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BI Platform: A Simple Overview of the SAP
BusinessObjects BI Suite
Posted by Blair Wheadon Jan 10, 2013
A Simple Overview of the SAP BusinessObjects BI Suite

I have the privilege of meeting many of our Business Intelligence customers. One of the more common
questions I hear is how to best make use of the SAP BusinessObjects BI platform.

Weve released many innovative solutions during 2012, so I completely understand where the
question is coming from. If customers arent active on ASUG or attending conferences, the
portfolio now is hard to recognize compared to that of 2-3 years ago.

So lets take a step back and simplify things.

The portfolio can be divided into 3 main functional use cases:
Discovery and Analysis
Dashboards and applications
Reporting

BI Platform: A Simple Overview of the SAP BusinessObjects BI Suite
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Discovery and Analysis
These are solutions that are focused on answering business questions that cannot be anticipated ahead of
time. They are focused on empowering the business user to self-serve answers to their own questions, and
enabling access to large data sets through intuitive user interfaces.

The tools in this category are:
SAP Visual Intelligence
SAP BusinessObjects Explorer
SAP BusinessObjects Analysis
SAP BusinessObjects Predictive Analysis

BI Platform: A Simple Overview of the SAP BusinessObjects BI Suite
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Visual Intelligence and Explorer are data discovery solutions. Visual Intelligence is desktop based, and allows
users to acquire, manipulate, and visualize data. Explorer has a web and mobile version, and allows users to
search and explore information spaces that are predefined by the administrator.

The Analysis solutions allow end users to explore and analyze data in SAP NetWeaver BW, SAP HANA, and
Microsoft Analysis Services. These are native multidimensional tools that expose the full capabilities of the
underlying multidimensional database to the end user in an intuitive manner.

Predictive Analysis is an extension to the Visual Intelligence interface that allows you to design sophisticated
predictive models that can be executed on the SAP HANA platform. These models use advanced algorithms
to allow the user to correlate variables, extrapolate data trends, and identify outliers to get a better
understanding of what is driving the business.
Dashboards and Apps
The Dashboard and Apps category is focused on providing engaging experiences to create traditional
dashboards and custom visual applications.

There are 2 solutions in this category:
SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards (Xcelsius)
SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio

We created the Design Studio product to initially be a premium alternative to the existing SAP BEx Web
Application Designer product. Therefore it is focused on delivering dashboards and visual applications using
data from SAP NetWeaver BW and SAP HANA.

We have released a statement of direction documenting our long term plans to converge these two solution.
We plan to combine the great visualization technology in Dashboards with the superior multi-dimensional data
access in Design Studio over the next few years.

For now, our guidance is if you want to build a dashboard using SAP NetWeaver BW as a datasource,
we recommend SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio, otherwise we recommend SAP BusinessObjects
Dashboards.

Both products are included with the same license, which means if youre already licensed for
Dashboards desktop tool you will get Design Studio desktop tool for no additional cost.

BI Platform: A Simple Overview of the SAP BusinessObjects BI Suite
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Reporting
The reporting category is focused on distributing information around the organization. These are typically
business questions that can be anticipated ahead of time, with a report or Universe prepared by a business
user or IT developer that addresses these questions.

There are 2 solutions in this category:
SAP Crystal Reports
SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence

SAP Crystal Reports is oriented more towards highly formatted production reporting. It uses a desktop client to
design the report which can then be consumed over the web.

SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence is optimized for self service report creation and modification. You can
design reports over the web, or using the desktop client.

Given the widespread adoption of both of these tools, we have no plans to converge them.

Conclusions
Understand your functional use cases first, the pick the solution that best meets your needs from these three
categories. No single BI solution can cover all the BI needs in an organization. The SAP BusinessObjects
BI Suite is just that - a suite of solutions that when combined correctly will cover virtually all of your BI
requirements.
16094 Views
Naveen Natarajan
Jan 24, 2014 1:48 PM
Simple Explanation can't get better. Superb
Andrea Molina
Oct 11, 2013 10:57 AM
I've looking for a simple explanation for this tools for so long...
Thanks for sharing!
Handoko Cen in response to Blair Wheadon on page 5
Mar 13, 2013 4:14 AM
Superb presentation !

Thanks a lot Blair..

BI Platform: A Simple Overview of the SAP BusinessObjects BI Suite
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Regards,
Handoko
Blair Wheadon in response to Handoko Cen on page 5
Mar 12, 2013 5:12 PM
This recently published presentation covers the topic of choosing the right BI client in detail.

Thanks, Blair
Handoko Cen in response to Blair Wheadon on page 5
Mar 8, 2013 7:52 AM
Thanks a lot Blair, your reply is useful.

Nonetheless, does SAP have a document that is comparing other analysis functions (I know that your reply has
mentioned about Hierarchy) in detail, between Webi and BO BI Analysis Tool ?

It will be great if there is. It will help to thoroughly clear our confusion on which tool to use between them in
multiple scenarios.

Have a good weekend.
Blair Wheadon in response to Handoko Cen on page 5
Mar 7, 2013 10:41 PM
Yes, in some scenarios, Webi can replace BEx Analyzer. However the analysis functions are limited in Webi.
For example, you cannot combine multiple hierarchies on the same dimension in the Webi doc. For example,
you can't have a combination of the Geography dimension and Product dimension on the rows of your crosstab
in Webi, but you can with Analysis Office. The more your customer cares about hierarchical features, the more
successful they will be with Analysis Office. For this reason, we recommend BEx customers start with Analysis
Office.
Handoko Cen
Feb 15, 2013 6:23 AM
Hi Blair,

Web Intelligence is called a self service reporting tool. However, it is actually can be used to replace Bex
Analyzer.

So, what are really the difference between WeBi and BO Analysis tool ? When to use them ?

Thank you.
Blair Wheadon in response to Ladislav Varga on page 6
Jan 28, 2013 7:54 PM
Points 1-3 are correct.

BI Platform: A Simple Overview of the SAP BusinessObjects BI Suite
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The BI Platform refers to the server infrastructure. The BI Suite refers to the server infrastructure plus all of the
products that use that infrastructure such as Explorer, Webi, Dashboards, etc..
Ladislav Varga
Jan 21, 2013 8:18 AM
OK, it means a standard procedure is required.
1. Install the BO BI 4.0 Platform (server) with its own license key.
2. Install requested BO BI client tools with their own license keys, if requested.
3. Install the BO BI Explorer. No additional license key is required.

Am I correct, if I said, the BO BI Suite is another business name for the BO BI Platform in terms of above
mentioned? Or did I miss anything?

Thank you.
Blair Wheadon in response to Ladislav Varga on page 6
Jan 19, 2013 11:05 AM
The BI4 server is installed first. This includes Crystal Reports, Web Intelligence, Dashboards, and Analysis
for OLAP tools. Explorer is the only product that is delivered as an addon, so that has a separate server-side
install.

Client tools have separate license keys from the server.

License keys and downloads are provided through Service Marketplace (service.sap.com).

Thanks, Blair
Ladislav Varga
Jan 15, 2013 10:14 AM
Hello, Blair,

I am the Business Objects administrator. And I interest about installation of the BI 4.0 Suite. Is somewhere the
installation package for the whole BI 4.0 Suite? Or do we need to download and install the BO BI 4.0 Platform
(server) at first, next BO BI Explorer and so on, separately? What about the license key for customer? If he
buys one for whole suite, is he able to install for example the BO BI Dashboards application (client tool) by this
license key?

Thank you.