As we come to the end of Q3 2023 we take a look back at the new features delivered in SAP Analytics Cloud requested by and voted for by our SAP Customers via the Customer Influence Portal. This quarter we have covered 39 requests with over 1000 votes. Let's dive in!
Data Integration & Modeling
It has been a busy release for data integration and modeling with a number of new features providing increased flexibility in the data import and wrangling processes.
Data import – flexible modification of source data settings for import jobs
Our most popular request this quarter with over 300 votes is to allow changes to existing import queries.
Users can now replace the data source of an existing data import job with any other supported data sources. Excising settings in the job (ex: mapping and transformation steps will be preserved whenever possible. Additionally, the edit-query dialog is enhanced to support adding and removing columns.
This enhancement should also help adapting changes to the external data source from which data needs to be brought into the model. This increased flexibility allows to adjust existing import jobs to changes both in the model, and in the external data source, while preserving the import job settings. This reduces the effort to create new import jobs from scratch.
Customizable length of dimension text properties
Next up covering 3 customer requests and 68 votes is enabling the customization of length-of-text dimension properties.
For new properties of type “Text” of generic, account, organization, and version dimensions, users can set the maximum text length for the property’s values from 1 up to 5000 characters. For existing properties, you can increase the maximum text length up to 5000 characters. This feature also applies to properties of semantic type “Generic” and data type “Text” of user-managed date dimensions. In stories, very long property values may be displayed in abbreviated form.
Data Import API
We also had a number of additional requests in the area of Data Import covered by updates and new features in our Data Import API, these include:
- SAC to allow upload date to an unassigned date 0000-00-00
- Data management schedule via REST API
- Trigger import job from external event
- Ability to update master data description for all languages with API
- Add Data/MultiActions to the SAP Analytics Cloud REST API
Story Design
Filtering and Sorting capabilities remain high on the request and votes in the influence portal ad with Q3 we deliver 3 of the most items.
Change the Order of Story Filters
A much-requested feature with more than 100 votes is enabling story designers to change the order of the story filters, from the filter panel settings. This allows story designers to group similar filters together or put the most important/used ones first. The defined order is applied to the vertical and horizontal filter panel, in view and edit mode, and will be saved with the story.
Rank and Sort on Percentage or Absolute Variance in Charts
Staying with sorting and filtering, in the optimized story experience, story designers and viewers now have the option to sort variance charts based on the absolute or percentage variance by High to Low or Low to High:
- Similar to measure sort, we can only define one sort at a time
- We have removed the option to Group or Ungroup color dimension when you have version bound to color to ensure that the sort is correctly applied.
- Works on all variance display types (Bar, Data Label, Integrated)
This is not supported for:
- Sorting on multiple variances
- Sorting on dimension and variance
Hide the “Add Filter” Button
Our final feature on filtering means story designers can now hide the “Add Filter” button (in your current story) to prevent viewers from creating their own story filters. This will prevent story viewers from accessing sensitive data, or potential confusion from figures with an unknown data context.
There have been plenty of other requests within Story Design delivered in Q3 2023, these include:
- Support Browser Zoom
- Scaling Options
- Color Palette in Graphs that use Dimension Input Control
- Accessibility issue using keyboard jumping from one table to another one
Augmented Analytics
Additional Model Evaluation Indicators
The ability for users to understand the forecasts they get from Smart Predict has always been important to enable trust in the predictions. In Q3 2023 Smart Predict as requested by our customers now provides more flexibility to evaluate the accuracy of time series forecasting models. Expected MAE, Expected MASE, Expected RMSE, and Expected R² are now provided in addition to Expected MAPE. When evaluating the accuracy of an entity-based time series forecasting model, the predictive user can display the Median, Third Quartile, Average, and Sum for all the provided performance indicators across all entities.
Enterprise Planning
Data Actions & Multi Actions
Data Actions and Multi Actions continue to be import tools for Planners in SAP Analytics Cloud. We are receiving more and more requests and votes for additional features a number of which we have delivered in this quarter.
Data Actions – Automated Partial Publish
Covering 2 Customer requests, the automated Partial Publish allows planners when setting up a data action planning trigger, configuring a data action step in multi actions, or adding a data action to be scheduled in the calendar, users now have the option to decide how to publish data. Users can choose to automatically publish changes and have the publish fail if there are any restrictions, or choose to automatically publish changes and discard any data that is affected by restrictions.
The data action trigger has been enhanced and now includes the following publish options:
- Do not publish
- The version remains unpublished and the user has the option to publish changes manually
- Publish and fail if there are warnings
- Changes are published but if data locks or other restrictions apply to the data region, the publish fails and data remains unpublished (option to publish the changes manually)
- Public and ignore warnings
- All changes that are not impacted by data locks or other restrictions are automatically published, with data impacted by locks or other restrictions discarded
Multi Actions – Increased Step Count Support
Another request was to increase the step limit count within a given multi action from 20 to 50. This enables planning users to orchestrate complex workflows containing many steps.
