SAP Business Information Warehouse introduction

The SAP Business Information Warehouse enables you to analyze data from operational R/3 applications or any other business application. You can also extract and analyze data from external sources such as databases, online services and the Internet.The SAP Business Information Warehouse supports Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) and, thanks to its structure, is particularly suitable for processing large volumes of operational and historical data.The system, which is preconfigured by Business Content for core areas and processes, allows you to examine the relationships in every area within your company.

mySAP Business Applications

The SAP Business Information Warehouse has a central position among the mySAP solutions. Typical characteristics of the individual solutions are separate development, implementation, and maintenance of the components, and independent release cycles in the different areas.BAPI and ALE technology takes care of communication between these various systems. n The advantages of this architecture include quicker implementation, flexibility, openness, and extendability.





Business Information Warehouse and Business Framework

The SAP Business Information Warehouse is one of the first examples of the new functionalities provided by the SAP Systems as part of the Business Framework concept.This concept is characterized by autonomous development, implementation, and maintenance activities, as well as separate release cycles.Releases up to and including 3.0D are regarded as non-SAP systems by the Business Information Warehouse. For SAP Systems from Release 3.0D, SAP delivers extractors with Business Content. These extractors enable the data flow from the SAP Systems into the Business Information Warehouse and make available the business functionalities that are preconfigured in Business Content.The SAP Business Information Warehouse requires an SAP System of Release 4.0 or higher. BAPI interfaces support the extraction of data from non-SAP systems as well as data analysis with external methods.





Business Information Warehouse Architecture

You can think of the SAP R/3 Systems and external systems as data sources. Administration for Metadata and other application data is carried out on the Business Information Warehouse Server.The various source systems are managed using the Administrator Workbench of the Business Information Warehouse. The Scheduler and Monitor components of the Administrator Workbench are used to plan and monitor the transfer of Metadata and transaction data from the assigned legacy systems.The third layer of the BW architecture consists of the Business Explorer and its reporting tools.


What we Expect from a Data Warehouse


Decision-makers urgently need reliable information from Production, Purchasing, Sales and Distribution, as well as from the Finance and Human Resources departments. They require an up-todate and comprehensive picture of each business area, as well as of the business as a whole. This situation places considerable demands on data staging from the underlying data sources.The information must be stored in a homogeneous and consistent form at a central point from where it can be called up. Modern data warehouses, therefore, require a separate database, upon which an independent application environment can objectively provide the required services.
As far as the presentation is concerned, efficient analysis techniques with powerful multimedia visualizations are indispensable. The system must be able to cope with the information needs of the most varied of user groups.On the OLTP side, the demands are reduced to an economic and comprehensive preparation of the data required by the data warehouse.

SAP Business Information Warehouse

With these goals in mind, SAP has opted for a separate data warehouse solution that handles reporting activities as an autonomous business component, even providing a separate server with its own database and SAP System: The SAP Business Information Warehouse.The concept and architecture of the SAP Business Information Warehouse are designed to fulfill all of the expectations and objectives mentioned.Having implemented the Business Warehouse and its Metadata Repository, the customer has the clear advantage of being able to use the entire SAP know-how built up over the many years of experience gained in developing business softare solutions. SAP R/3 Systems can be configured as OLTP systems, and make the entire SAP Business Content data available in the form of so-called Data Sources.

Preconfiguration with SAP Business Know-How

The SAP Business Information Warehouse is shipped with all of the Metadata on the common business processes of the SAP OLTP System. These include InfoSources, InfoObjects, standard InfoCubes, and standard reports. These are accompanied by transfer structures for all of the supported releases, as well as communication structures and update rules for each InfoCube. This means you can automatically transfer data with a standard analysis immediately after installation and connection to the source system. 

The Business Information Warehouse usually requests the application data from the assigned source systems at regular intervals (pull mechanism). You can specify the intervals at which the data is transferred. For this reason, each application in an SAP R/3 OLTP System contains data-collecting instances (DataSources) that stage the application data for the Business Information Warehouse. In this way, the SAP Business Information Warehouse provides an integrated data warehouse solution in an SAP System landscape.

Different Types of Data Warehouse User

Up to 70 percent of all OLAP System users are one-time users.Compared to the advanced users and query developers, they only use the system's analytical functions on a very small scale. This is because they usually carry out predefined queries with fixed datasets. Most of our users therefore need a simple user interface.The experienced users and query developers, who design and carry out information analyses on several levels, must be able to use a comprehensive and effective range of tools for their analyzing options.SAP has catered for these various user needs in the development of the Business Information Warehouse.


Data Flow in BW







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Defining SAP BW User Environment

Different Types of Data Warehouse User

The information that is already entered has to be adapted to the user's requirements.The majority of users prefer to work with predefined reports that are easy to access. These users need to be able to call up key figure values simply and easily.However, some users require extensive evaluation options. For example, they may want to navigate between certain sections of a report.As well as needing complete access to predefined queries and data collections, only a few users need to be able to create new queries and data sets in order to solve specific problems.

Business Factors

The employees in your company have different requirements when it comes to type and scope of information.Using information resources optimally is always of high concern within a company. If individual employees can get the right information at the right time, they can then use it take the appropriate action. With growing competitive pressure, a company's ability to react quickly is essential.In the face of this, companies often attempt to have as many information sources as possible.However, this can lead to an unwelcome flood of information. Inconsistent or complex sources of information make you lose time when searching for data, therefore making it more difficult for you to react quickly.




