The Complete Guide to Reporting Tools Available in SAP NetWeaver and the SAP BusinessObjects...

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SHERRYANNE MEYER[ASUG INSTALLATION MEMBER MEMBER SINCE: 2000

ANUP MAHESHWARI[ASUG INSTALLATION MEMBER MEMBER SINCE: 2008

AJAY VONKARERY[ASUG INSTALLATION MEMBER MEMBER SINCE: 1999

The Complete Guide to Reporting Tools Available in SAP NetWeaver and the SAP

BusinessObjects Portfolio

Bjarne BergDirector SAP BI

Comerit Inc.

Real Experience. Real Advantage.

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This is a comprehensive guide to SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence presentation tools

We will take an overview tour of the Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC), Web Application Designer (WAD), Report Designer, Web publishing, Java Server pages (JSP) and the new SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer.

We will look at the strengths and limitations of each tool and see how they can be used independently or collectively in a SAP BI environment.

Leave this session with a good understanding of how to use SAP NetWeaver BI tools to make your system more flexible and adaptive to the needs of end users.

Learning Points


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Agenda The SAP BI Tool Revolution

SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Web publishing Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages

(BSP) Administrative tools The BOBJ Roadmap for front-end tools

Empowering the users – a mind shift Who Should get access Wrap-up Bonus material: All SAP BOBJ tools


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The SAP BI Core Toolset

SAP BI is an enterprise-wide comprehensive decision support (DSS) system for analytical needs of an enterprise.

BI can also support some degree of operational reporting

The SAP BI tool set has many presentation tools and options for companies to leverage.


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Agenda

The SAP BI Tool Revolution SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Web publishing Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages (BSP) Administrative tools The BOBJ Roadmap for front-end tools



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The BEx Query Designer in BW 3.5The BEx query designer is a simple tool that you use to develop queries for users.

While the Query Designer defined the query, you have many options on how you deploy the queries

You can deploy the queries through web templates, broadcasted emails, portals, Excel and more.


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BEx Query Designer gets a ‘facelift’ in BI 7.x

The 3.5x BEx Query Designer

The NWBI 7.0 BEx Query Designer

The new 7.x Query designer was totally re-developed in MS-Visual Basic .NET

This new property pane makes it easier to format and control displays than in the past.

BEx Ad-Hoc Query Designer functionality is replaced by BEx Web Analyzer in BI 7.0


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BEx – Analyzer (Excel Workbooks)1. BEx Workbooks is Excel 'on steroids'.2. BW queries can be opened in Excel3. Queries can be refreshed and standard Excel functions can be used

This is a great tool for financial analysts and power users.

To use this tool you need BEx installed


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BEx web Analyzer integrates Excel

The Excel integration in the BEx analyzer is far better.

Unlike the old days of dynamic HTML, you can now use the BEx analyzer more like a real application without refreshing the whole page every time you click on something (this is due to the Java component in BI 7.0)

Source: SAP AG, 2008

Important: BEx browser goes away in SAP BI 7.0 (so does BEx Download Scheduler)


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BEx – Analyzer Design Mode1. Application building in Excel (similar to WAD)2. New options for queries with two structures3. Excel formulas allow access to any cell of the result

set4. Excel formatting options can be fully leveraged for

BEx workbooks (e.g., blank lines, fonts, etc.)5. Combining Excel formulas and Excel formatting

allows the design of complex formatted workbooks6. Integration of Business Planning is available

To use this tool you need BEx installed

Source: SAP, Zane Connally 2008


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APD – Analysis Process Designer and data mining SAP BW Analysis Process Designer (APD) is for Knowledge

discovery and exploration of large sets of data. APD has been available in BW since version 3.0 and can be

used to do complex analysis without having to restructure the data and create hundreds of specialized data marts.

