Solution for BPC v7.5 and BW v7.01

Why does this solution work? First, by standardizing on a common technology stack you gain leverage of existing knowledge and skillsets. While there is plenty of BPC upskilling needed, BW integration is critical and leveraging known BW skillsets will take you a long way in an implementation. Second, the common technology platform, offers the opportunity of leveraging common reporting tools. While reporting on Plan/Actual data is best served using BPC EVDRe functions–trust me exel is not going away anytime soon–adding BW reporting tools into the information delivery strategy instantly broadens information access across the corporate user base.

Claricent Inc. Sponsors DiscoverSTEM 2011, a Regional Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Showcase

Acton, MA based STEM organization hosts DiscoverSTEM 2011 educational event to foster awareness and interest in Science Technology Engineering & Math careers.

Acton, MA (October 26, 2011) – Claricent, Inc., a Massachusetts based provider of information management solutions, today announced its sponsorship of the Discover STEM 2011 event to be held at the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School on November 10, 2011.  Featuring over 30 interactive science and technology exhibits, this parent-school-community collaborative event raises student awareness and interest in STEM and reinforces ‘real world’ math and science curriculum connections.

“Claricent is proud of our sponsorship of the DiscoverSTEM 2011 event.  Middle and high school students need more exposure to the range of career opportunities and the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in their daily lives” stated David Fox, President of Claricent, Inc.  “DiscoverSTEM 2011 provides an environment where students can interact with accomplished professionals and explore, discover, and experience learning in a fun and engaging manner.  DiscoverSTEM 2011 offers those opportunities that stay with the students for years.”

A key focus of DiscoverSTEM 2011 is the innovation economy and promoting STEM careers in the life sciences, medicine and bio-technology as part of the larger Massachusetts STEM Educational initiative.  The event will include a special tribute to Steve Jobs, Apple technology and creativity to demonstrate how Apple products have impacted participants’ everyday lives.  According to Karen Herther, Co-Chair Emeritus of the STEM group (AB PIP STEM), “This is part of a new educational trend to put the ‘A’ or ART back in STEM to give it additional ‘STEAM’.”

The DiscoverSTEM 2011 showcase is hosted by Acton-Boxborough PIP STEM in partnership with the Acton-Boxborough Schools, the Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce School Business Partnership and The Discovery Museums.  Platinum STEM event sponsors include Claricent, Inc., IBM and SolidWorks.  Gold level corporate sponsor IROBOT and communication and media sponsors include: Acanthi Web Design, Market Dynamics and MannMade Digital Video.  For more information about DiscoverSTEM, visit actonpip.org/discoverstem or email AB PIP STEM at actonpip@gmail.com.

About Claricent, Inc.:

Claricent, Inc. is an information management consulting organization focusing on strategic implementations of SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence (SAP NetWeaver BI).  The company uses technology – software and services – to help clients realize their business intelligence initiatives.  Headquartered in Acton, Claricent, Inc. provides architecture & design, implementation, and offshore development services for clients throughout North America.  Claricent, Inc. is committed to delivering unsurpassed attention and service to their clients by furthering their clients’ enterprise-wide business intelligence needs.  To learn more about Claricent, Inc. visit claricent.com.

About Acton-Boxborough PIP STEM:

AB PIP STEM is a coalition of parents, students, community and business partners offering K-12 math and science enrichment activities and volunteer opportunities.  Annual events include 3^rd and 5^th grade Market Math Mania at Roche Bros Supermarket, 4^th grade Astronomy Star Party and K-12 Family Math Game Night. For a complete list of events and information about STEM resources, visit actonpip.org. 

Contact:

David Fox, President

Claricent, Inc.

Phone: 888-325-6496
Email: dfox@claricent.com

Karen Herther, Co-Chair Emeritus

AB PIP STEM

Phone: 978-263-6742
Email: actonpip@gmail.com

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ACTON, Mass., Aug. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Claricent, Inc., a Massachusetts-based provider of SAP® business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced it has signed an exclusive reseller agreement with DataVard, Ltd. to distribute the company’s innovative SAP NetWeaver BW performance tools in North America. The agreement allows Claricent to add CanaryCode, a performance monitoring tool, and OutBoard, a near-line storage solution, to its suite of tools enabling mid-market enterprises to develop robust, practical, and economically feasible BI solutions.

