© 2005 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved. Access the easy, quality and...

© 2005 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved.

Access the easy, quality and performance of your SAP BW based reporting activities

Dr. Bjarne BergLenoir-Rhyne College

2

3

What We’ll Cover

• Overview – BEx, Query designer, WAD, APD, Crystal, Broadcaster & Visual composer

• How to fix some issues in BW reporting

• Picking the right methodology for your next BW project

• Report dispositioning – BW Vs. R/3 and what tool to use

• Use of standard content

• Skills needed on your project

• Wrap up

4

The BW Toolset

BW is an enterprise-wide comprehensive decision support (DSS) system for analytical needs of an enterprise.

BW can also support some degree of operational reporting

Therefore it has many presentation tools and options for companies to leverage.

This Conference Focus on the Presentation tools

5

BEx what is it?

BEx is the 'umbrella name' for many of the presentation tools in BW.

Therefore you will notice the tool names are often pre-fixed with names such as BEx Broadcaster, BEx Query Designer and BEx workbooks etc.

6

The BEx Query Designer

The BEx query designer is a simple tool that you use to develop queries for users.

While the Query Designer defined the query, you have many options on how you deploy the queries

You can deploy the queries through web templates, broadcasted emails, portals, Excel and more.

7

The BEx Ad-Hoc Query Designer

A simplified version of the BEx query designer is the "ad-hoc query designer".

This is a powerful tool that can be used by power users to define their own queries. It can be made available through a BW web template as well as directly in the SAP Enterprise Portal

8

BEx - Workbooks

1. BEx Workbooks is Excel 'on steroids'.

2. BW queries can be opened in Excel

3. Queries can be refreshed and standard Excel functions can be used

This is a great tool for financial analysts and power users.

To use this tool you need BEx/GUI installed on each client machine

Tip

9

BEx web reports

• The most common way of deploying BW queries are through a standard, or customized web template with built-in navigational features.

• BW provides a global web template that can be enhanced with logos, colors, fonts and additional features at a low cost of development and ownership.

10

BEx Web Application Designer (WAD)

OLAP ProcessorOLAP Processor

BEx Web Application DesignerBEx Analyzer/Query Designer

Web ServiceWeb Service

Charting EngineCharting Engine

Web Browser

HTLM Templates InfoProviderSource: SAP AG

WAD is an intuitive tool to build powerful web applications and to interact with portals and custom templates.

BW queries can be manipulated in WAD for better display

11

Web Application Designer for custom applications

OLAP ProcessorOLAP Processor



Charting EngineCharting Engine HTLM Templates InfoProviderSource: SAP AG

You do not have to use the SAP Enterprise Portal to use WAD.

WAD can also incorporate other non-SAP web items into powerful cockpits and custom report centers.

While WAD can be used by developers without extensive HTML and Java

scripting knowledge, these skills will be useful on most projects.

12

Analysis Process Designer

• Using the BW analytics toolkit, it is possible to build association data sets that can be fed back into the OLTP engine. The way to approach this by using a new functionality within SAP BW called APD (analysis process designer). This is a visual data processing composition engine that enables organization of data flows and updates into the OLTP database

Images: Bhanu Gupta, ASUG 2005 Illinois chapter

More on APD on day two at the 3:00 – 4:30 pm session

13

Crystal Report

• With BW you get access to Crystal reports. In fact you have 100+ pre-developed reports that comes with SAP-BW. Currently, you can modify, or develop and deploy 10 crystal reports without any additional licensing cost.

• Crystal is a great tool for batch reporting of "pixel controlled' formatted reports.

14

Different Needs and Broadcaster Tools

“Casual” users, non-BW users, traveling users, and executives are all prime candidates for broadcasted reports!

