Dr. Bjarne Berg Lenoir-Rhyne College The very confusing World on SAP BI - Making sense of it all Houston, TX August 17, 2006 Dr. Bjarne Berg Lenoir-Rhyne College

What We’ll Cover Overview – BEx, Query designer, WAD, APD, Crystal, Broadcaster & Visual composer How to fix some issues in BW reporting Picking the right methodology for your next BW project Report dispositioning –what tool to use Use of standard content Wrap up

The BW Toolset BW is an enterprise-wide comprehensive decision support (DSS) system for analytical needs of an enterprise. BW can also support some degree of operational reporting Therefore it has many presentation tools and options for companies to leverage.

The BEx Query Designer The BEx query designer is a simple tool that you use to develop queries for users. While the Query Designer defined the query, you have many options on how you deploy the queries You can deploy the queries through web templates, broadcasted emails, portals, Excel and more.

The BEx Ad-Hoc Query Designer A simplified version of the BEx query designer is the "ad-hoc query designer". This is a basic tool that can be used by power users to define their own queries. It can be made available through a BW web template as well as directly in the SAP Enterprise Portal (3.5 example) In NW2004s it is improved by moving away from being based on DHTML to leveraging true Java.

To use this tool you need BEx/GUI installed on each client machine BEx - Workbooks 1. BEx Workbooks is Excel 'on steroids'. 2. BW queries can be opened in Excel 3. Queries can be refreshed and standard Excel functions can be used This is a great tool for financial analysts and power users. To use this tool you need BEx/GUI installed on each client machine

BEx web reports The most common way of deploying BW queries are through a standard, or customized web template with built-in navigational features. BW provides a global web template that can be enhanced with logos, colors, fonts and additional features at a low cost of development and ownership.

BEx Web Application Designer (WAD) BEx Analyzer/ Query Designer BEx Web Application Designer Web Browser WAD is an intuitive tool to build powerful web applications and to interact with portals and custom templates. BW queries can be manipulated in WAD for better display OLAP Processor Web Service Charting Engine HTLM Templates InfoProvider Source: SAP AG

Web Application Designer for custom applications You do not have to use the SAP Enterprise Portal to use WAD. WAD can also incorporate other non-SAP web items into powerful cockpits and custom report centers. While WAD can be used by developers without extensive HTML and Java scripting knowledge, these skills will be useful on most projects.

Visual Composer A Visual Composer is a tool to visualize the data. It is a browser-based modeling and design tool for rapid application development & prototyping in a code-free development environment. Modelling of BI Applications using the BI Kit of the Visual Composer - Allows Business Users to create analytical content for SAP Portal Offers the integration with BI InfoProviders (i.e. InfoCubes, BEx Queries and Query Views, BEx Web Applications) via WEB API as well as with heterogeneous data sources (OLAP and relational data sources) via Java Connectors

BI applications are creating ‘new’ data to the DW In Data warehousing v2.0 (Bill Immon’s new terminology), we are using BI applications to create new data that needs to be fed to the data warehouse, and /or the transactional system Tools are now available to build association data sets that creates updates based on BI findings (i.e. customer segmentation, risk, profitability flagging etc). Images: Bhanu Gupta, ASUG 2005 Illinois chapter

Crystal Report With BW you get access to Crystal reports. In fact you have 100+ pre-developed reports that comes with SAP-BW. Currently, you can modify, or develop and deploy 10 crystal reports without any additional licensing cost. Crystal is a great tool for batch reporting of "pixel controlled' formatted reports.

Different Needs and Broadcaster Tools Reporting needs Reporting tools Flat Reporting Formatted Print Form based Static Predictable access OLAP Reporting Drill Down Slice and Dice Analyse Data Mining Search and discover KPI & Scorecard Formatted Simple Easy to view Limited nav Aggregates “Casual” users, non-BW users, traveling users, and executives are all prime candidates for broadcasted reports!

Scheduling the Broadcast We can schedule the job to run every time the infocube is changed (the process chain has run) We can limit the users to when they can schedule jobs to avoid stress on the system. We can provide multiple pre-defined times when they can schedule the reports. We can also allow the users to create their own scheduling times (Only authorized users see this) More on SAP BEx Broadcasting later today!