Multi Actions – Parameter Support with an External API step
When adding an API step to multi actions, user can now insert parameters in the request body. This allows user to set the parameter value when user trigger the public API of remote application via multi actions. With the ability to pass parameters to the API steps, users can easily set the values directly in SAP Analytics Cloud, rather than having to navigate to an external system. A more robust and flexible API steps brings greater convenience when calling the remote system and a wider range of application scenario are catered for.
Additional features delivered from Customer Requests this quarter include:
- Styling options for Data Action Trigger should be enhanced
- Copy & Paste to Excel in Data Actions Tracing Table
Plan Entry – Version Conflict Resolution for Users Planning in Parallel
Covering many customer requests is a new warning dialog gives users more control in deciding how to handle conflicting version data. When publishing a version where the changes conflict with another user’s changes that were published while editing, the user can choose whether to publish only the non-conflicting changes and discard the conflicting changes or, publish all changes while overwriting the other user’s changes. This feature will only be active when the system configuration value for conflict is set to ON. If set to OFF, the default behaviour is the same as before and conflict data will be overwritten.ls values have changed since the user began editing the version (that is, another user publishes data updating those cells), the system gives users the following options:
- Partial publish – publishing only of the cells that are not in conflict (merge update, where any conflicting updates or cells are discarded)
- Overwrite – publishing of all changes, including any conflicting updates (reflecting the current behavior for SAP Analytics Cloud, where the last update wins)
- Revert data – discarding of all users’ updates since the last publishing
Planning Process Management – Creating of Locking Tasks from the Calendar Wizard
Covering a number of Customer requests is new capabilities in the Calendar Wizard. In the Generate Events wizard, users can now add automatic data locking tasks before or after the events that will be generated for the leaf members of the driving dimension. As event types, users can now choose to create general tasks and review tasks and schedule data locking before or after the general task or after all review tasks. Alternatively, it is possible to create composite tasks as before and schedule data locking before or after the composite tasks. For a better overview, group the generated tasks in a process, and enter task type specific suffixes to the task names. Individual descriptions for each task type, or a general description can be added for all generated events.
We haven't been able to cover all the customer requests in the area of planning but some additional delivered features include:
Microsoft Office Integration
Exclude in Member Selector
Covering 2 Customer Requests is the ability to exclude in the Member Selector. Users can now select and exclude dimensions in the member selector. This is supported for flat lists and hierarchy presentations.
This feature is available to all customers as of July 26, 2023.
Administration & Service Management
Not forgetting our Administrators, we have a number of new features requested by them in our Q3 2023 release.
Export of content network package to SAP Business Technology Platform: SAP Cloud Transport Management service
Change Management is an import topic for Administrators and in Q3 2023 we integrate the transport of content packages into SAP Cloud Transport Management Service (SAP CTMS)
Users can now export content network packages to SAP Cloud Transport Management service running on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP).
Using the SAP Cloud Transport Management service to manage software deliverables between tenants, brings the following value:
- Common, efficient, and timely transport solution for SAP Analytics Cloud and other software on SAP BTP
- Separation of duties, transport users, and different personas of content creators in SAP Analytics Cloud
- Integration with change and requirements management tools
For more details about the SAP Cloud Transport Management service, click here.
Addition of “shared with me” and “owned by me” Views to the Files Tool
We are introducing two new views to the Files page that will display the contents as shown when their filters are applied:
- Shared with Me – view the content that has been shared with you by other users
- Owned by Me – view the content that you own
These new views show files from private, public, and workspace folders.
Role Based Security for SAP Analytics Cloud Content Delivered Models
Security is of upmost importance to our Administrators and one of our recent requests was to allow users to set up role-based security for SAP Analytics Cloud content delivered models to enable model privacy and then set up data access control to specific dimensions. This will help users roll out content to a wider audience while staying compliant with government regulations.
For more details, check out this blog post by Thomas Fery.
Exposure of SAP Analytics Cloud workspaces in the admin overview tool
Users can now see monitor and manage workspaces easier with the ability to see an overview of workspaces in the administration cockpit.
Finally, we have a number of further customer requests from Administrators including:
- Custom email server - modern authentication
- Security Configuration at folder level
- Search Feature in SAC Calendar
Customer Influence Portal
Finally, you can get the full list of all requests for SAP Analytics Cloud in the Customer Influence Portal. Here you can have your say by adding your own ideas and requests for new features in SAP Analytics Cloud.
Our customer requests Open for Voting have now over 3500+ requests so get in raise your requests and cast your votes to have your say.
If there is an area that is of particular interest to you for example Data Exploration, you can narrow your search to just these requests using the filter bar.
We want to continue hearing from you so get voting!
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