Part 2 - Customised Solutions

Although SAP provides a wide range of standard tools sometimes we need to go one step further and enhance the system with developed client focused solutions.

Web Reporting

Even with the increase of the front-end reporting capabilities there are still challenging reporting requirements. Using HTML, BW's command URLs and JavaScript you can customise your Web reporting front-ends to a high degree, creating dynamic reporting capabilities.

For example, you can include dropdown select boxes in your Web application that change the drilldown in multiple tables at once and even show or hide key figures depending on the current drilldown. The following screenshots show how hiding campaign elements affects all three tables and also shows an additional key figure in the first table.

There are many other scenarios where these technologies are useful. For example, if the characteristics in a report depend on the company's Business Unit, the traditional approach would be to have a different report per Business Unit, but why have several separated reports when you can have only one? Using the web report front-end with enhancements it is possible to have different layouts in the same reports, depending on the selections made on characteristic values. With this solution the user can access only one report with increased navigational capabilities simplifying the process. 

Direct Data Entry

One of the features of Netweaver 2004s is the direct input in to a DSO's (Data Store Objects). Direct Update DSO's allow direct inputs but no data uploads. It is not possible to upload data in a DSO and then add or correct data by direct input. In a project with a source system with bad quality data and restricted functionalities, it was not possible to correct and/or enhance data in the Source System. The solution could be to have an intermediate step and emend the data in Excel spreadsheets, e.g. before uploading it in to BI system. That proved to be unviable because of the quantity of records and sensible nature of the data. The data would have to be divided in multiple files, each containing the records for each department of the company. So the solutions had to be to be able to correct, update or add records directly in the DSO. The solution found was to create a web screen where is possible to access the DSO data. In the same screen and depending on the user's authorisations it is possible to change existing records or add new ones. Then via a BAPI the changes are uploaded and saved the original DSO. After the data is saved there are transformations and calculations on uploading to the reporting InfoProvider.

With every BI's new version there is increased capabilities can be found in the front-end tools but, as we can see from the previous examples, with simple enhancements is possible to extend the already extensive range of front-end solutions offered by SAP.