What is better option SAP BI or BPC for FI Functional consultant

[Former Member]

Hey Guys,

I'm FICO consultant, I wanted to upgrade myself in SAP like to reporting side in future.

Few my fellow consultants suggested me for BI and some for BPC. I need my SAP Gurus to help me to take a decision.

I don't have Technical knowledge my background is MBA started as an Assistant finance job, then move in SAP FICO.

So It will helpful if your valuable information. In advance appreciated Gurus.

Waiting for a quick response.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ashfaq,

this is quite a difficult question. First of all, there is no decision between BI and BPC since BPC is part of BI. It really depends on your preference and what you would like to do. BI can be a lot of things, such as data extraction, data modelling, reporting and planning and so on. BPC refers to planning and consolidation. Implementing those planning or consolidation processes requires a deep understanding of data structures and data modelling in SAP BW. I can't give you an advise, but I can tell you how I got started with my consultant career many years ago: As I finished university I intended to do planning since that was my personnel preference and I already did some similar stuff during my study. My first employer told me that doing planning without knowledge about SAP BW and reporting will not work since usually planning tools like BPC use data coming from SAP BW. Thus I started as a junior in SAP BW data modelling and later on I moved to reporting with BEx and BO. After some years in that sector I started planning with IP and later with BPC.

There is another point to consider: If you decide to focus on planning in future please watch the actual trends coming from SAP. At the moment many things are changing and challenge the existing structures. While the common planning with SAP usually is based on SAP BW there are new trends moving away from SAP BW. With the release of Simple Finance the SAP moves away from SAP BW and the financial planning is done in SAP R/3 directly just to give you an example. There is just a small embedded SAP BW included to store the planning data, but an extraction of data to the SAP BW in the common sense is not required anymore since SFin uses data directly from R/3.

To conclude the things mentioned: No one can give you an advise what to do with your professional life. It's all up to you. But if you wanna work with SAP please watch the actual technical trends and make yourself ready for the future. Please consider: If you wanna do consulting your are rely on projects. You will get more projects with higher rates if your are a specialist and you will get even more projects if your a specialist in innovative technologies and trends.

Hope this will help you to take the right decision.

Best regards,

Karsten

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks Karsten

I'm very much confused. I'm thinking to do BI to get knowledge about reporting.

As Expert in SAP if I ask you suppose I take some experience in BI then try to move for BPC.

What do you suggest..?

Thank you again,

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ashfaq,

you need to know that BI is not just reporting. There are many areas as described above - reporting is just one. But even if you wanna do reporting without BPC you need to get a fundamental knowledge about data modelling in SAP BW since most reportings are based on data coming from BW. Beside this, my past reporting projects also included the implementation of the corresponding data model. In many cases, you will get the requirements of the customers what they want to see in the report. It is often your task to build the data maodel and the reports.

But, independing what you wanna do in future - reporting or planning with BPC - you need to have SAP BW knowhow in both cases. So, I would try to get that knowledge first and then move to reporting or planning. But, at the end it is your decision

Best regards,

Karsten

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Many thanks Karsten,

I say frankly Karsten as I already told I'm functional consultant I wanted to do something related to finance and which new in SAP for future demand.

Firstly I come to know about Simple finance through online research but few my friends in SAP says its new immature will take time become popular like that.

So I consult with my one more friend who is HANA expert he suggested me for BPC rather than BI.

As non-techno person i was confused which is better for future.

Hope you understand my point.

Thank you,

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ashfaq,

if you wanna do something financial related, then Simple Finance (SFIN) is not the worst decision. It is true that SFIn is quite new, but the customer attention at least in Germany and Switzerland is overwhelming. Many customer ask for SFin and we are doing SFin Projects right now.

Regarding your HANA friend: This advise is quite strange since planning in general and BPC in detail is part of BI. Business Intelligence (BI) is just an umbrella term which covers several areas, for instance planning, reporting etc..

Just for your information:

Simple Finance has two planning tools included: BPC embedded and IBP (Integrated Business Planning for Finance). IBP is technically exactly the same as BPC, but it provides business content. So you can do Simple Finance AND BPC I am doing exactly the same right now

Best regards,

Karsten