You can read from a variety of sources such as Flat files Database tables Data Store Objects (new name for ODS) Infocubes BW queries

Image: SAP, UK

Since BW 3.5, APD has been integrated with the Data Mining Workbench. You can access it though the transaction code “RSDMWB”


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Creating new data inside SAP BIIn Data warehousing v2.0 (Bill Immon’s new terminology), we are using BI applications to create new data that needs to be fed to the data warehouse, and /or the transactional system

Tools are now available to build association data sets that creates updates based on BI findings (i.e. customer segmentation, risk, profitability flagging etc).

Images: Bhanu Gupta, ASUG 2005 Illinois chapter


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Complex scenarios can be built for structured analysis such as risk modeling, customer segmentation, market basket analysis, predictive modeling and much more

Image: SAPImage: SAP

APD – Analysis Process Designer and data mining

“New data” based on the findings can be loaded back into data targets and used by others for reporting i.e. CRM analysis.


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SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD) SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Web publishing Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages




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Visual ComposerA Visual Composer is a tool to visualize the data. It is a browser-based

modeling and design tool for rapid application development & prototyping in a code-free development environment.


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Visual Composer for Complex cockpitsModeling of BI applications using the BI kit of the Visual Composer allows business users to create analytical content for SAP portal. It offers the integration with BI infoproviders, views, BEx web applications, PDF and more via WEB API as access to other data sources such as OLAP and relational data sources) via Java connectors

Image source: Cubeserv


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Details about Visual Composer CockpitsDelivered as part of Enterprise Portal in SAP NetWeaver BI 7.0 Usage Type (SPS8 and higher)

Different options available for rendering Visual Composer outputFlashWeb Dynpro (HTML)

Flash provides high-end visualization of Visual Composer models

Since a cockpit may have many different sources (queries), it can take quite some time to execute them if the memory cache is not used consistently


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Visual Composer Data Methods Can integrate data from multiple data sources,

including SAP and non-SAP systems, into one model

Different options available for data access include: BI Extension Kit Remote Function Call (RFC) Web services

BI Extension Kit allows access to the following DataSources SAP NetWeaver 2004 BI

(BW 3.5 Support Package 14) SAP NetWeaver BI 7.0 JDBC XMLA


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Visual Composer DataProviders

You can use BI queries and views as DataProviders for Visual Composer models

You also can use BI query functionalities for exceptions and variables along with Visual Composer models

Visual Composer allows access to BI history, favorites, and roles


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Visual Composer is Easy for Power Users to Learn

Visual Composer is a power user tool that is simple to learn for someone with a little bit of technical background (i.e. controllers, report writers, analysts).

Source: SAP

Take advantage of prebuilt analytic business packages

No coding required to create great-looking Web-based cockpits


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The future of Visual Composer

Composition Environment including Visual Composer “continues to be the go-to product for creating composite applications” (SAP, 2008)

Source: SAP, July 2008


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BEx Web Application Designer (WAD)

OLAP Processor

BEx Web Application DesignerBEx Analyzer/Query Designer

Web Service

Charting Engine

Web Browser

HTLM Templates InfoProvider

WAD is an intuitive tool to build powerful web applications and to interact with portals and custom templates.

BW queries can be manipulated in WAD for better display


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New Features of SAP NetWeaver SAP BI 7.0 Web ADWeb Items: Tab Pages, Button, Script Item (in SAP BI 7.0 Support Package Stack 7)

Drag and drop using Analysis itemNew chart types (heat map, Gantt, milestone trend analysis)

Export BI Web applications in PDF formatCommand Wizard for generating Web API commands Integration with SAP NetWeaver BI 7.0 BEx Report Designer for formatted reportsNEW: User can change the XHTML source code of any web template either directly, or the ABAP program RS_TEMPLATE_MAINTAIN_70, or in any external XHTML editor.