The joint effort combines Claricent’s expertise in building proven, creative SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse and SAP BusinessObjects BI solutions with DataVard’s expertise in developing specialized analytic tools for SAP Data Management solutions.

“Until today, mid-market enterprises had few options for managing escalating volumes of data and meeting rising user demands for increasingly fast response times,” reports Dave Fox, President of Claricent. “With CanaryCode and OutBoard, Claricent is providing enterprises with robust and affordable tools to improve operational efficiency, reduce storage costs, and maximize business performance.”

Unlike traditional monitoring tools, which simply diagnose and resolve events, CanaryCode provides the information system managers need to prevent failures – before they impact system performance. CanaryCode monitors all mission-critical SAP systems from a central location, enables customers to customize KPIs, and provides real-time alerts and root-cause analysis. A simple plug-in module, CanaryCode does not require configuration and is implemented by Claricent BI consultants as part of an overall performance enhancement solution.

OutBoard’s near-line storage functionality provides a convenient and cost-efficient means of storing aged data in SAP BW systems. With OutBoard, BW data is readily available for virtually any reporting requirement, without the need for additional databases, software, or cumbersome reloading processes. OutBoard provides a 100% SAP-embedded approach to storage, which keeps the system landscape simple, easy to maintain, and easy to administer.

The OutBoard Kernel implements the SAP NLS interface and all technical functionality required for storing and compressing BW data, making OutBoard fully integrated and usable for standard SAP NetWeaver BW interfaces, reporting, and transactions. OutBoard also offers a unique single-point-of-entry for all OutBoard NLS administrative activities, including analysis and reporting.

“Companies running complex SAP NetWeaver BW landscapes face numerous challenges,” said Gregor Stoeckler, Managing Partner of DataVard. “Claricent’s deep expertise and thought leadership in SAP BI make this partnership a perfect match. It represents not only an extension of our global presence, but also the opportunity to work with an organization that shares our vision and goals. We are very confident that Claricent will further enrich our products and their value to customers in the US.”

CanaryCode and OutBoard are packaged solutions ready for installation by Claricent’s network of BI experts.

About Claricent, Inc.

Headquartered in Acton, MA, Claricent, Inc. is an information management consulting organization focusing on strategic implementations of SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse (SAP NetWeaver BW), SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (SAP BI), and SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation (SAP BPC). The company’s team of SAP technology experts and information management specialists provide architecture and design, implementation, staff augmentation, and BI remote support services for clients throughout North America. Claricent also partners with leading-edge hardware and software companies to develop innovative solutions to real-world information management issues and take clients’ business intelligence to the next level.

About DataVard, Ltd

DataVard is a specialized provider of SAP Data Management solutions since 1999. Leveraging its combination of specialized tools and expertise, DataVard has helped organizations of all sizes and industries restructure, convert, and enrich data across their existing IT landscape to align IT with business objectives. With subsidiaries in the UK, Germany, and Slovakia, DataVard serves customers across the globe.

Contact:
David Fox
President
Claricent, Inc.
888-325-6496 x511

SOURCE Claricent, Inc.

1. Virtualization jeopardizes performance
2. Virtualization is only useful for server consolidation
3. The benefit of virtualization doesn’t span across the board.

The orignial link to his presentation can be found below

View the recorded event

Here is the presentation for those who want just that.

Lite Optimization

Background (ref SAP 1551154)

• Is a maintenance process similar to the BW InfoCube performance maintenance tasks of index rebuild, statistics rebuilds, and compression.

• This process deletes the infocube indexes and moves records from the F to the E fact tables.

• This process compresses/collapses the records with the same key

• Additional zero suppression is possible (manually adjusted in process chain)

• Updates the infocube statistics

How often should it be run? (ref SAP 1508929)

• There is no set recommendation as to the frequency, however it is generally recommended that these (index/statistics) tasks be executed after the load process to provide satisfactory performance for reporting and input schedule updates.

• From 1508929 “There is no rule of thumb for how often to run optimizations. The need can vary depending on the characteristics of your hardware environment and your application.”

