SAP Analytics Cloud

Many organisations still rely on disconnected dashboards, Excel-based reporting, and delayed insights. Data is available, but not trusted. Reports are created, but not used for decision-making.

SAP Analytics Cloud brings together business intelligence, planning, and predictive analytics in one platform. Organisations that get this right move from reporting to real decision-making. We help you make SAC a platform people actually use, not just one that exists.

Expertum consultants collaborating on an analytics dashboard

Key developments

  • One place for reporting, planning and forecasting
  • Closer integration with Datasphere and Business Data Cloud
  • Easier access to insights through Joule and AI

Typical challenges

  • Too much Excel and fragmented reporting
  • Too much time spent preparing data
  • Forecasts and insights arrive too late

Customer questions

  • Where can SAC replace manual reporting and planning?
  • How should SAC fit into our wider data landscape?
  • Which use case should we start with?
WHAT WE SEE IN PRACTICE

Where SAC projects often go wrong

1

Too much focus on tooling instead of business questions

SAC gets configured before the business questions are clear. The result is a complete implementation that does not drive decisions.

2

Overcomplicated dashboards that no one understands

Dashboards are built for completeness rather than clarity. When nobody understands them, people go back to Excel.

3

Lack of governance, leading to inconsistent data

Without a governed data layer underneath, inconsistencies appear across reports. Trust collapses and adoption follows.

4

No alignment between IT and business

IT delivers what it can build. Business asks for what it needs. Without ongoing collaboration, the platform misses the mark.

5

Slow time to value creates shadow IT

When the project takes too long to deliver, business teams build their own workarounds. These are hard to undo.

Expertum consultant explaining an analytics use case to a colleague
OUR APPROACH

Turning SAC into a decision platform

Expertum helps organisations turn SAP Analytics Cloud into a business-critical decision platform, not just another dashboard tool. Focus is always on adoption, usability, and business impact.

Define clear use cases

We start by defining clear use cases per domain, whether finance, supply chain, or HR, before designing a single report.

Design intuitive dashboards

Dashboards that people actually use. Simple, process-driven designs built around the way business users work.

Set up planning processes

Combine analytics and planning where synergies can be realised, reducing Excel dependency and consolidation cycles.

Enable self-service without losing control

Business users gain the ability to explore data independently, without losing governance or data consistency.

“Where SAC adds value is in its strong integration with SAP solutions, its ability to retain business semantics and a planning suite that keeps the data close to its source.”

Dick Hermeling
Expertum
What you can expect from us

SAC decisions that keep delivering value

We take ownership of the outcome and work as one team with your business. That means clear choices, honest collaboration and SAC solutions that keep improving after go-live.

Expertum consultant in discussion during an analytics workshop

Business requirements first, not dashboards

We never open a design tool before the business questions are clear. Requirements come first, always.

Analytics and planning combined

We combine analytics and planning where synergies exist, so SAC becomes more than a reporting tool.

Strong integration with the SAP data landscape

SAC works best as part of a connected data platform. We ensure that foundation is in place before building on top of it.

Close collaboration between business and IT

We facilitate that collaboration from day one, because it is the single biggest factor in whether a SAC project actually lands.

Frequently asked questions

No. SAC combines reporting, planning, and predictive capabilities in one platform.

Datasphere provides the governed data layer. SAC consumes that data for analytics and planning.

They are different solutions, so this depends on what you use Excel for. In some cases, such as visualizations or planning, SAC would be a better solution. For raw, workbook-like tasks that require more complex formulas, the SAC Plugin for Microsoft Excel might prove a better alternative.

Possibly. If governance and data models are properly set up and you have end-users that are willing to learn, SAC can provide a proper self-service analytics environment.

First use cases can typically be delivered within weeks. Scaling depends on scope and complexity.

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Lars van der Goes, SAP Data & Analytics Lead at Expertum