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Corporate Planning in Transition: Trends
Corporate planning is undergoing a major transformation in the context of digitalization, real-time data, and the cloud. To meet new demands such as agility, integration, and self-service in the planning process, five key trends have emerged that are shaping the future of business planning:
Integrated Planning
Rather than being a trend, this represents an approach and target vision for designing the planning process. At the same time, it poses the greatest challenge: to achieve an integrated planning perspective, sub-plans such as finance, sales, and HR must be linked in a coordinated and coherent process. A consistent and unified data foundation is crucial to avoid inconsistencies and errors.
Driver-Based Planning
This trend responds to the need for faster, more flexible planning and the ability to react quickly to external factors. Drivers refer to various elements of the business model, such as sales volumes, pricing strategies, cost structures, and headcount. Based on these, simulations and scenario analyses can be performed.
Artificial Intelligence
Integrating AI into the planning process enables more efficient data analysis, process automation, and optimization of planning workflows. Predictive planning approaches are becoming increasingly feasible.
Cloud-Based Planning
The advantages are clear – even performance peaks during planning cycles can be managed without difficulty. Added benefits include lower hardware and infrastructure costs, along with improved scalability and flexibility.
Sustainable Corporate Management
In this context, ESG factors (Environmental, Social, Governance) are gaining importance. Many key performance indicators related to ESG are based on a combination of financial and non-financial data.
From Planning Vision to Platform Decision – Why trends alone aren’t enough
These trends make one thing clear: modern corporate planning is no longer just a methodological issue – it is closely tied to the underlying technology. Those who want to plan in real time and in an integrated manner must not only rethink processes but also strategically align their IT architecture. This brings one central question into focus:
Which platform supports these new requirements reliably, scalably, and in a future-proof manner – without creating new silos?
This is where tool selection becomes an architectural decision. And to give away the answer: SAP today offers a wide range of options – but also brings added complexity. Between SAC, Datasphere, S/4HANA, and legacy BPC models, the key question is not if you should plan in the cloud, but how to do so seamlessly.
One approach that is standing out – and gaining importance in practice – is Seamless Planning.
Seamless Planning with SAP Datasphere: Planning without Data Silos
What is Seamless Planning?
In today’s dynamic business environment, siloed planning is no longer sufficient. Companies need planning that is end-to-end, flexible, and cross-system – in short: Seamless Planning. This enables seamless, real-time integration of SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) and SAP Datasphere (DSP) – without data replication.
Planning models and key figures are stored directly in Datasphere and are available live in SAC. This reduces complexity, avoids inconsistencies, and accelerates decision-making.
Integration Through SAP Datasphere – The Backbone of the Business Data Cloud
At the heart of the Business Data Cloud is SAP Datasphere – a modern, cloud-based data platform. It enables data from various source systems – such as SAP S/4HANA, SAP BW, SAP SuccessFactors, third-party systems, or even non-SAP sources – to be made available semantically consistent and in real time. The data remains at its source – it is not physically replicated. Datasphere provides what’s known as the “Business Context” – a semantic layer that explains and unifies data in business terms, making it understandable and usable for planning and analysis.
This capability is essential for Seamless Planning. Planning can only be truly end-to-end if all relevant data sources are integrated without technical disruptions – timely, accurate, and understandable.
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Seamless Planning Starts with Connected Data Access
What sets Seamless Planning apart is its ability to bring together planning data from different systems (e.g., SAP ERP, SAP BW, third-party systems) in real time and make it centrally available. SAP Datasphere enables this cross-system access without always having to move or transform data.
This creates a continuous data flow that supports both operational and strategic planning – timely, consistent, and scalable.
Intelligent Planning Requires Connected Data
SAP Datasphere lays the foundation for modern planning scenarios:
- Real-time planning with always up-to-date operational data
- AI-powered forecasts based on consolidated datasets
- Self-service planning for business departments without IT bottlenecks
- Consistency between planned and actual values via a shared data foundation
SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) as the Planning Component of the Business Data Cloud
SAP Analytics Cloud is where Seamless Planning becomes tangible – it serves as the central planning interface within the Business Data Cloud. SAC connects directly to SAP Datasphere and can access all connected data sources. Users create planning scenarios, simulations, and forecasts here – directly on the connected live data from Datasphere.