Examples of Supported Roles

This  shows only a few of the many roles that are delivered with SAP BW Business Content.These roles group together all the information tools needed by employees in different areas, regardless of the application, in which the data was originally prepared. Once you have activated the roles, you can assign the corresponding users to them. The roles are ready to use immediately.





SAP's Role Concept: Example

Regional sales managers are responsible for planning, organizing and converting the sales strategy. They supervise the sales targets and profitability in the sales department and have an overview of the sales employees and distributors. As well as monitoring the sales activities in general, sales managers can also check cost center activities.Regional sales managers coordinate the budget and the forecast. They also report on the products and prices. Additionally, they follow the development of customer complaints.The Business Information Warehouse delivers information on the sales pipeline, the sales portfolio, and the budget, by requesting information on sales activities.

Role Activities

From the task of regional sales manager, we derive the activities that can be assigned to this role.  The regional sales manager needs, for example, current figures on incoming orders and deliveries, in order to monitor sales activities.The Business Information Warehouse delivers this information in the form of workbooks, which contain different queries. Every role is assigned one or more of these workbooks, which retrieve the required information.Moreover, you can assign R/3 and BW system transactions, MiniApps, Internet and intranet links to a role.

SAP's Role Concept: Overview

The development of the user role concept was based on the idea that employees within a company who have the same tasks may also use the same transactions, Internet links and reports. It makes sure that the individual users are able to see only what they need for the tasks they perform.A role describes the business tasks of its assigned users. If a user is assigned to a user role that is predefined by SAP, the menu designed for his or her task area automatically appears when they log on to the SAP system (for example, transactions, reports and/or Internet links) as well as the authorizations the user needs for his or her work.

SAP distinguishes between single and composite roles. The single roles contain the authorizations that users need to access, for example, the transactions and reports in the user-specific menu. Composite roles consist of several single roles. They do not receive any authorization data themselves, but get the authorizations from the single roles assigned to them. Use composite role s if some of your co-workers need authorizations for several single roles. This means you can assign user groups to one of the SAP composite roles instead of entering the required single roles for each individual user.





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SAP BW Administrator Workbench

The SAP BW Administrator Workbench is the tool for maintaining, controlling, and monitoring the Business Information Warehouse.The jobs assigned to the Administrator Workbench include: 

Creating and customizing/maintaining all the components of the Business Information Warehouse
ŸScheduling data transfers from various data sources
ŸLoading data
ŸMonitoring data transfers and data updates

Business Content, delivered by SAP, reduces the work involved in configuring your BW system. The Administrator Workbench activates the SAP Business Content.

Source Systems

All systems that provide the SAP Business Information Warehouse with data are referred to as source systems.An interface with the BW system must be maintained for each source system. SAP R/3 source systems (from Release 3.1I), mySAP components ALE (Application Link Enabling) and/or tRFC (Transactional Remote Function Call) External systems, SAP R/2 and SAP R/3 Releases earlier than 3.1I.

BAPI (Business Application Programming Interface)
The data extraction process:

ŸData from SAP R/3 (from Release 3.1I) and from mySAP components, is extracted using the extractors delivered with Business Content, and loaded into BW. Data from SAP R/2 and R/3 (earlier than Release 3.1I) and data from non-SAP source systems, is extracted using third-party tools. Data from flat files is loaded into BW using a file interface.

InfoObjects in BW

InfoObject is the generic term for all business objects, such as customer, product, region, sales, head count and so on.As part of the BW Metadata Repository, InfoObjects include a technical definition as well as business logic.InfoObjects are used across the whole BW system (an InfoSource is a collection of InfoObjects). InfoObjects are either key figures or characteristics.

Special characteristics are time and unit.
The InfoObject definition includes:
Ÿ
General information (data dictionary, Business Explorer, management, transfer routines)
ŸMaster data/attributes
ŸHierarchies
ŸTexts
ŸCompound information
SAP InfoObjects start with the 0. Customer-defined InfoObjects start with a letter from A to Z.

Scenario for a New InfoObject

In the scenario, data from overhead cost controlling is loaded from two separate sources into a single InfoCube.The cost centers in the R/3 system are ten characters long, while the cost centers in the non-
SAP source system have thirteen characters. The different ways the cost centers are displayed in the two source systems have to be homogenized, before you are able to report on all the cost centers in your company. In this case, the cost centers with ten characters that have come from the R/3 system have to be lengthened by three characters. To do this, you have to create a Cost Center InfoObject.



DataSources and InfoSources

Data extraction takes place in two components: the DataSource and the InfoSource.DataSources include extraction source structures and transfer structures. Data is staged in the extraction source structure and the transfer structure, and transferred into the BW system by ALE or tRFC.An InfoSource is a set of information that logically belongs together. InfoSources manage transaction data and master data (attributes, texts, and hierarchies).InfoSources describe all the information that is available for a business transaction or a type of business transaction (for example, cost center accounting).Transfer structures support the transfer of data in a DataSource between a source system and the SAP BW system to which the source system is connected. The transfer structure transports the DataSource data from a source system to a SAP BW system. Transfer rules pass the data on to the InfoSource.

