Profit Center Report by Period..

Table of Contents (TOC)

1. Introduction: Hierarchical Profit Center Reporting in SAP Analytics Cloud
2. Prerequisites: Setting Up Your Live Model Connection
   • 2.1 Connecting to Your SAP Source System
   • 2.2 Verifying Model Dimensions and Measures
3. Creating the Story with Hierarchical Input Controls
   • 3.1 Step 1: Creating a New Story
   • 3.2 Step 2: Setting Up the Table Structure
   • 3.3 Step 3: Creating the Profit Center Hierarchy Input Control
   • 3.4 Step 4: Linking the Hierarchy to Your Table
   • 3.5 Step 5: Configuring Dynamic Data Display
4. Testing and Optimization
   • 4.1 Previewing and Testing the Story
   • 4.2 Verifying Data Refresh and Aggregation
5. Performance Considerations for Live Models
   • 5.1 Using Variables to Limit Initial Data Load
   • 5.2 Configuring Caching Options
   • 5.3 Leveraging Aggregated Data
6. Enhancing the Report with Additional Features
   • 6.1 Conditional Formatting
   • 6.2 Trend Indicators
   • 6.3 Supplementary Charts
7. Conclusion

Article: Creating Hierarchical Profit Center Reporting in SAP Analytics Cloud

1. Introduction: Hierarchical Profit Center Reporting in SAP Analytics Cloud

This article guides you through creating a dynamic report in SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) that leverages profit center hierarchies to filter General Ledger (GL) data. By using hierarchical input controls, users can intuitively navigate and analyze GL data by period, with detailed account information displayed in a table format. This approach provides powerful insights into financial performance across different levels of your organizational structure.

2. Prerequisites: Setting Up Your Live Model Connection

Before building the report, ensure your live model is properly configured.

• 2.1 Connecting to Your SAP Source System:
  • Establish a live data connection to your SAP source system (e.g., BW, HANA, S/4HANA). This connection allows SAC to directly query data without replication.
• 2.2 Verifying Model Dimensions and Measures:
  • Confirm that your model includes the following dimensions and measures:
    • GL Account Data: Contains detailed account information.
    • Period Information: Represents time-based data (e.g., Year/Month, Fiscal Period).
    • Account Information: Provides row-level account details.
    • Profit Center Hierarchy: A well-defined hierarchy for filtering and aggregation.
    • Measures: Financial values (e.g., Debit, Credit, Balance).

3. Creating the Story with Hierarchical Input Controls

Follow these steps to build your interactive report.

• 3.1 Step 1: Creating a New Story:
  • Log in to SAP Analytics Cloud.
  • Click "Create" and select "Story."
  • Choose "Canvas" as your story type.
  • Connect to your previously configured live model.
• 3.2 Step 2: Setting Up the Table Structure:
  • Insert a table into your story by clicking "Insert" → "Table."
  • Configure the table's structure:
    • Drag the "GL Account" dimension to the "Rows" section.
    • Drag the "Period" dimension to the "Columns" section.
    • Add the relevant financial measures (e.g., "Balance") to the "Values" section.
• 3.3 Step 3: Creating the Profit Center Hierarchy Input Control:
  • Navigate to the "Builder" panel.
  • Select "Input Controls."
  • Click the "+" button to add a new input control.
  • Choose "Hierarchy" as the control type.
  • Select your "Profit Center" dimension.
  • Configure the following settings:
    • Set "Selection Type" to "Hierarchy Node."
    • Enable the "Display Hierarchy" option.
    • Choose an appropriate "Default Selection" (e.g. the root node).
• 3.4 Step 4: Linking the Hierarchy to Your Table:
  • Select your table.
  • Go to "Properties" and navigate to the "Filters" section.
  • Add a filter based on your "Profit Center" dimension.
  • Link this filter to your hierarchy input control:
    • Click "Link to Input Control."
    • Select your "Profit Center" hierarchy control.
    • Check "Apply filter when value changes."
• 3.5 Step 5: Configuring Dynamic Data Display:
  • Select your table.
  • Go to "Properties" → "Data".
  • Under the "Dynamic Data Display" section:
    • Enable "Display data for selected hierarchy level."
    • Link to your profit center hierarchy input control.

4. Testing and Optimization

• 4.1 Previewing and Testing the Story:
  • Preview your story in the "View" mode.
  • Test the functionality by selecting different nodes in the profit center hierarchy input control.
• 4.2 Verifying Data Refresh and Aggregation:
  • Ensure that the table data refreshes correctly based on your hierarchy selections.
  • Verify that the data aggregation works accurately at each hierarchy level.
  • Confirm that the period columns display the expected values.

5. Performance Considerations for Live Models

• 5.1 Using Variables to Limit Initial Data Load:
  • Use variables to restrict the initial data load, especially for large datasets.
• 5.2 Configuring Caching Options:
  • Optimize performance by configuring appropriate caching settings.
    • Go to "Model properties."
    • Set "Data Preview" → "Cache Settings."
    • Choose appropriate refresh intervals.
• 5.3 Leveraging Aggregated Data:
  • For higher hierarchy levels, consider using pre-aggregated data to improve query performance.

6. Enhancing the Report with Additional Features

• 6.1 Conditional Formatting:
  • Apply conditional formatting to highlight key metrics and variances.
• 6.2 Trend Indicators:
  • Include trend indicators to visualize period-over-period comparisons.
• 6.3 Supplementary Charts:
  • Add charts that respond to the profit center hierarchy selection, providing visual insights.

7. Conclusion

By following these steps, you can create a powerful and interactive SAP Analytics Cloud report that enables users to analyze GL data by profit center hierarchy, providing valuable insights into financial performance. This approach enhances decision-making by offering a clear and dynamic view of your financial data.