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What’s New in SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP Digital Boardroom Q3 2022

meganhoy
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert
‎2022 Aug 05 9:37 PM
10,047
SAP Analytics Cloud is a single solution for business intelligence (BI), augmented and predictive analytics, and enterprise planning with the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology. It helps everyone in your organization make fast, confident decisions.

This blog post introduces the new features and enhancements of the SAP Analytics Cloud Q3 2022 Quarterly Release (QRC).

Join our SAP Product Experts in the video below as they demonstrate some of the features highlighted in Q3 2022.

 



 

System Administration & Technical Requirements


Although not required, you may upgrade to the latest SAP Analytics Cloud agent version 1.0.355 to take advantage of all data acquisition types.

The agent’s minimum version remains at 1.0.75, with the following exceptions:

Version 1.0.99 for SAP ERP/SQL Database
Version 1.0.91 for SAP universe (UNX)
Version 1.0.353 for SAP Business Warehouse (BW)
Version 1.0.235 for SAP HANA View
Version 1.0.248 for File Server

For more information, see System Requirements and Technical Prerequisites.

 

Release Highlights


 

 

Administration and Service Management


 
Display of Package Size

The content network comes with 300MB of storage space and it is recommended that customer clean up old transports that is consuming storage. A column has been added in the content network that displays the size of each package. Users can sort this column by package size to identify which packages consume the most storage and delete storage as needed. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Change in Default Behaviour During the Transport of Models and Dimensions with Data Between Tenants

Changes to the user experience to support a workflow for moving data from development to test and production transport. By default, data is not included when model and dimension objects are added to the packages. Users can explicitly add data. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Search and Filter on Connections in the Connections Page

In the connections tab, the search box now supports live change – omitting the need to hit enter. This greatly improves connection management, making searching and filtering much more efficient, especially when there are many connections. A search input box tooltip has also been added to guide the user, using commas to break the input into multiple tokens, and special keywords to filter shared connections or missing credentials. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Transfer of Content Ownership

Business intelligence administrators can now transfer ownership of resources (folders and files) from one user to another. This provides value when roles change, or a user leaves the organization; assuring continued availability and management of resources. There’s also an option to send email notification of updated ownership, which can be available through the File Repo UI and public APIs. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Uncheck Share Subfolders by Default

SAP Analytics Cloud users now yield more control when sharing folders. The “Share existing subfolders and files” option is now unchecked by default, to ensure users are aware and are intentional about the content being shared. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Updated SAP Support User Configuration

We've made it easier for you to get the help you need from SAP Product Support. Go to the System Administration page, from the side navigation, to toggle on the ability for SAP Product Support to create a support user on your tenant. To help streamline the process further, you can also assign a default viewer role to support users.

For more detailed steps with screenshots, check out this help guide.

Analytics Design


 
Data Actions – Asynchronous Execution via Analytic API

As for stories, data actions can now be executed asynchronously (background) in analytic applications via script API. It will not block workflows in analytical applications, and independent data actions can be executed in parallel. All data action technical objects will have a new event handle to react on execution status updates. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Input Control Set Selected Members API

Application designers can use the setSelectedMembers API to set dimension members on an input control. This API helps enable the end user get the pre-defined selections in the input controls as the application is starting up, and can make workflows more flexible as member values of the input control can be dynamically influenced by certain interactions and events. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)

Please note that this version of the update is not supported for input controls that show:

  • Un-booked members.

  • Excluded members

  • Range filters and advanced filters



 

Augmented Analytics


 

Predictive Planning


 
Influencers’ Impact in Time Series Forecasting

When influencers are used in the predictive model, new visualizations show how their values contribute to the prediction.​ This gives more detailed explanations to help users take action on actionable influencers. These additional charts can be found on the Explanation tab. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Add “Damping” in Exponential Smoothing

For trends (increasing or decreasing) fitted with the Exponential Smoothing Technique, the trend component is now damped. This new feature will limit situations where the model over/under forecasts and will make long term estimations more reliable and accurate.