The communication structure is independent of the source system and is generated from the InfoSource. It is filled from the transfer structure, according to the transfer rules. The communication structure contains all the fields in an InfoSource. This method of extracting and transferring cleansed data in the communication structure is called data staging.Every InfoCube has update rules that determine how data from the communication structure is stored in the InfoCube.


Transfer Rules and Update Rules

Transfer rules connect a DataSource to an InfoSource. The logic behind the assignment of DataSource-type data elements to InfoObjects in the InfoSource is contained in the transfer rules. Update rules determine in what form the data from the communication structure is updated in the InfoCube.Data can be manipulated by either set of rules. If you want to have a consistent definition of
data for all InfoCubes, the best way of converting the data into a consistent format is by using the transfer rules. Update rules can be used for InfoCube-specific data conversions.

Staging Engine

Different types of data are collected from the different types of data source:

ŸMetadata
ŸMaster data
ŸTransaction data
To keep the data in BW consistent, specific methods within the data staging process are required for each data type and each data source.

Metadata : Metadata is data about data. It is information that characterizes the data in the data warehouse environment.

Master data (SAP interpretation) :Master data is data that remains unchanged over a long period of time. It contains information that is always needed in the same way. In BW, master data is assigned to the characteristics, and can be attributes, texts, or hierarchies.
Transaction data :Transaction data is created within an operational environment and updated frequently.

Extraction from Several Sources

Virtually any source of data can be extracted for use in the Business Information Warehouse.


Methods of Extraction

There are two ways of extracting data:

ŸYou can use IDocs to load the data into a data target (InfoCube) directly. If you choose this method, all of the data is transferred by way of the IDocs.
Alternatively, you can load the data into the PSA. With this method, Info-IDocs are sent at the start and end of the extraction process, but the data itself is not sent by IDocs.



Scheduler

Data requests to the source system are managed by the Scheduler. The requests are formulated per InfoSource and source system, and differentiate between master and transaction data.There can be different extraction requests with different selection criteria for an InfoSource in one source system. These are known as InfoPackages.A variety of selection criteria can be used to restrict the data that is requested. R/3 job planning distributes InfoPackages or groups of InfoPackages into background processes. This means that you can completely automate the data transfer process, and decide for yourself when and how often to extract data. For example, you might want to use your own factory calendar to schedule data extraction on public holidays, and so on.

The transaction concept in the Business Information Warehouse includes the retrieval of data from the OLTP, and the successful update of the data in the corresponding InfoCubes.Using the monitoring function in the Administrator Workbench, you monitor the data transfer and the processing of the data that has arrived in BW. You can generate lists per user, per source system, per day, and so on, that contain information on the status of the InfoPackage processing.

Monitor

An overview of the data extraction requests is displayed in the Monitor in a tree structure. In this tree structure, you can display details of the various requests, for example, the current status of a particular request.Any errors that ha ve occurred during the extraction process are logged in the Monitor to help you locate and remove their cause.The Monitor Assistant analyzes the requests, and suggests any corrections that you might need to make.The Monitor Assistant can be run in the background, and notify specified e-mail recipients of problems.A series of different IDocs are required to handle the data transfer. These IDocs make communication and data transfer possible across the system boundaries. Information IDocs and data IDocs are different. You tell them apart by their status.


Additional Administrator Workbench Functions

BW Statistics activates an InfoCube, delivered by SAP, containing information on many aspects of system performance. This information is very useful in showing you how the BW system is being used, and if there are any areas that could be improved.One way to improve query performance in BW is to use aggregates. Aggregates are summarized versions of InfoCubes, and are useful in queries involving non-summarized characteristics.

SAP DemoCubes provide demonstration scenarios that have been modeled according to the requirements of different types of company. They contain data from delivered flat files. When you activate a SAP DemoCube, all the required objects are created automatically, and you are able to see the underlying structure in the Administrator Workbench. Once the flat file data has been loaded, analyses can be displayed immediately.

You use the tools in the Administrator Workbench to maintain the contents of the InfoCube. When you click with the right mouse-button on an InfoCube, and select Manage InfoCube Contents, you can choose from a selection of analyses that help improve the performance of the InfoCube.


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SAP Data Warehousing Concepts

SAP Data Warehousing Concepts deals with data extraction and usage as per t the needs. In transaction processing, we are constantly filling specialized tables that are optimized for displaying the thousands of different steps of our business processes.For example, sales and distribution document items flow in from sales documents and quotation documents. These become delivery header data, which then becomes invoice header data and is sent on as accounts receivable information.The tables in the Business Information Warehouse are different in that they do not process transactions. Instead, all information for a specific business process in BW is gathered together and analyzed.

Data that has been loaded into BW from various source systems, is stored in BW in the form of star schemas. This type of table assignment is ideal for reporting purposes.The dimensions answer question such as "Who?" "What?" and "When?" The facts provide answers to questions such as; “how much money, how many people, how much did we pay”?

Example: Sales


Star Schema

InfoCubes produce a multi-dimensional data model on the database server of the Business Information Warehouse. This allows the facts to be grouped in separate fact tables, and the dimensions to be grouped in separate dimension tables. Both types of table are interconnected. Individual dimension values can be subdivided further into master data tables. In this way, master data tables, text tables, hierarchy data tables, and dimension tables, are grouped in a star- like formation around one central fact table. This structure is called an extended star schema. In an analysis, the data from the smaller tables at the edge of the star schema, is collected together first, before the corresponding data in the fact table is accessed using the keys.

