Selecting The Right BI Tool

Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI Client Product based on your business requirements for SAP BW Customers
Ingo Hilgefort Director Solution Management
Disclaimer
This presentation outlines our general product direction and should not be relied on in making a purchase decision. This presentation is not subject to your license agreement or any other agreement with SAP. SAP has no obligation to pursue any course of business outlined in this presentation or to develop or release any functionality mentioned in this presentation. This presentation and SAP's strategy and possible future developments are subject to change and may be changed by SAP at any time for any reason without notice. This document is provided without a warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. SAP assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this document, except if such damages were caused by SAP intentionally or grossly negligent.
2012 SAP AG. All rights reserved.
SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio
Reporting Monitoring Analyze Discover

Reporting
Reporting
Consistent layout and format Repetitive usage Pre designed content Strong distribution capabilities Formatted & Printable reports Operational reports

Monitoring
Monitoring
Tracking corporate KPIs Highly visualized information Aggregated information Real-time Interactive Simple Mobile

Analyze
Analyze
Changing views Exchange dimensions and measures Hierarchical reporting Creating calculations Forecasting & Planning Multi-dimensional data Mobile

Discover
Discover
Business User focused Asking questions Finding answers Read, Enrich, Manipulate, and Combine information Easy and Simple Uncover trends, and outliers
Reporting
Crystal Reports Web Intelligence
Monitoring
Dashboards Design Studio (ZEN) Exploration Views
Analyze
Analysis Design Studio (ZEN)
Discover
Explorer Visual Intelligence

Who creates the content?
Reporting
Monitoring
Analyze
Discover
Crystal Reports
Design Studio
Design Studio
Dashboards
IT
Web Intelligence
Exploration Views
Analysis
Explorer
Visual Intelligence
Business User

Who consumes the content?
Reporting Monitoring
Design Studio Exploration Views
Executive
Analyze
Design Studio
Discover
Explorer
Dashboards
Web Intelligence
Analysis Design Studio
Explorer
Senior Mgmt
Dashboards
Design Studio
Analysis
Visual Intelligence
Business Analyst
Web Intelligence Crystal Reports

Individual Contributor 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.
Design Studio
Analysis Office
10

Where is the content consumed?
Reporting
Monitoring
Dashboards Visual Intelligence
Analyze
Analysis Office
Discover
Visual Intelligence
Analysis OLAP Design Studio
Explorer
Design Studio
11
Guidance for SAP NetWeaver BW customers
Customers using Web Application Designer (WAD) should adopt Design Studio as their primary tool for creating dashboards and applications, both on the Web and on mobile devices. Customers of SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards should continue with dashboards and leverage the upcoming HTML5 functionality for on-device dashboards. Customers using SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards on top of SAP NetWeaver BW should strongly consider building their new dashboards in Zen.
12
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI Client

based on your audience

Reporting Monitoring
Executive
Analyze
Design Studio
Discover
Explorer
Dashboards
Web Intelligence
Analysis Design Studio
Explorer
Senior Mgmt
Dashboards
Design Studio
Analysis
Visual Intelligence Explorer
Business Analyst

Individual Contributor 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.
Design Studio
Analysis Office
14

Reporting (Crystal Reports & Web Intelligence)

Consume standardized reports to review operational metrics Receive alerts from pre-built reports and leverage information for follow up Use guided interactivity for filtering and selecting the right information
Individual Contributor
Share reports with larger audience and make use of product interoperability Use interactive reporting capabilities to access and analyze a variety of data sources
Monitoring & Analyze (Design Studio & Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office)
Consume and interact with information using prepared workbooks Analyze operational metrics inside the Microsoft Office environment Follow guided analysis using pre-built BI applications
15

Monitoring and Analyze (Design Studio & Analysis)

Analyze corporate information to fulfill ad hoc requests from management Build and share Microsoft Excel and web based BI applications for guided analysis Use Analysis as starting point and leverage product interoperability for details
Business Analyst
Create and edit reports without the need for IT or a report designer Share reports with larger audience and make use of product interoperability
Discover (SAP BusinessObjects Explorer & Visual Intelligence)

Answer ad-hoc questions anywhere, anytime using historic and real-time data Search and explore information by using natural words and simple visualizations
Access large volumes of information on-premise and on device

