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Delve into the reporting and analysis tools available with SAP BusinessObjects and SAP NetWeaver BW. Find out when to use which tool, where to find it, and who should be the one using it. Learn which BEx tools SAP will continue to develop and which SAP BusinessObjects tools you should consider for your long-term reporting and analytics needs.

Key Concept

To help distinguish different product offerings, BI now refers to the premium SAP BusinessObjects portfolio of products, including Xcelsius and SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence. SAP NetWeaver BW, formerly SAP NetWeaver BI, refers to the data warehouse.

The acquisition of Business Objects has brought changes to SAP in the areas of business intelligence (BI), Financial Performance Management (FPM, formerly Corporate Performance Management [CPM]), and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) tools. This article focuses on the BI changes. With change comes some unavoidable confusion. The purpose of this article is to expose you to the future of BI at SAP and to provide you with an action plan.

Some of the BEx tools will no longer be developed and, in their place, SAP is focusing efforts on many of the tools originating from the Business Objects acquisition. Rest assured that SAP will continue to support older products for many years. Organizations that are currently implementing the BEx applications should not worry. That said, what products are in support mode and which ones will continue to be developed?

First, we’ll let you know about the long-term planned product offerings. Then we will go over the kinds of skills needed for each tool, as well as the target group for each role. With this knowledge, you can informatively decide which products are the ones your company needs as part of a long-term plan.

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