Structuring information in a data warehouse according to this star schema guarantees the efficiency of the reporting process, and provides a flexible solution that can be easily adjusted to changing business requirements.When you create an InfoCube, you choose the key figures and characteristics that you are going to require in your analysis. You have to group your characteristics together in a time dimension, a unit dimension, and a number of other dimension categories. On the basis of your entries, the system generates a star schema on the database automatic ally.


SAP BW: Extended Star Schema

The BW extended star schema differs from the classic star schema. The BW star schema is divided into a solution-dependent part (fact tables and dimension tables = InfoCube) and a solution-independent part (master data tables, text tables, and hierarchy tables) that is also used by other InfoCubes.



Specific Characteristics of the BW Star Schema

When designing the dimensions of an InfoCube, you must put a lot of thought into which characteristics you are going to use, and how you are going to arrange them in the dimension table. This is an important part of the data modeling process, since the choices you make here have a significant impact on the size, performance, and usability of the InfoCube data. The attribute tables, hierarchy tables, and text tables are not included in the InfoCube. This means that this data is maintained separately, and can be used across different InfoCubes.

Master Data and InfoCubes

Attributes are fields that describe an InfoObject. These attributes are used to display additional information within a workbook to make the results more meaningful.You are not able to navigate with this attribute. An attribute-type master data table can be used by any InfoCube that accesses this
InfoObject. 


MDM/Star Schema and BW

Common data warehouse terminology corresponds, for the most part, with BW terminology.In some cases, BW uses special terminology to describe various objects and processes.

Granularity of Data

Granularity is a term used to describe the level of detail.If data has a high level of granularity, it means that the data is highly detailed and there are many characteristics describing the key figures. The level of granularity by customer, for example, is less detailed than by customer, by material. The level of granularity that a set of data has determines how far you are able to drill-down on the data. Granularity also affects the size of the database. Data that is stored by customer, by month is much more summarized than by customer, by day, by document, by document line item. A year’s volume of data for the first case would therefore be much smaller than for the second.

From Data Model to Database

You use the term star schema, when you are talking about table structures conceptually, or from the perspective of data modeling. We talk about InfoCubes when we are referring to the actual set of tables where data is stored. In BW InfoCubes are used to create queries.

InfoCube

The fact table and the relevant dimension tables of an InfoCube are connected with one another by the dimension keys. A dimension key is provided by the system, one per characteristic combination in a dimension table.When you execute a query, the OLAP processor checks in the dimension tables of the InfoCube that you want to evaluate, to see if they contain the characteristic combinations required by the selection.The dimension keys determined in this way, lead you to the information you need in the fact table.

InfoCube: Multi-Dimensional Analysis

From the characteristics available in the dimensions of the InfoCube, you choose the characteristics that you want to use in your query.For these characteristics, a subset of data, called the Query Cache, is selected by the OLAP Processor and stored in the memory. This improves the query performance. From the data in the Query Cache, even more detailed views of the data can be generated. Filter values are used in the query to generate these more detailed views. This enables you to analyze specific divisions or regions.



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SAP Business Information Warehouse Explorer

The Business Explorer helps to analyze the data in the SAP Business Information Warehouse.In the Business Explorer Analyzer, you define queries that are based on a selection of InfoObjects or pre-defined query templates for an InfoCube. By navigating through queries, you generate various view of the data which enable you to analyze and present the InfoCube data. You save the queries in workbooks and can manage them in your favorites.The Business Explorer Browser allows you to manage and execute workbooks that are in your favorites folder, or that belong to one of the roles that you are assigned to.








From InfoCube to Workbook

You analyze the database in the Business Information Warehouse, by defining queries for InfoCubes.If you imagine the InfoCube as a multi-dimensional cube, when you select characteristics and key figures in a query, a smaller cube is cut out of the larger InfoCube .The multi-dimensional structure of the query data enables you to generate various views of the data in an InfoCube. The OLAP processor creates the queries from the InfoCube data and provides methods for navigation within this data.

The Business Explorer requests the data that you want for the query and presents the current view of the saved data. Only data which is actually required is transferred. If you want a new data view in the Business Explorer, the OLAP processor calls up the data from the InfoCube while you are navigating through the data.



BEx Browser: Overview


Use the BEx Browser to access all types of documents that have been assigned to you in the role maintenance, or that you saved in your favorites.The administration of the document types displayed in the BEx Browser is based on the role maintenance (activity group maintenance) in the SAP Easy Access Menu. This is where you create new roles, assign them users, and maintain authorizations. You can select and organize documents in the BEx Browser. You can also create folders and specify how you want them presented on the screen regarding their position and any graphics used. You can maintain your favorites and add new folders and objects.Alternatively, you can maintain your favorites in the SAP Easy Access Menu in BW. The objects are displayed in a tree.


Executing Queries in the BEx Analyzer


You can find the query definition you selected under Query in the BEx Analyzer, assigned to the corresponding InfoArea and InfoCube.A search function helps you to find the query quickly. You can either enter the description or the technical name of the query.When you find the query, select it with the mouse and confirm with OK. If the InfoCube contains data, the query result is shown on an Excel worksheet.




