Overview of Planning-Related Topics
The following table contains a high-level overview of some of the planning-related topics you will need to understand when working in SAP Analytics Cloud for planning.
| Topic | Description |
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| Connections | You can:- Connect SAP Analytics Cloud to on-premise data sources.
- Connect SAP Analytics Cloud to your cloud data sources.
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| Dimensions | - Dimensions represent master data such as cost center, profit center, product, and account.
- Dimensions contain members, descriptions, properties, and hierarchies.
- Base members don't have children while parent nodes in a hierarchy do have children.
- Public dimensions are shareable across multiple models while private dimensions are model-specific.
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| Disaggregation | - Plan data can be entered by base member or by hierarchy parent node.
- When data is entered by hierarchy parent node, the data is disaggregated to its children equally or in proportion to existing values.
Note Data is only saved for base members. |
| Planning models | - Planning models contain dimensions that are intended for different types of planning such as sales, cost center accounting, human resources.
- Planning models require at least one measure such as local currency amount, but they could easily have several measures such as local currency amount, group currency amount, and quantity.
- Planning models typically contain an account dimension even though it isn't technically required (standard model versus account-based model). Accounts in a planning model can represent general ledger accounts in an ERP system like SAP S/4HANA, for example, Insurance, Office Supplies, or Marketing Expenses.
- When a planning model is created, the system automatically generates a version and date dimension specific to the model.
- Date dimension: The (flexible) date dimension can be configured to represent calendar months or fiscal periods. Daily, weekly, monthly/period, quarterly, and annual planning levels of granularity are supported.
- Version dimension: The version dimension is used to separate actual vs. plan data in the model.
High-level workflow: Import actual data into a planning model, copy data from the actual version into a plan version, perform planning stories, approve, and publish the results. |
| Data imports | - Master data can be imported from files or various source systems.
- Transaction data can be imported from files or various source systems into planning models.
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| Data exports | - Plan data can be exported.
- Export data from planning models to various SAP source systems such as SAP Business Warehouse, SAP-Integrated Business Planning, and SAP S/4HANA.
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| Data locking | - Used to protect data from changes.
- When planning data is approved, prevent data changes by setting a data lock for the planning version and period/year.
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| Data point comments | - Used to collaborate with team members.
- As planning data is created or modified, comments can be added to the same data intersection to add context to the values.
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Access Planning Activities
In SAP Analytics Cloud, planning-related objects can be accessed from the Side Navigation bar.