As best practice:

1. When new application sets and applications are created run a Full Optimization.
2. Lite Optimization doesn’t take the system offline, and can be scheduled during normal business activity (e.g. after a data load)
3. Full Optimization need the system to be offline so they should be run at down-time periods – for example after a month-end close.

Full Optimization

Background (ref SAP 1551154)

• This process essentially rebuilds the application in its entirety. The process creates a new application and copies the data to the new application.

• This process is a RESTRUCTURING of the BPC application data model

How does the system determine if a full optimization is necessary?

• The algorithm looks at the size of the dimensions and the dimension members. If the dimension tables have <20% size of the fact table and as many line item dimensions are used, then the system will give a message “Optimization not required at this time”.
• The full optimization logic is as follows (ref. SAP 1551154):

If the InfoCube needs restructuring – do it, then perform lite optimization

If not, perform a lite optimization

• Why does the infocube technical name change with the Full Optimization?

This is expected and by design. (ref SAP 1527747).

The SAP service notes listed in this post can be found here.

This methodology can be extended to evaluate usability of dashboards with the following set of principles:

1. Alignment with Objective(s): The dashboard should meet its objective(s), as defined and understood by the users, on an ongoing basis

This principle elicits a common question – How are Objectives relevant in usability evaluation?

Traditional usability evaluation techniques do not attempt to validate the objectives of the interface or system concerned (i.e. functional compliance). They evaluate the interface only on user-friendliness.

Our rationale behind including objectives while applying heuristic principles is two-fold:

I.)      In the world of dashboards, ignoring the user – as it happens often unintentionally – results in “a beautiful and artistic house with no plumbing”. With no utility for the user, many such dashboards just fail to take off.

II.)      More importantly, understanding the objective provides a solid context to evaluate usability. The evaluator should have this objective in context while attempting to answer whether:

•  
  • the positioning of components in the screen is optimal;
  • the navigation is intuitive and effective;
  • a particular way of presenting information aids usage

Further, users mature over time and demand changes to features. Usage patterns may change. Businesses undergo modifications as well. For this reason, the provider needs to ensure alignment with objectives on an ongoing basis. Doing this will be key in optimizing costs.

2. Clarity of context : The dashboard should always keep the user informed about the context  of the contents being displayed

Content displayed is of two types – information and visual components. Both types need to aid the user in understanding the context

•  
  • Information (e.g. Sales Volume) displayed in the dashboard should be accompanied by appropriate context (such as Geography, Fiscal Period, Currency, etc.)
  • Components, especially the ones that allow the user to interact & navigate through drilldowns & selection, should help the user understand and track how the context has changed

3. Match between System and Real World: The dashboard should speak the user’s language, with components, labels, navigation and KPIs familiar to the user. 

Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order

This sounds obvious than it actually is. A good case in point where this principle is often violated is in the usage of nulls/blanks/zeroes/”n.a”. Does a ‘0’ in the dashboard indicate a lack of transaction, or a transaction with 0 unit of measure? Can the user interpret this correctly every time?

Also, the ‘real world’ is different for each user (typically, user-groups). Users in Sales may have a different view of terminology compared to users in Finance. One has to carefully approach dashboards that claim to cater to multiple user-groups.

4. Consistency and Standards: Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations or actions mean the same thing. Follow uniform and established convention.

Usage of terms, visual components, images, color schemes, and navigation methods should be consistent within and across dashboards

5. Recognition Rather than Recall: Make context, actions and options visible.  The user should not have to remember these

The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to another. The dashboard design should facilitate recognition of available options and actions.

6. Metadata & Help:  Information about the dashboard and instructions for its use should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate

Many dashboards fail to do this. It helps to state objectives, KPIs, explanation of business terms, etc. clearly in a separate screen that can be accessed with the click of a button.

7. Default State: Where users have freedom to interact with the dashboard by altering the information and/or  components, the dashboard should allow them to revert to the default state

Having a ‘Home’ state encourages user interaction. It avoids the need for users to remember or recall the original state,  or having to use the less engaging ‘browser refresh’

8. Aesthetics and Engagement : The dashboard should be visually appealing and engaging, without overwhelming the user. The design should be aesthetically pleasing with artistic as well as functional value. 

The Dashboard should engage users immediately and make them feel comfortable. There should be a ‘wow’ factor that extends to as many repeat visits as possible.

