Companies today are faced with a veritable flood of data. It is often difficult to maintain an overview and draw the really important conclusions. This is because data sometimes only makes sense at second glance, or even at first glance with the help of AI. With SAP Analytics Cloud® , all data sources are bundled in one place, analysed and visualized in dashboards to enable better decisions that benefit the entire company.
What is SAP Analytics Cloud®(SAC) and how does it work?
SAP Analytics Cloud® (SAC) is a cloud-based business intelligence and analysis platform developed in 2015 that is aimed at user:in specialist departments. It combines dashboarding, visualization, reporting and analysis as well as predictive analytics in a single application. It also uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to gain deeper insights from the data and support well-founded decisions (augmented analytics). SAC can integrate data from a wide variety of sources and collect, analyze and visualize it in user-created dashboards.
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Dashboarding and reporting with SAP Analytics Cloud®
This course provides in-depth knowledge of reporting with SAP Analytics Cloud®. The focus is on integrating, modelling and visualizing data for precise reports and optimized dashboards. You will also gain an overview of planning functions and predictive analytics.
Training: Dashboarding and reporting with SAP Analytics Cloud®
What advantages does SAP Analytics Cloud® offer?
Centralization: Unfortunately, companies often have a patchwork of different business intelligence solutions for specific purposes. This makes data analysis inefficient, technically challenging and can impair decision-making due to poorer data quality. SAC is a BI platform and, as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) cloud solution, bundles numerous functions in a central application (dashboarding, visualization, analysis, reporting, planning and predictive analytics).
Scalability and expansion: SAC can be expanded individually and directly in the application (i.e. without an on-premise installation). It is also continuously improved and enriched with new functions through quarterly updates.
User-friendliness and flexibility: The solution was developed for end users in the specialist departments and can be operated without programming know-how. Self-service functions allow controller and business analysts can also carry out their own analyses and create reports.
AI and machine learning: Artificial intelligence and machine learning allow deeper insights into the data and reveal findings that would otherwise be almost impossible to find.
For which companies is SAP Analytics Cloud®suitable?
The flexibility and user-friendliness make SAC interesting for a wide range of companies. This can be the up-and-coming medium-sized company, but also the global corporation - across all sectors. Of course, the benefits of such a platform increase with the complexity of the data environment in which it is used. Smaller companies should therefore carefully weigh up whether the range of functions and costs are in proportion to their needs.
What functions does SAP Analytics Cloud® cover?
Business Intelligence (BI): SAC enables the creation of interactive dashboards, reports and visualizations (ad-hoc or in stories) for comprehensive and explorative data analysis and effective presentation of relevant data and insights.
Planning and predictive/augmented analytics: The platform offers tools for detailed corporate planning, budgeting and forecasting. Complex, data- and AI-supported simulations enable early identification of irregularities in order to initiate suitable measures and provide important insights.
Data integration: SAC acts as a data hub into which data from SAP systems as well as other sources can be integrated. These different data sources are brought together at a single central point and made available for retrieval ("single point of truth").
Technical requirements
SAC is a cloud-based SaaS solution, so it does not require a local installation. Access is via the browser and is also possible via mobile devices. Of course, this requires a stable internet connection. As a rule, standard PCs or laptops are sufficient for operation in the browser.
Furthermore, a live or import connection to the data sources must be established.
Which application areas does SAP Analytics Cloud®cover?
A key area of application is the creation of a central data hub that supports insights into available data and thus promotes data-supported decision-making within the company. This could, for example, involve strategic management decisions that are based on figures but also need to be underpinned by data stories.
Visualizations transform the often complex raw data into visual elements such as graphs, diagrams, plots or maps that present the most important information as intuitively and memorably as possible. These are often more convincing because they are visual and make patterns and trends more clearly recognizable. A bar chart, for example, makes the sales figures of two products much clearer than a simple table.
Data-supported simulations and forecasts make it possible to recognize anomalies or deviations from the plan in the data and to initiate the right measures in good time, even before the anomaly becomes a problem.
SAC can be used flexibly, depending on the business area and available data. In production, it supports predictive maintenance by predicting possible machine failures and helps to optimize production planning and quality control. In accounting, it clearly displays important financial KPIs in real-time dashboards and makes forecasts based on historical financial data. In marketing, analysis tools provide insights into customer interactions and predictive models forecast customer behaviour in order to personalize marketing measures.