 

Dashboard & Story Design


 
Dynamic Selection of All Members in the Chart Local Filter in Optimized Story Experience

Improved interaction to create a local filter via the chart builder panel that contain multiple members. Selecting all members will dynamically update the chart local filter when any new member is added or deleted in the dimension (include version).

Please note that this feature is not supported in:

  • Live BW Data Models

  • Multi-Level Hierarchies (Hierarchies with Level > 1)

  • Classic Design and View Experience




 
Guiding Story Designer on Benefits of Optimized Presentation Table

This feature guides the story designer in the classic design experience to find the tables that are not using the optimized presentation in the builder panel.

There are several benefits to using the Optimized Presentation Table which has been the new default since Q3 2021 such as: smooth scrolling, faster loading in-cell charts and thresholds, and pixel-based column/row resizing.

There are two entry points to find the tables with non-optimized presentation:

  • Switching from the classic view mode to edit mode

  • Convert or save the story in the optimized story experience


Optimized Presentation Table is the only supported table in the Optimized Story Experience.


 

Data Integration


 
Live SAP BW – Support of Non Compounded Key Display

SAP Analytics Cloud now supports the display of non compounded keys. In this release, we are introducing a new system configuration parameter that enables administrators to specify whether display of partially compounded keys for dimensions members should be forced when the compounding parents are fixed. By default, the value of the parameter is OFF, and will display the fully compounded keys. Administrators can turn the toggle ON, which forces display of the partially compounded keys. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)

Note: Please consider the version dependencies of SAP BW features of SAP Analytics Cloud when using the live connection. For more details on feature support, see SAP Note 2715030.


 
Bi-directional Transfer with SAP Data Warehouse Cloud

Planners can now transfer data between SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP Data Warehouse Cloud which helps reduce integration complexity, extends data workflows and supports consolidation of actual and plan data in SAP Data Warehouse Cloud. (Video)

With this integration, planning users can:

  • Load data from SAP Data Warehouse Cloud into SAP Analytics Cloud

  • Retract forecast and planning data from SAP Analytics Cloud to SAP Data Warehouse Cloud


For more details, check out this blog post by maximilianpaul.gander

 

Data Modeling


 
Multi-Language Support for Master Data

With multiple language member descriptions, give more meaning to your public dimension members by adding descriptions in up to 49 different languages. This makes your model more accessible and allows global customers to cater for all their end-users by presenting information in their local language.

This is done by manually entering text in other languages, it is not an automatic on the fly translations feature. Multi-language support can be enable from the ‘Dimension Details’ panel of a public dimension. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)



 
Parent-Child Hierarchy: Hide the “Not in Hierarchy” Node

Users can now hide the “Not in Hierarchy” node for Generic and Organization dimensions, even though not all members have a parent assigned. When turned off, the “Not in Hierarchy” node, will be hidden in the Modeler as well as in the story (member selectors, filters, etc).


 

Enterprise Planning


 
Display Leaves Only for Account Dimensions

Planning users can display only the leaf accounts for a given selection or hierarchy within the table. This is also supported for leaf display with multiple account hierarchies enabled and is supported in measure (new) models or account models. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Abort Running Data Actions

Planning users can now cancel running data actions via the Data Action Monitor. This augments the capability to abort pending data actions, meaning users can now cancel data actions regardless of status (pending or in-process). (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Data Acquisition Step Type within Multi Actions

Planners can simplify workflows by defining data import steps in a multi action. The multi action can be triggered either from story, calendar, or the App Designer. This adds a significant value as the multi actions with data import step simplifies workflow for planners to only one action for multiple planning steps, and also makes end-user operations more convenient. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)

For more details, check out this blog post by sarau.shen


 
Multi-select for Calendar Tasks

Planning users can now select multiple events in the calendar list workspace to remove, copy, or export several calendar events at once. Prefixes and suffixes can also be added to all copied events. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Advanced Formula – FOREACH Order By Dimension Attribute

