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What’s New in SAP Analytics Cloud Q1 2024

meganhoy
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert
‎02-07-2024 12:15 AM

SAP Analytics Cloud brings together analytics and planning with unique integration to SAP applications and seamless access to heterogenous data sources. It helps everyone in your organization make decisions without doubt with trusted insights and integrated plans.

This blog post introduces the new features and enhancements of the SAP Analytics Cloud Q1 2024 Quarterly Release (QRC).

Join our SAP Product Experts in the video below as they demonstrate some of the features highlighted in Q1 2024.

 

System Administration and Technical Requirements

Although not required, you may upgrade to the latest SAP Analytics Cloud agent version 1.0.395 to take advantage of all data acquisition types.

The agent’s minimum version remains at 1.0.75, with the following exceptions:

  • Version 1.0.99 for SAP ERP/SQL Database
  • Version 1.0.91 for SAP universe (UNX)
  • Version 1.0.353 for SAP Business Warehouse (BW)
  • Version 1.0.235 for SAP HANA View
  • Version 1.0.248 for File Server

For more information, see System Requirements and Technical Prerequisites.

Important: With every quarterly release update, there are required updates for the integration of SAP BW with SAP Analytics Cloud via SNOTES. This will ensure that the SAP BW back and font ends are in sync. To learn which SNOTES are required for implementation, refer to the XML-File attached in SAP Note 2541557.

Regarding supported features and required updates for the integration of SAP BW with SAP Analytics Cloud, refer to SAP Note 2541557 for further details.

Regarding supported features and required updates for live universe access through SAP BusinessObjects Live Data Connect with SAP Analytics Cloud, refer to SAP Note 2771921 for further details.

Please download the latest version of the Simple Deployment Kit from Service Marketplace.

Note: To avoid downloading older versions and potentially exposing users to a vulnerable bundling of the Cloud Connector with SAPJVM, or Apache Tomcat, only the three latest versions of the kits are available to download.

For Cloud agent version change management details, refer to SAP Note 3264839.

 

Release Highlights

 

Administration & Service Management

 

External hyperlink list for trusted domains

Users can now enable a warning message when being redirected to an external URL. Admins can create a list of trust domains that are exempt from the warning. (SAP Road Map Explorer)

external hyperlinks.png

 

Switching to the advanced calculation engine in SAP Profitability and Performance Management
  • Navigate between SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP Profitability and Performance Management using the product switcher menu in the top right of the shell bar navigation menu
  • Log in once and access the service again without re-authenticating

Note: When selecting advanced calculation engine in the switch menu for SAP Analytics Cloud, the shell bar navigation menu opens in a new browser tab showing the entry page for SAP Profitability and Performance Management. The URL for this is defined in the Link my Tenants section of the system administration page for the tenant. (SAP Road Map Explorer)

 

Business Content Delivery

 

Business content packages for consensus net revenue planning, financial and sales planning, and process insights

Reduce the time spent implementing SAP Analytics Cloud by adopting new, prebuilt data models and stories.

Updated packages for industries and lines of business for Q1 2024 include: (SAP Road Map Explorer)

  • New industry and line-of-business content packages:
    • Security Recommendation dashboard
    • Portfolio financial planning for SAP S/4HANA
    • Consensus net revenue planning
    • Strategic workforce planning
  • Updated industry and line-of-business content packages:
    • Public sector management KPI reporting for SAP S/4HANA Cloud
    • Public sector management planning
    • Commercial planning
    • Cross-model functionality for integrated financial planning for SAP S/4HANA
    • Group financial planning for SAP S/4HANA
    • Integrated financial planning for SAP S/4HANA
    • Extended planning and analysis (XP&A) and human experience management (HXM)
    • Enterprise asset management and plant maintenance analysis for SAP S/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Learn more about SAP Analytics Business Content here.

