Hierarchy in Analysis for Office - AO, as an example we get period data from SAP but we want create hierarchy of quarters for quarterly report

While Analysis for Office doesn't allow you to create hierarchies directly within the tool like you can in SAP Analytics Cloud, there are a couple of workarounds to achieve the desired quarterly hierarchy for your report:

1. Leverage Existing Hierarchies from SAP BW:

• Check for Pre-existing Hierarchies: If your SAP BW system already has a time hierarchy defined (like 0CALQUARTER or similar), you can utilize it directly in your Analysis for Office report.
  • When you add the characteristic containing the period data to your report, look for the hierarchy option in the Components pane. Drag and drop the hierarchy to your rows or columns.
• Custom Hierarchies in BW: If no suitable hierarchy exists, work with your SAP BW administrator to create a custom hierarchy in the BW system. This hierarchy can then be consumed in Analysis for Office.

2. Grouping in Analysis for Office:

• Manual Grouping: You can manually group periods to form quarters within your Analysis for Office report.
  • Select the period members (e.g., January, February, March) that make up a quarter.
  • Right-click and choose "Group Members."
  • Name the group (e.g., Q1).
  • Repeat for the remaining quarters.
• Limitations: This method creates a "flat" hierarchy, meaning you can't easily drill down further within the hierarchy. Also, this grouping is specific to the workbook and not reusable across reports.

3. Data Manipulation in Excel:

• Before Analysis for Office: If you're comfortable with Excel formulas, you can manipulate your data in Excel before bringing it into Analysis for Office.
  • Add a helper column to your data source to calculate the quarter based on the period.
  • Use this new "Quarter" column in your Analysis for Office report.

Important Considerations:

• Semantic Types: Ensure the period data in your SAP BW source has the correct semantic type assigned (e.g., "Period"). This helps Analysis for Office and other tools understand the time dimension.
• Data Model Design: For more complex or recurring hierarchical needs, consider optimizing the data model in your SAP BW system. This provides a more sustainable and scalable solution.

By implementing one of these approaches, you can effectively create a quarterly hierarchy for your reports in Analysis for Office, even without the direct hierarchy creation feature found in SAP Analytics Cloud.