Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (2024)

In this blog post, we’ll explain how to create an SAP Analytics Cloud story with SAP S/4HANA Cloud data and how to build each area of a dashboard.

Create a Story

To create an SAP Analytics Cloud story, follow these steps:

  1. As a key user, from the SAP Fiori launchpad, go to KPI Design, and choose the Manage KPIs and Reports tile. Choose Stories on the top left, and click Create.

In the New Story window, there are three tabs on top: Definition (to define the title, tags, and description), Configuration (to select the data source and build the dashboard), and Applications (to bind the dashboard to an application).

  1. On the Definition tab, enter a name for your story (e.g., “Europe Procurement Overview”), add some tags (e.g., S/4HANA, SAC, and SAP), and enter a description.

Note: Another thing you might notice right away is the Activate button. The Save button is different when you compare SAP Analytics Cloud, embedded edition with SAP Analytics Cloud. If you click the Save button in SAP Analytics Cloud, you must choose a folder and manage the content by yourself. In SAP Analytics Cloud, embedded edition, the Save button has been replaced by the Activate button, which will save the story.

  1. Go to the Configuration tab. There you can select the data sources you want to use and set variable values for the selected data source to fit charts and tables. In the Configuration tab, you can design your dashboard in the same way as we did with SAP Analytics Cloud in all the other chapters of this book because this tab offers the same story toolbar with the usual features, as well as the Designer on the right.

Header Area

To build the header, insert the title, logo, and the first two KPIs (Open Order Value and Open Orders).

To help your business users quickly understand what’s currently happening with the open orders, you can add a stacked bar chart to the header and use colors to communicate the status. A stacked bar chart shows how the categories contribute to the whole value.

To create a stacked bar chart, in the Builder panel, go to Chart Structure, and choose Comparison > Stacked Bar/Column, as shown in this figure.

Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (2)

Next, select the chart orientation (in this case, Horizontal), check the Show Chart as 100% checkbox, and select your measure. In the Color area, select Add Dimension to choose Status and Create New Palette to choose the colors that will indicate three different statuses (e.g., green for a positive status, yellow for delayed orders, and orange for orders at risk). Don’t forget to enable the legend from the context menu Show/Hide > Legend. For reference, the settings of our stacked bar chart are shown in this figure.

Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (3)

Golden Rule: Context: Try to show data and its relation as part of a whole. Stacked bar charts are used to show how a larger category is divided into smaller categories and are useful to compare total values across several categories.

The result of the header will look like this.

Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (4)

Second Dashboard Area

In this dashboard area, we’ll show the same KPIs in more detail and will give the business user the ability to explore the charts through a dimension filter.

When we create a new chart in SAP Analytics Cloud, we usually select measures and dimensions to be shown on the chart. In this chapter, we’ll show you a more interactive option. We’ll use an input control and let the business user decide what dimensions to explore. To create this input control, insert a new bar chart. In the Builder panel, select the measure, and choose Create Dimension Input Control from the Dimensions area, as shown in the following figure.

8

Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (5)

From the New Dimension Input Control window, select all the dimensions you want your business user to have access to, as shown here.

Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (6)

After you select OK on the bottom right, a new chart and an input control will be added to your dashboard, as shown here.

Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (7)

Add a second chart, and choose Order Value as the measure. This time, the dimension input control created previously will be displayed directly in the dimension list so that you can choose it from there. The second chart will be added to your dashboard. This allows you to enable the business user to filter both charts by any dimension available.

As a next step, align the three widgets in this area. Expand the input control widget, and drag it to the left. Then move both charts to the right. Placing the filter on the left will show your users that it will impact both charts on the right. The result will look like this.

Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (8)

Finally, style your charts. If your business users want to filter by a measure instead of a dimension, you’ll find the same option available in the Builder panel in the Measures area, which allows you to create a measure input control.

8

Third Dashboard Area

In the third dashboard area, we’ll include a table giving business users all the necessary detail information to fully understand any insights given by the charts and KPIs. Our third dashboard area looks like this one.

Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (9)

When you’re done, click Activate on the bottom right to save the story. This will bring you back to the Definition tab where you’ll see the description you’ve entered and the data source details.

After designing the dashboard, you’ll need to bind it to an SAP Fiori tile.