TREND: “Virtual” OLAP – an SAP approach SAP formally launched the BI accelerator at the end of June 2006. This tool takes BI and/or operational data and creates a proprietary indexing system that allows users to access the data very quickly. Query performance can be 100s of times faster than traditional ROLAP. Source: Alexander Peter, SAP AG, 2006

Oracle E-business suite applications Making sense of it all…. Oracle E-business suite applications SAP APO Oracle BI suite Enterprise edition SAP Strategic enterprise mgmt SAP BW PeopleSoft EPM Siebel BI Oracle BI suite standard edition Oracle BI suite standard one edition

What We’ll Cover Overview – BEx, Query designer, WAD, APD, Crystal, Broadcaster & Visual composer How to fix some issues in BW reporting Picking the right methodology for your next BW project Report dispositioning –what tool to use Use of standard content Wrap up

General Issues with Business Warehouse Web Reporting The pre-delivered BW’s web template does not always provide the functionality required. Currently lacking functionality includes: Creating favorites/bookmarks that can be accessed from any machine Printing fit to page, report info, data status, basic formatting Ability to search for reports within the end user roles Definitions of characteristics and key figures are not available Current web reports can not show repeat values of characteristics Online user help is not available in the web template No standard tool to target specific users about system status/changes On-line training is missing As a result, most customers enhanced the functionality of the web template using development tools such as HTML and Java Script, ABAP, WAD. Elevator Speech: Workforce planning is the process used to forecast our headcount and to meet our strategic plan. What's Changing? In May 2005, IP will globally implement a standardized, formal process for business groups to forecast their staffing needs.

Searching for BW queries Users are often frustrated when they have to search for a report they are unfamiliar with. The report may be hard to locate in a hierarchy of roles on the launch pad. This searches within any string of the report name, and all the folders you have access to. No TREX engine required, only a simple javascript that searches the SAP delivered role menu (BW upto 3.5)

The Web Template and Toolbar Rule: After the BW query has been launched users should interact with a standard interface that does not change depending on the query executed. This standardization is accomplished through the global BW web template. Hint: Use WAD to customize and enhance yours The web template should always include a toolbar that is customized for your company. In the next sections we will take a look at some standard BW toolbar functionality and how you can extend the web template to add more user features on the toolbar.

Print format basic Users are generally very unhappy with browser based web printing… Again a simple JavaScript can leverage SAP objects so that basic formatted BW reports can be printed on the web.

Create advanced print formatting A more experienced web programmer can also add advanced web print features that reduces the need for other formatted reporting tools. It also gives user's flexibility and increases the likelihood that the go-live is a success!!

Get Access to On-line Definitions Users often ask what a certain field means or what how it was calculated. Adding on the context menu a link to a dictionary makes many users really happy!!! Characteristic, Key Figure and Query definitions stored on SQL Server table. Aliases used to extend match probability Context menu item added to basic menu Search results open in new window

Create your own BW Alerts Center BW system messages reach entire user community. We needed to narrow that down to certain users via custom Query/InfoProvider messages

On-line help The user help is a must-have feature. The development of the company specific help system can be done in tools such as front-page, MS-word, SAP-web application designer etc.. The trick to a good user help system is to present the information so that it is easy to locate. Therefore, you should add indexes, content trees and search features in the help system

A place holder A "place holder" allows users to create a separate window to "hold" a view of the information while exploring the data (standard BW feature). You can add these features to your toolbar. CSV format Workbooks (Excel) New Window

What We’ll Cover Overview – BEx, Query designer, WAD, APD, Crystal, Broadcaster & Visual composer How to fix some issues in BW reporting Picking the right methodology for your next BW project Report dispositioning –what tool to use Use of standard content Wrap up

Business requirements One of the first steps is to gather the right requirements. This is done in a variety of ways based on the methodology that the company employs. It is a complex process and involves a period: Discovery and Education, Formal communication, Reviews Final approvals. A BW implementation does not simply involve a series of black-and-white technical decisions; just because something is technically feasible does not mean it is wise or desirable from a business perspective. What user wanted How customer described it How analyst specified it How designer implemented it