Flat ReportingFlat Reporting• FormattedFormatted• PrintPrint• Form basedForm based• StaticStatic• Predictable accessPredictable access

OLAP ReportingOLAP Reporting• Drill DownDrill Down• Slice and DiceSlice and Dice• AnalyseAnalyse• Data Mining Data Mining • Search and discoverSearch and discover

KPI & ScorecardKPI & Scorecard FormattedFormatted• SimpleSimple• Easy to viewEasy to view• Limited navLimited nav• AggregatesAggregates

Reporting needs Reporting tools

15

BEx Information Broadcasting

• It’s a standard part of SAP BW 3.5 and higher• It lets you send “reports”, i.e.,

BEx QueriesWorkbooksWeb Applications

• To...Email addresses, BW users, BW rolesSAP Enterprise Portal Knowledge Management foldersSAP Enterprise Portal Collaboration Rooms

You can define and deploy iViews based on the resulting KM / Collaboration documents, if you wish!

Note

16

Scheduling the Broadcast

We can schedule the job to run every time the infocube is changed (the process chain has run)

We can limit the users to when they can schedule jobs to avoid stress on the system. We can provide multiple pre-defined times when they can schedule the reports.

We can also allow the users to create their own scheduling times (Only authorized users see this)

More on SAP BEx Broadcasting later today!

17

Visual Composer

Visual Composer is a tool to visualize the data. It is a browser-based intuitive modeling and design tool for rapid application development and prototyping in a code-free development environment.

Today Visual Composer supports both JSP and HTMLB; and has plans to also support Web Dynpro metadata as well.

You will see a demo of Visual Composer on day three at the 10:15 – 11:45 session

SAP NetWeaverVisual ComposerSAP NetWeaver

Visual Composer

18

Modelling of BI Applications using Visual Composer

Modelling of BI Applications using the BI Kit of the Visual Composer

Allows Business Users to create analytical content for SAP Enterprise PortalOffers the integration with BI InfoProviders (e.g. InfoCubes, BEx Queries and Query

Views, BEx Web Applications) via WEB API as well as with heterogeneous data sources (including OLAP and relational data sources) via Java Connectors

19

What We’ll Cover







• Wrap up

20

Fundamental issues with BW reporting

Issue #1 – Query Performance Degradation Over Time

Issue #2 – The Pain Associated with Changing Data Models

Issue #3 – Remote Capabilities are very slow

Issue #4 – Pre-Modeled Data Relationships Required

Issue #5 - Managing Authorizations

Issue #6 - Dealing with User Expectations

Issue #7 – Data Reconciliation

Issue #8 - Dealing with Data Integrity

Issue #9 – Integrating Data Together in BW

Issue #10 – Upgrades get really complicated

Tomorrow we will examine each of these issues in a focused session and see how you can solve each of them

Tomorrow we will examine each of these issues in a focused session and see how you can solve each of them

21

General Issues with Business Warehouse Web Reporting

The pre-delivered BW’s web template does not always provide the functionality required.

Currently lacking functionality includes:• Creating favorites/bookmarks that can be accessed from any machine• Printing fit to page, report info, data status, basic formatting• Ability to search for reports within the end user roles• Definitions of characteristics and key figures are not available• Current web reports can not show repeat values of characteristics• Online user help is not available in the web template• No standard tool to target specific users about system status/changes• On-line training is missing

As a result, most customers enhanced the functionality of the web template using development tools such as HTML and Java Script, ABAP, WAD.

22

Portal Integration - Issues

The portal takes “control” of the pages hosted by BW. This prohibits interaction between pages contained within the frameset by changing the document.domain property of the launched page

Understanding Try/Catch :

http://www.devguru.com/Technologies/ecmascript/quickref/try...catch.html

More on Cross Frame Scripting With IE : http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/om/xframe_scripting_security.asp

Understanding Try/Catch :

http://www.devguru.com/Technologies/ecmascript/quickref/try...catch.html

More on Cross Frame Scripting With IE : http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/om/xframe_scripting_security.asp

The SolutionMust be addressed on the frameset page

Place this function in the frameset ONLOAD event

23

Navigation

Users often complain that they can not see all of the query names

Creating a scroll feature allows users to increase the size of the role menu, or hide it.

24

Searching for a report

Users are often frustrated when they have to search for a report they are unfamiliar with. The report may be hard to locate in a hierarchy of roles on the launch pad.

Adding a search feature so that users can locate a set of similar reports, significantly reduces this frustration.

The search feature can be added as a simple extension within a web template.

