In today’s fast-paced business world, the ability to effectively steer and lead an organisation is crucial for achieving strategic goals and maintaining a competitive edge. The capacity to fully harness and derive value from organisational data is key success criteria. However, many companies struggle with data problems (fragmented information, outdated systems, and the challenge of preparing data for emerging technologies like AI).
Our blog series will provide valuable insights for decision-makers seeking to harness SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) to enhance operational efficiency, optimise resource allocation, and achieve long-term objectives. By featuring detailed planning & analytics topics, the series will illustrate the transformative impact of SAP BDC in addressing the operational complexities of today’s business environment. The second blog post will summarise key arguments why Planning & Analytics (P&A) is an integral part of SAP BDC.
Picture 1: SAP BDC Intelligent Application – Working CapitalThere are several blog posts in the series that will cover advantages of SAP BDC in the context of business steering, so please stay tuned for the upcoming blogs:
The value of SAP BDC in the context of business steeringPlanning & Analytics is an essential part of SAP BDC (THIS BLOG POST)Key Planning & Analytics components of SAP BDCIs AI going to “retire” a dashboard?Simulations, a game changer in today’s volatile worldMove BPC and BW-IP into SAP BDCReal-time steering with LIVE planningPaPM use casesSelf – service analytics and real time business steeringBusiness steering powered by AI agentsLeverage data products in the context of planning & forecastingIntroducing AI/ML capabilities by SAP Databricks
SAP BDC is equipped with powerful data management, planning & analytics (P&A), and innovative AI capabilities to tackle all these challenges and P&A is an essential part of SAP BDC. It provides transformative insights, seamless integration, AI augmentation, and enhanced data quality. These capabilities are crucial for effective business decision-making and strategic planning. Here are the key reasons why P&A is vital within SAP BDC:
Picture 2: SAP BDC high level architecture & flows in the context of business steering
Transformative Insights: P&A uncovers hidden insights using advanced analytics and planning applications across all lines of business. This capability allows organisations to make informed decisions based on comprehensive data analysis.Seamless Integration: It combines SAP and third-party data to unify diverse data sources, enabling comprehensive analysis and a holistic view of business operations. This integration is crucial for maintaining data consistency and accuracy across the enterprise.AI Augmentation: The integration of business AI, such as SAP’s AI copilot Joule, enhances decision-making by providing augmented insights and predictive capabilities. This helps businesses anticipate future trends and make proactive decisions.Enhanced Data Quality: P&A automatically connects data across the business, ensuring accuracy and accelerating time to insight. This is essential for maintaining high data quality and reliability in business processes.Agile Modelling and Predictive Analysis: Planning & Analytics supports agile data modelling aligned with analytics. It uses AI and machine learning to facilitate predictive analysis and simulation, enabling businesses to adapt quickly to changing conditions and optimise their strategies.End-to-End Visibility: Planning & Analytics offers a 360-degree view of critical business processes with fully-managed, curated data products. This comprehensive visibility and control over operations provide businesses with a clear understanding of their performance.
Picture 3: SAP BDC – AI-powered Live-Planning & Analytics in SAP BDC
Planning & Analytics is an essential part of SAP BDC, empowering organisations with the tools and insights needed to drive strategic initiatives, improve efficiency, and enhance decision-making across the enterprise.
The usage of Planning & Analytics (P&A) is therefore closely connected to the performance of an organisation and creation of business value through several key mechanisms that enhance decision-making, efficiency, and strategic alignment. Here’s how P&A impacts organisational performance:
Real-Time Insights: The ability to access real-time data and insights allows organisations to respond quickly to market changes and operational challenges. This agility is crucial for maintaining competitive advantage and optimising performance, especially in turbulent times like today.Strategic Alignment: By aligning financial and operational plans with strategic objectives, P&A ensures that all parts of the organisation are working towards common goals. This alignment is critical for achieving long-term success and improving overall performance.Data-Driven Decision Making: P&A tools provide a single source of truth for data, reducing the need for manual reconciliation and enabling more accurate and timely decision-making. This shift from manual processes to automated data integration enhances efficiency and reduces errors.Improved Forecasting Accuracy: P&A tools, such as SAP Analytics Cloud, enable organisations to conduct predictive forecasting and scenario planning. This improves the accuracy of financial and operational forecasts, providing a forward-looking view of performance. This allows leaders to react promptly, leading to better resource allocation, strategic planning, and improved performance.Enhanced Collaboration: By integrating planning processes across different departments, such as HR and finance, P&A fosters collaboration and alignment within the organisation. This integration helps create a unified approach to achieving business goals and improves communication across teams.Increased Efficiency: Automation of planning processes reduces the time and effort required for data collection and analysis, allowing employees to focus on higher-value tasks such as strategic analysis and decision-making.
In summary, Planning & Analytics enhances organisational performance by improving forecasting accuracy, fostering collaboration, providing real-time insights, enabling data-driven forward looking decision-making, ensuring strategic alignment, and increasing efficiency. These benefits collectively contribute to a more agile, informed, and strategically aligned organisation.
Do you want to embark on a journey? Please reach out to your SAP representative and register for your SAP BDC Discovery Workshop!
In our next blog post, @Nektarios_Vasileiou33 will take you behind the scenes to unbox the key Planning & Analytics components of SAP BDC — solutions that help businesses streamline planning, enhance decision-making, and foster cross-department collaboration. By exploring SAP BDC capabilities, you’ll see how they drive more effective enterprise planning and analysis. Get ready for insights that unlock sharper strategies and smarter decisions. Stay tuned!