This enables a seamless data flow:
- Operational and strategic data is semantically integrated in Datasphere
- SAC accesses this data directly – without exports, imports, or technical detours
- Planning, analysis, and simulation take place in one location, on a shared data foundation
Conclusion: Seamless Planning is an Integral Part of the Business Data Cloud.
Seamless Planning is not a separate layer within the Business Data Cloud – it is deeply embedded in its architecture:
- SAP Datasphere provides the connected, context-rich data foundation
- SAP Analytics Cloud offers the user interface for planning and analysis
- The Business Data Fabric ensures that all systems remain connected – without media disruptions
In this way, planning becomes an integrated, continuous process that truly connects data, people, and decisions – seamlessly.
Typical Use Cases for Seamless Planning
The strength of Seamless Planning lies in its flexibility and scalability – particularly where traditional planning processes reach their limits. Common application areas include:
- Financial Planning and Forecasting
Create consistent P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow plans across business units – with real-time reconciliation against actuals from SAP S/4HANA or SAP BW. - Sales and Demand Planning
Combine historical sales data, operational forecasts, and external market data – all available directly in the planning interface, without manual exports or data duplication. - Supply Chain and Production Planning
Integrate demand, inventory, and capacity data from ERP and SCM systems to create end-to-end production and procurement plans. - Workforce Planning
Plan headcount, personnel costs, and FTEs based on real-time data from HR systems – with direct alignment to strategic goals and budgets.
Real-World Examples: How Seamless Planning Creates Business Value
Case Study 1: Global Consumer Goods Company – Real-Time Financial Planning
A multinational consumer goods group faced the challenge of consolidating financial plans from over 20 subsidiaries. Previously, Excel files were shared, consolidated manually, and loaded into SAP BW – a process that took weeks and was highly error-prone.
With SAP Datasphere and SAP Analytics Cloud, the company implemented an integrated planning architecture:
- Live data from SAP S/4HANA, local BW systems, and non-SAP sources is connected via Datasphere
- Financial planning is performed directly in SAC with access to up-to-date actuals
- Consolidations and simulations run automatically on a centralized data foundation
Result: Planning cycle duration was reduced by 40%, with significantly improved transparency.
Case Study 2: Mechanical Engineering Company – Unified Sales and Production Planning
A mid-sized industrial machinery manufacturer had previously used separate tools for sales and production planning. This led to data silos, redundant data handling, and high coordination overhead.
By introducing Seamless Planning with SAP Datasphere:
- Sales plans could be directly aligned with production capacities
- All planners accessed the same real-time data from SAP ERP
- SAC served as the shared platform for planning, simulation, and reporting
Result: Planning accuracy increased significantly, while manual effort was reduced by more than 50%.
Conclusion: Seamless Planning as the New Standard
Seamless Planning is more than just a technical concept – it represents a strategic paradigm shift. Instead of fragmented tools and isolated data models, organizations gain a unified, interconnected planning architecture. SAP Datasphere provides the technological foundation, while SAP Analytics Cloud delivers the planning interface. Together, they enable a planning environment where transparency, speed, and accuracy no longer conflict each other.
Our Recommendation: The path towards Integrated Planning with Seamless Planning
When is Seamless Planning the right fit?
Seamless Planning is especially valuable for organizations that:
- Already use SAP Analytics Cloud and Datasphere
- Rely on real-time calculations and planning models
- Want to unify and accelerate their planning processes
Typical entry points include headcount, investment, or cost planning – ideally via pilot projects or proof of concepts.
Seamless Planning is ready for productive use – offering a robust and future-proof answer to the core demands of modern enterprise planning: real-time, consistency, and integration.
Now is the right time to evaluate Seamless Planning as a strategic pillar of your BI and IT roadmap.
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