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Planning applications with SAP Analytics Cloud®
This course provides a sound introduction to the planning functions of SAP Analytics Cloud®. You will learn how to create your own planning applications, work independently of data sources and use planning elements such as version management, forecast layouts and workflows efficiently. Practical examples of integration with S/4HANA and Datasphere support successful implementation.
Training: Planning applications with SAP Analytics Cloud®
How can you visualize data with SAP Analytics Cloud®?
The SAP Analytics Cloud® enables ad-hoc visualizations during the analysis and the preparation of the most important information in stories, for example for managers. A wide range of visualization options are available for this purpose:
| Visualization options (selection) | |
|---|---|
| Comparison | Comparison, differences between groups, developments over time, deviations from reference lines and threshold values Examples: Bar, column and waterfall charts |
| Trend | Presentation of historical data over time and forecasts, trends and patterns over time Examples: Line chart (e.g. time series) with forecast functions |
| Distribution | Representation of frequency distributions, comparison of categories by area size, additional use of color codes to represent correlations Examples: Boxplot, heatmap, histogram, network diagram or treemap |
| Correlation | Representation of correlations or patterns between three or four variables Examples: Cluster-bubble diagram, scatter diagram |
How do I create effective dashboards with SAP Analytics Cloud®?
Effective dashboards are geared towards the needs of the target group and present the information that is actually relevant in a clear manner. This first requires a target group-oriented selection of the most important key figures. Managers, for example, benefit from figures with strategic relevance, while others may need metrics of operational relevance. Depending on which key figures have been selected, the optimal visualization method will also change. Initial tips on selection can be found in the previous section.
The dashboard should also be clearly and intuitively structured with a consistent color scheme across the various elements. Ideally, user can use filters or context-related additional information to delve further into the data as required and also benefit from AI-supported insights from the SAC.
What steps are necessary to develop planning applications in SAP Analytics Cloud®?
First, the data basis is created. Access to relevant company data is secured, data is collected and structured. Once this foundation has been laid, a new planning model is created in SAC. Which data should be planned and how is it connected? A user-friendly input mask supports the user during subsequent data entry. Now it must be determined which calculations are to be carried out automatically and who is allowed to access which data(authorizations). The diagrams for the dashboards are then designed, for example according to the tips in the previous section. As is so often the case, planning applications also benefit from an iterative approach in which they are constantly tested and improved in response to feedback.
How does predictive analytics work in SAP Analytics Cloud®?
Predictive analytics in SAP Analytics Cloud® uses machine learning to predict future trends and developments. For this purpose, historical data is processed and linked and then analyzed for patterns and correlations in the data using suitable prediction models. The patterns found then allow the application to draw conclusions about likely developments. These in turn are clearly displayed in dashboards. The models learn continuously and adapt when the database changes.
How to use artificial intelligence profitably with SAP Analytics Cloud®?
In SAC, AI is used in augmented and predictive analytics as well as in natural language processing to automatically analyze large amounts of data and make precise predictions. AI makes it possible to recognize patterns and anomalies at an early stage and helps to make faster and more informed decisions. This improves the efficiency of data analysis and ultimately the success of the company.
Conclusion: Data-driven decisions with SAP Analytics Cloud®
SAP Analytics Cloud® (SAC) is a cloud-based business intelligence and analytics platform that combines dashboarding, visualization, reporting and predictive analytics in a single application. It offers benefits such as a single point of truth, scalability, user-friendliness and flexibility as well as the use of AI and machine learning - for example in pattern recognition and for forecasts. SAC is suitable for companies of all sizes (although smaller companies should check the cost-benefit ratio) and enables comprehensive data analyses, visualizations and data-based decision-making.
Would you like to delve deeper into SAP Analytics Cloud® and successfully bring data-driven decision-making to your organization?
Our seminars will soon help you get started with the knowledge and tools you need: Dashboarding and reporting with SAP Analytics Cloud®, planning applications with SAP Analytics Cloud® or predictive analytics and artificial intelligence with SAP Analytics Cloud®.
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Predictive analytics and artificial intelligence with SAP Analytics Cloud®
This course provides an introduction to the AI-supported prediction models of the SAP Analytics Cloud®. You will learn how to use Smart Insights, Smart Predict and Just Ask (NLP) for forecasts, prepare data and apply models such as classification, regression and time series. Practical examples and an outlook on R extensions support successful implementation.
Training: Predictive analytics and artificial intelligence with SAP Analytics Cloud®
