SAP S/4HANA Analytics

With SAP S/4HANA Analytics, you can analyze your transactional data directly for your needs and integrate it into your decisions without additional systems.

Roland J. Merz

Managing Director / Vice Chairman

What is SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics?

With the introduction of your SAP S/4HANA system, you benefit from new possibilities in data extraction and operational reporting.

Learn more in the following chapters about the extensive capabilities of the out-of-the-box SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics Business Content and its application in combination with modern reporting tools, as well as the use of CDS view extractors.

FAQ: SAP S/4HANA Analytics

What are the benefits of SAP S/4HANA Analytics?

With SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics, you benefit from a wide range of pre-delivered data models and reports across various business areas. Technologically, the reports are based on data models implemented using nested ABAP Core Data Services (CDS) views. The simplified data structure reduces redundant data storage and enables real-time access to your data.

How can SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics be adapted to your requirements?

Special requirements often exist for reporting. For example, customer-specific individual characteristics may need to be included in the reporting. SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics provides a solution for this. Using CDS Extension Views, existing SAP CDS data models and reports can be extended to include these characteristics.

What reporting options and reporting tools does SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics offer?

SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics offers a wide range of reporting options. SAP Fiori provides user-friendly applications such as Analytical List Pages (ALP) and Overview Pages, enabling quick and easy analyses. For more comprehensive reporting, SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) is integrated. In addition, Microsoft Power BI and SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office further extend the options for data visualization and integration.

Why is it worth switching to SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics?

You benefit from the use of a wide range of predefined SAP CDS data models and reports, as well as the ability to adapt them to your specific reporting requirements. Furthermore, reporting is integrated directly into the user’s working environment (SAP Fiori Launchpad).

Without any system disruption, data can be retrieved in real time and prepared for specific target groups. The business department gains greater independence from IT, as integrated tools allow it to create its own reports.

What data extraction options are available with SAP S/4HANA?

SAP S/4HANA offers various options for data extraction. These include the well-known SAP SAPI extractors (BW Service API) as well as CDS view extractors. CDS view extractors represent a modern, flexible, and powerful solution for data extraction.

How does analytics in SAP S/4HANA differ from SAP BW/4HANA?

SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics links analytics functions with your transactions, with your operational data available in real time. The focus of SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics is clearly on operational reporting. The modeling of reporting data is partially virtual, enabling streamlined processes.

SAP BW/4HANA arbeitet mit standardisierten Datenmodellen und mit der Konsolidierung unterschiedlicher Datenquellen, die auch über reine ERP-Systeme hinausgehen können. Die Harmonisierung dieser Daten erfolgt dabei über den Semantic Layer. Der Schwerpunkt von SAP BW/4HANA liegt eher auf strategischen oder taktischen Analysen und kann dabei redundantes Datenmaterial umfassen.

SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics – Analytics out of the box

With SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics Business Content, SAP provides a wide range of predefined data models, key figures, and reports. From financial accounting and controlling in the finance area, to inventory and supplier management in materials management, to planning and control in production – the Business Content offers insights into various business areas and supports you in making data-driven decisions.

Technologisch betrachtet wird der SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics Business Content über das Virtuelle Datenmodell (VDM) abgebildet.
Hierbei handelt es sich um ein Datenmodell, welches mittels mehrfach geschachtelter ABAP Core Data Services (CDS) Views realisiert wird.
Neben der Definition von Filtern, Prompts und Berechtigungen bietet die Nutzung von CDS-Views auch die Möglichkeit den bereitgestellten Business Content mittels CDS-View Extensions auf Ihre spezifischen Bedürfnisse anzupassen und zu erweitern. Dies ist besonders dann von Vorteil, wenn Sie beispielsweise bereitgestellte Berichte aus dem Business Content um Ihre eigenen, individuellen Felder erweitern möchten.

Operational Reporting on SAP S/4HANA – The Transformation of Operational Reporting

With SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics and the Embedded BW, complex real-time analyses can be performed directly within the transactional system. For end users, SAP Fiori Analytical Apps form the core of SAP Embedded Analytics, offering user-friendly applications such as the Analytical List Page (ALP), Overview Pages, as well as key figure and multidimensional reporting.

Die Integration von SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) ermöglicht eine zentrale Analyseumgebung, während Microsoft Power BI interaktive Datenvisualisierungen bietet, die nahtlos mit SAP-Datenquellen verbunden werden können. Zudem kombiniert SAP Analysis for Microsoft Office die vertraute Excel-Oberfläche mit leistungsstarken Analysefunktionen.

Die umfassenden analytischen Möglichkeiten von SAP S/4HANA sollten insbesondere im operativen Reporting voll ausgeschöpft werden. Informationen, die sich nicht optimal in SAP S/4HANA abbilden lassen, sollten in ein separates Data Warehouse überführt werden. Das klassische BW-System ist unter SAP S/4HANA als SAP BW/4HANA verfügbar und konzentriert sich auf strategische und taktische Analysen. Ein Vorteil dieser Lösung ist die vereinfachte Anbindung heterogener Systeme.

Für das Reporting können die in SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics erstellten virtuellen Datenmodelle nahtlos in SAP BW/4HANA integriert werden, entweder in Echtzeit oder durch einen Datenextrakt, um maximale Flexibilität zu gewährleisten.

Data extraction with SAP S/4HANA

With SAP S/4HANA, different extractors can be used. The well-known SAP SAPI extractors (BW Service API) continue to be provided by SAP. In addition, CDS view extractors can be used for data extraction. These represent a modern, flexible, and powerful solution for data extraction.

CDS-View Extractors offers you:

Real-time data extraction using SAP HANA in-memory technology
Data extraction using both full load and delta load methods
Flexible customization options and mapping of complex business logic
Implementation with lower complexity compared to SAP SAPI extractors

Success Stories

Munich Re is a globally leading provider of reinsurance, primary insurance, and insurance-related risk solutions. To optimize the closing process in finance and accounting operations, the decision was made to implement financial reporting directly from SAP S/4HANA.

In summary, the goal was to implement a robust solution that meets increasing regulatory requirements and significantly accelerates and improves financial reporting.

How this was achieved and what benefits resulted for Munich Re can be found in the Success Story.