SAP BIW

Introduction to BIW

Introduction to SAP BIW

Business Scenario

Your company has already implemented SAP R/3. You use the reporting tools in the R/3 system for reporting and accessing information. There are also non-SAP systems in your company. The reporting tools you use at the moment provide you with application-specific and system-specific information. You need a tool that enables you to report on data from all the available source systems throughout the company.

BW Overview

Business Scenario

Your company is considering implementing BW to meet its demand for company-wide, cross-system reporting. You need a general overview of BW to help you decide whether BW fulfills your company's requirements.

Information Oriented Management

Information Oriented Management

Reporting systems of all kinds are common in todays enterprise environment. Many of these systems, however, are unable to provide the kind of information that you need to help you make complex decisions. Data warehouses, such as the SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW), provide the kind of decision-support system that is needed in todays business environment.

SAP OLTP

SAP OLTP

SAP has provided solutions for reporting and analysis for a long time. Up until now, these solutions focused on the needs of operational reporting. The requirements of strategic reporting were not fully met. The SAP Business Information Warehouse provides a complete solution for all types of reporting and decision-support

OLAP and OLTP

OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) refers to the type of data processing typically done in an R/3 system. The reporting requirements in this type of system vary greatly from those in an OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) environment. BW is an OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) system, providing users with data in a form that makes reporting possible across different systems and different applications

Comparison

SAP - Business Information Warehouse

Data Warehouse system with optimized structures for reporting and analysis

an independent business component combining all the different reporting tasks, with a separate server, and its own database and SAP system. This solution is the SAP Business Information Warehouse. All of the requirements and objectives mentioned so far have been met in the conception and architecture of the SAP Business Information Warehouse. A decisive advantage of the SAP Business Information Warehouse is the fact that all of SAP's business know- how, gathered from over 25 years of software development in the commercial sector, has been applied in developing the Metadata Repository in the Business Information Warehouse Preconfigured support for data sources from R/3 systems BAPIs for data sources from non-SAP systems SAP R/3 systems can be configured as OLTP systems and supply the SAP Business Information Warehouse with the entire SAP Business Content.

OLAP engine and tools

Integrated Metadata Repository

Data extraction and data staging in OLTP

Automated Data Warehouse Management Administrator Workbench for controlling and managing

BW and the Business Framework

BW and the Business Framework

The SAP Business Framework Architecture has been developed to meet the demands made of a modern data warehouse solution. It is under this motto that SAP has recently transformed its R/3 System into a family of software components. Considerations such as how to implement new functions more quickly, flexibility, openness, enhanceability, and so on, form the basis of this strategy. Tried and tested ALE and BAPI technology in the SAP system provides the technical background for the componentization of business standardsoftware. SAP uses Application Link Enabling (ALE) and SAP Business Workflow to guarantee the integration of the whole system. This enables business processes to function across different components.

BW Strategy An end to end solution

Architecture of the Business Information Warehouse

Detailed BW Architecture

Detailed BW Architecture

This graphic gives a more detailed view of the BW architecture. For R/3 source systems, SAP provides a range of extractors that make it easier to use data from R/3. For non-SAP systems, customers can either develop their own extractor programs, or use one of the certified third-party tools available. Sources of data can be legacy systems, R/3 systems, R/2 systems, flat files, 3rd party systems, or other BW systems. On the BW server, data is stored in one or more InfoCubes. In addition, the operational data store, or ODS, can be used to store the transaction-level data. The Business Explorer consists of two tools; the Business Explorer Analyzer that is used to create and execute queries, and the Business Explorer Browser that is used to display existing reports. Third-party presentation tools can also be used. Queries can also be accessed using a Web browser.

Business Information Warehouse: An Open System

Business Content Development

Business Content Development

Business Content contains numerous objects that simplify the implementation of BW and accelerate the construction of an effective reporting system. These objects are grouped together to enable you to use them effectively: For all areas of your company and for many industry sectors, there are roles that provide users with the relevant reports and applications that they need to perform their tasks. In the future, cross-component applications called Analytical Applications will be available to provide direct access to all the information related to a process. They allow you not only to analyze these process, but also trigger actions and reactions in the systems that deliver data. Areas particularly suitable for the implementation of Analytical Applications are, for example, Supply Chain Management (for example, supplier and catalog analysis, manufacturing analysis), Customer Relationship Management (for example, e-business analysis, market exploration) or analyses within the company, such as performance analysis, payment analysis, or human capital analysis.

The Advantages of Business Content

Faster and Lower-Cost Implementations Low Cost of Ownership Consistent Definitions and Data System-Openness Flexibility Business Content provides you with a data model that helps you implement your BW, and also benefit from other customers' experience.

mySAP.com Workplace

Starting Workbooks

Starting web reports

Web Reports

Web reports can be executed directly from the launch pad by integrating the URL for the report directly into the users role. An unlimited number of Web reports can be added to the users role. The URL for a Web report can also be included in a role as a MiniApp, or defined as an item in an Internet page. Current data is selected by the OLAP processor upon execution. A user's authorizations are checked at this point. You are able to navigate in the Web report if the type of Web report you have selected includes a navigation toolbar or drilldown table items.

Course Overview: Business Explorer

Business Explorer: Business Scenario

You require detailed information about the functions of the BEx Analyzer, in order to check whether it meets your company's reporting needs. You want to familiarize yourself with the functions of the BEx Browser, which the BW user is to use to execute and manage their reports.

Business Explorer

From InfoCube to Workbook

BEx Browser: Overview

Executing Queries in the BEx Analyzer

Managing Queries in the BEx Browser

Creating a Query

Choosing Characteristics and Key Figures

Changing a Query