Let's take a look….

25

Searching for BW queries

A regular windows icon is intuitive and easy to locate.

This searches within any string of the report name, and all the folders you have access to.

No TREX engine required, only a simple javascript that searches the SAP delivered role menu.

26

• Rule: After the BW query has been launched users should interact with a standard interface that does not change depending on the query executed.

• This standardization is accomplished through the global BW web template. Hint: Use WAD to customize and enhance yours

• The web template should always include a toolbar that is customized for your company.

• In the next sections we will take a look at some standard BW toolbar functionality and how you can extend the web template to add more user features on the toolbar.

The Web Template and Toolbar

27

Web Print format

• The web printing feature of a web browser is very limited and users are normally very unhappy with it.

• In the early days of BW, companies frequently employed Crystal as their formatted reporting tool, even when the formatting was very basic.

• SAP now provides several ways to format the web reports. Many of these delivered objects can be extended to basic and advanced print formatting using standard web technologies and scripting languages.

• The next section demonstrates two ways incorporate formatted web printing in a BW web template.

28

Print format basic

Users are generally very unhappy with browser based web printing…

Again a simple JavaScript can leverage SAP objects so that basic formatted BW reports can be printed on the web.

29

Create your own “fit to page”...

Prompt the user for some basic choices

Using these choices, construct a new table while inserting page breaks after N number of rows

This process requires looping thru the query results, row by row, and copying the contents of that row to a new table. The # of rows generated before a new page is needed is determined by page layout and paper size.

Loop with different font sizes until the result set fits the output format

30More on CSS for Printing : http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_ref_print.asp

More on CSS Media Types : http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_mediatypes.aspMore on CSS for Printing : http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_ref_print.aspMore on CSS Media Types : http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_mediatypes.asp

Print format basics – how to get started

Copy of current data provider launched in template containing Data Table, Filter and Text Element web items

Customized style sheet for printing

Page Break between report and report details accomplished with PAGE-BREAK-BEFORE (CSS2)

Page break text hidden with @media print { } (CSS2)

NOTE: If your query uses a modified table API class, add the following to your url : &MODIFY_CLASS=THE _NAME_OF_YOUR_CLASS

31

We will spend more time of fixed format reporting on day 2!Create advanced print formatting

A more experienced web programmer can also add advanced web print features that reduces the need for other formatted reporting tools. It also gives

user's flexibility and increases the likelihood that the go-live is a success!!

32

Control the number of rows in the output

The default number of rows from SAP is 100, and this is often not enough for end users.

This is not a standard BW feature, but the object you will need to call in a javascript is provided by SAP.

NOTE: Train the users appropriately!! If they ask for 100,000 records it will take some time on any system…

33

Get Access to On-line Definitions

Users often ask what a certain field means or what how it was calculated. Adding on the context menu a link to a dictionary makes many users really happy!!!

1. Characteristic, Key Figure and Query definitions stored on SQL Server table.

2. Aliases used to extend match probability3. Context menu item added to basic menu4. Search results open in new window

34

Create your own BW Alerts Center

BW system messages reach entire user community. We needed to narrow that down to certain users via custom Query/InfoProvider messages

ZBW_MSG_CENTER

message_id numberinfo_provider characterinfo_query charactermessage charactervalid_from datevalid_to datecreated_by charactercreated_on daterequested_by character

35

On-line help

•The user help is a must-have feature.

•The development of the company specific help system can be done in tools such as front-page, MS-word, SAP-web application designer etc..

•The trick to a good user help system is to present the information so that it is easy to locate. Therefore, you should add indexes, content trees and search features in the help system

36

A place holderA "place holder" allows users to create a separate window to "hold" a view of the information while exploring the data (standard BW feature). You can add these features to your toolbar.

CSV format Workbooks (Excel) New Window

37

What We’ll Cover




• Report dispositioning – BW Vs. R/3



• Wrap up

38

Business requirements

One of the first steps is to gather the right requirements. This is done in a variety of ways based on the methodology that the company employs. It is a complex process and involves a period:

1. Discovery and Education, 2. Formal communication, 3. Reviews 4. Final approvals.

A BW implementation does not simply involve a series of black-and-white technical

decisions; just because something is technically feasible does not mean it is wise or desirable from a business perspective.

