Making the Business Case for an Upgrade to SAP BW 3.0B

© Copyright 2003 SAP Professional Journal

Making the Business Case for an Upgrade to SAP BW 3.0B

Dr. Bjarne Berg, Lenoir-Rhyne College

© Copyright 2003 SAP Professional Journal2

What We’ll Cover

Understanding the organizational effort required to complete a BW upgrade

Discovering the changes you can expect from a business and a technical perspective Top 10 value drivers from a user's perspective Top 15 value drivers from a developer's perspective Value drivers from a manager's perspective

Nine practical tips that will help you develop an SAP BW upgrade strategy


The Organizational Effort

Item 1: BW 3.0 has many new features, and this might be the time to upgrade. First, plan for the effort.

BUSINESS CASE Conduct a one-day workshop reviewing the business case for an

upgrade Include a review of BW’s new technical and functional features The benefit of a business-case review is an early assessment of

whether you really need to upgrade or if you can wait for the next release



Make sure you are ready to make the right resource commitment before you start

SCOPE THE UPGRADE EFFORT In a complex environment, consider conducting a two-day session

with a technical review of your BW implementation from an upgrade perspective

At the end, plan to have detailed project and staffing plans, scope, and a solid budget estimate

A key driver for the duration of the effort is how much BW content is in place and how critical BW is to the ongoing business

Heads Up!

Some projects may be as short as a week, others as long as a few months depending on the content in production and the testing needs.


Item 1: The roles used for an upgrade effort include a project manager (may be part time), a technical leader, a BW specialist, a Basis person and a tester

On smaller projects, more than one role may be filled by one individual, while larger efforts may require several Basis people; network, DBA, and BW specialists; and testers

Basis and functional R/3 support

Project sponsor

Project Manager

BW Basis support Technical Leader

Technical tester(s)

BW configuration specialist(s)One person may perform more than one role!!

Tip



What We’ll Cover





Discover the changes you can expect from a business and a technical perspective, and learn about limitations and their impact

Top 11 value drivers from a user's perspective

Top 15 value drivers from a developer's perspective

Value drivers from a manager's perspective

The Value Drivers

- The following discussion is business focused, but will cover some technical features in an overview manner. It is not intended to be a

technical discussion, but will cover enough for you to gain some insight into the new features so you can assess how it might impact your business

Note


User Value Driver #1: Flexible Hierarchy & Interactive Web Charts

The reporting views are now more flexible.

The interactive Web charts have been greatly enhanced from earlier versions.

BW reports have becomemore user friendly!

Good

Thing


User Value Driver #1: Flexible Hierarchy & Interactive Web Charts (example)

Automatic filter by clicking

Automatic menu to

select drill down

Source: SAP

Country Region City Turnover

Result

ResultResult

Result

Result

Country Turnover

Overall Result


User Value Drivers #2-4: More Flexibility in Report Navigation

Key

FeatureIn 3.0B, more of the user navigation is kept at the

personalized level, which makes BW more user-friendly

1. The last 10 executed queries are displayed in the open dialog (BEx). This makes it easier for users to find frequently used workbooks and queries.

1. Bookmarks in 3.0B remember all filter values, conditions, and exceptions, and can be used to always open a query at the preferred level.

1. The user can enter a value in the variable popups and have all queries filtered by their region, organization, or profit center in the future (they don’t have to re-enter again and again).


Source: SAP

BW can now be used more flexibly over the Web through the most used mobile protocols

User Value Drivers #5-7: Mobile Reporting Features

4. BW can generate reports based on the front-end device requesting them, such as WAP or Windows-CE (can also be made to include others such as Palm).

4. The queries can be used online, or in an offline mode for lookup of important information.

4. Alerts through SMS and queries can be used, as well as charts through WBMP.

http://www.dealtime.com/xPO-Palm_Tungsten_T_Personal_Organizers~FD-9~PD-20262527

http://www.dealtime.com/xPO-Compaq_iPAQ_Pocket_PC_H3970_Personal_Organizers~FD-9~PD-20252358

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Key

Feature

BW report usage is more flexible and Web features are improved

User Value Drivers #8-9: Better Web Reporting

7. Users can also define their exception and conditions on the Web, and show them in Web reports.

8. BW 3.0B has “stateless Web reporting.” This means that after each click on the Web report, the session to the server is closed and you can email the reports directly (it automatically remembers the steps done by building the URL).


Key

FeatureContent Management and access to data is substantially improved.

The benefit is increased access to user help and support.

User Value Drivers #10-11: Increased Flexibility in Reporting

9. You can also attach documents stored in Web Content Management to the reports and make them context sensitive (e.g., help screens and explanations).