 

Data Center Availability

 

Data-center availability in Switzerland with EU access through Microsoft Azure

Customer now have more choices in data center locations and hyperscaler platforms through support for deployment on Microsoft Azure in Switzerland. (SAP Road Map Explorer)

 

Data Integration

 

Data Export API – support for public dimensions
  • Adding a new namespace exposing public dimensions
  • Supporting two-legged and three-legged OAuth protocols

Note: Available on Cloud Foundry tenants. (SAP Road Map Explorer)

 

Improve data motive job readiness check

An enhancement has been made to the data management UI for refreshing import jobs of a model in target tenants. See this SAP knowledge base article for more details. 

 

Enterprise Planning

 

Data Actions – cross-model copy with analytic models as a source

Ability to read data from an analytic (non-planning) model of SAP Analytics Cloud as a source model when using a cross-model copy operation. (SAP Road Map Explorer)

data action - corss model copy with analytic models as a source.png

 

 

Microsoft Office Integration

 

Continuing member selector updates in Microsoft Excel – Select a Range

Expanded member-selector functionality in Excel includes:

  • Select a range of member to define them a filter.

This feature will be available only when the members will be visible in "flat list mode" in the Member selector. (SAP Road Map Explorer)

Please note this is a preview and will be released later in Q1 2024. This feature has been postponed to Q2 QRC.

Cont member selector updates - select range.png

 

Formatting of a static report in Microsoft Excel
  • New option available for tables, allowing users to deactivate the default table formatting and apply Excel style
  • When deactivating the default table formatting, user ability to add Excel formatting to the add-in table and to maintain the formatting upon “refresh” action
  • User ability to create highly customized formatting for static tables; however, this formatting will not support expand and collapse actions

(SAP Road Map Explorer)

This feature is available as of Jan 31, 2024.

format static report.png

 

Updates to the designer pane header in Microsoft Excel 
  • Display of the detailed content of a selected object in a sheet, through the designer pane header, which enables the user to make changes to the object, such as tables, data action triggers, or data sources used for formulas
  • Additional updates to the header to enrich the information and the navigation capabilities:
    • Enrichment of the information within the header with details regarding the object (table, data action trigger, or data source alias for formulas) shown within the sheet

(SAP Road Map Explorer)

This feature is available as of Jan 31, 2024.

designer page redesign.png

 

This blog post only provides a high-level overview of the latest features and enhancements of SAP Analytics Cloud. For more details on these features, please visit the SAP Analytics Cloud Help Portal. You can also visit the SAP Road Map Explorer to see the upcoming features of SAP Analytics Cloud. 

 

5 Comments
dominik_zed
Participant
‎02-07-2024 7:43 AM

Hi Megan,

thanks for your blog.

Is there a specific reason why requests with category "Table" in influence portal are not really worked on at the moment? When I filter for category "table" in "open for voting" and sort by number of votes, i have to scroll down forever to find one(!) minor request with only a few votes with status "accepted". There are so many heavy requested features in table component and none of it is really worked on at the moment. Almost everything on "For long-term consideration".

I really do hope that there are plans to do some more investments in table widget. Customized(!) tables still are really the basis of most reportings for many of us.
Refering users to DataAnalyzer is not helping at all, cause users want to combine a table with story design and scripting.
It looks to me as if SAP would focus heaviliy on DataAnalyzer in terms of improving table reporting. But this is not helping at all, due to its limitations (no story design/scripting). What we really need is sophisticated and fast table reporting combined(!) with story design/scripting capabilities, that also works for mass data reporting.

When we compare table widget and DataExploration(DataAnalyzer) in Influence Portal we find that votes for "table" widget topics are much much higher than those for DA. Number 10 in table has more votes than Number 1 in DataExploration! Also total number of requests is much higher for table. This leaves no doubt about what is more important to your customers. When I speak to other consultants I have the feeling that a majority would prioritize "table" over "DataAnalyzer" as well. Despite that we see a lot of investment in DA and almost none in table component. If I'm counting correctly 12 accepted requests in Category "DataExploration" versus 1 in "table". What is the reason for this mismatch?

In our case, missing functionality and bad performance in table widget make the whole migration from Lumira to SAC look like a step back for our endusers and cast a huge shaddow over improvements in SAC in other areas.