Managing Queries in the BEx Browser

If you want to save the query in a new favorites folder, proceed as follows:

ŸOpen the 'Favorites' folder in the tree structure of the BEx Browser. Place the cursor on the right side of the screen and create a new folder (right mouse-click - New -> Folder. Give it an  oppropriate name and specify how you want it presented by choosing Select Color and Symbol. Ÿ Open the BEx Analyzer and execute the selected query. Save the workbook by choosing Save -> Save as new workbook. Enter a name for the query and select the folder you created in your favorites. Confirm with OK. When you call the BEx Browser you see the name of the query in your new folder, as long as your favorites are open. Double -click on the name to start the query.




Creating a Query

Procedure for creating a new query:

ŸChoose the New icon in the toolbar.
ŸChoose the pushbutton Queries. Choose pushbutton New.
ŸThis brings you to the selection screen containing all of the InfoCubes for which you can define a new query. Select the InfoCube on whose data you want the query to be based, by selecting it with the mouse. You can see the technical name of the InfoCube by choosing Technical Name (wrench icon). To create the query, choose New.


Choosing Characteristics and Key Figures


The objects available for the InfoCube you have selected are shown as a tree structure in the left- hand part of the query definition screen. These objects include the key figures and characteristics of the dimensions.The right-hand part contains empty directories for filter selections, rows, columns, and the free characteristics of the query. The bottom right-hand part of the screen shows a preview of the query result area. This area is empty at first.By clicking the plus or minus symbol for the directories, you can expand or compress the directory structure. By expanding the key figure node in the InfoCube tree, for example, you can display a list of all the key figures for the InfoCube. You can drag the characteristics and key figures for the InfoCube into the directories for the query definition (filter, rows, columns, free characteristics).When you have finished defining your query, choose Save Query. Choose Enter (checkmark icon) to start working with the query.

Changing a Query


Choose Change Query to modify the query.
There are two options for changing the query:

ŸChoose the mode Change Query (local view) to easily move or restrict the objects that are already in the query definition. The worksheet is refreshed each time you execute the query, but the changes are not saved in the query definition.

Choose Change Query (global definition) to return to the definition screen, where you can use the same functions you could use when you first defined the query. Before executing the changed query, save the changes in the query definition. This applies the changes to the original query definition.

There are two ways of saving the changed query:
ŸYou can save the changed query under its previous name. To do this, choose Save Query in the toolbar. You can save the changed query under a new name. To do this, choose Save Query as... in the
toolbar. Enter a new technical name and a new description. You can change this description at any time.



Schema: Exception Reporting

There are three types of exception reporting:

ŸThe evaluation of exceptions online when you execute a query.
ŸThe evaluation of exceptions in the background.
ŸAnd the Alert Monitor (notifies you that exceptions have occurred).

BEx Map

SAP has developed a geographical information system for BW: the BEx Map. With it, you can display query data on a designated map.BEx Map is fully integrated in the BEx Analyzer; the user can call up BEx Map for every query that contains geo-relevant characteristics.BW customers receive maps, on which they can display query results immediately after completing a few simple maintenance activities.

Drill-Through

Using the report/report interface you can jump from one BEx query to another query or transaction, to gain additional information for your query result. The contents of the query result cells, from which you start navigating, function as a filter.

You have the following drill-through options:

ŸFrom a BEx query to a BEx query using an InfoCube
ŸFrom a BEx query to a BEx query using an ODS object
ŸFrom a BEx query to an InfoSet query
ŸFrom a BEx query to a transaction in a source system

MultiCube Query

A MultiCube is a virtual InfoCube that contains no data itself, but that accesses data from other InfoCubes that are specified when the MultiCube is created.You can put different InfoCubes together in one MultiCube, as long as they have at least one common key field.You can use the same reporting functions for the MultiCube as for a Basis InfoCube.

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SAP Business Information Warehouse Overview

Reporting systems of all kinds are common in today’s enterprise environment. Many of these systems, however, are unable to provide the kind of information that you need to help you make complex decisions.Data warehouses, such as the SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW), provide the kind of decision-support system that is needed in today’s business environment.

SAP OLTP Reporting Toolbox

SAp until now, these solutions focused on the needs of operational reporting. The requirements of strategic reporting were not fully met.The SAP Business Information Warehouse provides a complete solution for all types of reporting and decision-support.

OLTP versus OLAP

OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) refers to the type of data processing typically done in an R/3 system. The reporting requirements in this type of system vary greatly from those in an OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) environment.BW is an OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) system, providing users with data in a form that makes reporting possible across different systems and different applications.





SAP Business Information Warehouse

Against this background, SAP decided to develop its own data warehouse solution, an independent business component combining all the different reporting tasks, with a separate server, and its own database and SAP system. This solution is the SAP Business Information Warehouse.All of the requirements and objectives mentioned so far have been met in the conception and architecture of the SAP Business Information Warehouse.A decisive advantage of the SAP Business Information Warehouse is the fact that all of SAP's business know- how, gathered from over 25 years of software development in the commercial sector, has been applied in developing the Metadata Repository in the Business Information Warehouse.SAP R/3 systems can be configured as OLTP systems and supply the SAP Business Information Warehouse with the entire SAP Business Content.

mySAP Business Applications

The SAP Business Information Warehouse has a central positio n among the mySAP solutions. Typical characteristics of the individual solutions are separate development, implementation, and maintenance of the components, and independent release cycles in the different areas.BAPI and ALE technology takes care of communication between these various systems. n The advantages of this architecture include quicker implementation, flexibility, openness, and extendability.