Bind the Story to an Application

To bind the story to an SAP Fiori tile, as a key user, go to the Applications tab to create an application to launch the story. From the Applications tab, you can select the tile format you want. After you choose the tile format, you can configure it.

The most interesting configuration setting is the Target Mapping area, where you can define the navigation intent. For a navigation intent, you’ll have to select a semantic object (e.g., AccountingDocument, SalesOrder) and an action (e.g., Analyze, Display, Change, Approve). The semantic object is usually a business object while the action is something that a user will do with that object, and together they are building the intent. The target mapping binds the intent with the action that results from that intent. In this way, your business users will be able to navigate between different applications, depending on the parameters and their authorizations.

After configuring the Target Mapping area, save and publish the tile to a business catalog of your choice. This will open the Custom Catalog Extension app where you can publish a tile in a desired catalog. This is how the app will find its way to the screen of the business users that have requested it. Once published, your business users will be able to access the story from a tile under KPI Design on the SAP Fiori launchpad.

As a business user, let’s check the behavior of the navigation intent. If you right click a cell in the table, you’ll see in the context menu that besides Filter, Add Calculation, and Hide Row functionalities, which are standard SAP Analytics Cloud features, there is also the Jump to option to trigger the intent-based navigation. You can see this functionality in action in this figure.

Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (10)

Select Jump to from the context menu, and the system offers a preconfigured list of targets that make sense to jump to from this column in the table. This is the result of the targets set in the Target Mapping area. The list will be different when choosing another column in the table. When jumping to a target, the context will be preserved as well. For example, if the bike store has an ID attached to it, you’ll notice the ID also on the newly opened application. Jumping back will take you to the same navigation state from which you initially started the navigation.

Editor’s note: This post has been adapted from a section of the book Designing Dashboards with SAP Analytics Cloud by Erik Bertram, James Charlton, Nina Hollender, Melanie Holzapfel, Nico Licht, and Carmen Paduraru.

Building an SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboard with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Data (2024)

FAQs

Which SAP Analytics Cloud tool do you use to build dashboards? ›

Boardroom - co*ckpit for the Management

Boardroom bundles the dashboards you create from SAC so you can use them to gain real-time insight and make critical decisions for top management.

How do I connect SAP Analytics Cloud to Hana cloud? ›

Follow these steps:
  1. Go to your SAP Analytics Cloud tenant and login.
  2. On the homepage, click on the burger menu on the top left-hand side of the screen, then click on Connection.
  3. On the Connection page, click the plus icon to add the new data source.
  4. Expand Connect to Live Data. ...
  5. Click on SAP HANA.
Aug 8, 2021

On what is SAP S 4HANA cloud integration with SAP Analytics Cloud Embedded Edition based? ›

SAP S/4HANA analytics overview

Embedded analytics is exclusively based SAP Fiori and SAP Analytics UI's. It comes with a lot of predefined analytical apps based on Fiori and on SAP Analytics Cloud for the Business Users.

What data can be exported from SAP Analytics Cloud to SAP S 4HANA? ›

Exporting Data from SAP Analytics Cloud to SAP S/4HANA Cloud. Examples: Financial Data Import (for understanding how the system determines the plan data scope) Derivations During Plan Data Import (for understanding how additional fields in SAP S/4HANA Cloud are derived from the mapped fields.

What data visualization tool is best for dashboards? ›

The Best Data Visualization Software of 2023
  • Microsoft Power BI: Best for business intelligence (BI)
  • Tableau: Best for interactive charts.
  • Qlik Sense: Best for artificial intelligence (AI)
  • Klipfolio: Best for custom dashboards.
  • Looker: Best for visualization options.
  • Zoho Analytics: Best for Zoho users.
Jun 25, 2023

What are the three main components pillars of SAP Analytics Cloud? ›

The three main components of SAP Activate are SAP Best Practices, Guided Configurations, and the SAP Activate Methodology.

How do I extract data from SAP Analytics Cloud? ›

To begin exporting data, open your desired model in SAP Analytics Cloud. Navigate to the Data Management section and locate the Export Jobs icon. Click on it, and then select Export Model and a File option.

Where can you enter data into an SAP Analytics Cloud model? ›

To insert a SAP Analytics Cloud data source
  • Select the cell in the worksheet where the crosstab with the data from the selected data source should be inserted.
  • Select Insert Data Source Select Data Source for Analysis. ...
  • Select Skip to log on to SAP Analytics Cloud.