I know it's a bit boring, but please start to prioritize the most basic things (for example table widget) and bring it at least to the same standard that we got used to in Lumira Crosstab since so many years. It's not understandable and I cannot explain it to my users how SAC can be so far behind in this most basic aspect.

Thanks for considering this.
Best regards

richard_mooney
Associate
Associate
‎02-09-2024 1:24 PM

Dominik,

I run the influence community for SAP Analytics Cloud. We definitely do have a lot of investment in table and I not entirely sure why it is not reflected in influence. I will do some research and come back to comment here next week. We definitely understand the importance, table is a key choke point in a lot of workflows and the headcount working on it was increased in the last couple of years. It might be taking just a little time for the fruits of that investment to come through.

 

Talk next week.

Thanks
Richard 

mtayibi
Participant
‎02-15-2024 2:26 PM
0 Kudos

None a single improvement regarding exports especially PDF or basic functionalities. What about exporting hidden pages or exporting the whole table? The current PDF export is WYSIWYG; it doesn't include the full table content. I dont understand why there isnt any improvements in the very basic features of reporting? When i compare SAC to Lumira its so far behind in many aspects. Why not focusing on basic things rather than fancy features.

Im not saying this in my own favor but check the votes and improve accordingly please.

meganhoy
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert
‎02-19-2024 4:42 AM

@dominik_zed @mtayibi 

I am sharing the following message on behalf of Gregory Botticchio, from SAP Analytics Product Management:

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding the latest release of SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) and specifically on the Table component. Your insights are crucial for us to better understand the needs and expectations of our users.

I completely understand and share your frustration regarding the disparity in the release of new features regarding the Table widget and compared to other SAC features, in particular Data Analyzer.

Your observation regarding the massive request for improvements to the Table widget is duly noted.

Please, be assured, the Table component is and remains a critical component of SAC, and we recognize its importance in all reporting workflows.

I'd like to take this opportunity to explain what's happening with the Table widget and share with you that it's still receiving attention and investment from our development teams.

This special focus on this widget has been in progress for some time now and is expected to end by 2024. What I'm trying to explain is that we have begun a project to re-architect this widget for the benefit of everyone, users and developers alike, and it takes time to get things right.

Our goal is so that, once completed, it will then become easier and faster to provide all the innovations that the community is requesting for the Widget Table.

And all happens in a continuous effort to improve its performance, scalability, and overall usability in order to meet the diverse needs of our users.

Additionally, our ongoing efforts include ensuring a seamless integration with SAP BW BEx, SAP HANA, and SAP DataSphere, recognizing the critical role these platforms play in our customers' analytics environments. Without forgetting that this widget must also constantly take into account developments related to Enterprise Planning.

Regarding your concerns about prioritizing Data Analyzer over the Table widget, and the fact that many ideas are marked "For long-term consideration" : this in no way diminishes our commitment to improving the Table widget to meet your reporting and analysis needs.

On the contrary, for me, it is a way to park all these good ideas in order to be able, once again, to complete the right architecture of the Table with the right technology, in order to accelerate the delivery of these ideas.

Lastly, to conclude on a positive note, I would like to highlight the fact that we have a good roadmap for 2024 moving us in this direction that includes many improvements and features specifically aimed at improving the Table component. These upcoming updates address many requests and concerns raised by users like you. A good example is the two recent features we made for the Table : “Filter by Member” and “ Sorting of the Version dimension”.

We are grateful for your continued support and engagement, and for taking the time to share your feedbacks : it helps us to drive our development efforts.

Please stay tuned for updates on our progress, and feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or suggestions.

Thank you once again for your valuable feedback and for being a valued user of SAP Analytics Cloud.

dominik_zed
Participant
‎02-19-2024 7:20 AM
0 Kudos

Thank you Megan, Richard, Gregory for this detailed feedback; This is good news for us. Happy to hear that SAP will continue to invest here. Looking forward to see a re-architected, improved table widget. Best regards

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