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Command Wizard and JavaScript You can use Command Wizard for generating

JavaScript code for the Script Item to use in custom cockpit applications


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Source: SAP 20009

Product Directions for BI Solutions

SAP BEx Analyzer Voyager

Web App Designer

Predictive

Report Designer

Web Intelligence

Crystal Reports

Xcelsius

BI Widgets

Web Services

And Much More…

Polestar

Mobile BI

Enterprise Data Warehousing & BI Platform

AdvancedAnalysis

EnterpriseReporting

Dashboards,Visualization

Ad-hocQuery &Reporting

BusinessObjects EnterpriseSAP NetWeaver BW and BWA


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BI Web Application Designer RoadmapInfoView /SAP NetWeaver Portal

SAP BOE Platform

SAP NW BW

BEx Web Templates

Pioneer Web Server

WorkspacePIO Web Tab

BEx Web Tab

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BI Consumer Services

BEx Queries/ InfoProviders

Pioneer Web Client

BEx Web App Designer

SAP BOE Platform

Pioneer Web Server

WorkspacePIO Web Tab

BEx Web Tab

…

BI Consumer Services

Pioneer Web Client

Pioneer Designer/ SDK

SAP NW BW

BEx Web Templates

BEx Queries/ InfoProviders

BEx Web App Designer

Migration options via Pioneer SDK

InfoView /SAP NetWeaver Portal

planned 2010 future


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The BEx Report Designer

This new tool was created to simplify the formatting of reports and fix many of the printing issues in previous versions of BW.

Source: SAP AG

We now get color control, header-footer control and many new features such as location control of cells and integration of pictures, charts and fixed text.


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BEx Report Designer is new in BI 7.0

Customizable font styles (i.e. bold, italic), colors, etc.

Group-level changes with individual formatting

Layout options, e.g.: Height of rows, width of columns

Multi-line column headers

Flexible field positioningMerging cellsSupport for hierarchiesRules for the presentation of special characteristic values

Integration of text, pictures, and charts

Header & footer for reports

News: BEx Report Designer 7.1, (last release in 2008) will be available under maximum maintenance until 2016 and will be replaced with the Crystal Base product.


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Crystal Report is still available (also in SAP BW 3.x)

With BW you get access to Crystal reports. In fact you have many pre-developed reports that comes with SAP-BW. Currently, you can modify, or develop and deploy a few Crystal reports without additional licensing cost.

Crystal is a great tool for batch reporting of "pixel controlled' formatted reports.


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Web Cockpits in the Portal

You can integrate queries and Web applications into the portal through publishing, broadcasting, or Web calls

The portal can either receive designed pages passively or actively create communities, Web pages, collaboration rooms, or cockpits

Broadcasting

Publishing


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Agenda

The SAP BI Tool Revolution SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Web publishing Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages




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BI Java SDK-Based Applications in SAP BI 7.x

BI Java SDK can be used for custom applications based on SAP BI and non-SAP data.

BI Java SDK provides access to relational and OLAP data sources using JDBC, XMLA, ODBO etc.

Access to 200+ data sources using the JDBC drivers.

Source: SAP AG, 2008

Java programmers will recognize the standard development kit's (SDK) main libraries such as the abstract windowing toolkit (AWT) and the GUI-oriented Swing object library as well


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BI Java SDK-Based Cockpits (cont.)SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio can develop BI Java SDK-based applications

Can use along with SAP Java Web Dynpro

Interested developers should familiarize themselves with SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio


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More Administrative tools for management & development Enhanced Dataflow control (split delta) Administrator Cockpit (Web-based) BI Accelerator (high performance BIA) Enhanced InfoSets with InfoCubes Re-modeling and repartitioning of InfoCubes New Data Transfer Process (DTP) Write-optimized DataStore objects New Admin Workbench

SAP BI 7.0 have many improved tools for developers and system

administrators


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Agenda

The SAP BI Tool Revolution SAP NetWeaver BI Query Designer & BEx Analyzer Analysis Process Designer (APD), SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer (VC) Web Application Designer (WAD) Report Designer Web publishing Java Server pages (JSP) and the old Business Server Pages




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SAP’s Premium OfferingsSAP Acquired Business Objects in 2007/2008 and is working on integrating BOBJ into the core SAP BI offerings.


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BOBJ capabilities – Dashboards and Reports

Crystal Reports for pixel formatted reports has been available with SAP BI/BW since 2002. This tool can be integrated into your tool portfolio using existing SAP NetWeaver BI queries (NOTE: Crystal & Crystal Base will be the core tools for formatted reports starting 2010)

•Dashboards can be built using Xcelsius.

