Planning with BO-BPC

The acquisition of BusinessObjects by SAP allows that SAP now can (as a planning and consolidation tool) also offer BO-BPC (SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation) in addition to integrated planning and BCS in SAP-BW.

Here is a brief overview of BPC.

A suitably configured BPC makes it possible to guide the user through the individual planning steps using a workflow known in this context as the business process flow.

Via a web front-end, the user is provided with an overview of the plans and planning steps allocated to him/her, as well as the progress of these.

Various users can be assigned to each planning step, e.g. controller for recording and checking of budget items, but approval is assigned to the head of department

The relevant action is initiated in the planning step via a hyperlink.

In such cases, a pre-defined report with actual data is displayed in Excel.

Reports and also input tables are created directly in Excel; no additional software is required in addition to the BPC plugin.

Users with good Excel skills can create their own reports or navigate through existing reports using filters and drill-downs.

An existing report can be easily converted into an input table.

Each step carried out must be confirmed with “Complete” so that the next step can be initiated.

Planning steps can also include the carrying out of planning functions, as is the case here with the copying of actual data to planned data.

Finally, the planned data is recorded again in Excel.

Values for as yet non-existent master data must often be recorded for planning purposes (new account, cost centre, material etc.)

In this context and depending on their level of authorisation, BPC offers users here the option of recording or editing master data or dimensions.

The recording of data is done in Excel, and this allows the hierarchies and attributes of dimensions to be edited.

This part of the planning application is ended once all the steps have been carried out and

final approval has been issued.