How can you access files on your SAP Analytics Cloud system? ›

Using File List Views. You can display a subcategory of your SAP Analytics Cloud content by choosing a file list view on the left side of the files list. The list views appear on the left side based on your role and workspace membership.

What is the difference between s4 embedded analytics and BW 4HANA? ›

Both S/4HANA Embedded Analytics and BW/4HANA offer advantages, as both bring two different elements for analytics. Embedded Analytics is an integrated part of S/4HANA and can therefore be used directly. BW/4HANA, on the other hand, is an independent product and must therefore be implemented and licensed in addition.

What is the difference between SAP S 4HANA and SAP S 4HANA cloud? ›

The Cloud version of S/4HANA uses a subscription licensing model and is hosted on SAP's server via SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud and managed and maintained by SAP. While this limits customization, it can be a much easier and cheaper way to set up your S/4HANA solution.

What is the difference between SAP HANA Cloud and SAP S 4HANA? ›

With S/4HANA on-premise, your team has to plan, test and control all system upgrades which happen yearly. All changes are under the organization's control, while the cloud edition automatically upgrades the software quarterly without customer's participation.

What does SAP Analytics Cloud integrate with? ›

What types of data sources can I connect to with SAP Analytics Cloud? SAP Analytics Cloud can connect to various on-premise and cloud data sources, including SAP HANA, SAP S/4HANA, SAP BW/4HANA, SAP BusinessObjects solutions, SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, SQL, OData, Google BigQuery, and many more.

How do I import files into SAP Analytics Cloud? ›

Procedure
  1. From the Modeler start page, go to the Public Dimensions tab.
  2. Select the check box beside the public dimension that you want to import data to.
  3. Select (Import Data).
  4. Choose the data source that you want to import data from; for example, File.

What capabilities does SAP S 4HANA embedded analytics provide? ›

What business benefits does SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics bring?
  • Provides information aggregated to a selected KPI level to illustrate the company's performance.
  • Delivers the necessary input to initiate further business decisions.
  • Offers the feature to create private versions.
  • Reports examples: Expense variances.
Jan 27, 2023

What is the difference between dashboard and data visualization? ›

To recap, Data Visualization is the process of presenting information in a visual form. Its purpose is to promote quick and easy understanding of the information. A Dashboard is a snapshot, or summary, of a large set of information. Data Visualization and a Dashboard are often used together.

What is the trend in data visualization in 2023? ›

Interactive visualization is a trend that has been gaining momentum in recent years, and it is set to continue in 2023 and beyond. Interactive visualization allows users to manipulate and explore data in real time, allowing them to gain insights that would be impossible with static visualizations.

What is the difference between dashboard and visualization? ›

Dashboard is a presentation of key performance indicators (KPIs) important to an enterprise. Database and data analytics professionals often build, use, and support dashboards. Data visualization is the application of data science to extract intelligence from data sources, often in a graphical format.

What are the three main components of data model structure in SAP S 4hana? ›

An SAP HANA system is composed of three main components: the host, the system, and the instance.

What are the three levels of cloud architecture for SAP's 4hana? ›

SAP HANA can be used as a relational database in a classic 3-tier architecture (client, application server, and database).

What are the three parts of data analytics? ›

Descriptive, predictive and prescriptive: three types of business analytics
  • Descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics. ...
  • Descriptive analytics. ...
  • Predictive analytics. ...
  • Prescriptive analytics. ...
  • A data-led future.

How to use SQL to extract data from SAP? ›

The Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio opens. In the Object Explorer, expand the SQL Server name, expand Databases, and right-click the database into which you will be exporting the tables from the SAP system. From the context menu, point to Tasks, and click Import Data.

How to fetch data from SAP HANA? ›

Procedure
  1. Open SAP HANA studio.
  2. Open the SAP HANA Development perspective.
  3. In the Project Explorer view, located the server-side JavaScript file MyFirstSourceFile. xsjs and open it in the embedded JavaScript editor.
  4. In MyFirstSourceFile. ...
  5. Save the file MyFirstSourceFile. ...
  6. Activate the file MyFirstSourceFile.

What programming language does SAP Analytics Cloud use? ›

The language used is java script. The JS is also used in creating custom widgets. The use case is Analytics as well as Planning solution.

