Introduction
Maybe you read my blogpost Adding new functionality and flexibility to the SAP Analytics Cloud New Model!. If not, now is the time to do so 😊In that blogpost, I gave a full overview of the new features that we have introduced for the new model in a controlled release in Q4 2023. General availability is scheduled for QRC1 2024.
Now, I want to take a different perspective. Let’s try and create a model using the new ‘Start with data’ workflow and build a simple dashboard in less than ten minutes! For that, we are using a dataset that has already served us well in many other demos. It describes the number of visitors in US National Parks.
Could we do it in ten minutes?
Spoiler alert – yes, we could do it in less than ten minutes 😉
Building the model
I downloaded a dataset from the US National Park Service. Then I uploaded this dataset into SAP Analytics Cloud.
You saw that it took us well under 5 minutes to upload data and bring the model into shape.
So, which new features did we use?
- Data first workflow
- Transform data foundation (independent from the upload)
- Dimensions without dimension tables
- Level-based hierarchies using properties on dimensions without dimension tables
Building the dashboard
I am a product manager for planning. As such, I am aware that all of you are better dashboard designers than I am 😉
We built the dashboard in less than 5 minutes as well. What I want to point out specifically is that the grouped dimensions without master data are displayed like full-blown dimensions along with their descriptions, properties, and hierarchies. This makes dashboard building on top of them a smooth experience.
Conclusion
We are extending the reach of the new model type in SAP Analytics Cloud to agile BI use cases! Based on that, users will be able to evolve their model, turn on planning capabilities, create public dimension tables etc. Hence, we are bringing together agile data preparation and planning modeling into one environment.
