Modern Management Reporting with SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC)

Initial Situation

The client’s management reporting was largely based on Excel: separate files, manual consolidation, and a lack of unified KPI definitions. Month-end closing was time-consuming and recurring discussions arose about “the correct number”.

Although a SAP BW/4HANA system was already in use, the potential for modern, interactive reporting with SAP Analytics Cloud had not yet been leveraged.

Goals

• Build a central management cockpit in SAP Analytics Cloud
• Replace manual Excel reports with automated evaluations
• Unified KPI definitions & single point of truth
• Integrated planning (forecast & budget) directly in SAC
• Self-service analytics for selected business departments
• Mobile dashboards for management & sales

Approach & Architecture

At the start, relevant KPIs, perspectives, and navigation paths were defined together with Controlling, Sales, and Management. Based on this, a functional dashboard concept was developed (wireframes, drill-down logic, filter concept).

Technically, a live connection from SAC to SAP BW/4HANA was set up. For special simulations and planning scenarios, import models were used. The SAC models were designed to:

• support multidimensional views (time, region, product, customer)
• combine plan and actual data consistently
• map delta and variance logic (absolute, %)

Next, the stories were developed in close alignment with the business units: layout, visualization types, responsive design for tablet and desktop. A role and authorization concept (row-level security) ensured that each user only sees the data relevant to them.

Results & Added Value

• A central management cockpit in SAP Analytics Cloud
• Significantly reduced manual effort in month-end closing
• Transparent KPIs – everyone works with the same data foundation
• Faster decision-making through real-time insights
• Integrated planning (top-down and bottom-up) directly in SAC
• Higher acceptance among departments thanks to intuitive interfaces

By combining BW/4HANA as a data foundation and SAP Analytics Cloud as the frontend, the client was able to build a future-proof reporting landscape – with a clear roadmap for further use cases.

Lessons Learned & Best Practices

• Business design first: Define KPIs, views, and navigation logic before building models & stories.
• Clear governance framework: Who is allowed to create or modify models, stories, and planning forms?
• Live vs. import: Live connection for operational transparency, import models for simulations and what-if scenarios.
• Iterative approach: Short sprints with feedback from business departments result in higher acceptance and better dashboards.
• Training & enablement: Train key users to ensure self-service analytics is truly adopted.

This project was realized by me as a SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) Consultant, with a strong focus on dashboard design and interactive analytics stories.

As a SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) Expert and SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) Freelancer, I supported the customer from concept to go-live.