SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain has two user interfaces provided with the product:
Microsoft Excel using a special Microsoft Excel add-in
Web Interface that uses SAP Fiori functionality (Planner Workspace)
SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP), add-in for Microsoft Excel is an established user interface for planning tasks and allows you to review and modify your planning data and run simulations. Depending on the SAP IBP applications that your company has licensed and configured, it also provides comprehensive features and functions, such as inventory optimization and statistical forecasting methods for creating accurate forecasting data from historical sales figures. The SAP IBP, add-in for Microsoft Excel is using native Microsoft Excel features and VBA coding to enhance planning views.
The Planner Workspace (PWS) is a configurable work environment where you can plan, analyze issues in your plans, and solve these issues with the help of custom alerts and simulations. The Planner Workspace is accessible directly via the browser and provides an additional interface for planning views, which enables new use cases based on web features, integration with other SAP Fiori apps and even other SAP products.
- The planner can choose which user interface fits the best.
- New features will be added to both user interfaces as part of the quarterly releases.
- Both user interfaces will be further brought together.
Both user interfaces:
- coexist as fully functional alternatives giving the customer a choice
- use the advantages of their underlying technology platform
This course is concerned with functions and options of report editor of Microsoft Excel User Interface and provides opportunities to practice using the preloaded planning area.
Note that the SAP product team developed extensive material that provides an overview of the features of the Microsoft Excel add-in. It can be used as a user guide, in demos, and as a starting point for user training. This material is updated each release, and can be accessed from the note 2740969 (SAP Integrated Business Planning, add-in for Microsoft Excel - Feature Deep Dive and End User Guide), or on the SAP Help Portal.
Importance of the Microsoft Excel User Interface
SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain evolved over the years from the starting point when it was primarily supporting S&OP. From its inception, it was designed for the involvement and collaboration of Marketing, Sales, Demand and Supply Planners, Finance, and Executives. One of its core objectives is to provide a single consistent plan for the whole organization. Given the broad user base, there was a need to use the tool that supports the process, is universal, and satisfies a few key requirements.
Planners want to be able to drill down into details from the high-level report.
Fast and responsive (very important in today's fast-paced environment).
Easy-to-use and flexible.
Integrated (with input to and from execution systems, analytical tools, and so on).
SAP IBP Microsoft Excel UI delivers on these requirements, due to the universal nature of Microsoft Excel, and due to SAP IBP running on the HANA database. The calculations are happening in memory and most of the work in extracting and calculating the data that the user wants to see is performed in SAP HANA.
Prerequisites and Key Facts about SAP Integrated Business Planning, add-in for Microsoft Excel
SAP Integrated Business Planning, add-in for Microsoft Excel needs to be installed on the PC of the individual users or it must be made available to the users in a virtual environment for the customer.
Then, users establish a secure connection between Microsoft Excel and the SAP IBP system. A connection defined in the Microsoft Excel add-in is related to one system and one specific planning area. Once the connection preferences have been configured, the user might not need to enter the user name and password. Prerequisites for working with the Microsoft Excel add-in, include:
- The Planning area(s) need to be active
- User must have the minimum authorization to view data in the Microsoft Excel add-in
- User's PC must be connected to the Internet to be able to communicate with the back-end system.
In more complex environments, it is possible to connect to more than one planning area of SAP IBP using different instances of Microsoft Excel.
