The Right Choice of an Application Landscape to Pr...

udo_werner · ‎12-16-2022

Summary

In this article I describe alternative options of an SAP application landscape that can provide cover the requirement for consolidation and give the list of questions to answer to make the right choice for a customer, taking his situation and preferences into account.

Business Requirements

The business has the requirement for a reporting from a group perspective, consolidating the results from several companies

This comprises:

Collection of financial data from several companies and possibly different source systems and in different formats via direct read, via APIs or via files
Currency translation
Intercompany profit and revenue elimination
Analysis
Publication

Solution Options

Applications that are assigned to the business capability Group Reporting are

SAP S/4HANA Cloud Group Reporting
SAP S/4HANA OP Group Reporting
SAP ERP EC-CS
SAP Group reporting for Data Collection
SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, Version for SAP BW/4HANA
SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, Version for SAP Netweaver
SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, Version for the Microsoft platform
SAP Business Information Warehouse, BW-BCS

Characterization of the Solution Options

SAP S/4HANA Cloud Group Reporting, SAP S/4HANA OP Group Reporting

S/4HANA for Group reporting is the strategic solution of choice for the future. More info in S/4 HANA for Group Reporting : Overview and SAP S/4HANA for group reporting, Release Blogs.

The features and capabilities for the business requirement for group consolidation are the same between SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA on Premise. The decision between both options will follow other considerations, like strategic direction in favor or against cloud solutions

Another blog that gives a comparison of the features of Group Reporting vs BPC can be found here: How does S/4 HANA Group Reporting fit in SAP’s financial consolidation product portfolio?

SAP Group reporting for Data Collection

This application is not a consolidation solution of its own but a helping tool to complete S/4HANA group Reporting

SAP ERP EC-CS

This a solution from some generations back, that is still supported as part of SAP ERP but will not be extended and is not considered strategic. The solution architecture helped to design SAP S/4HANA Group reporting combining the best parts of two different philosophies. Should be retired and not be part of a future application landscape.

SAP Business Information Warehouse, BW-BCS

Older generation solution that is not considered strategic and should be retired in a new application landscape

SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, Version for SAP Netweaver, SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, Version for the Microsoft platform

Earlier versions of BPC which are not on the newest technical platform.

SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, Version for SAP BW/4HANA

The newest technical basis of BPC. Might be considered as target solution in some cases. Criteria given below. Interesting or the decision making is also that BPC will not go out of maintenance soon. Read this blog to get the latest information on timelines; Maintenance timelines for SAP Business Planning and Consolidation (SAP BPC)

Criteria to determine the most suitable target solution

These are the questions / criteria which are maintained in the Evaluation Excel that is referred to in the next section.

Decision Tree

A simplified approach to come to a decision is depicted in this decision tree

Conclusion

You have received an overview about applications out of the SAP portfolio that can cover the requirement for group reporting and consolidation. I have given you the key questions to answer for the choice of the right application in your target application landscape, after a transformation