Natalia Stępniak, Business Intelligence Consultant
- 27th January 2023
- Trends in SAP
- 3 min
What is the concept behind embedded analytics?
Embedded analytics is a concept involving keeping the data in the operating system – in the case of SAP S/4HANA system it’s SAP HANA database – and then, using a mechanism called a virtual data model, transforming on-the-fly data optimized for transactional purposes into an analytics-ready structure. The entire process occurs using the SAP Fiori user interface or SAP Analytics Cloud.
Who is this solution addressed to?
This solution is particularly advised for:
- Users who are directly involved in business processes and therefore need valuable and relevant insights to help them make the right data-driven decisions,
- Analysts preparing data sources, queries, KPI reports or recommendations for other users.
What business benefits does SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics bring?
A great convenience for users comes from the fact that SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics provides a lot of predefined Business Content in the form of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), analytical reports, predictive and planning scenarios, dashboards or multidimensional reports resembling extended pivot tables. These resources make it much easier to use embedded analytics by providing off-the-shelf solutions to meet specific business needs.
Smart Business KPIs
- 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
- Overdue receivables
Analytical List Pages
- Provides direct insight into transactional data with the ability to create, update or delete it
- A simple visual layer including tables, charts and non-complex filters
- Offers the feature to create private versions
- Report example:
- Event-based revenue recognition
Overview Pages
- Provides a comprehensive and consolidated overview of processes from a selected area, e.g., sales, suppliers, purchasing
- Information is presented in analytical tables and charts
- Combines analytical and transactional data
- Offers the feature to create private versions
- Report example:
- General overview of sales items – sales report
Multidimensional Reports
- A report designed for flexible analysis and exploration of large amounts of transactional data
- Form of an expanded, multidimensional pivot table
- Offers the feature to create private versions
- Report example:
- Cost centers – actual values
Embedded SAP Analytics Cloud Dashboards
- Enables a comprehensive overview of the process or status of a business unit based on complex data
- Allows simultaneous data scrubbing (moving through hierarchy levels) or filtering in all selected objects (Linked Analysis)
- The report can contain several pages
- Offers the feature to create private versions and advanced visualizations, such as geographic maps
- Report example:
- Overview of customer returns
In-App Analytics in ML
- Combines analytics and transactional data review within a single dashboard
- Allows prioritization to execute business operations based on occurring events
Source: openSAP
Analysts will benefit from similar features, as they can choose whether to prepare the data from scratch or use pre-built VDMs – virtual data models that can be accessed using the built-in View Browser application.
Below I present a list of other applications designed for data analysts.
Simplified feature summary of Embedded Analytics and SAP Analytics Cloud (Enterprise Version)
 Embedded Analytics |  SAP Analytics Cloud (Enterprise Version*) | |
| Scope of application | Analysis | Analysis, planning, forecasting |
| Connection | Live | Live, hybrid, on-premise |
| Data source | SAP S/4HANA | SAP, non-SAP |
| License | No additional licenses | Standalone license |
| R-visualizations | Unavailable | Available |
| SAP Analytics Cloud, add-in for MS Office | Unavailable | Available |
| Business Content | Available | Available |
| Collaboration environment | Unavailable | Available – comments, online chat |
Source: own materials
*SAP Analytics Cloud Enterprise is a SaaS (software as a service) solution that runs as a standalone cloud-based analytics application.
Do you want to benefit from the business analytics capabilities?
- On 27/01/2023
Tags: BI, Business Intelligence, Embedded Analytics, SAC, SAP, sap analytics cloud, SAP Fiori, SAP Hana, sap s/4hana
