Setting Up Business Process Operations Dashboards Using Solution Manager

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Introduction

This document aims to introduce users to the Business Process Operations Dashboards (BPO Dashboards) that can be set up in SAP Solution Manager, using the Business Process Monitoring (BPMON) solutions. This document provides step by step instructions for setting up Business Process Operations Dashboards using Solution Manager 7.0 in a managed SAP system.

Scope of this document involves providing setup details for Business Process Operations Dashboards using Solution manager 7.0 version; The business process selected for setting up the Business Process Operations Dashboard is Order to Cash Process.

   1. Business Process Monitoring Dashboards - Introduction

Business process monitoring dashboards (BPO dashboards) is a sub set of Business Process Monitoring (BPMON) using solution Manager. Once the BPMON solution is set up and it starts collecting the data from the managed systems, the key users would like to view a graphical and/or tabular representation of the data collected by the BPMON solution for the various key figures.

A BPO dashboard is used to set up BPMON solution to present the collected data in a graphical or tabular display format. Based on requirements of end users panels representing specific KPIs can be created and added to the BPO dashboard screens. Controlled access can be given using the authorizations concept. For more details on setting up BPMON solution refer to the previously published whitepapers on the same subject.

1.1 System pre-requisites

As is the case with other SAP applications, SAP recommends staying up-to-date with the corresponding Add-Ons, Plug-Ins, and their related Support Packages. The newest releases and latest versions are always available via the SAP Service Marketplace by using the URL http://service.sap.com/swdc.

2. Introduction to Business Process Operations Dashboard

Business Process Operations Dashboards gives the end user an overview status of a specific  business process operations through graphical display of analytical key figures and gives the end user all the information required at a glance on a single screen. There are various types of charts for the end users. Eg.Trend Chart, Pie Chart, bar Chart, Static Chart, Dynamic Chart, Stacked Chart etc.

     2.1      Features of Business Process Operations Dashboard

Business process Operations Dashboard is used to visualize SAP business processes managed by SAP Solution Manager. The dashboard contains the following panel types

•             One-dimensional rating table ( Static Rating Table )

•             Two-dimensional rating table (Dynamaic rating table )

•             Two-dimensional chart( Pie chart, Bar Chart, Graphs etc.)

     2.2      Business Benefits of BPMon and BPO Dashboards

               Key benefits of BP Mon are:

• Improves process transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness of monitored Business Processes
• Revenue Improvement
• Cost reduction
• Process cycle-time Improvement
  • Defects/Rework
  • Hands-off improvement
  • Bottlenecks
  • Wait time

• Increase Customer Satisfaction
  • Service Level Agreement
• Legal and standards Compliance

2.3.    Pre-requisites for BPMon and BPO Dashboards

               Following are the prerequisites for setting up Business Process Operations Dashboard in SAP Solution Manager

• Solution Manager  and the related system should be updated to the correct patch levels

• Set up business process analytics (Refer previously published white paper on this subject).

• Activate HTTP services in transaction SICF

2.3.1. Steps involved in activating HTTP Services

                    Go to transaction SICF, Hierarchy Type is “Service” and click on execute. On the next screen (in the left navigation tree), follow the                     path default_host/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/ and find the services starting with ags_ri*

                    Click the context menu of the mentioned services and choose “Activate Service”.

2.4.   System Requirements

               System Requirements for setting up Business Process Operations Dashboard.

System	Remarks
SOLMAN 7.0	System on which Business Process Operations Dashboards is performed
SAP ECC	Managed system from which data is collected for Business Process Operations Dashboards

3.   Steps involved in setting up Business Process Operations Dashboards

     Following steps give a detailed description on creating a Business Process Operations Dashboard in Solution Manager. There are 4      main steps

• Create Connector Instance: Here we define data sources
• Set up Analytical Key figure Instances (AKFIs): Here we select the analytical key figure and the characteristics that we want to display and define filter criteria
• Set up Panels: He we select a chart type and labels for chart
• Set up Dashboards: Here we give dashboard title, define Dashboard layout,  assign panel to the dashboard and assign user groups.

