Comprehensive Guide to SAP Analytics Cloud: Features and Capabilities

Comprehensive Guide to SAP Analytics Cloud: Features and Capabilities

Introduction SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) is an all-in-one cloud platform designed to integrate business intelligence (BI), augmented analytics, predictive analytics, and enterprise planning. It offers users a unified and scalable solution to visualize, plan, and forecast based on real-time data across an organization. This guide will cover key features, updates, and essential information to help you navigate the platform and maximize its benefits.

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Getting Started with SAP Analytics Cloud

1. Start for Free:

SAP offers a 90-day free trial to help users explore the capabilities of SAC. This trial period provides ample opportunity to assess the platform's usefulness in meeting business requirements.

2. Pricing Information:

Detailed pricing is available on the SAP Discovery Center, where you can learn about different subscription models and feature packages to fit various business needs.

3. What's New in Q3 2024:

The latest updates offer enhanced analytics, AI-driven insights, and improved integration options. Explore the What's New Viewer to see a detailed breakdown of the most recent features and improvements in this release.

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Navigating SAP Analytics Cloud

1. Introduction to SAP Analytics Cloud:

This section provides a foundational understanding of the interface, enabling users to navigate through menus and tools effectively. Personalization options allow users to tailor their workspace for optimized use.

2. Help and Guidance:

The platform offers robust in-app help features, including a decision tree for new users, a swimlane diagram for specific information, and direct help access from the platform's ? menu. This makes it easy to find guidance when using any part of SAC.

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Content Viewing and Sharing

1. Viewing and Personalization:

Users can create bookmarks for their favorite reports or story views, which allow easy navigation through stories or boardroom presentations. These bookmarks can also be shared with others in the organization.

2. Sharing and Collaboration:

SAC emphasizes collaboration. Users can share insights, export data, and collaborate with colleagues across departments seamlessly. SAC also provides an app for Vision Pro that enables immersive content viewing in augmented reality environments.

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Data Preparation and Connectivity

1. Data Connections:

SAP Analytics Cloud offers connectivity to both cloud and on-premise data sources, including SAP HANA, SAP BW, and other external databases. The Connection Guide provides detailed instructions for configuring these connections.

2. Data Wrangling and Modeling:

With advanced data preparation and wrangling tools, users can clean and optimize their data for accurate analysis. SAC supports the creation and management of datasets and models, allowing more efficient data utilization across the organization.

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Data Analysis and Visualization

1. Data Analyzer:

This feature allows users to perform ad-hoc analyses on SAP BW queries and SAP HANA views. Insights gained from these analyses can be saved for future reference.

2. Data Visualization (Stories):

SAC's Stories function allows users to create presentation-style reports using various visualizations like charts, graphs, and pictograms. These stories help communicate complex data insights in an easily understandable format.

3. Scripting and Boardroom Presentations:

For more advanced users, the Optimized Story Experience and Analytics Designer offer scripting capabilities, enabling the creation of highly interactive, customized applications. SAC also supports Digital Boardroom presentations, making it possible to present real-time data interactively to business stakeholders.

4. Custom Widgets and Add-ons:

Developers can create custom widgets and extensions for the Analytics Designer using the Custom Widget Developer Guide and Widget Add-On Developer Guide, allowing for even more tailored user experiences.

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AI for Planning and Analytics

1. Augmented Analytics:

Powered by machine learning, SAP Analytics Cloud's Smart Features provide users with augmented insights. Features such as Smart Predict enable predictive analytics, helping businesses to anticipate future trends based on historical data.

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Business Planning

1. Planning and Forecasting:

SAC combines business planning with analytics to create a powerful tool for business strategy. It integrates predictive analytics with planning to forecast trends and model potential scenarios.

2. Workflow Management with Calendar:

The SAP Analytics Cloud calendar enables users to manage workflows with tasks and events, assigning responsibilities and setting deadlines to streamline planning processes across teams.

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Business Content and Templates

SAP offers free pre-built business content and templates, allowing organizations to quickly implement analytics and planning solutions. These templates include Smart Assist features, value-driver trees, and mobile-friendly designs.

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Administration and Security

1. System Administration:

Administrators can manage the SAC tenant, configure settings, and monitor usage. The Mobile Administration Guide helps ensure smooth rollouts of mobile applications for enterprise users.

2. Security Administration:

SAP Analytics Cloud provides robust security features, including user authentication, role-based access, and team management. The Security Recommendations document offers detailed guidelines on securing your SAC landscape.

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Development Tools for SAC

1. API and SDKs:

SAC offers various developer tools, including the REST API and the iOS SDK. These resources help developers integrate SAC with external systems, automate workflows, and create custom mobile applications.

2. URL and REST APIs:

Directly access stories using URL parameters, or interact with the platform using the SAC REST API. These APIs allow for advanced automation and seamless integration into enterprise applications.

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Integration with SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform)

SAC is built on SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), which serves as the foundation for SAP's cloud applications. It ensures scalability, security, and performance, offering a complete ecosystem for developing and running cloud solutions.

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Conclusion

SAP Analytics Cloud is a versatile platform that offers a broad range of capabilities, from data visualization and planning to AI-powered insights and business content templates. With robust tools for data preparation, analysis, and sharing, it helps organizations make informed, data-driven decisions. By integrating seamlessly with SAP's BTP, SAC offers scalability and flexibility for businesses of all sizes.

For more detailed information on any feature, refer to SAP's official documentation or the respective PDF guides.