10. The InfoProvider is a generic term for all objects you can report from (e.g., ODS, InfoCubes). Users can now use a MultiProvider to report from any combination of these objects.


Developer Value Driver #1: Easier to Publish Reports on the Web

Developers do not need to know the Internet publishing process. After saving a query view in the BEx Analyzer, the view can be immediately published.

Web publishing is substantially simplified, which may reduce

development time.

Great

Feature


Source: SAP

BW Charting Engine

Save as templates

(HTML)

BW Web Service

Any Internet authoring tool

Publish views and execute queries

BEx Analyzer

OLAP Processor

BW Data Base

AppServerTemplates

Web Browser

Developer Value Driver #1: Easier to Publish Reports on the Web (Example)


Source: SAP

Staging

BW 3.0B InfoCube

Scheduling

BW Cust table

Generic Extractor

e.g., Oracle

Database

Customer Table

DDIC structure BW Cust table

(Deleted afterwards)

DB Link

Key

Feature“DB Link” adds flexibility to loading data from other databases, and

you can avoid substantial custom coding on the extract side.

You can now access other non-SAP databases without having to write complex files and scheduling routines

Developer Value Driver #2: Easier Loads from Non-SAP DBs


SAP BW 3.0b

Metadata Repository

Semantics: CWM, XMITransport layer: HTTP Format: XML

Other Metadata Repositories

External Applications

DWs & marts

Applications

The structure of SAP BW can be read by other applications and Web tools, which makes BW more open to future applications.

Developer Value Driver #3: Open Access to BW

Extensible Markup Language (XML) is the standard format for structured documents and data on the Internet. Now BW developers can use it to access metadata

Tip for Techies!

To see all InfoCubes in your system: Internet request sent to BW via the URL BW:1080://bw/xml/cwm... The result is a Web page in XML with InfoCubes.

To see the metadata of one InfoCube: Internet request the metadata for the InfoCube to BW.. the result is a page in XML with the metadata of the cube in the CWM format

Key

Feature

Tip


Through the metadata exchange, BW can receive metadata from other applications and load tools

Tip for Techies!

Sending metadata to BW is a 3-step process. First, the metadatais stored in a queue inside BW. The XML parser will read the queue and then call the BAPI to load it to BW.

Key

FeatureWe have more flexibility, and other tools

can be used to create BW structures

Developer Value Driver #4: Better Integration with Other Tools

SAP BW 3.0b

Other Metadata Repositories

External Applications

Data warehouses and data marts

Applications

Semantics: CWM, XMITransport layer: HTTP Format: XML

BAPI Info-Cube Create

CWM XML parser

Queue

Tip


BW can now load transactions from the Web in a "push" mode.

Tip for Techies!

You can “push” XML data packages from a provider as a DataSource (with request handling) or “push“ document data into the delta queue (without request handling)

Key

Feature

New transactions can be pushed from the web or 3rd party directly into BW, thereby reducing middleware integration time.

Developer Value Driver #5:Loading Transactions from the Web

Comm. layer, xCBL

XML Parsing

Generic Staging

ODS, InfoCubes,Master Data

PSA

Country: USCity: Charlotte

BW XML

Transformation (XSL)

Internet Marketplaces

<Country>US</Country><City>Charlotte</City>

Great

Feature

Tip


6. The BW logs provide more details on the errors and why they occur. In version 3.0B, you can also monitor the errors that occur in the transfer and updates rules.

7. When loading BW, you can now skip duplicate records in the master data and define rules (if the last or the first record is the valid one).

Key

Feature

It is now easier to monitor loads and perform simple data cleansing tasks

Developer Value Driver #6-9: Increased Error Handling Capability


8. Based on your error routines, you may cleanse the data through your own routines and see the errors in the PSA (problem records are marked). The errors found in the PSA can be corrected there and you can then load the data though the monitoring menu.

9. You can also provide load information to the users over the Web through mini-apps in a portal.

Key

Feature

With BW 3.0, it is easier to manage the data loads and fix errors without having to start over again.

Developer Value Driver #6-9: Increased Error Handling Capability (cont’d.)


10. You can now create reporting ODS objects with no other data targets. You do not need a separate table for new records (as in BW 2.0B and 2.1C) and you don’t need a change log.

11. The data can also be loaded in parallel to an ODS object, which can dramatically increase the load performance

12. You can also use Application Programming Interfaces (API) to access the ODS for external application, including add and overwrite APIs.

Key

Feature

The new features of the ODS provides a system that comes very close to “real time data warehousing.”