          3.1 Create Connector Instance

Connector instances in BPO dashboards for make the data available and this data can be made available from data sources such as    database tables or SAP BW Infocubes. Connector Instances transform the specific data format that is used in the source system into      a generic data format that can be used in SAP Solution manager.

There are 3 connector available for BRP dashboard

• BPM Alerts Cube connector (for BPMon trend analysis data)
• BPM Alerts Table connector (for BPMon alert data)
• BPM Analytics Cube connector (for Business Process Analytics data)

     Path: SOLMAN_WORKCENTER --> Business Process Operations --> Common Tasks -->Manage BPO dashboards

Step1: Go to transaction SOLMAN_WORKCENTER and then go to the tab Business Process Operations. On the left side under Common Tasks click on Manage BPO dashboards. New window will open.

Step2: Click on maintain connector instance, a new window “Data source manager” will open.

Step3: In Data source Manager Screen select the connector and click on change mode and then click on Add. A new window Maintain Connector Directory will open.  Update ID, Name, Description, System where we enter the name of solution Manager and Managed system and click on Add.

Click save and then select the connector instance click on Create AKF Repository, You will find Repository updated successfully.

     3.2     Set up Analytical Keyfigure Instances

Once the connector instances have been configured, we have 2 categories of characteristics available with us:

1. Key figure related characteristics (e.g. Company code, plant, document type, sales organization etc.).

2. Time related characteristics (e.g. calender day, week, month, year etc.)

Both the key figures play an important role in the subsequent steps of the BPO dashboards set-up. Key figures are configured and saved as analytical key figure instance.

Screen-shot below shows an example for creating a trend graph for Outbound Deliveries (overdue) with calendar dates on X axis and the color of lines being the sales org and on Y axis number of overdue outbound deliveries. Filter characteristics being Solution and Sales org.

Step1: Go to tab Set up Analytical Keyfigure Instances and click on Add.

Update the Analytical Keyfigure Instance Name, ( Select Outbound Deliveries (overdue)), Characteristic for Category ( Select Calendar Day ), Characteristic for Category ( Select Sales Org ), Click on Selector instance and select the connector instance that was created in create connector instance. Click on OK and then Save.

Step2: Filter the characteristics that are required. In our example we will be filtering
Solution ID and Sales Org.

Click on Add filter elements, a new window will open, in the filter characteristic select SM_SOLUT ie; Solution ID and then click on OK.

Select the characteristic value in this case it is Solution ID. And click on OK and then click on Add to add the solution ID to the filtering characteristic.

Similarly add the Sales org to the filtering characteristics. In our example we are adding 3 sales org. Keep adding the sales org by selecting the sales org from the select characteristics values. Once all the filter characteristics are added click on save.

     3.3     Set up Panels

The graphical representation of key figures in a BPO dashboard is captured using panels. The panel can be set up similar to MS excel graphs and includes title, data labels, various chart types and analytical key figures assigned to it. One or more panels can be included into BPO dashboard.

Step1: Go to tab Set up Panel, then click on add. Update the details, Technical Name, Description, Select the chart type, and Give the labels for X axis and Y axis.

Then add the analytical key figure instance that was created in setup analytical key figure instance.

Now you can preview the panel by clicking on preview.

     3.4      Set up Dashboards

A dashboard consists of one or more panels upto 6 panels. Dashboards gives the end user an overview status of a specific business process operations through graphical display of analytical key figures and gives the end user all the information required at a glance on a single screen.

Step1: Go to tab Setup Dashboard and click on add. Add the details Technical Name, Description, Dashboard Type, Authorization Group if any.  Add the panels to Panel Instances assigned to Dashboard.

          *Authorization groups for BPO Dashboards are maintained in table DSH_AUTHGROUPS 

This completes the configuration of dashboards.

3.5 Display My BPO Dashboards

To view the Dashboards, go to transaction SOLMAN_WORKCENTER, select the tab Business Process Operations and then select Display MY BPO Dashboards. A new window will open.

Select the dashboard to view and the dashboard will be displayed.

References

• http://help.sap.com
• http://www.sdn.sap.com
• Whitepaper published by me in SCN on Business process monitoring using solution manager

Acknowledgements

I hereby declare that this document is based on our findings and understanding. I acknowledge and thank co-author Praveen Gajakosh for his contribution to this document.