•Xcelsius+ will be launched in 2009, and will be “the flagship product for data visualization & dashboards”

Source SAP AG, 2009


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BOBJ capabilities – Analysis, Ad-hoc & WidgetsThe Web Intelligence tool from BOBJ is a tool for ad-hoc web based reporting, query & analysis. It is intended for end users and can leverage queries to both relational and OLAP sources.It will be the core offering for ad-hoc end user analysis starting 2009.

With the current offering of BOBJ you can also use Desktop Widgets to place BI content direct onto a PC desktop and monitor reports and KPIs.

Source SAP AG, June 2008


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New Tools Roadmap

Source SAP


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The Move towards Pioneer

•Pioneer (for 1st Quarter 2010 release) provides a superset of the capabilities in BEx Analyzer (Excel), BEx Analyzer (Web), and Business Objects Voyager.

•Voyager customers migrate to Pioneer.

•BEx Analyzer & BEx Web Analyzer customers migrate to Pioneer. (Note: BEx is planned to go into regular maintenance)

Webbased

Excel based

Source SAP, April, 2009


[ What can be Done in 2009- ImplementationsSuggestion Tool Purpose

Visual Composer VisualizationWeb Intelligence Ad-hocBI Widgets / BO Universe Desktop IntelligenceCrystal Report Formatted reportsBPC Consolidation & PlanningBI Accellerator In memory performance

Candidates for Implementations in 2009

Visual Compose

r

Widgets

BI Accelerator

Web Intelligence (webi)


[ The two types of Universes

There are currently 2 ways to get at the SAP BI data.

If you implement this year, you need to make conscious decisions about which method you select. There are pros and cons of each

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[ Overview: Options for Universe-Based Access to BW 7.0

BW

Data Federator

RDBMS Analytic Engine

OLAP BAPI ODBOXMLA

UniversesQT ODA

SQL Access MDX Access

WebI XcelsiusQaaWS

BIA


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Overview: Options for Universe-Based Access to BW 7.01

BW DF Fascade

Data Federator

RDBMS Analytic Engine

OLAP BAPI ODBOXMLA

UniversesQT ODA

SQL Access MDX Access

WebI XcelsiusQaaWS

BWA


[ ComparisonBW Server Feature MDX SQLBW Hierarchies Restricted and Calculated Key Figures Security BW Variables Currency and Unit Conversion Exceptions, Conditions SUM, MIN, MAX Aggregations AVG, COUNT, COUNT DISTINCT, … Aggregations OLAP Cache Navigational Attributes Mass Data Enabled Federation (e.g. BW – RDBMS, BW – BW)

= fully supported = limited support / workaround


[ What can be Done in 2009- Take a Look at…

Polestar is an interesting technology that companies may start a prototype with and see how it can help them access BI data from a variety of sources (NW and others)

Xcelsius

Polestar

Suggestion Tool PurposeXcelcius DashboardsPolestar Search engine

Pioneer BEx web & Excel

Worth a Prototype

Keep an Eye on, but wait until the new release


[ What can be Done in 2009- Prototype

Consider building a Xcelsius Prototype to get used to really interactive dashboards and what-if analysis.

Suggestion Tool PurposeXcelcius DashboardsPolestar Search engine


Worth a Prototype


Xcelsius

Image source: Adobe, 2009


[ What can be Done in 2009- Keep doing…

There are many classical SAP NetWeaver tools that should still be used by companies that are planning go-lives in 2009.

Integrated planning is still supported.

Pioneer is still 12 months awayWAD will continue to be the

development environment for 2009.Suggestion Tool Purpose

Web Application Designer Web developmentBEx Web Web reportingBEx Excel Excel reportingAnalysis Process Designer Structured AnalysisIntegrated Planning Planning

Keep doing for a while longer


[ Stop As soon as possible

If you need Formatted Reports in 2009, you should seriously consider Crystal Reports. The current roadmap calls for moving Report Designer into regular maintenance at the end of 2009, and stop further development of this tool.