A BW implementation does not simply involve a series of black-and-white technical

decisions; just because something is technically feasible does not mean it is wise or desirable from a business perspective.

What user wanted How customer described it How analyst specified it How designer implemented it

39

Most traditional methodologies such as ASAP are based on the System development Life Cycle (SDLC) approach. Under this approach, the two key strategic tasks are to:

Completely define applications in the context of business requirements Select technology based on compatibility and organizational know-how.

Under the ASAP, defining an enterprise's requirements as completely as possible is extremely important, because even modest changes in the applications' functions is assumed to cause dramatically changes to the resulting tactical choices.

For ASAP, the longer the project duration, the more important the methodology is to keep the project on-track.

What is ASAP?

40

The SAP NetWeaver Workflow - ASAP

Create Functional

Query specs

Peer Review

Complete?

Complete?

Peer Review

Complete?

Complete?Structured

walkthrough

Approved?

Develop queries

Unit Testing

Integration

Testing

System Testing

Structured

walkthrough

Approved?

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Create Technical Query specs

41

Getting Functional Query and Reporting Specifications

Create contact group and contact list for business input and requirements

Create a tool to collect inforequestsand businessinput

Conduct information gathering using the tool

Disposition the info. requests to BW or R/3

Consolidate requirements and write functional specs

Build storage objects and load programs

Construct reports and navigation features

Name Organization Phone Number Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joseph Jones Your ORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 123-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1238 Joseph Jones Your ORG Ltd 918-123-1239 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joseph Jones Your ORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joseph Jones Your ORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 123-123-1234

Team starts by reviewing documentation tool fordocumentation completeness

D1Is report

documentationcomplete?

Request additionalinput from BusinessTeam member

ResponsibleTeam memberacquires/documentsadditional information

D2Is this

an Intradayreport?

D3Significantnumberof users?

D4Is the report

systemresourceintensive?

D5Does

Standard R/3contentexist?

D6Does

Standard BWcontentexist?

D7Is it less

expensive tocreate in

R/3?

R/3 is selected asReporting Tool

and documentedin doc. tool

BW is selected asReporting Tool anddocumented in doc.

tool

BW is selected asReporting Tooland documented

in the documentation tool

BW is selected asreporting tool and ChangeRequest is submitted ifthe scope changed



R/3 is selected asReporting Tooland documented

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

D2.5Does data existin "in-scope" models

Infocube/ODS

No

Yes

No

D1aIs this a truereporting

need

Yes

No Communicate tobus. leader

A2Total Cost ofOwnershipAnalysis

D8Is BW costeffective?

Yes

No

YesYes



D9R/3 ToolSelectionProcess

No


tool

StandardR/3

ABAP/Custom

ReportWriter

OtherQuery

Review requirements and identifycorresponding Data Model (InfoCube/ODS)

Communicate finaldisposition





R/3 team make final disposition



BW Team to forward completed detailed report specifications based on selected Reporting Tool -BW or R/3

A3Sub-Process Report Consolidation &eliminate if appropriate (winnowing)

A4Baseline reports


D1Is report




D2Is this

an Intradayreport?


D4Is the report


D5Does


D6Does


D7Is it less


R/3?




tool







No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No


Infocube/ODS

No

Yes

No


need

Yes




Yes

No

YesYes



D9


D1Is report




D2Is this

an Intradayreport?


D4Is the report


D5Does


D6Does


D7Is it less


R/3?




tool







No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No


Infocube/ODS

No

Yes

No


need

Yes




Yes

No

YesYes




No


tool

StandardR/3

ABAP/Custom

ReportWriter

OtherQuery












A4Baseline reports

Create contact group and contact list for business input and requirements

Create a tool to collect inforequestsand businessinput

Conduct information gathering using the tool

Disposition the info. requests to BW or R/3

Consolidate requirements and write functional specs

Build storage objects and load programs

Construct reports and navigation features

Name Organization Phone Number Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joseph Jones Your ORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 123-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1238 Joseph Jones Your ORG Ltd 918-123-1239 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joseph Jones Your ORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joseph Jones Your ORG Ltd 918-123-1234 Joe Jones MYORG Ltd 123-123-1234


D1Is report




D2Is this

an Intradayreport?


