Scale SAP Analytics Cloud in your organisation

In S/4HANA environments, SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) will be the default analytics tool. Earlier we have discussed how you should plan and which routes might be applicable for SAC deployment. In this article, we look into how you can further scale up use of SAC in your organisation.

Evolution of the software

SAC constantly evolves through regular updates that improve and strengthen data modelling and integration capacities, as well the feel and look of SAC. At the time of writing this blog post, major versions are released quarterly and patch updates are handled as needed, typically on a monthly basis. Since SAC is a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS), version upgrades do not require any additional testing needs from the customer side nor do the new functionalities break existing reporting, analytics or planning solutions your company has created. 

However, it is good to keep up-to-date with new changes in SAC and organise analytics design workshops, as well as update internal specifications and training materials. New SAC features might enable something which has been either impossible or just really cumbersome to implement before. Sometimes you could end up in a situation where the SAC is not able to fill your needs. For these situations SAP provides a Customer Influence channel where you can suggest new features and vote for features which others have suggested. SAP uses these as a source for features to be added to the SAC roadmap. 

Evolution of analytics and infrastructure needs

Piloting the first SAC dashboards can bring analytical questions to the surface that might require updating data management guidelines, creating new datasets, bringing in additional external data sources (e.g. to manage third party risk management or to enhance forecasting) or upskilling the key SAC users. New SAC features can allow enhancements in data modelling and usability of visualisations. In addition, it is important to continuously analyse performance and data security considerations and identify needs for improvement. 

Overall data strategy

There might still be reporting and analytical questions that SAC cannot address. You should regularly review your data analytics strategy from financial reporting, controlling and compliance perspectives to identifying gaps and look into automated ways to address them through other SAP products and customised solutions that we can help you to build.

Our team can help you scale analytics in the S/4HANA environment and develop solid data strategy for your company that will include flexible deployment, user training, maintenance and integration with other solutions such as SAP Group Reporting or SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) to name a few. 

This blog is a part of PwC blog series on SAP Analytics Cloud deployment. Read previous blogs here and here.