Combine, enrich, manipulate, and merge information
16

Monitoring & Analyze (Analysis & Design Studio)

Analyze and review corporate KPIs and measure progress towards set goals Share findings with upper management in form of presentations with live data Use actual and historical data for detailed planning scenarios to enable realistic forecasting
Senior Management
Leverage product interoperability to share findings with other BI clients Analyze information on the desktop, via browser, and via mobile device
Reporting (Web Intelligence)

Consume and change pre-delivered reports without the need for IT or a report designer Use interactive reporting capabilities to access and analyze a variety of data sources Share reports with larger audience and make use of product interoperability
17

Monitoring & Analyze (Exploration Views & Design Studio)

Track and analyze company wide metrics using real-time interactive dashboards Leverage what-if capabilities to evaluate different planning scenarios Provide navigation for further analysis using product interoperability
Executive
Analyze information on the desktop, via browser, and via mobile device
Discover (SAP BusinessObjects Explorer)

Answer ad-hoc questions anywhere, anytime using historic and real-time data Search and explore information by using natural words and simple visualizations Access large volumes of information on-premise and on device
18
Whats the role of SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio (ZEN)?
Consume and interact with information using simplified BI templates Analyze information on mobile devices
Executive
Leverage BI applications for planning and forecasting scenarios
CREATE
Senior Management
Create and customize BI applications and design guided navigations Leverage BI applications for planning and forecasting scenarios
IT
Business Analyst
Consume and interact with information using simplified BI templates Use pre-built workbooks with guided steps
2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 19
CONSUME
User product interoperability to share results with other BI clients
SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office

Senior Management Business Analyst Individual Contributor
Multidimensional data analysis with native Microsoft Office user experience Analyze and interact with data in Microsoft Excel to discover, compare, and forecast business drivers Create live data presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint to share business insights Create predefined workbooks for simplified data analysis
20
SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for OLAP

Business Analyst
Multidimensional data analysis within a web-based environment Analyze and interact with data through dedicated web client to uncover answers to business questions Create workspaces for private usage or to share business insights across the enterprise Run SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for OLAP with other business analytic solutions integrated on the same BI platform
21
Preview: SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio (ZEN) Analytical & Planning Applications
IT
Rich and Intuitive design environment for building powerful analytical and planning BI applications Leverage a large set of out-of-the-box design components and the ability to customize using simple scripting language
Create applications for on-premise and on-device using the latest technology, such as HTML5 rendering
Create applications optimized for SAP NetWeaver BW and SAP HANA
This presentation and SAPs strategy and possible future developments are subject to change and may be changed by SAP at any time for any reason without notice. This document is provided without a warranty of any kind either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 22
SAP Crystal Reports

Design well-formatted, layout-focused reports Create professional reports following strict layout presentation: legal, business, financial, and regulatory Build guided interactivity into reports to enable faster decision making Report off any type of data source and transform raw data into detailed data analysis
23
SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence

Senior Management Business Analyst Individual Contributor
Ad hoc interactive reporting
Access, analyze, format, and share business insights, all in one tool.
Create queries easily without the need to engage a report designer
Query on any type of data source with built-in features focused on easy data analysis
24
SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards

Executive Middle Management
Visualize complex data easily with interactive dashboards Monitor key performance indicators through library of rich visualizations Perform what-if scenario-based analysis with interactive controls Drill into reports and analytics for further data analysis
25
SAP BusinessObjects Explorer

Executive
Search relevant information and direct exploration of data Answer investigative questions and obtain facts quickly Self-service access to data without the need for predefined report or query Automatic generated visualizations for immediate insight on data
26
Visual Intelligence
Business Analyst
Provide flexibility and freedom to understand data, personalize it, and create beautiful content Combine, manipulate and enrich data to apply it to your business scenarios Self-service visualizations and analytics to tell your story Optimized for SAP HANA for real-time on detailed data
27