D4Is the report


D5Does


D6Does


D7Is it less


R/3?




tool







No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No


Infocube/ODS

No

Yes

No


need

Yes




Yes

No

YesYes




No


tool

StandardR/3

ABAP/Custom

ReportWriter

OtherQuery












A4Baseline reports

Team s tarts by reviewing docum entation tool fordocumentation completeness

D1Is report




D2Is this

an Intradayreport?


D4Is the report


D5Does


D6Does


D7Is it less


R/3?




tool







No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No


Infocube/ODS

No

Yes

No


need

Yes




Yes

No

YesYes



D9


D1Is report




D2Is this

an Intradayreport?


D4Is the report


D5Does


D6Does


D7Is it less


R/3?




tool






R/3 is s e lec ted asReporting Tooland documented

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No


Infocube/ODS

No

Yes

No


need

Yes




Yes

No

YesYes




No


tool

StandardR/3

ABAP/Custom

ReportWriter

OtherQuery












A4Baseline reports

Avoid creating a total inventory of all reports in the organization. The "top-5" (most used) sales, distribution, inventory etc. reports from each department will cover the vast majority of the reporting needs. Create structured interviews with individuals that have a stake in the outcome

Avoid attempting to replicate each report based on what you might have in place today. Accept new ways of accessing data.

42

How can we do this Faster, Better and Simpler?

There are times when other methodologies should be used.

What determines the best methodology to use, is the impact of failure and the time to delivery.

Joint Application Design(JAD)

Rapid Application Development(RAD)

Extreme Programming(EP)

System development Life-Cycle based methodologies

(SDLC)

Impact of FailureLow High

Low

High

Time to Delivery

When to Select Different Methodologies

ASAP and SDLC Methodologies are not the only choices. RAD is very popular as well.

This framework illustrates the benefits of each methodology.

ASAP and SDLC Methodologies are not the only choices. RAD is very popular as well.

This framework illustrates the benefits of each methodology.

43

Using RAD to deliver your next BI effort faster & better

The RAD core idea: Traditional methodologies are too slow and rigid to meet the business demands of today’s economy.

Your RAD teams should consist of about 6 people, including both developers and full-time users of the system plus anyone else who has a stake in the requirements.

Developers chosen for RAD teams should be multi-talented "renaissance" people who are analysts, designers and programmers all rolled into one (Walter Maner)

Small integrated teams - focus on small parts of BW i.e. a set of infocubes, web reports or functional area.

Small integrated teams - focus on small parts of BW i.e. a set of infocubes, web reports or functional area.

PrototypesSource: Dr T.H. Tse

& Dr. Bjarne Berg

44

How do you start your next BI effort using RAD?

Remember, RAD has an abbreviated blueprinting phase where meetings are executed in short succession to get the requirements. Most of the blueprinting and realization phase of the project are combined.

The first meeting: a one or two days meeting with uninterrupted time

Who: Power users, casual users, people who today interact with the current system and managers who have a stake in the outcome of the information system development.

How many: A rapid pace is kept in these meetings and the number of attendees is kept at a manageable level, with typically no more than twenty people in attendance.

Different Needs: The coordinators and business analysts will focus on shared information needs and conduct multiple sessions if needed.

45

WAD, APD and Visual Composer as RAD tools

The key idea of RAD with NetWeaver is the creation quick reports/queries that users are asked to jointly develop. In the beginning these are simply "mock-ups" with data that can be loaded from spreadsheet in a sandbox environment.

As the sessions progresses, tools such as the SAP Query designer and the Web Application Designer is introduced and prototyping is done in each session with the users.

Each RAD session is a working session, NOT a presentation session. Therefore, each session should therefore be at least 3-4 hours long (not at someone's cubicle). There should be at least 2-3 sessions each week to keep the work going forward….

Many critics of the ASAP have started to use tool such as the SAP query designer and the SAP web

application designer as tools to do interactive prototyping with the users.