BW and the Business Framework

The SAP Business Framework Architecture has been developed to meet the demands made of a modern data warehouse solution. It is under this motto that SAP has recently transformed its R/3 System into a family of software components.Considerations such as how to implement new functions more quickly, flexibility, openness, enhanceability, and so on, form the basis of this strategy. Tried and tested ALE and BAPI technology in the SAP system provides the technical background for the componentization of business standard-software.SAP uses Application Link Enabling (ALE) and SAP Business Workflow to guarantee the integration of the whole system. This enables business processes to function across different components.

BW Strategy: An End-To-End Solution


BW is a complete data warehouse solution, from the extraction of data from various source systems, to providing a set of tools for analyzing and displaying the data.

Architecture of the Business Information Warehouse


BW has a multi- level architecture to provide the maximum degree of flexibility.BW can extract and use data provided by a variety of sources. These include R/3 and R/2 systems, non-SAP systems, flat files, commercial data providers, and even other BW systems.The BW server provides all the tools necessary to model, extract, transform, aggregate, store, and access data. Since the description of the data, regardless of its source, is contained in a common Metadata Repository, data from a variety of sources can be combined to give you enhanced data analysis options.BW users can access data through the SAP Business Explorer, a standard Web Browser, or third-party display tools, which have been certified for use with a common BAPI interface.

Details of the BW Architecture


For R/3 source systems, SAP provides a range of extractors that make it easier to use data from R/3. For non-SAP systems, customers can either develop their own extractor programs, or use one of the certified third-party tools available.Sources of data can be legacy systems, R/3 systems, R/2 systems, flat files, 3rd party systems, or other BW systems.On the BW server, data is stored in one or more InfoCubes. In addition, the operational data store, or ODS, can be used to store the transaction-level data.The Business Explorer consists of two tools; the Business Explorer Analyzer that is used to create and execute queries, and the Business Explorer Browser that is used to display existing reports. Third-party presentation tools can also be used. Queries can also be accessed using a Web browser.

BW has an open architecture that allows you to use tools from other providers for extracting data and reporting. These 3rd-party tools are certified by SAP.Data from providers such as Dun & Bradstreet or A.C. Nielsen can be used in BW.


Business Content Development

Business Content contains numerous objects that simplify the implementation of BW and accelerate the construction of an effective reporting system.These objects are grouped together to enable you to use them effectively: For all areas of your company and for many industry sectors, there are roles that provide users with the relevant reports and applications that they need to perform their tasks.In the future, cross-component applications called Analytical Applications will be available to provide direct access to all the information related to a process. They allow you not only to analyze these process, but also trigger actions and reactions in the systems that deliver data.

Areas particularly suitable for the implementation of Analytical Applications are, for example, Supply Chain Management (for example, supplier and catalog analysis, manufacturing analysis), Customer Relationship Management (for example, e-business analysis, market exploration) or analyses within the company, such as performance analysis, payment analysis, or human capital analysis.

The Advantages of Business Content


Business Content enables customers to implement BW more quickly and more cost effectively. Business Content provides you with a data model that helps you implement your BW, and also benefit from other customers' experience.

 mySAP.com Workplace

When a user logs on to mySAP.com Workplace, he or she has access to a variety of applications, including R/3 systems, legacy systems, and mySAP.com components, such as BW, all of which are related to his or her role in the company. Users also have access to various Internet services.

Starting Workbooks


A user accesses workbooks from his or her workplace (reports are assigned to a role). Simply  clicking on the workbook launches Excel. All the standard query-navigation functions are available.

Starting Web Reports


Web reports can be executed directly from the launch pad by integrating the URL for the report  directly into the user’s role.An unlimited number of Web reports can be added to the user’s role. The URL for a Web report can also be included in a role as a MiniApp, or defined as an item in an Internet page.Current data is selected by the OLAP processor upon execution. A user's authorizations are checked at this point.You are able to navigate in the Web report if the type of Web report you have selected includes a navigation toolbar or drilldown table items.


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SAP Integration Planning Cycle

To fully integrate  SAP Integration Planning Cycle ,ABC into the corporate planning cycle, several new customizing activities should be performed.In order to identify ABC costs in the cost component view of product cost, new cost components for processes may be needed.New value fields may be needed for processes in CO-PA based on the new cost components.New value fields may be needed for processes in CO-PA which are not product related.

Planning Integration - Sales Planning

In the Sales Information System (SIS) component of the Logistics Information System (LIS), the company can plan sales quantities for the following year. Similarly, sales quantity planning can be accomplished in profitability analysis (CO-PA). Both SIS and CO-PA can produce forecasts of sales quantities at the product or product group level. The two sales plans can be reconciled to produce a single consistent “master” sales quantity plan.

CO-PA: Planning

Planning layouts are customized screens for entering plan data. The definition of a planning layout controls not only the appearance of the pla nning screen, but also some of the functionality. This allows for complete flexibility in controlling the planning entry process.A planning layout definition consists of three parts: the general data selection, the lead columns, and the value columns. The general data selection is where characteristic values are specified that are valid for the entire layout. The lead columns are where additional characteristics that are to be planned may be specified. And the value columns contain characteristic/value fie ld combinations.