Developer Value Driver #10-15: "Near-Time" Data Warehousing


13. In 3.0B you can use master data ODS(s) for cleansing and staging

14. You can rollback any request that has already been updated and even delete selected records in the change log and the ODS.

15. Data downloads from the ODS objects are supported and you can test your load logic through simulated updates from the ODS to other data targets (e.g., Infocubes).

Key

Feature

The new ODS has become much more flexible than the ODS in previous versions. The master data ODS lends itself to high volume processing through reduced table joins.

Developer Value Driver #10-15: "Near-Time" Data Warehousing (cont’d.)


ADK provides indexing (including SAP-AS), compression, and data stats ADK is open to partner solutions for storage and archiving ADK handles structural changes, is platform independent, and has logs. ADK is managed through on-line transactions (Sara), the standard for SAP

products.

Manager Value Drivers: The Archiving Development Kit (ADK)

“The Archive Development Kit (ADK), a service of mySAP Technology, is the software layer that encapsulates the technical aspects of data archiving programs. ADK provides an application programming interface, also used by SAP, that customers and partners can use to develop their own archiving solutions.” SAP-Mike Eacrett, SAP Portals (see: OSS note 71930)

Great

Feature


Access to archived data from BW queries is not available (yet), nor is Archiving of master data or PSA. Protection of archived data ranges against changes has to be ensured organizationally. Scheduling is available via the standard archiving administrator.

SAP plans to support ‘relational’ archiving and access to archived data through DB Connect, which will improve the access to archived data.

Manager Value Drivers: The Archiving Development Kit (ADK), cont’d.

Heads Up!

Note


Manager Value Drivers: Stronger Report Integration with Microsoft

Key

FeatureFor Microsoft-oriented businesses

BW 3.0B, has increased capabilities

When using NT as the application server and Microsoft's SQL-Server as the database server, InfoCubes can now be stored as MOLAP cubes (same technology as Oracle Express, Cognos PowerPlay and others)

Data can also be cached on the application server and thereby increase the performance through the near-linear scalability through the deployment of multiple application servers


Manager Value Drivers: Stronger Report Integration with Microsoft, cont’d.

ROLAP cubes

MOLAP cubes

ODS

CacheApplication

Servers

Database Server

Cache


What We’ll Cover





9 Tips for Those Considering an Upgrade

1. Upgrades should be scheduled together with the R/3 Basis team, as they will be involved with shared components (e.g., GUI and extractors). Involve this team early in the planning effort.

2. The database version for BW should ideally be the same as used by the rest of the company. This reduces the maintenance costs by sharing resources.

3. The hardware should be in place before an upgrade effort is started. You will need an dedicated testing environment.


9 Tips for Those Considering an Upgrade, cont’d.

4. If you have ongoing development, get that team on the new

version as soon as possible to avoid rework and work-arounds.

5. Upgrade your sandbox and/or development environment first after your have tested the upgrade on your system. Do not make the first upgrade on your production environment.

6. In large companies, it is an advantage to have all BW environments on the same version.



7. Make sure you know when end-of-support is scheduled for your version (v2.0B end of support is August 2003).

8. If you are upgrading to a “C" release, you are upgrading mostly content, while a “B" upgrade is usually a significant technical upgrade. Determine in advance what you upgrade path is.

It is not unusual for companies to not perform a “C" release unless there are specific features and content they want.

End-of-support products have fewer resources availableHeads Up!



Evaluate the development cost on older versions against using the new features provided.

In general, payback for a BW 3.x upgrade appears to be most easily quantified by organizations that have on-going development (cost of development savings).

Companies in a "running mode" appears to justify their upgrade based on volume and performance issues (mostly on load side).

Be prepared to justify why you need the upgrade!!Heads Up!


5 Key Points to Take Home!

In these tight economic times, an upgrade must be justified by demonstrating true value drivers:

1. BW has significantly closed the gap between custom data warehouses and now has many of the features and functions needed to service high-volume and complex reporting environments.

2. The use of open protocols allows developers to more easily integrate their applications and other non-R/3 systems directly into BW.

3. The new ODS features increase the flexibility and the capabilities of the reporting system (the influence of Bill Inmon on the “real-time data warehousing” approach is noteworthy).


5 Key Points to Take Home!, cont’d.

4. The Web front-end is becoming “best-of-breed” and the influence of the acquired portal company is making tangible results on the reporting and mobile capabilities of BW beyond the portal product itself.

5. Regardless of motivation, the upgrade effort should be planned. Companies that have customized their BW environment should plan time for testing.


Your Turn! (to launch Q&A)

Questions?

Documents

Making the Business Case for an Upgrade to SAP BW 3.0B