Getting started with the Business Builder

[former_member806233]

What is the Business Builder and why should you use it?

The Business Builder deals with the question of how business users can understand, associate, and combine the data to get flexible and insightful results. Business consumers can further answer multiple business questions in an easy self-service way.

In this blog I want to introduce you to Maddison Modeler. Maddison is a business analyst at the BikesForYou company, and she is responsible for helping her manager to take smart business decisions based e.g., sales data. Luckily, Madison recently got access to the Business Builder, which helps her to prepare the data for such decisions.

 

Business Builder Overview

For a brief introduction to the Business Builder watch this video:



 

Why are Dimensions important and what is a Dimension?

Dimensions typically represent master data, such as products, customers, or time. For a simple understanding, imagine a cube, where each cube side is a dimension.

It is necessary for Maddison to create dimensions with attributes that she wants to use for her analysis. The better she prepares the dimensions and selects the suitable attributes, the more variable her data foundation becomes for further questions. One fact not mentioned in the video is that dimensions and hierarchies often belong together.

If you want to have a closer look on how to create dimensions watch the linked video.

What is an Analytical Dataset?

Now, that Maddison knows what a dimension is and how she creates one, it is time for her to look at the fact data. The fact data is used as an Analytical Dataset, and it is the core of the data model. It should at least contain the measures and should provide the foreign keys to the dimensions which Maddison wants to analyze later in her report. The fact data could, for example, include accounting data from finance, sales data, supply chain or salary payments.

If you want to learn more on how to create an Analytical Dataset watch the linked video.

How to create a Consumption Model and Perspective?

In the last step, Maddison needs to create a consumption model and a perspective. Both are necessary to first prepare and then expose the data to SAP Analytics Cloud. By using Preview Maddison can quickly choose the data as she wants, by selecting the measures and attributes for her analysis. She can further assign authorizations, and if necessary, she can always create additional measures in the consumption model, which is especially important for so called Multifact-Models. Multifact Models are an advanced method to bridge data with different granularities over various dimensions.

How to create a consumption and a perspective in the fastest viable way have a look at this video:



Finally, Maddison could easily create an SAP Analytics Cloud Story like the following:

SAP Analytics Cloud Story

Summary

This Blog covers, what the Business Builder is and how to create Dimensions, Analytical Datasets, Consumption Models and Perspectives.

If you have any questions, feedback or thoughts please let me know in the comment section.

[former_member668546]

Thanks Leonie for explaining the Business Builder.

My question would be how it is different from the Data Builder? If you have any example or a reference where Data Builder and Business Builder provides a clear cut distinction and value in terms of usage.

[5062]

Hi Leonie,

Nice blog and you had put great effort.

it would be great if you answer to my questions for inventory model in DWC.

Can you please.

How Inventory model will work in SAP DWC and how to handle Delta's in SAP DWC | SAP Community

 

 

 

[wounky]

Hi Leonie, thanks for the article. It clarifies well how can the business user utilize this tool.
However, I have a few points to add.

To help and translate Business Builder objects into BW terminology:

• Analytical Data Set is like a Composite Provider where you associate fields with Dimensions (InfoObjects)
• In a Fact Model, you can union the transactional models together (optional)
• The Consumption Model is like a BW Query where you drag and drop what you need and add the calculations and filters.
• The perspectives are like AfO Query Views

A few points on why should you not use Business Builder as of now:

• First, the content of the business builder is not transportable. You cannot export it.
• Second, the hierarchy associations are not supported (unlike in Data Builder).
• Third, the associations to Dimensions get buggy (SAC).
• Fourth, joins are not supported, only unions of the Analytical Data Sets in a Fact model (Kinda kills the use-case for business workspaces like in PaPM).

Kind regards,
Sebastian

[sacuser007]

Sebastian,

Thanks for your translation of Business Builder objects to BW terminology. It is very helpful.

Sulthan

[NicolasMartinez]

Hello Leonie,

thank you for the good summary on the business builder.

But I have a question regarding your last video.

As of my understanding, you first create a consumption model, and based on that a perspective. So they are two separate objects.

In the video it seems like you only create a perspective and miss to first describe creating a consumption model.

Kind regards
Nicolas