Many critics of the ASAP have started to use tool such as the SAP query designer and the SAP web

application designer as tools to do interactive prototyping with the users. OLAP ProcessorOLAP Processor



Charting EngineCharting Engine HTLM Templates InfoProviderSource: SAP AG

46

What We’ll Cover


• Some issues in BW reporting





• Wrap up

47

Report Dispositioning BW Vs. R/3

Not all reports belong in BW. Avoid using BW as a "dumping group". Just because the report is not in BW does not mean it can not be in a portal or on the web.

You need to make conscious decisions on what reporting needs you are going to need and how you want to accomplish this.

Key questions for report dispositioning1. Is this really a reporting need or a "want"?

2. Is the data going to be in BW at a frequency that solves the user's request (intraday)?

3. Is the data needed for this report already in our BW scope?

4. Are there already a report available in R/3 ?

5. Does standard BW content exist?

6. Is it less expensive to create in R/3?

7. Are there a significant number of users?

8. Is the reporting need resource intensive?

9. Is BW cost effective in the long-run (ownership)?

Home Corporate Services Business Area My Budget BI Analyst

Overview Personnel Financials ControllingSupply Chain Sales

Personalize Log OffContact Us About

Source: Keith Linnemann

48

Team starts by reviewing documentation tool for documentation completeness

D1Is report

documentation complete?

Request additional input from Business

Team member

Responsible Team member

acquires/documents additional information

D2Is this

an Intraday report?

D3Significant

numberof users?

D4 Is the report

system resource

intensive?

D5Does


D6Does


D7Is it less


R/3?




tool







and documented

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

D2.5 Does data exist

in "in-scope" modelsInfocube/ODS

No

Yes

No

D1a Is this a true

reportingneed

Yes

NoCommunicate tobus. leader

A2Total Cost of

OwnershipAnalysis


Yes

No

YesYes




No


tool

StandardR/3

ABAP/Custom

ReportWriter

OtherQuery










BW Team to forward completed detailed report specifications based on selected Reporting Tool - BW or R/3


A4 Baseline reports

Tool

An example on how to decide which reports should be in R/3 or the legacy system )

49

Bex Broadcaster

Deciding which reporting tool is right for you

Web reportsWorkbooks Fixed

formatWeb

Applications Models

Ad-hoc query designer

Query Designer

Analysis ProcessDesigner

Crystal Reports

Broadcaster -wizard

Visual Composer

Web ApplicationDesigner

Oth

er to

ols

Web

Too

lsQ

uery

tool

s

-

- - -

- - /

- /

- - -

-

*

Vizuali-zation

Distrib-ution

- /

- / - /

- - -

- - -

- - -

- -

- -

- / - / -

--

--

--

-

-

-

-* Through embedded Bex Broadcaster

50

What We’ll Cover







• Wrap up

51

The Blueprinting Phase: Leveraging Standard Content

• As a guiding principle we map requirements to standard content before we start customizing.

• However, we may also have external data sources that require custom ODSs and InfoCubes.

• Some observations on higher level objects…….

BW Content available:BW Content available:

• InfoObjects 11,772• ODS objects 349 • InfoCube 605• MultiCubes 121• Roles 861• Queries 3,299• Workbooks 1,979

36%

33%

31%

Mostly standard storage objectsSome customization

Highly customized storage objects

An example from a large manufacturing company

Z

52

Standard content

The Blueprinting Phase: Modeling Your Solution

BW functional requirement:

When: Fall-03 to Jan-12, 2004.Who: Information delivery teamPurpose: Storage object requirementsQuantity: 25

Billing

Number of billing documentsNumber biling line itemsBilled item quantityNet weightSubtotal 1Subtotal 2Subtotal 3Subtotal 4Subtotal 5Subtotal 6Subtotal ANet valueCostTax amountVolume

Customer

Sold-toShip-toBill-toPayerCustomer classCustomer group~ Customer country~ Customer region~ Customer postal code~ Customer industry code 1End user

Material

Material numberMaterial enteredMaterial groupItem categoryProduct hierarchyEAN/UPC

