The ABCs of BEx

SAP's Business Explorer (BEx), is the front end reporting agent for its SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW). BEx provides an organized interface where users may build reports of data that lies in the BW. Users may leverage several interfaces to get to their data, among them are the Web or Microsoft Excel. Further, the BEx reporting tool allows different views of data in an array of combinations; hierarchies, calculations, restrictions, conditions, and exceptions.

BEx is divided up into the following areas:

• BEx Query Designer
• BEx Browser
• BEx Formatted Reporting
• BEx Web Application Designer (WAD)

Below is a basic view of the different areas of BEx.

Reports in the BW are based off the InfoProviders that are used by BEx. InfoProviders are objects in which queries in SAP can be created or executed from. InfoProvider objects can contain physical data or have none at all - the ones that contain data are called data targets. ODS (Operational Data Store) objects, InfoCubes, and InfoObjects physically hold the attributes, hierarchies, and attributes of the characteristics. InfoSets, RemoteCubes, and MultiProviders do not hold the data itself but just group them together. Before creating a report an InfoProvider must be selected. More specifically the InfoObjects, which are contained in the InfoProvider, are the focal point reports are based off of. InfoObjects are the business analysis objects that are classified by characteristics and key figures. Each cube has 1 fact table and 16 dimensions, 3 of which are delivered by SAP: time, unit, and data packet. A dimension itself can contain up to 248 characteristics. The way SAP BW saves the cubes is in structures i.e. folders. InfoCubes are central evaluation objects for reports of compressed (aggregated) data. It is self-contained and its data can be analyzed in a BEx query. You can call up a saved structure with certain cubes you have saved rather than searching through the BW system for a particular one.

There are 2 types of key figures: restricted and calculated:

1 - Restricted

• Restricted are key figures of the InfoProvider that are filtered by one or more characteristic selections, and are needed in order to define a detailed report.
• By using restricted key figures, you can focus the query result on certain values.

2 - Calculated

• In the Query Designer, you can use a formula to calculate key figures that are not in the InfoProvider by using calculated key figures in the formula definition.
• These can be percentage, data, or mathematical functions.
• Calculated Key Figures may be defined at the InfoProvider level or the Query Level. At the Query level, they are valid only for the query in question. At the InfoProvider level, they will be used in all queries that are based on the same InfoProvider.
• They may be created at the InfoProvider level or in the query definition

As you can see above in the diagram, the objects are dragged into the window to create the query.

1. Key figures are always placed in the Columns window.
2. In the Filter window objects are placed by which you want to restrict the query globally.
3. Rows are where characteristics such as product or time would be placed.
4. Free Characteristics is where you would place characteristics in which you feel the user would want to add to the report.
5. In the bottom right hand corner, where it is grayed out, is where a preview of the report is generated so the creator can get an idea of what the report is going to look like.

By right clicking on the key figures of the query there are a plentiful of options that are available for reporting for example restricting by a characteristic or setting up a formula. Hierarchies are designed in the Rows by right clicking on the characteristic. There are a dynamic amount of options that can be used in creating a report in the Designer that are user friendly to the creator.

Each user has a different preference when it comes to the views of BEx. Most users want a simple easy to use, easy to view interface. More experienced users may prefer the Excel view where as another would like a web page view. One aspect of BEx is the analysis that used when the reports are generated in Excel. For users who want a more range of configuration the Excel add on is preferred. The reports are generated into a workbook format where the features of Excel can be used in a comprehensive manner to further enhance a particular report. An average of 20% of users would be considered experienced. Another aspect is the BEx Web Analyzer. This particular tool creates queries and pushes out the reports in a HTML format. This view can be extremely user friendly. It is also very useful when using a web portal. A company can put out these reports onto their portal and as long as the user has authorization, can view these reports. The reports become very familiar to the user who is not experienced in Excel. By using the mouse pointer one can click on a particular column, use the context menu, and for example swap with a row or with a single click filter the whole report by a characteristic listed at the top of the page. There are many different combinations one can do but the point is that it is not complicated for the user to navigate through the reports.

There are three work areas of WAD: Web Items, Properties, and Template.

• Web Items (which has a Standard and Library tab) box there are standard items such as table, chart, and map. To use any of these items simply drag it into the Template area.
• The Library tab has structures that you have saved and can be brought into the Template area.
• The Properties window is where you define the view itself as well as the particular individual objects that you brought in.

To use any of these items above simply drag the object into the Template area.

There is a General and a Web Item tab. The General tab is where you define the template as a whole, name, etc. In the Web Item tab the individual objects can be further defined. The Template area is considered your “work area”. You place your items in the order you want as well as enter any text, pictures, or documents you want to add. At the bottom there are three tabs: Layout, HTML, and Overview. The Layout tab shows the page with icons for your objects. HTML tab shows the actual web code and Overview gives a draft view of all the objects that you have on the page.

Please look for future subjects such as Reporting Issues, BEx Web Application Designer, and A Look at BEx / Crystal Reporting.

Written by Ramon Talwar, Data Management Group Consultant