based on product capabilities

Comparing Product Capabilities
Crystal Reports for Enterprise
Web Intelligence
Dashboards
Analysis, Edition for Microsoft Office
Analysis, edition for OLAP
SBOP Explorer
Design Studio
Highly formatted reporting Parameterized & Dynamic Layout Self Service reporting / Free form layout Hierarchical capabilities
Data Visualization
Product Interoperability
Guided Navigation
Mobile Reporting
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Comparing Product Capabilities SAP Data Sources
Crystal Reports for Enterprise Web Intelligence SBOP Dashboards Analysis, Edition for Microsoft Office
SBOP Explorer
Design studio
SAP ECC (directly) SAP ECC via Transient Provider ECC 6 - EhP05 SAP NetWeaver BW (BI Consumer Services) SAP NetWeaver BW (Relational) SAP NetWeaver BWA (via SAP BEx Query) SAP NetWeaver BWA (directly) SAP HANA (directly) Non-SAP Sources
Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes
No Yes Yes
No Yes Yes
Yes* No No
No Yes Yes
Yes
Yes No Yes Yes
Yes
Yes No Yes Yes
Yes
Yes No Yes Yes
No
Yes No Yes No
No
Yes No Yes* Yes
Yes
Yes Yes Yes Yes
No
Yes No Yes No
30
SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.x & SAP NetWeaver BW

Hierarchical Reporting Capabilities
Web Intelligence
Dashboards (BI4 SP04 connectivity)
Analysis, edition for MS Office
Analysis, OLAP Edition
SAP Business Objects Explorer
Support for hierarchical member selection Support for hierarchical parameters Support for hierarchies in charts and crosstab

Only Hierarchical Scorecard
Support for delegated measures Support for hierarchical report design Switching between hierarchies on the fly Level based member selection Showing Leaves only / Lowest Level of the hierarchy Expand to Level as a configuration option Skipping Levels of a hierarchy Ranking data along hierarchies

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based on your business requirements

Using Business Requirements Financial Area
Middle Management
As Financial Manager for the West Coast Region of North America I need to be able to analyze cost and profit center actuals towards the allocated budget along several dimensions. I need to be able to see these measures along our company structures as well as being able to compare information from several sources. I also need to be able add my own calculation to answer on-demand requests from senior management. I would like to leverage the information inside Microsoft Excel, but it also should be possible to use it in a browser.
33

What did we hear ?

Middle Management
Use of hierarchies (cost center / profit center / company structures) Probably usage of BEx Query Structures Usage of Microsoft Excel and browser based access Creation of calculations on the fly Accessing multiple sources
34

Web Intelligence
Dashboards
SBOP Explorer
Design Studio
Usage of Hierarchies Using BEx Query Structures
Microsoft Excel as client
Internet Browser as client
Creating calculations Multiple Source in one report
35

Usage of hierarchies and structures

Crystal Reports, Web Intelligence, SBOP Dashboards are able to leverage hierarchies in reports but are lacking deep hierarchical capabilities Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office and Analysis, edition for OLAP, and Design Studio provide the complete bandwidth of hierarchical capabilities
Creating Calculations on the fly

Crystal Reports and SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard would require to change the underlying report Web Intelligence allows to create calculation but the user needs to write formulas Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office and Analysis, edition for OLAP allow to create calculations in a very simple way without the need to create formulas
Microsoft Excel as client to access the data

Live Office is able to provide the information from Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence with limited navigation Analysis, edition for OLAP and SBOP Explorer have no live integration with Microsoft Excel Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office provides a native integration into Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint
36

Summary
Based on the combination of requirements from the Financial Area the recommendation would be to use
Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office Analysis, edition for OLAP Design Studio
Design Studio could be leverage to create a custom BI application / template for the user audience
For less hierarchical driven reports and a more consumer (less power user) type of audience Web Intelligence might be an alternative
37

Using Business Requirements Sales Area
Business Analyst
The Sales Manager for Canada asked me to create a report for his sales representatives that would allow them to see their current sales pipeline. He mentioned that the information needs to be available in the office, on the road, and on mobile devices. He also stressed out that each sales representative needs to be able to change the report as they wish so that they can see the information by opportunity, product, week & month, and other angles. Actual hierarchies are only used limited. For him as Sales Manager for Canada, he mentioned it would be a great value to be able to run some simple scenarios to see how certain changes could impact the pipeline, for example a change in the product cost or price.
Middle Management
and he then also mentioned that sometimes people prefer just to get an eMail with a PDF file.

What did we hear ?