Time

Calendar yearCalendar monthCalendar weekCalendar day

Unit

Currency KeyUnit of MeasureBase unit of measureSales unit of measureVolume unit of measureWeight unit of measure

Billing information

Billing documentBilling itemBilling typeBilling categoryBilling dateCreation dateCancel indicatorOutput medium~ Batch billing indicatorDebit/credit reason codeBiling categoryReference documentPayment termsCancelled billing documentDivison for the order headerPricing procedure

Organization

Company codeDivisionDistribution channelSales organizationSales group

Logistics

PlantShipping/receiving point

Document details

Sales order document typeSales dealSales docuement

Accounting

Cost centerProfit centerControlling areaAccount assignment group

Personnel

Sales rep number

LEGEND

Delivered in standard extractorsDelivered in LO extractorNot in delivered Content -but in R-3

BW logical model:

When: Fall-03 to Jan-12, 2004.Who: Information delivery teamPurpose: Storage object requirementsQuantity: 25

Storage Requirements

BW InfoCubes

Storage

Map functional requirements to the standard content before you make

enhancements

+

Z

53

Modeling Your Solution

Billing

Number of billing documentsNumber biling line itemsBilled item quantityNet weightSubtotal 1Subtotal 2Subtotal 3Subtotal 4Subtotal 5Subtotal 6Subtotal ANet valueCostTax amountVolume

Customer

Sold-toShip-toBill-toPayerCustomer classCustomer group~ Customer country~ Customer region~ Customer postal code~ Customer industry code 1End user

Material

Material numberMaterial enteredMaterial groupItem categoryProduct hierarchyEAN/UPC

Time

Calendar yearCalendar monthCalendar weekCalendar day

Unit

Currency KeyUnit of MeasureBase unit of measureSales unit of measureVolume unit of measureWeight unit of measure

Billing information

Billing documentBilling itemBilling typeBilling categoryBilling dateCreation dateCancel indicatorOutput medium~ Batch billing indicatorDebit/credit reason codeBiling categoryReference documentPayment termsCancelled billing documentDivison for the order headerPricing procedure

Organization

Company codeDivisionDistribution channelSales organizationSales group

Logistics

PlantShipping/receiving point

Document details

Sales order document typeSales dealSales docuement

Accounting

Cost centerProfit centerControlling areaAccount assignment group

Personnel

Sales rep number

LEGEND

Delivered in standard extractorsDelivered in LO extractorNot in delivered Content -but in R-3

1. Create a model based on pre-delivered BW content

2. Map your data requirements to the delivered content and identify gaps.

3. Identify where the data gaps are going to be sourced from.

54

What We’ll Cover







• Wrap up

55

Example: small BW project for single subject area (i.e. billing, orders, deliveries)

4-5 team members and normally 3-6 months duration depending on scope

Basis and functional R/3 support

B us iness ana lys tP resen ta tion deve loper

B us iness team

B W A rch itec tE T L deve loper

T echn ica l team

P ro jec t M anager.

P ro jec t sponsor

These are roles not positions. (sometimes one team member can fill more than one role)

56

Example: mid-sized BW project for single complex subject area (i.e. cost and profitability, internal billing).


B WA rch itec t

S r. B us iness anays tB us iness ana lys t

B us inessA na lys t(s )

S r. E T L deve loperE T L deve loper

E x trac t, T rans fo rm sand Loads

S r. B W deve loperB W deve loper

D ata M anagem ent(In foC ubes & O D S )

S r. P resen ta tion dev loperP resen ta tion deve loper

P resen ta tionD eve loper(s )

P ro jec t M anager

P ro jec t sponsor/S teering C om ittee



57

Example: large BW project, multiple subject areas (i.e. sales, finance and MM)



P orta l deve loper(s )

B W A rch itec t

B us iness ana lys t/(sub-team lead)B W deve loperP resenta tion deve loper(s )E T L deve loper

S a les T eam


F inance T eam


M ate ria l M gm t. T eam

P ro jec t M anager

P ro jec t sponsor/S teering C om ittee


58

On-Boarding and Training

Ideal Yrs Experience (minimum)

Training days (if new in the

role)

In-house training

daysBW Developer 2+ 15 3-5ETL Developer 3+ 15-20 3-5Presentation Developer 1+ 5-10 3-5Project Manager 5+ 10-15 3-5Business Analysts 5+ 5-10 3-5

Don’t underestimate the value of in-house, hands-on training in addition to formal SAP training classes.Note

59

Bex Broadcaster

Tool Access – Who should do what…..