The SAP NetWeaver Workflow - ASAP Create Functional Query specs Peer Review Complete? Structured walkthrough Approved? Develop queries Unit Testing Integration Testing System Testing No Yes Create Technical

Alternative Approach For Smaller Projects (I.E. 1st Go-live) Keep the scope focused and use a simple approach: Activate standard content Review data quality issues Create 2-3 sample queries Load infocube User acceptance session Request for modifications In- scope? Rejection In-future Make enhancements Test Deploy Yes No No functional or technical specs are used in this approach. The user acceptance session is used to refine requirements

How can we do this Faster, Better and Simpler? There are times when other methodologies should be used. What determines the best methodology to use, is the impact of failure and the time to delivery. ASAP and SDLC Methodologies are not the only choices. RAD is very popular as well. This framework illustrates the benefits of each methodology.

What We’ll Cover Overview – BEx, Query designer, WAD, APD, Crystal, Broadcaster & Visual composer Some issues in BW reporting Picking the right methodology for your next BW project Report dispositioning –what tool to use Use of standard content Wrap up

Deciding which reporting tool is right for you Workbooks Web reports Fixed format Web Applications Models Vizuali- zation Distrib- ution Query Designer - - - - /  *   Query tools - - - - /  - /  Ad-hoc query designer  - - - - /  - Web Application Designer   Web Tools Visual Composer - - /  - -    - /  - Analysis Process Designer - - -   Broadcaster -wizard - - - - - -  Bex Broadcaster - - - - - - Other tools  Crystal Reports - - - - /  -   * Through embedded Bex Broadcaster

Tool Access – Who should do what….. There are many options and decisions to be made on who should be able to access all the different tools. Power users Regular Authors Developers BW Admins Query Designer - - /  - /    Query tools - /  - /  Ad-hoc query designer    - - - Web Application Designer   Web Tools Visual Composer - - /     Analysis Process Designer - - -   Broadcaster -wizard      Bex Broadcaster - Other tools - /  - /    Crystal Reports - - /    

The Blueprinting Phase: Leveraging Standard Content As a guiding principle we map requirements to standard content before we start customizing. However, we may also have external data sources that require custom ODSs and InfoCubes. Some observations on higher level objects……. An example from a large manufacturing company BW Content available: InfoObjects 11,772 ODS objects 349 InfoCube 605 MultiCubes 121 Roles 861 Queries 3,299 Workbooks 1,979

Modeling Your Solution 1. Create a model based on pre-delivered BW content 2. Map your data requirements to the delivered content and identify gaps. 3. Identify where the data gaps are going to be sourced from.

What We’ll Cover Overview – BEx, Query designer, WAD, APD, Crystal, Broadcaster & Visual composer How to fix some issues in BW reporting Picking the right methodology for your next BW project Report dispositioning –what tool to use Use of standard content Wrap up

7 points to take home Pick the right tools based on what you want to accomplish. “everything in the world is a nail, when you only have a hammer”… The basic web print features are not sufficient The BW tool set has evolved substantially over the last 2 years –have you? There are more than one way to continue BW development – take a serious look at RAD. On-line definitions on the context menu are very popular, but you will have to add this as an enhancement (not SAP standard) Today’s presentation developer is much more than a query developer. More than one skill set is needed. Leveraging standard content will give you access to higher level objects as well.

Resources SAP Project Management 2005 TechEd / ASUG- 2005 - Boston Pick Your Poison – a look at methodologies for SAP NetWeaver” Bjarne Berg TechEd / ASUG- 2005 - Boston Session ID: IM100 – “Creating a Web Reporting Center at International Paper using SAP Business Information Warehouse” George Brothers and Bjarne Berg SAP.com “How To…Reconcile Data Between SAP Source Systems and SAP NetWeaver BI”, SAP June 2005 Web Template Enhancements: IFRAMES : http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/javascript/2002/02/08/iframe.html Expressions: http://www.regular-expressions.info/javascript.html Getting Started with BSP Applications: http://tinyurl.com/642c4 CSS for Printing : http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_ref_print.asp CSS Media Types: http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_mediatypes.asp

Your Turn! Questions? Dr. Bjarne Berg bergb@lrc.edu