The information needs to be available on-premise (in the office), offline (on the road), and on mobile devices Users need the ability to change the report and change the view on the data. Only limited use of hierarchies Distribution of the reports via eMail in a PDF format is also required For the Sales Management some simple what-if scenarios would be a great asset
Business Analyst
39

Web Intelligence
Dashboards
SBOP Explorer
Design Studio
Offline Capabilities
Mobile Reporting Distribution via eMail (Broadcasting) Edit the report Change the view of the data What-if scenarios
40

Using the information on-premise and on the road (offline)

Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence provide offline capabilities out of the box For SBOP Dashboards there are partner solutions available on SAP EcoHub Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office provides limited offline capabilities
Providing mobile access to the information

Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence provide mobile access for Blackberry and iPad / iPhone via Mobile BI SAP BusinessObjects Explorer is available for the iPhone / iPad SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards is available on Flash enabled mobile devices SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio allows you to build mobile BI dashboards
Distribution via eMail

Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence are integrated with the Publication capabilities from the BI Platform SBOP Dashboards, Analysis, edition for OLAP and Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office are not integrated yet SAP BusinessObjects Explorer is always a online access
41

Changing the view on the information

Crystal Reports and SBOP Dashboards only provide limited capabilities to change the report for the consumer. Such workflows have to be considered as part of the original design already Web Intelligence, Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office and Analysis, edition for OLAP provide rich self service functionality for the consumer SAP BusinessObjects Explorer provides such capabilities, but the consumer might be limited to the Information Space definition SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio allows you to create BI dashboards with such functionality
What if capabilities
A What if scenario is the strength of SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards Web Intelligence and Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office do offer limited capabilities in this area
42

Summary
Based on the combination of requirements from the Sales Area the recommendation would be to use
Web Intelligence Interactive Analysis Desktop Mobile BI
What if Scenarios will be created using SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards or Design Studio
43

Using Business Requirements Executive Area
As Executive Manager in this company I need consolidated information, which provides me with a high-level overview on all critical corporate KPIs. I need to be able to access this information anytime, anywhere.
Executive
If needed I need to be able to get to the root cause and see the detailed information. I also can not always wait for my business analyst of IT to send me the information when I ask them a question. It would be good to be able to simply search for the answer by entering my question.
44

What did we hear ?

Consume highly aggregated information Strong data visualizations needed Provide the ability to drill down and navigate to detailed information when needed Fast response time Information needs to be available via mobile device Allow for search and exploration
Executive
45

Web Intelligence
Dashboards
SBOP Explorer
Design Studio
Highly Aggregated information Strong data visualization Drill Down / Navigate to detailed information Mobile Reporting
Search & Exploration
This BI clients are not suitable for the intended audience.


Highly Aggregated Information

SBOP Dashboards , SBOP Explorer, and Design Studio are capable presenting highly aggregated information
Strong Data Visualizations

SBOP Dashboards , SBOP Explorer, and Design Studio are offering strong visualization capabilities
Drill Down & Navigate to detailed information

SBOP Dashboards allows to navigate to other BI clients and outside the dashboard to receive further detailed information, as well as navigate to details in the dashboard. SBOP Explorer allows to see all the detailed information in a single view but has no capability to navigate outside to receive further details SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio allows you define a drill down path as part of the dashboard or BI application
Providing mobile access to the information

SAP BusinessObjects Explorer is available for the iPhone / iPad SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards is available on Flash enabled mobile devices SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio is delivering a HTML5 output
47

Summary
Based on the combination of requirements from the Executive team the recommendation would be to use
SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio SAP BusinessObjects Explorer SAP BusinessObjects Explorer for mobile devices
In addition consider SAP NetWeaver BWA or SAP HANA for performance improvements
48

