Home Embedded Analytics Embedded Analytics in S/4HANA (with demo videos)

Embedded Analytics in S/4HANA (with demo videos)

by Ugur Hasdemir
15 comments

In previous blogs I have touched upon the embedded analytics functionalities in S/4HANA 1610. In fact in some specific topics I have shown you what you can achieve with HANA Live or tools like Analysis for Office. Specifically in the Attributed Profitability Segments blog I did show some reporting possibilities in S/4HANA. In this blog I aim to give a good overview of the purpose and added value of embedded analytics in S/4HANA. After the overview I will post demo videos per analytical tool at the end of this blog.

In most of the ERP implementations I see that the reporting requirements and workshops are done at the end of the project. It’s like saving the best for last, but in reality business processes cannot be separated from analytics. At least when we talk about operational reporting. Other major issues I see are system design and configuration which at the end does not match the reporting requirements. The system is not designed and configured with the desired output (reports) in mind and you will only find this out during the analytics/reporting workshop which are planned at the end of the project.

With the rich analytics content which comes out of the box with S/4HANA this can be improved significantly when it comes to operational reporting. Reports and dashboard do make more sense for users when it’s visualized in a user friendly interface like Fiori. With embedded analytics in S/4HANA SAP makes a huge step forwards in the integration of the transactional and analytical world.

3 principles of Analytics in S/4HANA

  1. Consistent user experience across all analytical use cases
  2. Seamless integration to other SAP Analytical offerings
  3. Implementation of embedded analytics a seamless integration of analytical components on the UI

Consistent user experience across all analytical use cases

To explain this principles further. With consistent user experience we mean to say that even applications with different use cases should work the same way for e.g. filtering, printing, data export, role based access etc.

Seamless integration to other SAP Analytical offerings

Below you will see a simple representation of the embedded analytics architecture in S/4HANA. In the top layer you see the SAP Analytical offerings which are seamlessly integrated to the business suite. This means that there is no data load or ETL processes. Data can be consumed in real time in of the mentioned SAP analytical tools. As mentioned before, in this blog I will give examples of both out of the box reporting possibilities (Smart Business, Fiori etc.) and tools from the SAP BO suite (Lumira, Excel).

S4HANA Embedded Analytics

Implementation of embedded analytics a seamless integration of analytical components on the UI

With the implementation of embedded analytics we mean “really” embedded into the transactional work and the daily processes. Today most often transactions and analytics are handled separately, but in reality business processes are a sequence of transactions, analytics, transactions etc.

S4HANA Embedded Analytics cycle

S/4HANA Real Time Analytics Architecture

As you can see in the picture below in the architecture everything starts with the physical tables in the database. These are the old fashioned tables like VBRK, VBAP, EKPO, EKKO etc.

On top of that there are Virtual Data Models (VDM’s) built in the Application layer. SAP deploys standard VDM’s out of the box, these can be enriched by customer built specific views. SAP blends transactions and analytics allowing operational reporting on live data. In S/4HANA this concept is supported with Core Data Services (CDS) for real time operational reporting. The content is represented as VDM’s which is based on transactional and master data tables in S/4HANA.

The development of custom views is more often a technical task for developers. However in the application layer there is room for Power/Key users to create own Queries and KPI’s. This is done with the help of the KPI Modeller framework and Self-Service Query Designer.

At the top we see the different user interfaces which can consume the VDM’s. the user interface communicates with the application layer through oData Services. The most obvious and out of the box available user interface is Fiori. Next to that we have the other SAP Analytical offerings in the Business Objects suite (Lumira, Excel, Design Studio, etc.). Even 3rd party user interfaces can consume the virtual data models from the SAP application server.

S4HANA Embedded Analytics Architecture

Difference between HANA Live Views and CDS Views

Perhaps some of you have already hands-on experience with HANA live views in the world of Suite on HANA or Simple Finance. I have worked with Live views a lot. In S/4HANA HANA Live Views are still supported, but CDS views are the way forward. There will be no investment in live views from SAP in S/4HANA and everything is built around CDS views. Let me try to explain some differences between these two and let me try to point out the advantages of CDS views. Because HANA Live Views have a couple of major disadvantages.

First of all CDS views are in the application layer while HANA Live views are in the Database layer. What does this mean? Because CDS views are in the application layer we have the following advantages in contrast to HANA Live views:

  • Full ABAP lifecycle integration
  • Part of the General Extensibility concept
  • Supporting ERP Authorizations
  • Supporting ERP Hierarchies

Especially the last two are huge benefits. Authorizations and hierarchies are a pain in the neck in HANA Live. I learned this the hard way.CDS view architecture

Embedded Analytics offerings per type of user

In the below overview you can see the analytical tools available for the type of users. Like in the architecture picture, we start at the bottom where we have the CDS views which are built on top of the database tables.

Let’s read this bottom up:

Embedded Analytics Tools

Available Analytical Apps by Release

Some additional information about the availability of analytical apps per release and module.

Demo per analytical tooling

Now let’s have a look at examples per analytical tooling. I have recorded some demo videos per tool. You can find the links to YouTube below. The number of demo videos will grow in the future so keep checking my YouTube channel and this blog.