Is SAP Analytics Cloud a data warehouse? ›

SAP Datasphere (formerly DWC) - The Future of Data Warehousing. SAP's innovative cloud-based data warehousing solution for business and IT users enables self-service data modelling and avoids shadow IT solutions.

Which data model is used for SAP S 4HANA? ›

The VDM (virtual data model) forms the basis for data access in SAP S/4HANA in, for example, analytical applications and APIs. The VDM of SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA is represented by CDS views.

How do I access data from the cloud? ›

Users can access data in Cloud Storage through an internet connection and software such as web portal, browser, or mobile app via an application programming interface (API).

How do I access data from cloud server? ›

Data that is stored in the cloud can be accessed by vising the website or mobile application of the cloud services provider, and some of the popular names in this industry include Google Drive, Apple iCloud, Gmail, Dropbox, and several others.

How to configure SAP Analytics Cloud? ›

Procedure
  1. Download the SAP Analytics Cloud agent from the SAP Support Portal. ...
  2. Unzip the downloaded file and rename the WAR file to C4A_AGENT. ...
  3. Extract the package and copy the file C4A_AGENT. ...
  4. Create a user for the SAP Analytics Cloud agent and assign the Services role to the user.

What is the major difference between ECC and S4 HANA in SAP SD? ›

The main difference between SAP ECC and SAP HANA is that ECC is the core ERP product within the SAP Business Suite, whereas HANA is a cloud-friendly, in-memory database designed to handle transactions and analytics on one system.

What kind of data is supposed to be used in SAP S 4HANA embedded analytical applications? ›

SAP S/4HANA embedded analytics as the name suggests are part of the standard SAP S/4HANA installation and is used to perform sophisticated real-time reporting and analysis on live transactional data.

Which type of CDS is used by SAP s4hana embedded analytics? ›

SAP S/4 HANA Embedded Analytics is Concept, Content, and Toolset to enable Embedded (built-in) Analytics, Real-time Operational Reporting, and Smart Business co*ckpits, etc. It uses the technology of SAP ABAP Core Data Services( referred to as CDS) to create Virtual Data Models (Representation of operational data).

Which SAP is replaced by SAP's 4HANA? ›

SAP S/4HANA is an enterprise resource planning software for large enterprises developed by SAP SE. It is the successor to SAP R/3 and SAP ERP and is optimized for SAP's in-memory database SAP HANA.

Which are the three deployment options of SAP S 4HANA? ›

The SAP S/4HANA solution can be deployed in a public cloud, private cloud, or on premise to fit customer needs. The library of pre-delivered business processes and applications help you manage your customers, supply chains, networks, employees, and core processes.

Is SAP S4 Hana in the cloud? ›

SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) version of the SAP S/4HANA ERP system and runs on the SAP HANA in-memory database. SAP S/4HANA Cloud allows users to access their data virtually, faster, and "in real time" to accelerate processes.

What is the difference between SAP BW 4HANA and SAP BW on HANA? ›

SAP BW on HANA and SAP BW/4HANA are different application suites running on the same database. BW on HANA uses SAP's legacy BW software but moves it to the HANA database, while BW/4HANA uses a re-engineered software suite designed to fully harness the power of the HANA database.

What is the difference between SAP Fiori and SAP S 4HANA? ›

SAP S/4HANA provides an award-winning UX (SAP Fiori) along with a host of application and uses case-specific benefits. SAP S/4HANA is the shorter form of SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA, which means it is the fourth version of SAP Business Suite. It is designed to run only on SAP HANA as the database.

Which are embedded in S 4HANA and is not available in SAP ECC? ›

Explanation: No. 1:- S4H can only be run on Hana database whereas ECC can be run on Oracle , IBM DB2 etc.

How do I connect SAP Analytics Cloud to Hana? ›

Test your connection from SAP Analytics Cloud

Create a new model. Select “Get data from a data source”, then choose “Live data connection”. Select SAP HANA as a system type, and the connection that you just set up. Within the Data source, you will see all calculation views of type CUBE which your user can access.

Does SAP Analytics Cloud need coding? ›

You do not need ANY coding expertise.

What is SAP best practices for SAP S 4HANA? ›

Best Practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud
  • Reduce cost of operations by using standardized processes.
  • Manage multiple geographies, divisions, subsidiaries, and ledgers with global and country-specific content.
  • Drive operational efficiencies and comply with regulations.

