BW/4HANA
Modernise your Business Warehouse
What is SAP BW/4HANA?
SAP BW/4HANA is a business warehouse built on SAP HANA’s in-memory technology. It is a data management system that consolidates, harmonizes, and validates a company’s data in a central location. The system offers simple data modeling and straightforward administration of data processing workflows.
SAP BW/4HANA represents the modern evolution of the classic SAP BW and is fully based on the in-memory database SAP HANA. As a central data warehouse, it provides a harmonized view of data from a wide range of sources—whether SAP systems, external systems, or unstructured data. With real-time analytics, historical data, and an open SQL interface, BW/4HANA supports data-driven decision-making and serves as a foundation for innovative technologies such as big data and machine learning.
What are the benefits of SAP BW/4HANA?
Established Solution
SAP BW/4HANA is SAP's strategic data warehousing tool, supported until 2040, providing businesses with investment security.
Flexible Integrations
In addition to native SAP systems, a wide range of external data sources such as Hadoop, Oracle, or other databases can be integrated flexibly—ideal for hybrid data landscapes.
User-Friendly Interface
With tools such as the Eclipse-based SAP HANA Studio, BW/4HANA offers a modern user interface that enhances productivity and user adoption within the company.
Pre-Built Business Content
The system provides pre-validated and standardized business content based on S/4 best practice processes. Companies save time and costs by leveraging proven templates that cover a wide range of business requirements.
Simplified Modeling
SAP BW/4HANA reduces complexity by eliminating redundant modeling objects. With features like field-based modeling, development becomes more agile and flexible, enabling shorter project timelines and tailored solutions.
Real-Time Big Data
SAP BW/4HANA leverages the powerful in-memory technology of SAP HANA. This smooth integration enables real-time data processing and supports big data analytics, allowing faster and more accurate data-driven decision-making.
Which migration paths are available?
Inplace
- Complete system conversion of an existing SAP BW installation (same SID)
- Step-by-step inplace transfer of classic objects to their HANA-optimized counterparts
- System conversion to SAP BW/4HANA
Minimum Start Release: SAP BW 7.5 SP 5 powered by SAP HANA.
Remote
- Start with SAP BW/4HANA as a greenfield installation (new SID)
- Supports carve-out and consolidation scenarios
- Transport of data models and data transfer
- Risk reduction due to a parallel system
Minimum Start Release: SAP BW 7.3 on any DB
Shell
- Similar to remote conversion, but without data transfer
- Accelerates the greenfield approach by transferring and converting data models and flows.
Minimum Start Release: SAP BW 7.0 on any DB
Checklist "From SAP BW or SAP BW/4HANA to SAP Datasphere"
Our checklist helps you identify the most suitable migration path from SAP BW or BW/4HANA to SAP Datasphere.
How can we support you?
1. Strategy
2. Implementation
3. Innovation
1. Strategy
- Strategy Workshops
- Frontend Strategy
- System Landscape
- Roadmap
- S/4HANA-Strategy
- OnPremise/ Cloud
- Data Quality
2. Implementation
Modernisation:
- Implementation/Migration
- Greenfield/Brownfield
- System Consolidation
- Training (IT/Business)
- Introduction of New Frontend –
- and Planning Tools
Optimisation:
- Daten Model (LSA++)
- ETL
- Reporting
- Dashboards
- Planning
- Mixed Scenarios
- Housekeeping
3. Innovation
- Digital Boardroom
- Big Data Analytics
- Predictive Analytics
- Data Discovery
- IoT/ Industrie 4.0
- Machine Learning
- Advanced Analytics
- Self-Service BI
Our Case Studies
Automotive supplier
Modern Data Warehouse, Planning, SAP BW/4HANA
Mail Order Business
Modern Data Warehouse, SAP BW/4HANA
Analytics & Reporting
Your competent partner for all questions related to the analysis of data and the creation of meaningful reports.
FAQs of BW/4HANA
How long will SAP BW/4HANA be supported?
SAP BW/4HANA will be supported until 2040. The successor to BW/4HANA is SAP Datasphere, which represents SAP’s new Business Data Fabric.
Does SAP BW/4HANA have a future?
As an established data warehousing tool, SAP BW/4HANA is used by many companies. It is valued for its reliability and versatility – nearly every requirement can be implemented. However, BW/4HANA is only being further developed to a limited extent. SAP Datasphere will replace SAP BW/4HANA as the Business Data Fabric by 2040.
What is the difference between BW/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics?
S/4HANA Embedded Analytics focuses on operational reporting. As an integrated part of SAP S/4HANA, it allows live transaction data to be analyzed.
In contrast, BW/4HANA focuses on strategic reporting. Data from multiple sources can be consolidated and harmonized in BW/4HANA.
How is the architecture of SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics structured?
It is recommended to model in SAP BW/4HANA using the LSA++ (Layered Scalable Architecture) reference architecture guideline.
Read more on this in our Blog
- By Martina Ksinsik
Operational Reporting with Embedded Analytics in S/4HANA: Tools, Strengths and Weaknesses
- 11 Minutes
- By Dimitrij Trofimovic
How does the future of SAP BW look? Should I continue investing in BW/4HANA, or is it time to move to SAP Datasphere?
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- By Sebastian Broschart
Unlock smarter decisions with SAP Business Data Cloud’s unified, AI-powered data platform.
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Contact us
Sebastian Broschart
Senior Consultant Business Intelligence
