SAP Cloud for Analytics or SAP Analytics Cloud is a ‘SaaS-based BI’ (business intelligence) platform designed solely for SAP-based work culture. According to SAP, it intends to offer every analytical capability and enterprise planning to the product’s users.
But did you know that it’s not the first rodeo of SAP Analytics Cloud?
Yes, that’s true.
It was in 2015 when SAP came up with the idea of offering cloud services and launched SAP Cloud for Planning. However, like any other ‘first-time product,’ it could have worked out better.
It had a lot of shortcomings, offered wrong results rarely, and made the job of analysis a little bit time-consuming. Nevertheless, SAP scrapped and modified it to some extent. This, in turn, made it easier for them to take care of all the shortcomings the first version featured.
In any case, we’ll talk more about the core of SAP Analytics Cloud later. For now, let’s focus on learning what the cloud service actually is and how it works.
How Does SAP Analytics Cloud Work?
As a SaaS-formulated BI model, SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) focuses on enterprise planning and bringing it together with analytics. It allows connecting to multiple organizational data sources, including SAP and non-SAP sources.
Since the rework, SAP Analytics Cloud has also become much more insightful and correct in its approach. Also, as you can provide enterprise-wide trusted decisions, the platform can offer a lot more in future development-related aspects.
SAP Analytics Cloud usually works or offers its services in the following manner –
- It can drive agile decisions by offering integrated analysis and planning. It does so by moving data to action from insight through a one-user experience. You can literally simulate almost any scenario and generate plans through correct predictions.
- SAP Analytics Cloud also makes it easier for you to derive unique insights from your most valuable data. It’s also easier to utilize the context of SAP data and bring the core analytics closer to the decision point. You can accelerate deployments with it too.
- Finally, with the tools it features, you can create bleeding-edge analytics efficiently. It can help you with it by automating data-driven insights with machine learning. Further, it can also aid you with composing specialized analytics apps to address your needs.
It may be tricky to use SAP Analytics Cloud at first. So, if it’s possible, try to collaborate with an expert to learn more in this context. Or, if you want, you may also create a plan to ensure that you’re working correctly with the analytic tools.
The Core Features of SAP Analytics Cloud
There are several other features of SAP Analytics Cloud that can boost your experience even more than usual. The following are a few of them.
1: Integration with SAP Analysis.
With this feature, you will be able to read and write different functions for users who’re trying to import work and data accordingly. It’ll also help you create a readily-familiar environment, which can be used to store organizational information later on.
2: Access to Cloud and On-Premise Data.
With SAC, you can also get real-time access to any SAP application, like SAP HANA, pretty efficiently. However, apart from this, you can also use other non-SAP applications and access them immediately. So, in a way, it’s best for any growing organization.
3: Enhanced Data Access.
This feature is primarily used for forecasting different processes, where the responsibilities or works held by planners are enforced through data locking. It’s also possible to integrate some other locking systems with it, including – locked, restricted, and open with this feature.
4: Getting Access to SAP S/4HANA.
This way, it will be easier for you to complete a transaction or conduct an analysis process more quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, you can also perform planning regarding a specific segment or business procedure that you want to implement later on.
5: Modification and Creation Tools.
Do you want to create a data-driven analysis and budgeting environment within your business ecosystem? Well, in that case, the creation and modification tools provided by SAP are going to be quite beneficial for you. The forecasting can be done from one cloud interface too.
Benefits of SAC
Most people consider using SAC because it can analyze a specific set of data efficiently while presenting it more elaborately. However, that’s not the only way it can benefit you.
There’s a lot more to it, including the following –
1: Easy to Use.
SAP Analytics Cloud is quite friendly when it comes to accessing and using it. The interface of the same is pretty easy to understand. Also, it has a visually striking aura that can make you work with the system. But its appearance isn’t the only thing that works in its favor.
Apart from this, you can use SAP Analytics Cloud almost anywhere you want. It can be easily integrated into your smartphone. And if you can connect it to a reliable network system, the app will work vigorously. Also, you can collaborate with other SAP-based tools with it.
2: Excellent Functionality.
Apart from being easy to use, SAC’s functionality can seem quite over the moon too. Here are some of the aspects that you may need to know in this regard –
- With the smart insight feature, you can generate almost any report automatically. This can help you save your time and allocate the same to more important matters.
- Another feature of SAC is predictive, which can effortlessly offer perfect forecasting, no matter what you’re dealing with. It’s ideal for any growing business.
- The collaboration module feature is all about connecting one SAC user to another by means of chatting. It can be ideal for integrating a collaborating culture.
- Self-service reporting can be perfect for getting an automatic report on an action or a corporate procedure. However, you can still create a manual report if you want.
- Finally, full integration can help you integrate another application, usually SAP-based, into your recently-downloaded SAC. It can improve your efficiency even more.
Also, you can access SAP Analytics Cloud whenever and whenever you want. And it can be used on almost any device you’re thinking about opting for. In fact, you can use SAC with the smart TV you have in your house too. However, it might not be the most secure option.
3: Can Offer Useful Insights.
SAC, like any other cloud platform, uses augmented analytics and machine learning to acquire information regarding your audience and the target market. The former usually plays a crucial role in exploring data, while the latter uses it to offer essential insights.
Hence, with it, you can create a business plan accordingly by discovering different production cycles and identifying the possible ways to implement the same. SAC, due to the ML feature, will also allow you to simulate different outcomes for various budget ranges.
4: The Range of Real-Time Decisions.
Once you have gotten your insights, you can quickly convert the same into action instantly. As it’s developed on an automated solution, it can enable you to make decisions accordingly.
SAP Analytics Cloud provides a data modeling feature as well. There’s also an end-to-end or descriptive dashboard available here that can help you get –
- Actionable insights, and
- Real-time reports.
However, you will need to consult an ERP software expert to unlock these features and utilize them properly. The better your perception is about the program, the better.
5: Better Alignment.
Whether it’s financial planning or operational planning, accuracy will always be necessary. So it will be important for you to amalgamate different stakeholders and teams whilst creating an intelligent policy-related decision. And that’s not where it ends, though.
SAC, with all the enterprise planning tools, can also allow you to align the sales and expenses of your company and cost strategies. And it can be done across more than one team, including sales, HR, IT, and marketing. You can also stop sending unnecessary emails with it.
How Is Analytics Cloud Different From Other Solutions?
If you evaluate it from a standard viewpoint, SAP Analytics Cloud might seem like any other cloud solution available out there. However, that’s simply not true. It’s quite different from the others as a whole. Here’s what you need to know about it.
- Unlike any other cloud-based product, SAC is much faster and more agile. You can do nearly anything with just a single click. The user experience of the system is top-notch as well, which, in turn, makes it easier to use for a not-so-tech-savvy individual.
- With SAC, you can move to insights from action through a one-user experience quickly and efficiently. It’ll be possible for you to simulate any scenario in your business while generating a plan out of it automatically through predictions.
- There’s also a demo version of the product available. While it doesn’t come with all of the features, it can still offer an overview of what the solution can do. Also, the results it can offer will be data-driven and correct due to the power of machine learning.
Finally, you can also compose specialized apps for analysis with it. It, in turn, can help you to address all your business needs accordingly.
Concluding Lines
So, there you go.
Hopefully, now, you have an idea about SAP Analytics Cloud and how it works. Nonetheless, if you are still stuck somewhere, make sure to comment about it below.
We’ll try our best to offer a solution to you from our end!
