SAP BW/4HANA

What is SAP BW/4HANA?

SAP BW/4HANA is SAP’s next-generation packaged data warehouse solution and is built on SAP HANA. Many users of SAP’s on-premise data warehouse solution, SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW), are moving to SAP BW/4HANA as mainstream maintenance is set to end for SAP BW 7.5 in 2027.

What is SAP BW/4HANA?

SAP BW/4HANA is SAP’s next-generation packaged data warehouse solution and is built on SAP HANA. Many users of SAP’s on-premise data warehouse solution, SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW), are moving to SAP BW/4HANA as mainstream maintenance is set to end for SAP BW 7.5 in 2027.

SAP BW/4HANA can be deployed on-premise and in the Cloud and can work with both SAP and non-SAP data.

BW/4HANA generates real-time insights into data from various IT systems and gives a unified and accurate view of the data. It reduces data movement within the data warehouse layers and simplifies connectivity with external data sources. Through its revamped Layered Scalable Architecture (LSA++), it presents a new framework for transforming the data warehouse into an optimized version for BW on HANA. BW/4HANA takes advantage of the in-memory capabilities of the HANA database and delivers a high-performance analytics solution capable of handling large data volumes, such as those found in IoT and Big Data scenarios. SAP BW/4HANA is a comprehensive data warehousing solution that meets organizational needs by consolidating both internal and external data that can be further analyzed to facilitate decision-making processes and drive innovative product development.

Key Capabilities

SAP BW/4HANA with SAP S/4HANA and the SAP HANA platform, offers a comprehensive data warehousing solution and supports conventional operational reporting and historical analysis while accommodating technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and data lakes. SAP S/4HANA and BW/4HANA integration ensure that operational and historical analytics leverage up-to-date data used by applications. It eliminates data duplication and the need for costly data movement with its logical data warehouse approach and smart data integration.

Key capabilities include:

• Simplified modeling and administration: Enhances the efficiency of change requests and expedites implementation time while minimizing development costs through streamlined modeling and administration functionalities.
• Integration with SAP and non-SAP applications: Enables cost savings in data integration, extract, transform, and load (ETL) processes, and on-premises infrastructure by establishing connections with both SAP and non-SAP applications and data sources. This allows for streamlined integration and eliminates the need for duplicative efforts, resulting in reduced expenses.
• Intuitive user experience and modern interface: Enhances user productivity, minimizes shadow analytics, and boosts user adoption through an intuitive user experience and a contemporary interface, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced reliance on unofficial data analysis methods.
• High-volume, real-time data processing: Minimizes data processing delays and enables intelligent automation by efficiently handling large volumes of data and changes in real time.

Benefits of SAP BW/4HANA

The key benefits of SAP BW/4HANA are:

Quick access and timely business insights: SAP BW/4HANA streamlines the process of obtaining timely business insights by transforming data practices, allowing for efficient and agile deployment of real-time insights at a large scale, whether it be on-premises or in the cloud.

What is SAP BW/4HANA?

SAP BW/4HANA is SAP’s next-generation packaged data warehouse solution and is built on SAP HANA. Many users of SAP’s on-premise data warehouse solution, SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW), are moving to SAP BW/4HANA as mainstream maintenance is set to end for SAP BW 7.5 in 2027. SAP BW/4HANA can be deployed on-premise and in the Cloud and can work with both SAP and non-SAP data.

BW/4HANA generates real-time insights into data from various IT systems and gives a unified and accurate view of the data. It reduces data movement within the data warehouse layers and simplifies connectivity with external data sources. Through its revamped Layered Scalable Architecture (LSA++), it presents a new framework for transforming the data warehouse into an optimized version for BW on HANA. BW/4HANA takes advantage of the in-memory capabilities of the HANA database and delivers a high-performance analytics solution capable of handling large data volumes, such as those found in IoT and Big Data scenarios. SAP BW/4HANA is a comprehensive data warehousing solution that meets organizational needs by consolidating both internal and external data that can be further analyzed to facilitate decision-making processes and drive innovative product development.

Key Capabilities

SAP BW/4HANA with SAP S/4HANA and the SAP HANA platform, offers a comprehensive data warehousing solution and supports conventional operational reporting and historical analysis while accommodating technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and data lakes. SAP S/4HANA and BW/4HANA integration ensures that operational and historical analytics leverage up-to-date data used by applications. It eliminates data duplication and the need for costly data movement with its logical data warehouse approach and smart data integration.

Key capabilities include:

• Simplified modeling and administration: Enhances the efficiency of change requests and expedites implementation time while minimizing development costs through streamlined modeling and administration functionalities.
• Integration with SAP and non-SAP applications: Enables cost savings in data integration, extract, transform, and load (ETL) processes, and on-premises infrastructure by establishing connections with both SAP and non-SAP applications and data sources. This allows for streamlined integration and eliminates the need for duplicative efforts, resulting in reduced expenses.
• Intuitive user experience and modern interface: Enhances user productivity, minimize shadow analytics, and boost user adoption through an intuitive user experience and a contemporary interface, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced reliance on unofficial data analysis methods.
• High-volume, real-time data processing: Minimizes data processing delays and enable intelligent automation by efficiently handling large volumes of data and changes in real-time.

Benefits of SAP BW/4HANA

The key benefits of SAP BW/4HANA are:

Quick access and timely business insights: SAP BW/4HANA streamlines the process of obtaining timely business insights by transforming data practices, allowing for efficient and agile deployment of real-time insights at a large scale, whether it be on-premises or in the cloud.

Data-drive digitalization: SAP BW/4HANA accelerates digital transformation through a Big Data warehouse while leveraging SAP’s digital business platform solutions.

Single source for all insights: SAP BW/4HANA drives widespread business adoption through advanced analytics adoption, customizing applications to suit specific requirements and seamless integration of machine learning capabilities.

Key Considerations for SAPinsiders 

Integrate SAP BW/4HANA with SAP Analytics Cloud: Ingo Hilgefort, SAP’s Global Product Evangelist, SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, outlines the best practices that can help organizations get the most from this integration. For example, the benefits of the integration include sophisticated dashboards and visualizations, data enrichment capabilities, and self-service functionality. Keeping SAP BW/4HANA up to date and selecting the right type of connection for the integration are critical first steps, he explains. Read the full article and take SAP BW/4HANA to the next level.

Use the data collected by SAP BW/4HANA to evaluate what has happened in the past and enable effective planning: A primary central data warehouse solution such as SAP BW/4HANA can lay the foundation for an insights-driven culture and can help in analyzing and translating disparate data sources into intelligent, actionable information the business can use for their operations and increase performance.

Consider a test run before fully converting a large SAP BW instance to SAP BW/4HANA: To fulfill a dedication to simplifying complex insurance and pension topics for its customers, Swiss-based company Helvetia Group needed to improve its data warehousing platform. The larger of its two existing SAP BW systems managed the company’s financial data. And, it had many dependencies on other projects and SAP and non-SAP systems. So, the company completed a test run on its smaller SAP BW system, which contained the company’s human resources data. Learn how the conversion team completed its pilot project following a cookbook created by Helvetia’s Deputy Lead for Business Intelligence, Clemens Groetz. The smaller conversion, says Groetz, “has given us a chance to extend our knowledge about how an existing SAP BW system can be moved to SAP BW/4HANA.”