Defining dimensions

Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Explain private and public dimensions and the difference between dimensions and measures

Dimensions and measures

In SAP Analytics Cloud, dimensions represent master data in general. Product, cost center, and employee are all examples of dimensions. A model can have several dimensions.

On the other hand, a measure represents transactional data (quantitative). In a classic account model, model values are stored in a single default measure, and you use the account structure to add calculations, specify units, and set aggregation types for all the data. In the new model type, you can add and configure multiple measures with aggregation and units to fit your data.

Data in a model

A table of data with columns for dimensions and measures

In the table above, the LocalCurrency measure refers to an amount in the currency of the entity (company), for example, a US company with a labor expense of 3550 USD. The GroupCurrency measure is used to store the values in the corporate currency, for example, if the US company has a German parent who operate in Euros.

Semantically, an account may be referred to as a measure because it fulfills a similar purpose, however, accounts are not measures, they are part of master data.

Measures are quantitative:

  • Examples: amount, quantity, price, number of people
  • Import models store measure values (numbers)
  • Measures contain settings for: aggregation and currency
  • Restricted measures are refreshed on the fly:
    • Examples: Actual Revenue, Plan Revenue, Expense for 2024
    • Restricted measure results are not stored
  • Calculated measures are also refreshed on the fly:
    • Examples: Gross margin %, Calculated Price
    • Calculated measure results are not stored

Dimensions are qualitative:

  • Dimensions represent master data
  • Examples: Cost center, account, product
  • How do accounts relate to measures?
    • Accounts are used to describe measure values
    • In the data table above, the CE0004010 labor account identifies the measure mount value of $250,000 as a labor expense

Private and public dimensions

About dimensions

In SAP Analytics Cloud, dimensions represent master data in general. For example, product, cost center, and employee are all examples of dimensions. A model can have any number of dimensions.

On the other hand, a Measure represents transactional data (quantitative). In a classic account model, model values are stored in a single default measure, and you use the account structure to add calculations, specify units, and set aggregation types for all the data. In the new model type, you can add and configure multiple measures with aggregation and units to fit your data.

Dimensions can be private (model specific) or public (shareable across models).

Public vs. public dimensions

Let's compare private and public dimensions:

Public dimensions
  • Main use case
  • Can be shared by several models
  • Created from the model & the main menu
  • When the model is copied or deleted, public dimensions are not affected
  • Update: Manual | Dimension import
  • Schedule imports from SAP source systems
Private dimensions:
  • Use case: ad hoc | infrequently used
  • Model specific
  • Create from the model
  • When the model is copied or deleted, the private dimensions are as well Update: Manual | During model import
The dialog when creating a public dimension and the dialog when creating a private dimension

Public dimensions are typically used for master data that needs to be shared among multiple models. Examples are cost center, company, and accounts. Public dimensions provide a centralized master data concept in SAP Analytics Cloud. Public dimensions provide a centralized master data concept in SAP Analytics Cloud.

Private dimensions may not be relevant on a customer-specific implementation but they can be used in a design mock-up scenario if needed.

Public dimensions have a data management workspace that is used to import from files or source systems. Private dimensions do not have a data management workspace.

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