The document will brief some of the basic functionality while using BPC 10.1. Check if it helps you all.
Introduction to SAP BPC 10.1
Features of SAP BPC 10.1:-
- With SAP BPC NW 10.1 a new data model is introduced that combines the strength of the different planning components
- SAP BW-IP for feature richness and integrated data consistency.
- SAP HANA for blazingly high performance.
- SAP BPC NW for end-user friendliness and flexibility
- SAP BPC 10.1 available in only NetWeaver Version but not in Microsoft Version.
- Pre-requisites –
- Needs SAP NetWeaver BW 7.4 SP05 as a basis for the software install as well as SAP UI5 1.16.
- Any databases supported by BW are supported – i.e. some traditional databases and SAP HANA.
- Client Tier – Existing SAP EPM 10.0 SP16 add-in is still used with the new SAP BPC 10.1 back-end.
- Windows XP through to Windows 8 are supported, with MS Office 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013 all supported.
- Main Changes –
- Web front end is now deployed using SAP UI5 technology
- “Unified Planning Model” has been introduced.
Additional features –
- Deeper BW Integration – ability to access data and masterdata from infocubes based on similar (Multiple Key Figure) data structure.
- Planning Sessions – easy creation of “What-If” scenarios based on full data sets, optimized by SAP HANA.
- Matrix Security.
- Calculated Key Figures / Inverse Formulas - Dimension members defined by a formula* with input enablement.
- Cell Locking - Keep measure values fixed upon calculations when performing items such as disaggregation’s or inverse formulas
What is the SAP UI5 front end?
Previously, in SAP BPC 10.0, the web front end of BPC was deployed using a technology called Adobe Flex. This required all users to have the Adobe Flash Player installed on their PCs and meant that the web front end would not work on Apple iPads as Flash is not supported on them.
SAP has re-written the front end using the new SAP user experience technology, UI5. This is an HTML5 language that has no software pre-requisites, and works on the iPad.
Gateway server is not required to support the SAP UI5 front end.
Benefits of the new SAP UI5 front end?
- iPad users can now access the web functionality of SAP BPC, including reporting and simple user entry.
- Overall better support for mobile and touch screen devices.
- Standardized look and feel with other SAP web applications, like Fiori.
- Simpler technical architecture.
What is the Unified Planning Model?
The “unified” relates to the unification of SAP’s two planning technologies – SAP BPC and IP (or, more specifically the PAK) – and this version is the first step in that journey.
‘‘PAK” – what do you mean? – History.
- In the beginning there was SAP BW for reporting.
- Then SAP developed BPS (Business Planning and Simulation) which sat atop SAP BW and supported “planning” – i.e. write-back of data to BW cubes using a mixture of planning layouts and planning functions (e.g. currency conversion, copy data, calculations).
- With the arrival of SAP BW 7.0, BPS was replaced by BW-IP, Integrated Planning, which was an improvement on the BPS functionality.
- With the arrival of SAP HANA and SAP BW on HANA, SAP HANA-ised a lot of the IP functionality and called the resulting product the PAK, Planning Application Kit.
The Unified Planning Model only works on SAP BW on HANA. Or else existing SAP BPC 10 models can be used in SAP BPC 10.1 on a regular database. SAP is calling this “Classic BPC”.
That does not mean SAP HANA not “help” with Classic BPC. It will still remain possible for SAP HANA to be the underlying database for Classic BPC in SAP BPC 10.1. This means that data reading and writing will be faster and this will help in reporting scenarios where there are large volumes of data. However, not all of the SAP BPC calculations are performed in the SAP HANA layer. For example, Logic Script is not performed by the SAP HANA engine and will not perform any quicker than on a regular database (apart from the reading and writing part).
Features of the Unified Planning Model:-
Clearly SAP’s intention is to use the best bits of IP / PAK and SAP BPC and combine them together. The approach they seem to have taken is to merge the IP back-end with some of the SAP BPC front-end functionality. For example:
Available –
- The underlying SAP BW cubes are modeled like IP cubes, using BW infoobjects, rather than BPC dimensions.
- Planning functions are still developed using the IP functionality.
- The EPM Add-In is the front end for interacting with the unified planning model.
- The BPC 10.1 web front end is the web portal for interacting with the unified planning model.
- Certain BPC 10.1 features, such as BPFs, work status and data auditing are available.
Unavailable –
- Unified Planning Model is not yet ready to support a consolidation scenario as business rules such as eliminations and currency conversion are not yet available.
What are the benefits of the Unified Planning Model?
- If you’re an existing SAP BPC user upgrading from 10 to 10.1 the benefits will be:
- The same great user experience from the SAP EPM front end and BPC web portal.
- Enhanced performance from IP and SAP HANA making scenario planning and real-time integrated planning slicker and enabling more granular, operational planning.
- Enhanced integration with SAP BW through use of common infoobjects, thereby reducing system complexity and support/ maintenance.
Advantage of Unified Planning Model over Classic BPC:-
- Better Performance and Scalability - Unified Planning Model should remove that need to compromise and will support sophisticated and complex planning scenarios including driver based planning, real-time financial statement integration and scenario planning Designing such a planning solution before SAP HANA necessitated a large degree of compromise and there was often a mismatch between what the business really needed and what the technology was able to deliver. With the Unified Planning Model, those compromises based on performance should be no more.
- 60x – Web Report Frontend Performance Improvement
- 4x – Web Report End-to-end Performance Improvement
- Better User Experience –
- Intuitive Page sliding for both Touch and Non-Touch Screen.
- Optimized for Mobile: Easier Navigation by Larger Tabs.
- Thumbnail View: Graphical Preview for View Switching.
- Cross Device Support
- Right to Left Language Support
- Customer Branding Support (with Logo).
Thanks to you all,
Bishwajit.