back to SAP BPC model.
What´s new with SAP BDC?
As with Live scenario, SAP BPC can be first migrated with BW into SAP BDC, modernizing your data architecture. SAC can be introduced gradually, not only as front-end, but also as a planning engine, allowing phased transition into strategic solution.
For scenario 2+3 withing SAP BDC: BPC should be moved into BPC PCE of SAP BDC architecture. This move is supported for BPC NetWeaver as well as BPC on BW/4HANA. See picture below:
BUT WHY MAKE THIS MOVE?
There are several strategic and technical benefits of SAP BPC PCE in SAP Business Data Cloud:
Strategic Benefits
- Fully aligned with SAP Business Data Cloud
- Follow the clean core principle: reduce custom extensions management costs
- Application and technical operations from one vendor
- Mainstream maintenance until 2030 for SAP BPC 10.1 and 2040 for SAP BPC 2021 (BPC/4HANA)
Technical Benefits
- Support for hybrid planning with both SAP BPC and SAC
- Scalable platform
- Continue to leverage SAP BW capabilities
FINAL THOUGHT
SAC/SAP BDC emerging as the new standard, now is the time to choose your path forward. Whether you go all-in on SAC, transition gradually via SAP BW PCE on SAP BDC, or start with seamless integration — SAP Business Data Cloud ensures your planning is built on a trusted, unified data foundation.
Would like to know more?
Check out the BPC MOVE blog series and this further information to learn more about the transition from SAP BPC to SAP Analytics Cloud:
- Enabling BPC Runtime-license: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/3150518The SAP Note 2969947provides you the latest information of the supported and unsupported planning functionalities when using an SAC Model based on a BPC Live connection.
- Easily transition from BPC to SAC-P: https://www.sap.com/products/technology-platform/cloud-analytics/move-planning.html
- SAP Note 3308697 with SAP BPC Standard Migration guide
Ready to take the next step?
Start your cloud migration journey. Contact us at movebpc@sap.com to learn more about using SAP Analytics Cloud for Planning to migrate your SAP BPC investment to the Cloud and accelerate your business & financial transformation.
Please check out also SAP Note 3308697 with SAP BPC Standard and BPC Embedded Migration guide (two migration guides pdfs).
(Fairly) new to SAP Analytics Cloud?
Find out how to apply the basics of modelling, planning, analysing and administration with SAP’s free learning resources on SAP Analytics Cloud. The learning journey is designed for business users who want to upskill and boost their careers. Check out even more role-based learning resources and opportunities to get certified in one place on SAP Learning site.
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