Multi Dimensional Reporting:

Incoming Sales Order

Analytical Fiori Apps:

Sales order fulfillment issues

Customer 360 with navigation to accounting document, correspondence and sales order fulfillment issue

Display Financial Statement

Production Cost Analysis

Overview Pages with drill down to Analytical Path Framework (APF apps):

Procurement Overview Page

Order to Cash Overview Page

Smart Business Apps:

Overdue Receivables

Analytical Path Framework Apps:

Days Sales Outstanding (dso)

Query Browser:

Query browser with Design Studio

Lumira:

Example Service order reporting

Analysis for Office:

Example Service Order Reporting based on ACDOCA and Maintenance Order tables

Example Maintenance Contract Reporting based on ACDOCA and sales contract tables

Example Revenue and Margin Reporting based on billing document item query

Additional

In my blog The SAP GUI menu is back in Fiori 2.0 I explained how to add GUI transaction in the Fiori Launchpad. You can watch a demo of this functionality. It’s nice to see that the SPRO menu can be used as well.

  • GUI menu in Fiori 2.0 (incl. SPRO menu)

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15 comments

Bijesh Krishnan May 31, 2017 - 11:35

Hi Ugur, great blog! Very interesting and informative.
I have a question. Have SAP published the list of 127 Analytical apps available in the 1610 version? If yes, can you please share the link where i can find it?

Reply
Ugur Hasdemir June 1, 2017 - 13:32

Hi Bijesh,

You can look in the Fiori Reference Library. This library is always up to date and will give you all the relevant information regarding Fiori apps.

https://fioriappslibrary.hana.ondemand.com/sap/fix/externalViewer/#/home

Reply
Aparna June 28, 2017 - 11:36

Hi Ugur,

Thanks for this. I have a question that I am struggling to get a concrete answer for – Is the integration between S4HANA and Lumira one way or two way? i.e. Can you access pre-built Lumira reports using FIORI apps as well as create Lumira reports on CDS views?

Thanks,
Aparna

Reply
Ugur Hasdemir June 28, 2017 - 13:31

Hi Aparna, it depends on if you’re using Lumira desktop or Lumira server. With Lumira server you have the possibility to integrate with Fiori launchpad and to launch Fiori stories from the Launchpad. Lumira desktop is to create stories and reports based on CDS or HANA views.

With Lumira 2.0 things changed. Design studio and Lumira are now merged for example. Meaning that building applications and dashboards will be simpler.

Reply
Aparna June 29, 2017 - 13:36

Thanks for the response, Ugur.
We are using Lumira Desktop and that is exactly what we are trying to do – “create stories and reports based on CDS or HANA views”. So thanks for confirming.

What do you mean by ‘Design Studio and Lumira have now merged’? I understand that Design Studio is now (sort of) merged with FIORI in the sense that it can be accessed via Query Browser App in FIORI. But my understanding is that Lumira still exists as an independent tool?

Thanks,
Aparna

Reply
Krish August 10, 2017 - 09:57

The Content is so good.I have a question .One of our client is implemnting S/4 HANA 1610 Version.I would like to know how can achieve the historical reporitng with S/4 HANA?.Please provide me some guidance.

Reply
Ugur Hasdemir August 10, 2017 - 10:03

Thank you Krish. What do you exactly mean with historical reporting? Do you need to have snapshots of data periodically? Then you will need a BW solutions. Or do you mean reporting on your legacy data when you say historical?

Reply
sunny August 11, 2017 - 17:11

Great info , could you shed some light on FPM WebDynpro Apps and how can they be extended.
any idea.. ( Fiori app for Cost Center(Actuals ) )

Reply
Shivakkumar Geetha Venkatesan August 21, 2017 - 13:13

Hi
Can you please share information on SAP S4 HANA Procurement and Sourcing, also Warehouse management.
I hope it is really useful.
Regards,
G.V.Shivakkumar

Reply
Jean Pierre Roa August 23, 2017 - 21:20

Hi Ugur, nice blog, Thanks for share.
I understand that recommended flow is: transaction table -> SQL view -> CDS views -> Analytics.
My question is, the SQL view (in database) refer to HANA view (analytic, calc, attr) and then consuming it in a CDS?
Thanks.

Reply
Sunil Roy October 28, 2017 - 10:51

Hi UGUR HASDEMIR,

Great information to me, can I get or how can we get the list of all Embedded Analytics Apps from fioriappslibrary.

thank you

Sunil Roy

Reply
SAP Kerala October 28, 2017 - 11:05

Hi UGUR HASDEMIR,

thank you for this great information , can you update with SAP S/4HANA 1709 Embedded Analytics Apps List for all Modules.

thank you
Sunil

Reply
Raj Aryan May 22, 2018 - 06:10

Thanks for sharing useful resources. Analytics represent useful data in managing and making products.

Reply
Michał August 17, 2018 - 10:12

Hi Ugur, quick question about report naming convention. these first letters C_ or I_ or P_ – what is the meaning of these?

Reply
DeciVision March 18, 2019 - 17:13

Thanks a lot for this article, very useful.

Reply

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