Intelligent ERP Update: SAP S/4HANA Cloud 1805 Release – Deep Dive for Two-Tier ERP Analytics

Welcome back to the next blog in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud Two-Tier ERP blog series. In the last blog on “Intelligent ERP Update: SAP S/4HANA Cloud 1805 Release updates for Two-Tier ERP” we discussed about latest and greatest 1805 highlights of our next-generation, intelligent cloud ERP solution for Two-Tier ERP deployment, we are happy to take the tradition of blogging series to the Two-Tier scenario for analytics, what motivates enterprises to run independent ERP systems in their subsidiary and what advantages S/4HANA Cloud brings to the table with Analytics and Integration capabilities.
This blog will cover the latest updates with deep dive on analytics topic, and you can find all the links in this collection for documentation.
In this blog, let’s understand how the latest product features of SAP Analytics Cloud enrich the Two Tier ERP accelerators for the analytics content providing Integration between SAP S/4HANA /SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP Analytics Cloud.
Content library to access the accelerators of this package. On the General tab page, you can find additional information about this package.
As you might know, SAP Analytics Cloud is a next-generation software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution (https://news.sap.com/sap-expands-user-experience-across-all-analytics-platform/) that consolidates all analytics functionalities for all users in one product.
SAP created a highly differentiated solution “SAP Analytics Cloud” which is the intersection of BI, Predictive and Planning. Built on SAP Cloud Platform it delivers an enterprise-wide access to analytics delivered through a high-performing and reliable public cloud experience.
Check out the video below for a quick overview on top analytics innovations released for Two-Tier ERP.


The 3 approaches for data integration with Two-Tier ERP scenarios with SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

1. Data Extraction
2. Data Replication
3. Virtual access (Live Connection)

Data extraction covers the cross-system analytics scenarios.

• Historical reporting
• Near real-time
• Flexibility limited to extracted data

Data replication covers the Operational cross-system analytics scenarios.

• Historical reporting if view is time-dependent
• Shift operational reporting to hub for load reduction of transactional system
• Near real-time and maximum flexibility

This blog will cover the Data replication scenario using Integration between SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP S/4HANA Cloud (Subsidiaries) and SAP S/4HANA (HQ) for analytics and planning scenario’s.
Virtual Access for Two-Tier ERP scenarios with less data volume and Live connection to SAP S/4HANA Cloud (Subsidiaries) and SAP S/4HANA (HQ) for analytics

• Real-time and Bi-directional remote access shall be supported

SAP Analytics Cloud provide pre-delivered analytics content for finance, manufacturing, procurement.  Analyze your data using Analytics capabilities for companies running in a Two-Tier ERP deployment model.
SAP Best Practices package delivers best practice methodologies to integrate financial results from SAP S/4HANA Cloud into SAP Analytics Cloud, Real-time integration between S/4HANA Cloud and SAP Analytics Cloud, plus retract Plan data back into SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
Two Tier ERP Accelerators for analytics are provided to combine the data set and visualize it using SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP Digital Boardroom.
Pre-requisite System Requirement:

• SAP S/4HANA Cloud 1805
• SAP S/4HANA On Premise 1809

Lets understand how Real-time integration can be set up using SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP S/4HANA.
Real-time integration can be set up with live data connections to an SAP S/4HANA systems using the Path and Cloud connection types.
Users can build stories based on released CDS views or leverage own queries created by you. For list of released CDS views, see CDS Views. Only CDS Views containing the @Analytics.query: true annotation will appear in SAP Analytics Cloud.
Path Connection
The Path connection type is recommended in the following instances where you already have a reverse proxy set up on your local network and must access SAP Analytics Cloud through it. You want to connect to an on premise SAP S/4HANA system.
Live Data Connection to SAP S/4HANA via HTTP Server
Cloud Connection
Use this connection type if you want to connect to data on an SAP S/4HANA Cloud Edition system.
Live Data Connection to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Edition via OAuth
Live Data Connection to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Edition with SSO
SAML SSO connection between S/4HANA Cloud Edition and SAP Analytics Cloud.
Integration of SAP Analytics Cloud with S/4HANA Cloud requires SAP Analytics Cloud to use the S/4HANA Cloud Identity Provider More details in OSS Note . The SAP Identity Authorization Service (IAS) that all SAC tenants use by default
OAuth connection option users can use different SAML IdPs but need to configure OAuth in S/4HANA Cloud. Refer to the guide for more details: User must configure the S/4HANA Business User, Communication System, and Communication Arrangement on your S/4HANA system
For OAuth:  https://www.sapanalytics.cloud/guided_playlists/sap-s4hana-oauth/
For SAML SSO KBA 2518900 – How do I connect SAP Analytics Cloud to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Identity Provider (IdP)?
Real-time integration between SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP Analytics Cloud.