What are key capabilities of SAP HANA analytics cloud? ›

Pull from all capabilities – business intelligence, augmented and predictive analytics, and planning – and custom widgets to design functionally-rich applications.

What is the difference between embedded analytics and SAP analytics cloud? ›

Embedded Analytics is restricted for usage underneath the application, whereas SAC has the option to blend data from SAP and other non-SAP data sources (cloud/on-premise, imported/live).

What tool is used to create dashboards? ›

Some of the best free dashboard tools for visualizing your metrics and KPIs are Datapad, Grafana, Databox, Dasheroo, FineReport, Metabase, Google Data Studio, Matomo, Tableau, and Inetsoft.

Which Azure resource do you use to create a dashboard? ›

The Azure portal provides a default dashboard as a starting point. You can edit the default dashboard and create and customize additional dashboards.

How do I create a dashboard in SAP? ›

How To Create A Dashboard
  1. Start OCC Dashboards or Tactical Dashboards from the SAP Focused Run launchpad. The tiles are located in the "Advanced Dashboarding & Intelligence" application group.
  2. Press the «Personalization» button to access the configuration panel of the newly created page.

How do I create a dashboard in analytics? ›

To create a Dashboard:
  1. Sign in to Google Analytics.
  2. Navigate to your view.
  3. Open Reports.
  4. Click CUSTOMIZATION > Dashboards.
  5. Click Create.
  6. In the Create Dashboard dialog, select either Blank Canvas (no widgets) or Starter Dashboard (default set of widgets).

What are the three main types of dashboards? ›

Author. Let's explore the common types of dashboards used in the business world. These can be categorized into three main types: operational, strategic, and analytical.

What is the best platform to create a dashboard? ›

  • Tableau. ...
  • Google Cloud. ...
  • Microsoft Power BI. ...
  • Sisense. ...
  • Salesforce Marketing Cloud. ...
  • ProjectManager.com. ...
  • Firefish. FrontRunners 2023. ...
  • Google Data Studio. Google Data Studio is a cloud-based reporting solution designed to help small to large businesses customize, share and visualize data through configurable charts and tables.
Mar 16, 2023

How to create dashboard with API? ›

  1. Method 1: Loading Into a Database. ...
  2. Method 2: Built-in API Connectors. ...
  3. Method 3: Cloud Database Platform. ...
  4. Add your resources using the API connector. ...
  5. Create a project for your resources. ...
  6. Transform your data. ...
  7. Build your dashboard.
May 19, 2023

What is the difference between Azure workbook and dashboard? ›

Azure dashboards are useful in providing a "single pane of glass" of your Azure infrastructure and services. While a workbook provides richer functionality, a dashboard can combine Azure Monitor data with data from other Azure services.

How do I Create a data action in SAP Analytics Cloud? ›

In the Data Action Settings pane, type a Name for the data action, and optionally type a Description. Select the Default Model for the data action. Most steps will use this model as the data source and target. For cross-model copy steps, this model will be the target, and you can pick a different source model.

How do I start building a dashboard? ›

How to Build a Dashboard: The Easiest Way in 2022
  1. Decide on the Goal of Creating Dashboards.
  2. Identify Your Data Sources.
  3. Choose the Right Chart Type.
  4. Define What Metrics You Want to Track.
  5. Pick Your Colors When Building Dashboards.
  6. Ensure that Your Dashboards are Mobile-Optimized.
  7. Onboard Your Team Members.
Oct 28, 2022

What is a dashboard in SAP? ›

SAP Dashboard is a SAP Business Objects Data Visualization Tool that is used to create interactive dashboards from different data sources. Dashboard allows BI developers to create custom dashboards from almost any data source to meet the business requirements in an organization.

What is an example of an analytical dashboard? ›

Examples of Analytical dashboards include: Comparing Sales trends over time and forecasting. Digital Marketing dashboards that measure campaign performance.

What is the difference between analytics and Dashboards? ›

Analytics Answers the “Why Behind the What”

So if dashboards answer the “what,” then analytics answer the “why” behind the what. Analytics take it a step further, digging down deeper into the data. We might pose analytics questions like: “When users search my site, what are the solid business outcomes/conversions?”

What is a data analytics dashboard? ›

A dashboard for data analytics is a tool used to multi-task, organize, visualize, analyze, and track data.

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