2. Agenda
• Reporting Comparison
• BI Overview
• BI Landscape & Architecture
• BI Reporting Tools
• Business Content
• Online Resources
• Discussions/ Q&A
3. Reporting Comparison
• Line Item Analysis
• Delivered Reports
• Basic Reporting or Predefined (requires
ABAP programmers)
• Consumes Resources from
Transaction Processing
• Real-time Analysis
• Function Specific
• Relational & Multidimensional Analysis
• Delivered Reports (i.e Business Content)
• Ad hoc or Predefined (can be designed
by users)
• Significantly Faster Processing
• Current (according to update schedule)
& Historical Analysis
• Cross Functional
4. BI Overview
• The Business Intelligence Warehouse (BI) is
SAP’s architectural solution for data
warehousing.
– Seamless integration with R/3
– Built-in functionality that substantially reduces DW design,
development and maintenance
• BI is a separate system from the R/3 transaction
processing system
– BI data structures are optimized for reporting data
efficiently and quickly (analytical processing).
– R/3 data structures are optimized for recording data
efficiently and quickly (transaction processing).
5. State System BI Landscape
Transport Transport
Transport Transport
BI Dev
DB1
BI QA
QB1
BI PRD
PB1
SAP R/3
DV1
DR1
DC1
SAP R/3
QA2
QR1
QC1
SAP R/3
PRD
PR1
PC1
Data Data Data
6. Basic BI Architecture
ODS InfoCube
Non-SAP
Data Sources
(Flat file, XML
or DBConnect)
BEx
Web
Based
BEx
Data Detail
Business Content
SAP R/3
SAP-BI
Data Sources Business
Explorer Tools
7. BI Reporting Tools
Business Explorer (BEx) Query Designer
1. MS-Excel-
Based Analyzer
(Web or GUI)
2. Formatted
Reporting
3. Web
Application
Designer
11. Business Explorer (BEx) Analyzer
• Queries and solution workbooks embedded in MS
Excel
• Excel functionality can be utilized (calculations,
charts, VBA programming, etc.)
• Queries are refreshed at each run; workbooks provide
pre-calculated queries
• Incorporates BW Security and, therefore, eliminates
the need for an additional layer of security at the
reporting level
• Seamless integration with BEx Analyzer for the Web
14. What is “Business Content?”
• Advantages of using Business Content
– Pre-Configured SAP-delivered objects allow
rapid development (DataSources, Transfer
Structures, ODSs, InfoCubes, Queries, etc.)
– Based on Best Practices
• A solution to build upon
– Provides a good baseline for enhancements of
functionality and data models.