SAP BI Consulting

Data Warehousing using SAP

Due to the integration of the SAP Business Objects portfolio into the classic SAP the number of available BI-tools increased, hence also the complexity.

In the future SAP-BW will still be used as the central data-warehouse solution, especially for customers running a SAP ERP.

In the long run the Bex-tools will be replaced by ex-Bo-components, such as advanced analysis, Xcelsius etc..

SAP BW

SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse (short: SAP BW)  is theData Warehousing solution provided by SAP AG.

BW consists of the following components, among others:

  • Administrator Workbench for data management and administration, e.g. monitoring the ETL-processes.
  • OLAP-Processor (Business Explorer) using to define Queries
  • Analytic Process Designer (APD) used for data mining

BW is often implemented for data warehouse applications when running SAP ERP because it offers the "business content", containing predefined extractors, data objects, OLAP cubes and reports.

Using the business content a BI-application extracting data from standard modules, like SD, FI, CO etc.can be set up within a short period of time.

BW offers furthermore the integration of reports into MS-excel as well as browser-based analysis based on the Java-portal.

SAP offers with the Business Explorer (BEx) a number of tools for the development of queries and analysis:

  • BEx-Analyzer for analyzing data within Excel
  • BEx-Web-Analyzer for analyzing data with a web-browser
  • BEx-Web Application Designer for setting up customized web-reports, containing charts and a few dashboard tools, e.g. dials, meters etc.
  • Bex-Information-Broadcaster to calculate and broadcast reports automatically

In the near future the Bex-tools will be complemented or even replaced by BO-components, like advanced analysis, Web-Intelligence or Xcelsius/Dashboard Designer.

SAP BusinessObjects XI

BusinessObjects XI is a complete business intelligence platform that offers products for ETL, data integration, query/analysis and dashboarding.

Ad mentioned before the integration of BW and BO-tools will proceed and partially, e.g. for Xclesius and advanced analysis, already completed.