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Which analytical tools are available with SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics?
With the introduction of SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics, SAP has created a powerful framework that seamlessly integrates operational and analytical processes. The clear focus lies on operational reporting. Instead of transferring data to external business intelligence systems, which is time-consuming, analyses are performed directly within the S/4HANA core, in real time, role-based, and context-specific.
The following sections present the key analysis and reporting tools of SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics.
Overview Pages
Overview Pages are a key component of SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics, providing a role-based, context-specific overview of operational business data. They represent a modern form of reporting by aggregating and clearly presenting a wide range of information on a single page. The individual information blocks are referred to as “cards”, small, visual elements that may contain charts, tables, or lists. A shared filter bar allows users to simultaneously narrow down all cards based on defined criteria, further enhancing the relevance of the displayed content.
In contrast to traditional reports or simple KPI tiles, Overview Pages provide not only figures but also context, trends, and interactive capabilities. They are specifically tailored to operational roles such as sales, procurement, or finance, displaying exactly the data needed for day-to-day business. This enables decisions to be made not only faster but also on a more informed basis. A particularly useful feature is the ability to navigate directly from a card to a detailed view or even to a transactional app, for example, to continue processing a purchase order. These so-called “insight-to-action” functionalities make Overview Pages a true tool for daily operational work.
Multidimensional Reports
Multidimensional reports provide a powerful tool for performing in-depth, context-based analyses of operational data. These reports enable a structured evaluation of key figures across numerous dimensions, such as organisation, time, product, region, or cost center, directly within the SAP system and in real time.
Multidimensional reporting in SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics is therefore a dedicated implementation of a comprehensive, pivot-based SAP Fiori application type. It is the tool of choice for many use cases, particularly when data needs to be grouped and aggregated in multiple ways.
Key Features at a glance:
- Analysis of key figures across multiple dimensions
- Use of predefined hierarchies for structured data preparation
- Pivot-based visualisation for flexible data grouping and aggregation
- Dynamic drill-down to detail or document level
- Interactive filtering and sorting options
Whether for ad hoc analyses, operational management, or standardised departmental reports, multidimensional reports bridge the gap between transactional detail and analytical overview.
Analytical List Pages
Analytical List Pages are an app type that combines analysis and operational action within a single interface. They allow users to first visually analyze large volumes of data and then apply targeted filters to directly move into detailed processing, all within the same application. The insight-to-action paradigm is particularly evident here: insights gained from data (“insight”) lead directly to action, without system disruption or context switching.
ChatGPT:
Monitoring Sales Order Issues (example):
A sales end user wants to check which customers are experiencing the most issues in fulfilling orders in order to identify critical business partners early.
This can be achieved at a glance using an Analytical List Page: the visual filter at the top clearly shows that certain customers have a particularly high number of problem cases. Additional filters, such as sales organisation or problem type, help to further narrow the analysis.
The affected documents are visualised according to problem types, such as “delivery shipping issue” or “billing block in sales orders.” This allows the end user to see, for example, that a particular customer is repeatedly affected by shipping problems.
In the detail view, the end user receives a list of the affected documents with all relevant information. From there, further steps can be taken immediately via various navigation options, such as modifying the customer order or initiating follow-up actions.
This type of analysis can be applied to a wide range of scenarios, for example, analyzing open orders or evaluating overdue receivables.
Smart Business KPIs
Smart Business KPIs provide a central way to monitor business- relevant key figures in real time and to respond immediately to deviations. For end users, they serve as an intuitive tool to visualize defined performance indicators and make them usable in the operational context, fully embedded within the SAP Fiori environment.
Smart Business KPIs visualize current figures in the form of tile-based dashboards or as powerful KPI apps. In addition to the pure numeric value, threshold limits, target ranges (red/yellow/green), and trends can be displayed. The interface allows users to drill down from aggregated KPIs to detailed levels, for example, from a global revenue indicator down to customer or product level.
It is also possible to navigate directly from the KPI visualization to related applications. This means that end users can not only identify irregularities but also take immediate action — for instance, by jumping to an order overview, an edit screen, or an Analytical List Page.
A real-life example:
A sales controller notices on the Fiori Launchpad that the contribution margin ratio is below the target value. A click on the KPI tile opens a dashboard with detailed information for further analysis. Through drilldowns, they can filter by product group, region, or customer and jump directly to additional apps to review specific orders or inform the sales department.
Extending SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics: options for customization
SAP S/4HANA comes with powerful analytical capabilities “out of the box” through Embedded Analytics. However, every organization has individual requirements that go beyond the standard. To address these needs, several extension options are available:
- from the management and customisation of existing KPIs and reports, to
- flexible low-code/no-code extensions with SAP Build, to
- independent modelling of new data sources and queries.
Together, these tools provide a well-structured path to tailor analyses and decision-making foundations precisely to the needs of departments and stakeholders, without complex development cycles.
Managing KPIs and Reports
In addition to Smart Business KPIs, the “Manage KPIs and Reports” app provides the necessary tools to create, maintain, and further develop these analytical contents.
The focus here lies on the administrative and analytical design level: reporting and analytics specialists can use this app to create new KPIs, define underlying data sources (CDS Views), configure calculation logics and thresholds, and specify the visual layout (e.g., colors, chart types, display formats).