 Valid values for the special characteristics version, record type (for costing-based CO-PA), and plan/actual indicator, are required for each row/column intersection in a planning layout definition. By employing these intelligently in the layout design, layouts can be created in which values can be planned for more than one version at a time and in which actual history data may be displayed for reference.

Variables may be used when defining planning layouts to give them maximum flexibility. Variables can be used for any characteristic, and they can be installed anywhere they are necessary: rows, columns, or the general data selection. Users will be prompted to enter values for these variables when planning.Separate planning layouts are necessary for costing-based CO-PA and account-based CO-PA, as planning figures on the two sides of CO-PA are not related or linked in any way. When defining layouts in costing-based CO-PA, the characteristic record type is necessary. When defining layouts in account-based CO-PA, the characteristic cost element is mandatory.

Planning in PP

In the Sales Information System (SIS) component of the Logistics Information System (LIS), the company can plan sales quantities for the following year. Similarly, sales quantity planning can be accomplished in profitability analysis (CO-PA). Both SIS and CO-PA can produce forecasts of sales quantities at the product or product group level. The two sales plans can be reconciled to produce a single consistent “master” sales quantity pla n.The sales quantity plan is transferred to Sales and Operation Planning (SOP) in Production Planning.There, a capacity-based comparison of plan quantities with production resources takes place. If the plan cannot be met, additional resources must be obtained or the sales plan changed.

Cost Center Planning

In the Sales Information System (SIS) component of the Logistics Information System (LIS), the company can plan sales quantities for the following year. Similarly, sales quantity planning can be accomplished in profitability analysis (CO-PA). Both SIS and CO-PA can produce forecasts of sales quantities at the product or product group level. The two sales plans can be reconciled to produce a single consistent “master” sales quantity plan.

The sales quantity plan is transferred to Sales and Operation Planning (SOP) in Production Planning. There, a capacity-based comparison of plan quantities with production resources takes place. If the plan cannot be met, additional resources must be obtained or the sales plan changed.The activity requirements are calculated in Production Planning and transferred as scheduled  activities to cost center planning.


 Transferring Plan Values to Cost Centers

Integrated planning supports transfers of data from Cost Center Accounting feeder systems to cost center planning.If you planned this data in the feeder systems and want to transfer it unchanged to cost center planning, you do not have to plan the corresponding data in Cost Center Accounting. To use integrated planning, you must meet various preconditions in Cost Center Accounting and in the feeder systems. For example, if you wish to transfer statistical key figure planned values, you must first have created the necessary statistical key figure master records, and linked them to the Logistics Information System (LIS).

The personnel costs that you planned in Human Resources (HR) can be transferred to relevant cost centers. During integrated planning between Cost Center Accounting (CO-OM-CCA) and Personnel Planning (PD), you can plan personnel costs for target wages, payroll results, or basic pay, and transfer these costs to Cost Center Accounting. A precondition is that the cost centers to which the affected personnel master data is assigned must be valid. If Personnel Cost Planning and Cost Center Accounting are implemented in systems at Release 4.6A or later, the system automatically transfers the personnel costs to Cost Center Accounting. In prior Releases, the user initiates the data transfer.

During integrated planning between the Cost Center Accounting (CO-OM-CCA) and Asset Management (FI-AA) components, you can transfer periodic depreciation and interest of an asset to primary cost planning in Cost Center Accounting.After you calculate the values for services required in SOP, Long-Term Planning (LTP), or MRP,you can transfer these figures as scheduled activity type quantities to Cost Center Accounting.






Planning Scope on Internal Orders

Cost planning is performed mostly on orders with long durations. Orders which only exist for a very short period, such as orders for unexpected small repairs, are usually not planned.Internal order planning provides three different levels of cost planning:

Overall Planning is the simplest way of planning costs for orders. You can estimate overall and annual values for an order independent from cost elements.When more detailed information is available for an internal order, you can use primary and secondary cost and revenue planning. This covers the planning of primary costs, activity inputs and revenues in manual planning. In automatic planning, you can charge the order with overheads, distribution costs, periodic reposting costs, assessment costs, indirect activity allocation costs, process costs, and settlement costs. If the order is a plan-integrated order, you perform a plan credit using periodic reposting or settlement to a cost center.

If you have access to more information on sources of supply, quantities and prices, you can perform unit costing. With unit costing you can plan on a level below the cost element level.You can plan statistical key figures as a basis for allocations and as a means to calculate the management key figures for your orders.

In integrated planning for internal orders, you can integrate cost element and activity input planning for an internal order with cost center or business process planning. This integrated planning capability is activated in the plan version. When planning activity inputs to integrated internal orders, the scheduled activities post to the sender cost center/process. In addition, plan settlement and periodic repostings of integrated orders to cost centers/processes is allowed. And plan allocations of indirect activities, assessments, and distributions from cost centers/processes to plan integrated orders are also allowed.


Planning Integration - Product Cost Planning


In the Sales Information System (SIS) component of the Logistics Information System (LIS), the company can plan sales quantities for the following year. Similarly, sales quantity planning can be accomplished in profitability analysis (CO-PA). Both SIS and CO-PA can produce forecasts of sales quantities at the product or product group level. The two sales plans can be reconciled to produce a single consistent “master” sales quantity plan.

