SAP BW Integrated Planning (SAP BI-IP)

SAP BI-IP is an integrative component of SAP BW. It is based on the same datasets and uses the possibilities offered by SAP BW in general. Read more about SAP BW. The integrated planning component enables data to be entered via reports or so-called data entry layouts and stored in BW Infoproviders. SAP BI-IP is the successor to BPS (Business Plan and Simulation), which was offered by SAP at the time, but which is now of very little significance.

To the overview

General

SAP BI-IP enables companies to connect actual and plan figures in an integrated environment without generating redundant data and administering it in different tools. In addition to the presentation and preparation of actual figures, which are usually loaded from operational source systems, planning data can be entered directly into SAP BI-IP at the same time and reported together. In addition to the entry of plan data, SAP BI-IP offers functions for revaluation, enrichment, updating and deletion of entered data. A blocking concept ensures that users do not overlap in their input and thus block each other. The locking concept can be applied very flexibly to the respective data model and its characteristics. Characteristic relationships can be used to validate and enrich data, since data is usually entered at a lower level of detail than the data model is based on.

The same options are then available for analyzing and reporting on the plan data as are offered by SAP BW, from the integrated SAP BEx to other SAP analysis tools such as e.g. SAP BW. SAP Lumira, BO Analysis, SAP Analytics Cloud, Crystal Reports and WebI.

Recommendation

SAP's portfolio now features numerous other options for planning. In addition to SAP BI-IP, SAP is strategically promoting BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation) very strongly. BPC is available in different variants, some of which result in an integration of SAP BI-IP and BPC (BPC embedded). Here, too, SAP is increasingly integrating the various solutions.

Read more about BPC at the following link:

SAP BPC

Your advantage

  • Integration in SAP BW
  • Recording and analysis of planned figures in the same environment as actual figures
  • Use of SAP BW architecture and front-end tools to collect data

Planning approach

The following elements characterize a planning application with SAP BI-IP:

  • Data storage: All data to be changed or modified is stored in so-called real-time InfoProviders. At the InfoCube level, you can define logical characteristic relationships between the data (for example, hierarchical structure, relationships by attributes). And you can protect data areas here temporarily or permanently against changes using data slices.
  • Data selection (characteristics and key figures) for individual planning steps: Aggregation levels are defined here, which serve to structure or define views of data. (The aggregation level is the InfoProvider on which the input-ready queries are created). This allows you to specify the granularity at which the data should be processed.
  • Methods for manual or automatic modification of data: Scheduling functions are available for this purpose, with the help of which data can be copied, revaluated, distributed or deleted. You can also define complex planning formulas; and in addition, extensive forecasting functions are available. You can group planning functions into planning sequences. This makes it possible to automate administrative steps and perform tasks between different planning process steps to make processing convenient for everyone involved.
  • Aids such as filters that can be used in queries and planning functions: You can use these to flexibly personalize planning; this is also where the variables for parameterizing the objects come into play, which can usually be used at least wherever selections play a role, e.g. also in data slices.
  • Central locking concept: It prevents the same data from being changed by different users at the same time.

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Summary

Due to the close integration of SAP BI-IP and SAP BW, SAP BI-IP offers a very convenient way of entering planned figures and reporting them together with actual figures. SAP BI-IP is widely used in enterprises and will continue to exist in its components by integrating its core functionalities into the strategic product SAP BPC embedded.

Our offer

If you are interested in BI-IP and would like to learn more about its application possibilities as well as an overview of the other SAP planning components, we will be happy to support you with professional and technical expertise.

As a first step, we recommend a goal-setting workshop in which the key points of a target scenario are developed.

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