In advanced formulas, users can now use dimension attributes in FOREACH. Using new keywords ASC or DESC with dimensions or dimension attributes, users can iterate statements over the FOREACH loop in ascending or descending order.  (SAP Roadmap Explorer)

From this, users can expect the following benefits:

  • Users can define more detailed looping order depending on their business cases since it is possible to set the user-defined order (Ascending/Descending) for each dimension and dimension attribute

  • User can use FOREACH loop for each dimension level such as YEAR, QUARTER

  • User can define the member group using dimensions that should be iterated

  • Users can exclude members from the scope the of loop using dimension attributes because if the dimension attribute has no value (null/blank), the member is excluded from the looping scopes



 
Clean-up Version for Failing Execution

Failed and cancelled executions will now be cleaned up and reverted to the initial state prior to the execution of the data action. Previously, failed data action executions on a public version were left in edit mode. This will prevent the growing number of versions in edit mode in the system as the version will be in the same state before the execution.

This covers:

  • Validation errors

  • Execution errors

  • Execution timeouts

  • Execution cancelations

  • Publish errors


 
Support Copy Underlying Values for Multiple Cells

There is now consistent default behaviour for copy underlying values for all data entry modes and number of cells when copying within a table. Users can now copy and paste underlying values of multiple cells in standard, mass, and fluid data entry modes. If copy underlying values is not possible, the system will automatically fallback to copy overall values, and users will not have to navigate through a confirmation dialog and paste special dialog. Additionally, copy & paste is now conveniently accessible via the cell content menu.


 

Microsoft Office Integration


 
OVERWRITE Dimension Filter Function

The cell-based custom formula “SAP.OVERWRITEDIMENSIONFILTER” allows users to overwrite filters of several tables for one dimension. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)

Note, this custom function is first appending filters. You must press the refresh button to apply it to all tables.


 
Disable the Planning Option in Microsoft Excel

Users will have the ability to disable planning capabilities for a specific planning model. This will allow users to reuse the same models for planning and reporting scenarios in Microsoft Excel. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)

Please note that this feature will be released September 7th 2022.


 
Custom Order for Measures or Dimensions in a Microsoft Excel

Users will have the ability to define a custom order for any measure or dimension in a Microsoft Excel report. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)

Please note that this feature will be released in September 2022.


 
Support for SAP S/4HANA Cloud as a Live Source in Microsoft Excel

Microsoft add-in users can now connect SAP S/4HANA as a live source to create Excel reports. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)

Please note that this feature will be released September 7th 2022.


 
Copy & Paste Tables

Users can now copy & paste existing table (including navigation state) to a different sheet within the same workbook. This will help save time for users who create different sheets with similar tables as they can copy and paste a root table and make slight adjustments to each table as needed.


 
Number Formatting

Users can set scaling factors and decimals places for all or individual measures. Scaling and currencies can be moved to a table header if they are homogenous to all measures.

This is a pure display feature within Excel. The cells contain the raw numbers to make sure all Excel formals work correctly.


 

User Collaboration


 
Retain Selected Value for Dynamic Variables while Scheduling Workflow

You can now retain the last selected value of the dynamic prompts, when you schedule a publication. This option will let users schedule story and App design with the saved value for the dynamic variables. (SAP Roadmap Explorer) (Video)


 
Dynamic Text for Story and Bookmark Name

In a schedule, there can be multiple publications which are getting delivered and each publication can be based on a different story or bookmark. Dynamic text has been enhanced to support the story and bookmark name. Users can use [#Story View] to use the correct story or bookmark name being scheduled.


 
Edit Own Comment

Users can now edit their own comments in SAP Analytics Cloud. Users no longer need to delete and re-add a comment to make any changes.


 

This blog post only provides a high-level overview of the latest features and enhancements of SAP Analytics Cloud. For more details on these features, please visit the SAP Analytics Cloud Help Portal. You can also visit the SAP Road Map Explorer to see the upcoming features of SAP Analytics Cloud.
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