Note that user’s maturity may require subtle changes to the design & aesthetics over time.

9. Pleasurable and Respectful User Interaction: The user’s interactions with the dashboard should enhance his/her quality of work-life.  The user should be treated with respect.

Ask yourselves: Does the dashboard deliver results with the least amount of effort from & involvement by the user? Does the dashboard deliver something of value that the user does not already possess?

10. Concise and Minimalist Design: Every extra unit of information in the dashboard competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility

The dashboard, while satisfying all the above principles, should adopt a concise and minimalist design. Avoid information, components, contents and navigation steps that are unnecessary.

Avoid overloading the user with information. If two or more sets of information do not deliver value when viewed together, it is better for the user to view them separately.

After performing an evaluation of the dashboard based on these principles (with the help of a detailed checklist that addresses each of these ten areas), each violation can be categorized on a 5-point scale for usability. The various remedial options are then identified and analyzed to arrive at appropriate recommendations.

For questions related to applying heuristic principles to dashboard design & evaluation, contact solutions@claricent.com

The issue is that, as your data in SAP grows, your performance will nearly always suffer.  Queries take longer, retrieval is more costly in terms of processing power and overall more of everything is needed to accommodate the data.  Some solutions require the installation of physical hardware such as new storage arrays, new servers, etc.  Nearline storage can help solve this by taking some portion of your data and “archiving” it, but keeping it available at a lower performance threshold.   Nearline Storage is not a new phenomenon and those who are not familiar with it would do well to read this brief article on the concept.

Datavard’s Outboard product is my favorite solution for this because it integrates deeply with SAP making access seamless in terms of interface, but at the slightly lower performance threshold for the non-critical data.

Here is an excerpt from their description sheet:

The lean Near-line Storage solution for SAP® BW. No separate database and no additional software required. Read more about Outboard here .

Since the first release of SAP’s Business Information Warehouse (SAP BW) in 1997 (it was shipped to six customers only in the first release) the reporting and data warehousing solution from SAP has evolved and grown up.  Not only is today’s SAP BW a comprehensive and complete solution for all reporting needs, it is also widely accepted and used with a huge installed base of many thousand businesses.

The most recent IT Spending Intentions Survey by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) reveals that 54% of the surveyed organizations will increase their spendings on storage hardware in 2010 (38% in 2009). Therefore, the challenge today is to keep cost at a reasonable level while not compromising quality and speed of reporting in large volumes of data.

To facilitate the necessary Information Lifecycle Management (ILM), DataVard offers a holistic ILM approach based on SAP®’s Business Information Warehouse. This prevents proliferate growth of large scale reporting databases. This is where OutBoard™ comes into play: Customers are able to move historical data to a near-line storage where it is still available for reporting, yet, in a cost optimized system on the basis of offline archives.

Benefits of OutBoard™ for SAP BW

DataVard’s “OutBoard™ for SAP® BW” provides near-line NLS storage functionality with reporting capabilities without the need of any additional database or software, thus keeping the system landscape simpler and easier to maintain. This is achieved by using effective data compression technology directly within the SAP® BW system’s database and ABAP™ stack – no installation and operation of additional software technology is required. Installing DataVard’s OutBoard™ for SAP® BW solution requires only the import of a standard SAP® transport request with our ABAP™-based implementation of the near line storage solution and database tables. Instead of an external second database which coexists with the main SAP® BW database the OutBoard™ solution stores all data directly within the BW database – albeit in separate database tables and with effective data compression. OutBoard™ uses compression technology which is not only very fast, but which can easily compete with external near line systems in terms of compression ratio. Typical compression ratios for Business Warehouse data are approximately 10:1. OutBoard™ can provide a compression ratio of up to 20:1. Thus, significant improvements of database sizes can be achieved while keeping the data ready and available for reporting. In order to decide for which InfoProviders it makes sense to relocate data into the OutBoard™ NLS solution, OutBoard™ offers flexible data analysis capabilities in the OutBoard™ Cockpit to help administrators of SAP® BW systems decide which and how much data to move to the NLS storage. These analysis capabilities include the determination of space which is used by each InfoProvider in the system, and a drill down with powerful capabilities to decide which data in these InfoProviders should best be moved into the NLS system. Contact us for a live demo of Outboard today.