Powerusers

Regular users Authors Developers BW

Admins

Ad-hoc query designer

Query Designer

Analysis ProcessDesigner

Crystal Reports

Broadcaster -wizard

Visual Composer

Web ApplicationDesigner

Oth

er to

ols

Web

Too

lsQ

uery

tool

s

- /

- /

-

-

- - -

- - /

There are many options and decisions to be made on who should be able to access all the different tools.

- / - /

- - -

- - /

- /

- /

60

What We’ll Cover


• Some issues in BW reporting





• Wrap up

61

7 points to take home

1. Pick the right tools based on what you want to accomplish. “everything in the world is a nail, when you only have a hammer”…

2. The basic web print features are not sufficient

3. The BW tool set has evolved substantially over the last 2 years –have you?

4. There are more than one way to continue BW development – take a serious look at RAD.

5. On-line definitions on the context menu are very popular, but you will have to add this as an enhancement (not SAP standard)

6. Today’s presentation developer is much more than a query developer. More than one skill set is needed.

7. Leveraging standard content will give you access to higher level objects as well.

62

Resources

•SAP Project Management 2005Pick Your Poison – a look at methodologies for SAP NetWeaver” Bjarne Berg

•TechEd / ASUG- 2005 - BostonSession ID: IM100 – “Creating a Web Reporting Center at International Paper using SAP Business Information Warehouse” George Brothers and Bjarne Berg

•SAP.com“How To…Reconcile Data Between SAP Source Systems and SAP NetWeaver BI”, SAP June 2005

•Web Template Enhancements: •IFRAMES : http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/javascript/2002/02/08/iframe.html•Expressions: http://www.regular-expressions.info/javascript.html•Getting Started with BSP Applications: http://tinyurl.com/642c4 •CSS for Printing : http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_ref_print.asp•CSS Media Types: http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_mediatypes.asp

63

Your Turn!

Dr. Bjarne BergDirector of Business Intelligence

MyITgroup [email protected]

Questions?

64

PRESENTATION DEVELOPERS The presentation developer is responsible for designing core reports for the functional area that they support. This includes reviewing business requirements, existing reports, and working with the BW developers to assure that the business requirements are supported in the cube and/or the ODS design, and creating template reports for user acceptance based on requirements.

The presentation developer is also an individual who has a specific tool background. The developer may work on 3rd party presentation tools, WAD, Broadcaster and BEx Query designer. The developers must assure data security, user friendly reports, "drill-down" features, as well as a flexible design of data hierarchies and a logical and easy to use Graphical Unit Interface (GUI) for end-users. Finally, the developer must assure that the front-end tool provides all functionalities supported by the logical data model(s) and that the tool takes advantage of the physical database design features.

The design work also includes a detailed description of each access point, the navigation of access points, as well as a detailed role description with association to the pertinent reports. The presentation developers also work with the portal developer to integrate roles with the existing roles in the web portal.

PORTAL DEVELOPERS The developer in this position is responsible for the design and development of user roles for accessing the SAP BW environment. This includes the creation of security requirements for the user interface, BW role reconciliation, as well and integration of reporting help features, collection of external data for reporting purposes and the integration between BW reports and jump-points to the transactional system. The individual in this role is also responsible for the design and development of standard templates for reports delivered by the development teams, as well as the user acceptance process for these templates. In a SAP Portals environment, the individual is also responsible for the content management section of the portal and the configuration on the navigation bars and initial launch pad.

The individual staffed in this technical position should have a strong reporting and design background from SAP BW as well as development knowledge of portals and the integration of standardized reporting environments. Prior industry experience would also be helpful. The individual must also have solid programming experience in HTML, Java and XML.

Front-end Team Members – Role descriptions Referenceonly

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