Mar 16-19, 2026Las Vegas, Nevada, NV
SAP Business Intelligence
Featured Insiders
Upcoming Events
SAPinsider Las Vegas 2026
Related Vendors
What is Business Intelligence (BI)?
The end-to-end process of BI pertains to analyzing the data generated by businesses, transforming the data into insights, and then leveraging those insights into making optimal decisions. BI tools primarily leverage “descriptive analytics,” as these tools traditionally focus on analyzing the current and historical performance based on data generated by the enterprise.
What is Business Intelligence (BI)?
The end-to-end process of BI pertains to analyzing the data generated by businesses, transforming the data into insights, and then leveraging those insights into making optimal decisions. BI tools primarily leverage “descriptive analytics,” as these tools traditionally focus on analyzing the current and historical performance based on data generated by the enterprise.
Sap BI Tools
SAP BusinessObjects is among the most widely used centralized BI tools that provides organizations the ability to perform reporting, create visualizations and generate real-time BI. BusinessObjects is the on-premises BI layer for SAP’s Business Technology Platform (BTP). SAP Analytics Cloud is another analytics related solution from SAP. It is currently the flagship analytics tool that SAP positions as an enterprise analytics tool. It encompasses all the analytics capabilities that Business Objects has to offer and much more.
In addition to these tools, there is a wide portfolio of third part BI tools available from SAP partners like Pyramid Analytics
Key Considerations for SAPinsiders
- Build a foundational analytics culture: While SAP sees the future of analytics in the cloud, primarily in the form of SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC), BI tools like BusinessObjects provide a great opportunity to fine-tune the “data-driven culture” aspect of your organization. Success with analytics tools is more about the capability to assimilate, absorb and leverage the tool in day-to-day decision making and less about the tool itself (Source: SAPinsider research “Analytics in The Cloud”)
- Document BI tools in action: A powerful way to capture the value BI tools deliver is to document use cases generated by business users and share these across the organization to promote the penetration of not only the tool but the culture of data-driven way to run the business. You can find examples of BusinessObjects use cases on leading platforms like SAPinsider and SAP blogs.
- Understand the transition to cloud roadmap: There is no doubt that SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise has amassed an immense userbase. However, as the need for business intelligence evolved, SAP created a new Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product in SAP Analytics Cloud. SAP has made it clear that the ultimate go-forward solution for SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise users is SAP Analytics Cloud. Many SAP BusinessObjects customers have yet to move to SAP Analytics Cloud, and it is therefore imperative that they start planning on this transition strategy. Read more about what product leaders at SAP have to say about this journey to the cloud.
75 results
Enterprise Business Intelligence: Best practices, tips, and tricksJan 15, 2021 — In today’s data driven world, organizations are investing heavily in Business Intelligence tools and capabilities like SAP BusinessObjects. The sessions in this track will provide you with tips and tricks to get the most out of the current analytic solutions that you already have such as the business object solutions and native SAP reporting solutions.
2 minute read
Accelerating the Intelligent Enterprise with InsightViews from ProtivitiOct 20, 2020 — This fun, non-technical mini workshop will give you the game-changing tools and techniques you need to start crafting compelling data stories with your data! Our BI Data storytelling Mastery framework removes the guesswork from crafting data stories that pop! Learn how to craft a compelling data story using only a whiteboard and post-its.
After taking this workshop you will be able to:
- Craft a four-part data story that emotionally connects to your users
- Cut requirement gathering time in half
- Transform otherwise daunting user sessions into fun gamified workshops
- Unlock the key to user buy-in, trust, and ownership
- Leave with a wealth of tips, techniques, and templates to take your data skills to the next level. All data professionals welcome!
1 minute read
Discover What’s New – SAP BusinessObjects BI4.3Oct 20, 2020 — Join this session and learn about the upcoming release of the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI) Platform. During this session, you will see a demo-rich showcase of the latest and greatest capabilities, such as a redesigned launchpad and workspace, a new SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence software designer, new visualizations, updated data sources, and deployment support. This session will help you discover the enhancements and key improvements for administrators and content consumers.
1 minute read
Case Study: Tips and Tricks to Build High-Powered Semantic Layers with SAP BusinessObjectsOct 20, 2020 — Gain practical advice from the American Red Cross on how to build semantic layers to support complex reports, dashboards, and structured Big Data. Based on real-world lessons using the information design tool (IDT) to create universes for its deployment of self-service BI to a portion of its 6,000 users nationwide, attendees will:
- Learn how and why to create fact tables from dimension tables, and to build derived dimension tables within the IDT tool when there is no equivalent table that exists in the data source
- Gain insight into when and how to use the IDT tool as the semantic layer for SAP HANA data sources
- Discover techniques for creating “smart measures” and coding useful custom conditions in the IDT business layer
- Be presented with a methodology that uses the concepts of “shared and private dimensions” and “area of analysis” to simplify the business layer for self-service BI users
- Obtain use cases for using the IDT projection function feature
Plus, take home a step-by-step document of use cases and the various techniques demonstrated in the session
1 minute read
Twelve Traits That a Business Intelligence Program and Building With LEGO Bricks Have in CommonJul 14, 2020 — A strong and reliable business intelligence (BI) program can quickly reveal areas for improvement and help organizations make proactive decisions by identifying business patterns and trends and providing a comprehensive view of a company’s data. Establishing such a program, however, requires many pieces to fit together, similar to—according to SAPinsider Expert Jeff Stout—building with LEGO bricks. Stout lists a dozen shared traits between creating your next BI program and building with plastic blocks.
After reading this article you will be able to:
- Understand when to incorporate creativity and visionary qualities into your BI program;
- Explain strategies for collaboration, community, and sharing feedback during your program creation; and
- List the different parts of and apply a simple framework for a BI program.
10 minute read
Planning in a Crisis – Business Lessons from The Eye of the StormJul 1, 2020 — Features 8 critical lessons Finance should learn from the Covid-19 pandemic as well as why it’s critical to evolve your finance function today — and how to do it. Find other insightful content from Wolters Kluwer | CCH Tagetik on their Vendor Showcase
1 minute read
White Paper: Enter the Next Planning EvolutionJul 1, 2020 — In the report, learn how software innovations are transforming the planning process into a strategic, future-focused activity that you can use to drive your business forward. Find other insightful content from Wolters Kluwer | CCH Tagetik on their Vendor Showcase
1 minute read
Using Artificial Intelligence with SAP for Dynamic Financial EnvironmentsJun 25, 2020 — Traditional programming approaches—such as using ABAP development to create customized applications within SAP—are often too slow to respond to today's fast-changing environments. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), data scientists are able to create more sophisticated, customized calculations in SAP to better support marketing and operations. In this article, the author explains how to build an AI model using SAP tools that can manage sales volumes with dynamic commissions based on inventory levels.
After reading this article you will be able to:
- Define AI's current role in SAP and two types of AI;
- List examples of SAP tools that can be used to create applications using AI; and
- Recall the steps required to build an intelligent system.
17 minute read
How AI and SAP Technology Optimize OperationsMay 29, 2020 — By Georgina Watkins Artificial intelligence (AI) and SAP ERP technologies have been highly instrumental in optimizing and streamlining the operations of many modern companies. Despite the value of these technologies to both scaling startups and large corporations, not all are fully aware of just how AI and SAP are beneficial to their organizations. If you’re […]
2 minute read