Looking forward to Xcelsius and Pioneer, it may be advisable to limit further custom development in JSP unless it is not intended to be migrated at a future date.

Suggestion Tool PurposeReport Designer Formatted reportsCustom JSP pages Custom applications

Stop when possible


[Training SAP Business Objects for SAP NetWeaver BWfuture

New 2 day course offering from SAP Education for training on Business Objects integration with SAP NetWeaver BW

Two dates are currently scheduled in June for virtual course delivery

June 1 – 2, 2009June 25 – 26, 2009

See the following link to the Course Description for more detailed information on the content covered

http://www.sap.com/usa/services/education/usacourse.epx?context=%5b%5b|SAPBO||1|091|US|%5d%5d|


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Deciding which reporting tool is right for you

* Through embedded Bex Broadcaster

Bex Broadcaster

Web reportsWorkbooks Fixed

formatWeb

Applications Models

Ad-hoc query designer

Query Designer

Analysis ProcessDesigner

Crystal Reports

Broadcaster -wizard

Visual Composer

Web ApplicationDesigner

Othe

r too

lsW

eb To

ols

Quer

y too

ls

-- - -

- - /

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*

Vizuali-zation

Distrib-ution

- /

- /

- /

- - -

- - -

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- -

- -

- /

- / -

--

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--

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Who gets to do what?

The major decision for a SAP BI driven enterprise is to determine who gets access to each tool.There is often a temptation for the IT community of wanting to keep the tools under their domain – That is a mistakeThe IT community should actively work with the power and casual users to improve human capabilities and thereby teach them to become more productive employees.

Chinese Proverb


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Tool Access – Who should do what…..There are many options and decisions to be made on who should be able to access all the different tools.

Bex Broadcaster

Powerusers

Regularusers Authors Developers BW

Admins

Ad-hoc query designer

Query Designer

Analysis ProcessDesigner

Crystal Reports

Broadcaster -wizard

Visual Composer

Web ApplicationDesigner

Othe

r too

lsW

eb To

ols

Quer

y too

ls

- /

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-- - -

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- / - /

- - -

- - /

- /

- /


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Resources

COMERIT (Presentations, guides and accelerators) www.comerit.net

SAP Documents - Interfaces for Enterprise Reporting, Query, and Analysis https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/

docs/library/uuid/f52e9cc1-0d01-0010-d88b-d808b69391a4

SAP Business Intelligence (BI) by Norbert Egger, Jean-Marie Fiechter, Sebastian Kramer, Ralf-Patrick Sawicki, and Stephan Weber. Galio Press - Hardcover, 653 pages, ISBN 978-1-

59229-082-6


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Key LearningsSuggestion Tool Purpose

Visual Composer VisualizationWeb Intelligence Ad-hocBI Widgets / BO Universe Desktop IntelligenceCrystal Report Formatted reportsBPC Consolidation & PlanningBI Accellerator In memory performanceXcelcius DashboardsPolestar Search engine

Web Application Designer Web developmentBEx Web Web reportingBEx Excel Excel reportingAnalysis Process Designer Structured AnalysisIntegrated Planning PlanningReport Designer Formatted reportsCustom JSP pages Custom applications


Candidates for Implementations in 2009

Worth a Prototype


Stop when possible

Keep doing for a while longer


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Questions and Answers

How to contact me:Dr. Bjarne Berg

[email protected]


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] Thank you for participating.

SESSION CODE: 330 EINSERT SESSION CODE

Please remember to complete and return your evaluation form following this session.

For ongoing education on this area of focus, visit the Year-Round Community page at www.asug.com/yrc


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Bonus Material – The total BOBJ toolset

Source: SAP March, 2009

This Bonus Material Include all SAP BOBJ

tools, not just tools for the SAP market


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The Complete Guide to Reporting Tools Available in SAP NetWeaver and the SAP BusinessObjects...

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Transcript of The Complete Guide to Reporting Tools Available in SAP NetWeaver and the SAP BusinessObjects...