The sales quantity plan is transferred to Sales and Operation Planning (SOP) in Production Planning. There, a capacity-based comparison of plan quantities with production resources takes place. If the plan cannot be met, additional resources must be obtained or the sales plan changed.The activity requirements are calculated in Production Planning and transferred as scheduled activities to cost center planning.

In cost center planning, the plan activity quantities are created on the basis of scheduled quantities. Cost planning is performed for cost centers and internal orders, as well as additional activity planning for overhead cost controlling. Planned costs from the HR and AA components can be transferred to cost center planning. Plan activity prices are then calculated.The calculated plan activity prices go to Product Cost Planning, which estimates the production costs of the planned products with the use of bills of material and routings (quantity structures). Cost center planning data can be transferred to profit center planning.





Product Cost Planning: Overview

When you create a cost estimate with a quantity structure, you enter the costing variant, the material, the plant, and the lot size. The dates are proposed from the costing variant and determine the following:

Ÿthe period of validity of the cost estimate (costing date from/to)
Ÿthe selection date for the bill of material and routing (quantity structure date)
Ÿthe pricing date for the material components and activities (valuation date)
With the Transfer control indicator you specify that you either want to use an existing cost estimate for component materials, or create a new cost estimate.The system selects and values the quantity structure automatically.The costing results can be saved and displayed as an itemization, a cost element itemization, or a cost component split. The itemization shows detailed information on the origin of the costs, such as the quantities and prices of the materials and internal activities used.

The cost element itemization groups the individual costing items into cost elements. The cost elements group the costs according to how they were incurred. For materials, cost elements are determined through account determination; for activities, through the activity type master or through activity type planning; for processes, through the process master record.The cost component split groups the cost elements into cost components. When a multilevel structure is costed, the cost component split is rolled up so that the original identity of the costs is retained for analysis.You can analyze the results of the cost estimate directly or in the information system.






Update Sales Plan/CO-PA

In the Sales Information System (SIS) component of the Logistics Information System (LIS), the company can plan sales quantities for the following year. Similarly, sales quantity planning can be accomplished in profitability analysis (CO-PA). Both SIS and CO-PA can produce forecasts of sales quantities at the product or product group level. The two sales plans can be reconciled to produce a single consistent “master” sales quantity plan.

The sales quantity plan is transferred to Sales and Operation Planning (SOP) in Production Planning. There, a capacity-based comparison of plan quantities with production resources takes place. If the plan cannot be met, additional resources must be obtained or the sales plan changed.The activity requirements are calculated in Production Planning and transferred as scheduled activities to cost center planning.

In cost center planning, the plan activity quantities are created on the basis of scheduled quantities. Cost planning is performed for cost centers and internal orders, as well as additional activity planning for overhead cost controlling. Planned costs from the HR and AA components can be transferred to cost center planning. Plan activity prices are then calculated.The calculated plan activity prices go to Product Cost Planning, which estimates the production costs of the planned products with the use of bills of material and routings (quantity structures). Cost center planning data can be transferred to profit center planning.

Planned production costs are then transferred to profitability planning (CO-PA). These estimated costs are used in conjunction with the sales plan projected revenue to create a profitability plan. Based on the results of this profitability plan, adjustments may be made to the original sales plan, which would flow through the entire integrated planning process as another iteration. This cycle could be repeated until all aspects of the integrated plan are satisfactory.





Transfer of the Product Costing Results to CO-PA

The cost components from a product cost estimate can be used in Profitability Analysis for profit planning, and to value the plan/actual data of billing documents. This enables you to receive detailed information on the origin of your product costs in Profitability Analysis, and analyze your contribution margins.To transfer the product cost estimate, you assign the cost components containing the cost of goods manufactured, and sales and administration costs, to the corresponding value fields of an operating concern, and link these values with the quantity field ‘sales quantity'.

The calculated cost of goods sold is then compared with the forecast revenues, and planned profit margins can be calculated. If the result is unsatisfactory, the entire planning cycle can be repeated with different starting values.You make the necessary settings to transfer data from the cost estimate into Profitability Analysis in Customizing for Profitability Analysis.

Plan Integration in Profit Center Accounting

To make it possible to control and evaluate internal areas of responsibility effectively, you should limit profit center planning to those values which are measurable and can be influenced directly. The people in charge of the profit centers will only be able to use the planned data and targets if they can influence the costs, revenues and inventor ies in their area. Since the organizational structure and scope of your company's responsibility areas depends largely on individual factors, it is necessary to create as flexible and multidimensional a plan as possible.Profit center planning is an integral part of your overall company planning. Profit centers make the integrated character of company planning especially evident, since the plan data here is created principally in other applications, and can be supplemented or changed here. Profit center planning is a part of short-term corporate planning, and encompasses a span of one fiscal year. Short-term corporate planning generally consists of the following partial plans:

sales plan
Ÿmaster production schedule
Ÿcost plan
Ÿsales revenue plan
The planning process combines these individual planning areas into an integrated planning network. You can use different plan versions to reflect changes during the planning process, or different planning scenarios for the same time frame.The planning of profit centers is performed in two stages. First, plan data can be transferred online from the following applications: Cost Center Accounting, Internal Orders, Profitability Analysis, and Product Cost Planning. Second, planning can be carried out directly on profit centers.


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