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.”

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11 results

  1. 5 Ways SAP BW/4HANA Can Help Optimise Your Business Processes

    Reading time: 1 mins

    In today’s data-driven business landscape, efficient data management is essential for making well-informed decisions and optimizing processes. SAP BW/4HANA is a cutting-edge data warehouse solution that centralizes data from multiple sources, streamlines data structures and flows, and facilitates powerful analytics capabilities. By enabling advanced data processing, application, and integration services, SAP BW/4HANA simplifies data management,…
  2. Key considerations for an SAP BW/4HANA or SAP HANA native data warehouse

    SAP offers two ways of data warehousing using SAP HANA; the data warehouse application approach using SAP BW or SAP BW/4HANA or the SAP HANA Native Data Warehouse This session will outline the methodology used by two different companies on how one chose the SAP BW/4HANA solution, while the other one used SAP HANA Native…
  3. Key Considerations when Migrating to SAP BW/4HANA or SAP HANA Native Data Warehouse

    SAP offers two ways of data warehousing using SAP HANA - the data warehouse application approach using SAP BW or SAP BW/4HANA or the SAP HANA Native Data Warehouse. This session will outline the methodology used by two different companies on how one chose the SAP BW/4HANA solution, while the other one used SAP HANA…
  4. SAP Extends Maintenance for SAP NetWeaver 7.5 and SAP BW/4HANA

    Reading time: 6 mins

    In early February 2020, SAP announced that it would extend the end of mainstream maintenance for SAP ERP 6.0 and the core applications of SAP Business Suite 7 until the end of 2027. In the same announcement, SAP also indicated it would provide optional extended maintenance for these solutions until 2030. This gave many ERP…
  5. Bridging the Data-Driven to Insights-Driven Gap with SAP BW/4HANA

    Reading time: 6 mins

    Discover how SAP BW/4HANA integrated with SAP Analytics can help your organization distill data into actionable insights that can spur the growth of your business. Learn about three challenges related to data and analytics and how SAP BW/4HANA enables your business to take three strategic steps toward evolving into an insights-driven organization. This content is…
  6. Transition to Real-Time Analytics on SAP S/4HANA 1610 and SAP BW/4HANA

    Reading time: 15 mins

    Many companies are planning to make the move to SAP S/4HANA and/or SAP BW/4HANA to take advantage of improved capabilities for real-time reporting.  How can you best prepare and execute your transition? Read the Q&A transcript from BI & HANA 2018 speakers and consultants Bill Faison and Colin Hart from Method360 to gain real-world insight…
  7. How to Limit SAP BW HANA Processes from Consuming All Available SAP HANA Memory

    Reading time: 9 mins

    Get a detailed guide for protecting your SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW) powered by SAP HANA system by using memory safety belt settings. SAP HANA parameters (mostly unknown) offer a lot of valuable entries to protect your system from manually created or defect-generated memory problems. Discover how to use the memory limit parameter to restrict…...…
  8. How to Use Synonyms and Dynamic Parameters in Procedures with SAP BW Powered by SAP HANA 7.5 Support Package 4 to Compensate for Missing OLAP Variables

    Reading time: 11 mins

    Get a detailed guide (including SAP HANA SQL code snippets) for how to speed up your SAP HANA calculation views by avoiding obsolete data at the database level. (The code in this article can be used as a reference for building your own procedure library for later use.) Learn about a dynamic method for reading…...…
  9. Quick Tip: A Brief Introduction to Embedded SAP BW in SAP S/4HANA

    Reading time: 10 mins

    Learn the basics of embedded SAP BW and its technical details. Get an overview of the different architectural scenarios that leverage embedded SAP BW specifically from an SAP S/4HANA context, including those recommended by SAP. In addition, review the pros and cons of embedded SAP BW, which facilitates choosing the appropriate deployment option. Key Concept…...…
  10. Technical Guide: Overview for Migration to SAP BW/4HANA

    Reading time: 12 mins

    Learn about SAP BW/4HANA and considerations to evaluate when making the decision to migrate. Understand how the effort of implementing SAP HANA-based enterprise data warehousing empowers companies, leads to greater returns, and reduces total cost of ownership. Key Concept As the pace of change increases, the ability to create analytic solutions quickly and effectively can…