It is also possible to model drilldown structures that enable navigation from a consolidated overview down to detailed insights at a granular level. The entire modeling process is intuitive and guided through a user-friendly interface, with no development effort required. As such, the app serves as a configuration layer that underpins the Smart Business KPIs used in day-to-day operations.
SAP Build: App Extensions without Coding
SAP Build is an SAP platform that allows business departments and analytics teams to extend SAP Fiori applications quickly and flexibly, without traditional programming. The solution is fully integrated into the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) and leverages its services for development, security, and integration. Particularly in the context of SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics, SAP Build enables targeted configuration and customization of analytical app types such as Overview Pages/Cards and Analytical List Pages.
A key feature is the use of prebuilt templates that allow apps to be configured rather than developed from scratch. For example, new cards can be added to Overview Pages, and existing Analytical List Pages can be extended, adapted, or rebuilt entirely if needed.
Configuration takes place via an intuitive interface where end users can define which content is displayed, how it is visualized and filtered, and how navigation to related applications is handled.
For reporting and analytics specialists, this means that standardised analytical apps can be adapted to specific business requirements without any development effort, quickly, flexibly, and securely integrated within the SAP Fiori environment.
Tools for Flexible Data Modelling and Extension
With the app “Custom CDS Views”, new data models can be designed, combined, and adapted based on existing CDS Views, for example, by linking multiple data sources or adding filters and calculated fields. These views serve as the basis for subsequent reports or analytical applications.
In addition, the “Custom Analytical Queries” app allows users to copy, edit, or create analytical queries using the wide range of available views. Business departments can flexibly define fields and layouts by selecting and arranging dimensions and key figures, including the option to configure calculated or restricted key figures. Filter values can also be preconfigured to provide user-friendly, ready-to-use queries. The created queries can be used directly within SAP Fiori or embedded in other analytical applications, ideal for dynamic reporting requirements without any development effort.
If certain data elements or business logic are not yet available in the standard system, the app “Custom Fields and Logic” allows the extension of existing data models. New fields can be created, integrated into relevant applications, and supplemented with custom rules or validations where necessary.
These no-code tools enable fast and flexible data source extensions, but they reach their limits in more complex scenarios. Fine-tuning joins or aggregations, or applying advanced annotation logic, is only possible through CDS View development using the ABAP Development Tools.
Strengths and Weaknesses of SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics
Key Strengths
- Already integrated: No additional license or infrastructure required
SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics is a core component of S/4HANA. Companies benefit from powerful analytical capabilities right from implementation, without external tools or interfaces. - High performance through real-time reporting
By leveraging SAP HANA’s in-memory technology, reports run directly on operational data in real time, with no latency or data replication. Ideal for fast, informed decision-making in day-to-day business. - Comprehensive standard content “out of the box”
A broad set of predefined CDS Views, KPIs, and reports for key business areas accelerates implementation and minimizes development effort. - Self-service functionality and high extensibility
Business users can create and adapt analytical content independently using intuitive tools, no programming skills required. - Modern, intuitive user interface via SAP Fiori
Thanks to integration into the Fiori Launchpad, analytical content is seamlessly embedded into the user interface. Role-based Fiori apps ensure a streamlined experience and consistent usability.
Typical Weaknesses and Limitations
- Limited functionality compared to full-scale BI tools
Complex analytics, especially planning scenarios, are only partially supported. For advanced use cases, a BI tool such as SAP Analytics Cloud or SAP Business Warehouse is usually required. - Dependence on CDS Views
Only data modelled using CDS views can be analysed directly, forming the basis of all evaluations. - Restricted visualisation options
Visualisation in Fiori is limited to basic charts and simple layouts — advanced dashboarding is not available. - Limited data source connectivity
SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics is primarily designed for internal SAP data sources (S/4HANA). - Limited collaboration features
Collaborative work such as commenting or sharing is only available to a limited extent. For richer teamwork capabilities, SAP Analytics Cloud offers more comprehensive options.
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SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics as Part of a Holistic Analytics Architecture
SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics is ideally suited for operational real-time analytics directly within SAP S/4HANA. It enables business users to analyse data in context and directly within business processes, quickly, intuitively, and without additional tools or data movement. Especially in day-to-day operations, for example when monitoring KPIs or performing ad-hoc evaluations of business transactions, SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics demonstrates its full strength.
However, for strategic BI requirements, complex reporting scenarios, historical analyses over extended time periods, or the integration of data from multiple systems (both SAP and non-SAP), SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics reaches its limits. In such cases, an extended analytics architecture is recommended, for example:
- SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) for interactive dashboards, enterprise-wide planning, and augmented analytics
- SAP BW/4HANA as a proven, high-performance data warehouse solution for centralised and consolidated data storage, complex data modelling, and long-term reporting
- SAP Datasphere as a future-oriented, cloud-based data warehouse solution
SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics is therefore not a replacement, but rather a key component of a holistic SAP analytics architecture. The combination of SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics (operational), SAP BW/4HANA or SAP Datasphere (consolidated & historical), and SAP Analytics Cloud (visual & strategic) provides a 360° view of enterprise data in real time and across all levels of decision-making.
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