Key BI Challenges Innovations: BI Innovations Webcast, Part 2

[TammyPowlas]

Part 2 of this is covering upcoming innovations for BI.  Part 1 of this blog is here

In this part SAP's Saurabh Abhyankar  covers the key BI innovations for the front-end tools.  Same disclaimer applies that things discussed below are subject to change.

Developer Persona:

Figure 1: Source: SAP

IT builds reports/dashboards to share with a broad audience of users

SDK’s offer customizability

Reporting tools are Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports.

Figure 2: Source: SAP

Figure 2 shows two products for dashboards

Design Studio is for BW/HANA

Dashboards are for agnostic user base

Statement of Direction is to converge products

Figure 3: Source: SAP

Saurabh said customers have been asking for freezing headers

SDK’s are planned for WebI

Design Studio first half of year is BW focused

Dashboards is focusing on offline sharing

Figure 4: Source: SAP

Figure 4 shows custom color palettes allow customers to manage chart colors

UI Customization allows you to tailor the experience for the user to simplify the experience

List Of Values enabled for formulas; this feature was in Desktop Intelligence says Saurabh.  You type a formula in Web Intelligence “If category = value” you need to remember how to type out value – now grab the list of values to select

Figure 5: Source: SAP

Design Studio has a different numbering scheme than core BI4 platform

Design Studio 1.0 was released last year and has a different release schedule

Design Studio 1.1 release is improving BW support – variables, variants & prompts screen

Release of Beta SDK where you can write your own components, button, list boxes

Later in the year, with the focus on developers and designers , SAP plans to open up Design Studio for non-SAP sources with support for universes, with customizable charts allowing publishing to the cloud

Figure 6: Source: SAP

Mobilizing dashboards was released in 2012

Figure 6 shows that in BI 4.1 you can save dashboard on mobile device for offline viewing

Mobile preview in Dashboard Designer

Figure 7: Source: SAP

Figure 7 shows the products listed in the upper right

SAP says put Predictive in the hands of analysts

Figure 8: Source: SAP

Figure 8 slides should say for 2013 and not 4.1 as these products have a different release schedule

Visual Intelligence will offer  tier 1 language support, improve data manipulation functionality

Semantic enrichment for geo and time

eViews are groups of visualizations and controls so analyst can layout the page and publish so end user can consume on mobile devices

Predictive will have a custom SDK as well, along with  building algorithmic specific visualizations

Figure 9: Source: SAP

Key things/themes include data manipulation with Hana, enhance data merge

Version 1.0.10 will have geo zip code support and custom region definition

Later on, it will have the ability to create exploration views

Figure 10: Source: SAP

Figure 10 shows Predictive Analysis will have a custom SDK to create new algorithms

Mobility

Take analytics from people who do spreadsheets to everyone in organization

Targeted BI content versus ask and answer questions (BusinessObjects Explorer)

Figure 11: Source: SAP

Figure 11 shows SAP is evolving mobile BI application, with unifying BusinessObjects Explorer & Mobile Business Intelligence together into single application.  People want a single place to go

SDK is being added for customization and branding

Add increased integration with Cloud and a great way to test mobile application

Integration with SAP Jam

Later half will have added Android support and third party security frameworks and mobile device management as well

Question & Answer

Q: Is there a Mobile Preview for WebI?

A: This is being looked at

Q: Will SAP Jam replace StreamWork

A: Continue to support StreamWork but as go forward will support Jam starting with Mobile BI solution