SAP Analytics Cloud Planning

Make important decisions quickly and confidently

Support your users in their decision-making with advanced artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and natural language processing (NLP). With the help of Smart Insights, the SAP Analytics Cloud points users to significant correlations, opportunities and risks in your company figures. This allows you to recognize previously unknown relationships in your data and react accordingly. Potential outcomes can be easily predicted thanks to built-in forecasting functions and Smart Predict. With the announced integration of SAP Joule, it will be possible in future to create complex data analyses and visualizations automatically and using natural language. This will enable planners to create their forecasts and scenarios faster and more precisely.

Intuitive user interface enables real self-service reporting

With the help of a modern and intuitive user interface, you can quickly create data models and reports. Quick and easy-to-use analysis, planning and visualization functions enable users to enjoy true self-service without compromise. And if you want to stay in your familiar Microsoft environment, you can use the SAP Analytics Cloud, add-in for Microsoft Excel in conjunction with your planning models.

All under one roof

SAP Analytics Cloud blurs the lines between reporting, planning and predictive. You can start the process at any point. For example, you can start with reporting and use the gained knowledge in planning. You can then use the predictive algorithms to open up new markets. You can also start with a predictive model to identify the key drivers for performance. Then you can make a decision, plan accordingly and check the results in reporting. Jumping to a separate planning environment is no longer necessary, as is copying the data between the planning and reporting tool. The planner can go directly into the process and copy actual data into different planning versions in order to simulate different scenarios.

Seamless Planning with SAP Datasphere

With Seamless Planning, SAP has taken a pioneering step to open up the technology and function stack of SAP Datasphere for planning. This opens up new ways and possibilities in planning. On the one hand, the planning data created in SAC is saved directly in SAP Datasphere, which means that plan values and actual data or other reference data are available centrally without reloading and can be further processed together or used in other areas. Secondly, thanks to this integration, complex planning logic can be flexibly implemented either in SAC or in Datasphere (for example with SQL- or Python-based processes via taskchains). This makes the replication-free integration of actual data and master data across different business areas much easier - an important step towards extended planning and analysis (xP&A), which optimizes collaboration in companies.

Mutual BPC integration

If you are already using SAP BPC and would like to benefit from the extended functions and user-friendliness of the SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) without giving up your investment in BPC, you can seamlessly integrate your existing planning solution into SAC. No data is stored in SAC; it remains entirely in the SAP BPC planning model and is integrated via live models. This connection makes it possible, for example, to continue mapping financial processes in BPC and to flexibly analyze and simulate current data in SAC.

Facilitated collaboration

SAP Analytics Cloud makes collaboration with your team simple. You can easily communicate with other members and share insights without leaving the application. Features such as discussions and tasks help you and your colleagues make better business decisions together.

Comment - easily and anywhere

One of the most common requirements for a planning application are comments. For example, users want to comment on certain key figures in a report or add comments to a diagram or table. Often, users want to share their insights about the entire report. Comments can also be used as part of the planning process to explain why a particular budget has been set for a certain product. With SAP Analytics Cloud it is finally possible to create comments easily and flexibly.

This allows seamless integration of master data planning and operational planning. For more complex planning scenarios, SAC offers powerful data actions: Advanced Formulas can be used to perform user-defined calculations, multi-actions allow multiple steps to be executed in one process, and allocations allow rule-based distribution of values. This variety of input and processing options makes SAC an extremely flexible and powerful tool for demanding planning tasks.

Stories 2.0 for personalized user interfaces

Stories 2.0, with its embedded scripting API, enables planning applications tailored to specific user requirements. You can personalize visualizations and adjust interface interactions to meet diverse needs. This flexibility supports a wide range of planning applications—from simple static dashboards to highly customizable and predictive planning tools. Stories 2.0 makes it easy to visualize planning data intuitively, moving beyond spreadsheets to user-friendly designs. For instance, you can create central landing pages for quick access to the latest forecasts, with dynamic KPI tiles displaying key figures at a glance.