SAP Real-time Financial Analytics for SAP S/4HANA Cloud enables analysts or planners to dive into SAP S/4HANA Cloud using a real-time connector. Accelerators include a prebuilt set of LIVE analytical dashboards, key performance indicators, and P&L/Balance Sheet reports (Best Practice Analytics scope item 1U8).
SAP Financial Analysis for SAP S/4HANA Cloud enables analysts or planners to analyze trends, variances, and growth rates for both Actuals and Plan in SAP Analytics Cloud. Accelerators mirror the content in Real-time Financial Planning for SAP S/4HANA Cloud (Best Practice Analytics scope item 2IJ).
Integration between SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP Analytics Cloud using Data Replication
SAP Analytics Cloud allows you to connect to an SAP S/4HANA Cloud system to replicate data to a analytics model enabled for planning. After creating a connection in SAP Analytics Cloud, a query can be configured to import master and transaction data to SAP Analytics Cloud.
To replicate data from SAP S/4HANA Cloud to SAP Analytics Cloud, the following prerequisites currently apply:

• A Communication Arrangement in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud system.
• The SAP Analytics Cloud model need to created new or imported.
• Configuration, access to the following system is required i.e. User access for SAP Analytics Cloud with Administrator roles assigned and User access SAP S/4HANA Cloud Communication Arrangement user access to appropriate financial CDS views and appropriate Fiori tiles ex. P&L – Actuals and Trial Balance.

Master data is imported individually by dimension. Dimensions that include hierarchies (G/L Account, Cost Center, Profit Center) require SAP S/4HANA Discovery Services to be created and set up using ‘‘Import Data from SAP S/4HANA‘‘
Queries are defined to import dimension IDs & attributes for public dimensions. This activity is executed in the SAP Analytics Cloud system
Screen Shot for SAP S/4HANA Discovery service for Master Data


In Modeler – Data Integration – dimension mappings is performed and adjusted as required for the queries needed for master data upload in SAP Analytics Cloud.

• ID & Attributes
• Text Descriptions
• Hierarchy Nodes
• Hierarchy Leaves
• Hierarchy Node Text Descriptions

Jobs to Import the above Master data to be scheduled via SAP Analytics Cloud Job scheduler will be available in future. It is recommend that user complete all the steps for a single dimension, then repeat them for the remaining public dimensions.
Data Replication – Transactional Data to SAP Analytics Cloud
Process of loading transaction data to the SAP Analytics Cloud model start with clearing out the transaction data from the SAP Analytics Cloud Model to prepare for initial loading.
SAP S/4HANA Discovery service based query is designed to allow importing of transaction data ex. P&L finance data set to the SAP Analytics Cloud Model.  SAP S/4HANA Cloud transaction data import can be achieved using SAP S/4HANA Discovery service and creating new query for SAP S/4HANA ex. A_JournalEntryItemBasic.
Query based on requirements can created in SAP Analytics Cloud to support loading of transaction data ex. P&L to the SAP Analytics Cloud model.
Screen Shot for Query – Data Integration with SAP Analytics Cloud

Data Wrangling
After the query is created to load transaction data ex. P&L, data wrangling is required to map and convert fields contained in the query to related dimensions within the SAP Analytics Cloud model.
Replication of Transactional Data to SAP Analytics Cloud using freehand query
SAP Analytics Cloud Model can import data using Connection Type – “OData Services” and selecting the appropriate OData service URL in Import Data from OData query can be coded into Freehand SQL input box After the query is created to load balance sheet transaction data, data wrangling is required to map and convert fields contained in the query to related dimensions within the SAP Analytics Cloud model.
Freehand query is utilized to import transaction data ex. balance sheet to the SAP Analytics Cloud Model.

Card View Mapping – In Modeler – Data Integration
Card View screen allows to have all Dimensions and Measures mapped. attributes do not need be mapped here in card view. each of the cards to make sure the mapping has been performed and the status is complete. Finish Mapping step allow to start the import process to load transactional data in SAP Analytics Cloud Model.
Replication of Non-Financial Transactional Data to SAP Analytics Cloud
Non-Financial transaction data can be loaded to the SAP Analytics Cloud model and will be available for KPI calculations. Non-Financial transaction data that is not available in the SAP S/4HANA source system.  Importing data from a flat file can be achieved using “Import Data from File“ option
After loading transaction data in the SAP Analytics Cloud model, it is necessary to confirm the transaction data from SAP Analytics Cloud matches the data in source system ex. SAP S/4HANA Cloud for reconciliation which can be done using Fiori Tiles in SAP S/4HANA.
Learn more in next blog series for  #S4HANA Cloud : Two-Tier ERP  : Analytics Integration with SAP S/4HANA
Stay tuned for more updates in the next quarters!
For more information on SAP S/4HANA Cloud, check out the following links:

• SAP S/4HANA Cloud release info: http://www.sap.com/s4-cloudrelease
• Sven’s blog post on SAP News: here
• Best practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud here
• New SAP S/4HANA Cloud User Community: register here
• Feature Scope Description here
• What’s New here
• Help Portal Product Page here

Follow us via @SAPand #S4HANA, or myself via @har1234 (Hardeep Tulsi)


Source: https://blogs.sap.com/2018/06/19/intelligent-erp-update-sap-s4hana-cloud-1805-release-updates-for-two-tier-erp-analytics/