Different Needs Require Different Experience
Phases
Audience
Use Case
Auditing
Who is your audience?
What are the business requirements ? What is the audience doing with the information ? How are they doing this today ? How is your audience using the software right now ? Create a use case on department level, dont try to make one use case for all your requirements
What are the skills of your audience ? How is your audience using the software right now ? Remember, a business analyst in sales might be different to a business analyst in finance
Use SAP BusinessObjects Auditing to track the BI activity Use SAP NetWeaver BW statistics to track the activity on BW Leverage the information in combination with the IT and BW team for performance improvements
49
Key Points to Take Home
Your BI Strategy should start with the business requirements, not with the DWH.
Start by defining your requirements and your desired outcome.
Focus on the business pain points by area. One use case after the other not all in once
Understand your audience. Let them describe their workflow. Listen !
Remember Your BI Strategy starts with the business requirements.. Not with the DWH
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Thank You!
Contact information:
Ingo Hilgefort (Ingo.Hilgefort@sap.com) Twitter: ihilgefort Blog: www.mastering-sap-and-businessobjects.com
Appendix
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI Client Goals and Tasks Middle Management
Middle Management
Goals
Review and analyze regional/departmental goals and KPIs and share findings with upper management. Analyze information to measure the progress toward set goals and KPIs. Fulfill executive level requests for information as simply as possible.
Tasks
Jointly set goals and targets on a department / line of business level and continuously monitor and review those goals and targets. Regularly analyze operational reports and prepare analytical summaries for upper management. Leverage prebuilt reports to further analyze the detailed information. If needed, leverage the tools to further analyze the information and to measure the current against the agreed-upon goals.
53
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI Client Goals and Tasks Executive
Executive
Goals
Analyze overall companywide operational metrics and ensure that agreed-upon targets are met. Oversee cross department / line of business performance and evaluate different scenarios for planning and forecasting purposes. Leverage the information for analyzing, monitoring, and planning purposes to continuously improve company performance. Combine the analytics with company strategies and goals and integrate these strategies and goals into each employees workflow and goals
Tasks
Review companywide metrics (including past, actual, and forecasted values), make informed decisions, and take necessary actions. Set goals and targets for middle management and link them back to companywide goals and metrics. Continuously monitor and review those goals and targets. Regularly review operational KPIs and look for opportunities to improve operations and profit.
54
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI Client Goals and Tasks Information Consumer
Goals
Review regular sales reports and monitor individual accounts and sales status. Review regular account statements to control customer invoices and vendor accounts.
Tasks
Find a prepared report, view the information, and print or export the information. Receive and review alerts from prepared reports and analytics.
Review actual operational measures against goals.

Fulfill management requests for information as simply as possible.
Schedule prebuilt reports and review the resulting information.

Use predefined navigation steps and alerts to receive needed information. If required, provide information to the IT department for additional reports and analytics based on the needed information
55
Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI Client Goals and Tasks Business Analyst
Business Analyst
Goals
Analyze KPIs to find areas for improvement. Create deeper analysis to find details about anomalies. Leverage actual data and historical data to create detailed planning scenarios to enable more realistic forecasting and planning of future company key goals. Leverage the data and tools to provide answers ad-hoc to the management and leadership team so that decisions are based on solid information.
Tasks
Review prepared reports for KPIs and analyze the prepared data for anomalies. Edit existing reports and, if required, create new reports and analytics on the fly to answer related business questions. Share analysis and results with a larger audience and the management/leadership team. Act as the go-to person for the management/leadership team by providing required analysis for informed decisions.
56

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Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI Client Product based on your business requirements for SAP BW Customers

Ingo Hilgefort Director Solution Management

2012 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

Reporting Monitoring Analyze Discover

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

Design Studio Exploration Views

Analysis Design Studio

Web Intelligence Crystal Reports

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

Web Intelligence Crystal Reports

Design Studio Exploration Views

Analysis OLAP Design Studio

Web Intelligence Crystal Reports

Design Studio Exploration Views

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

Guidance for SAP NetWeaver BW customers

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

Selecting the Right SAP BusinessObjects BI Client

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

Design Studio Exploration Views

Analysis Design Studio

Visual Intelligence Explorer

Web Intelligence Crystal Reports

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

Reporting (Crystal Reports & Web Intelligence)

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

Monitoring and Analyze (Design Studio & Analysis)

Discover (SAP BusinessObjects Explorer & Visual Intelligence)

Access large volumes of information on-premise and on device

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

Monitoring & Analyze (Analysis & Design Studio)

Reporting (Web Intelligence)

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

Monitoring & Analyze (Exploration Views & Design Studio)

Discover (SAP BusinessObjects Explorer)

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects BI portfolio

Whats the role of SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio (ZEN)?

Leverage BI applications for planning and forecasting scenarios

User product interoperability to share results with other BI clients

SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for OLAP

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP Crystal Reports

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.