In today’s fast-paced business world, the ability to effectively steer and lead an organisation is crucial for achieving strategic goals and maintaining a competitive edge. The capacity to fully harness and derive value from organisational data is key success criteria. However, many companies struggle with data problems (fragmented information, outdated systems, and the challenge of preparing data for emerging technologies like AI).Our blog series will provide valuable insights for decision-makers seeking to harness SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) to enhance operational efficiency, optimise resource allocation, and achieve long-term objectives. By featuring detailed planning & analytics topics, the series will illustrate the transformative impact of SAP BDC in addressing the operational complexities of today’s business environment. The second blog post will summarise key arguments why Planning & Analytics (P&A) is an integral part of SAP BDC.Picture 1: SAP BDC Intelligent Application – Working CapitalThere are several blog posts in the series that will cover advantages of SAP BDC in the context of business steering, so please stay tuned for the upcoming blogs:The value of SAP BDC in the context of business steeringPlanning & Analytics is an essential part of SAP BDC (THIS BLOG POST)Key Planning & Analytics components of SAP BDCIs AI going to “retire” a dashboard?Simulations, a game changer in today’s volatile worldMove BPC and BW-IP into SAP BDCReal-time steering with LIVE planningPaPM use casesSelf – service analytics and real time business steeringBusiness steering powered by AI agentsLeverage data products in the context of planning & forecastingIntroducing AI/ML capabilities by SAP DatabricksSAP BDC is equipped with powerful data management, planning & analytics (P&A), and innovative AI capabilities to tackle all these challenges and P&A is an essential part of SAP BDC. It provides transformative insights, seamless integration, AI augmentation, and enhanced data quality. These capabilities are crucial for effective business decision-making and strategic planning. Here are the key reasons why P&A is vital within SAP BDC:Picture 2: SAP BDC high level architecture & flows in the context of business steeringTransformative Insights: P&A uncovers hidden insights using advanced analytics and planning applications across all lines of business. This capability allows organisations to make informed decisions based on comprehensive data analysis.Seamless Integration: It combines SAP and third-party data to unify diverse data sources, enabling comprehensive analysis and a holistic view of business operations. This integration is crucial for maintaining data consistency and accuracy across the enterprise.AI Augmentation: The integration of business AI, such as SAP’s AI copilot Joule, enhances decision-making by providing augmented insights and predictive capabilities. This helps businesses anticipate future trends and make proactive decisions.Enhanced Data Quality: P&A automatically connects data across the business, ensuring accuracy and accelerating time to insight. This is essential for maintaining high data quality and reliability in business processes.Agile Modelling and Predictive Analysis: Planning & Analytics supports agile data modelling aligned with analytics. It uses AI and machine learning to facilitate predictive analysis and simulation, enabling businesses to adapt quickly to changing conditions and optimise their strategies.End-to-End Visibility: Planning & Analytics offers a 360-degree view of critical business processes with fully-managed, curated data products. This comprehensive visibility and control over operations provide businesses with a clear understanding of their performance.Picture 3: SAP BDC – AI-powered Live-Planning & Analytics in SAP BDCPlanning & Analytics is an essential part of SAP BDC, empowering organisations with the tools and insights needed to drive strategic initiatives, improve efficiency, and enhance decision-making across the enterprise.The usage of Planning & Analytics (P&A) is therefore closely connected to the performance of an organisation and creation of business value through several key mechanisms that enhance decision-making, efficiency, and strategic alignment. Here’s how P&A impacts organisational performance:Real-Time Insights: The ability to access real-time data and insights allows organisations to respond quickly to market changes and operational challenges. This agility is crucial for maintaining competitive advantage and optimising performance, especially in turbulent times like today.Strategic Alignment: By aligning financial and operational plans with strategic objectives, P&A ensures that all parts of the organisation are working towards common goals. This alignment is critical for achieving long-term success and improving overall performance.Data-Driven Decision Making: P&A tools provide a single source of truth for data, reducing the need for manual reconciliation and enabling more accurate and timely decision-making. This shift from manual processes to automated data integration enhances efficiency and reduces errors.Improved Forecasting Accuracy: P&A tools, such as SAP Analytics Cloud, enable organisations to conduct predictive forecasting and scenario planning. This improves the accuracy of financial and operational forecasts, providing a forward-looking view of performance. This allows leaders to react promptly, leading to better resource allocation, strategic planning, and improved performance.Enhanced Collaboration: By integrating planning processes across different departments, such as HR and finance, P&A fosters collaboration and alignment within the organisation. This integration helps create a unified approach to achieving business goals and improves communication across teams.Increased Efficiency: Automation of planning processes reduces the time and effort required for data collection and analysis, allowing employees to focus on higher-value tasks such as strategic analysis and decision-making.In summary, Planning & Analytics enhances organisational performance by improving forecasting accuracy, fostering collaboration, providing real-time insights, enabling data-driven forward looking decision-making, ensuring strategic alignment, and increasing efficiency. These benefits collectively contribute to a more agile, informed, and strategically aligned organisation.Do you want to embark on a journey? Please reach out to your SAP representative and register for your SAP BDC Discovery Workshop!In our next blog post, @Nektarios_Vasileiou33 will take you behind the scenes to unbox the key Planning & Analytics components of SAP BDC — solutions that help businesses streamline planning, enhance decision-making, and foster cross-department collaboration. By exploring SAP BDC capabilities, you’ll see how they drive more effective enterprise planning and analysis. Get ready for insights that unlock sharper strategies and smarter decisions. Stay tuned! Read More Technology Blog Posts by SAP articles
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