In almost every SAP conversation right now, “future ready” really means “data ready.” Most organizations are carrying a mix of legacy reporting, tactical integrations, and a patchwork of tools that were added to solve one-off problems. The result is predictable: multiple versions of the truth, slow decision-making, and confusion about which SAP product to use. Are we trying to give a plant manager a simple operational view? Are we building a large, complex data model that will serve multiple purposes? Or are we enabling completely new applications and services on top of our data?
If you’ve ever had to explain the SAP tool landscape to anyone, you know how quickly the conversation can go from “we just need reports” to “wait, what’s the use case for Datasphere again?”. Rather than debating tools in isolation, I prefer to anchor the conversation on needs and then map those needs to the correct part of the SAP portfolio. The goal is to provide both business and IT with a shared, practical approach to discussing data architecture, without getting lost in product names and feature lists.
This helps me keep it straight, but there will be those who need the extra level of detail…
Below is the same matrix with additional guidance on how to position each tool in a typical SAP-centric architecture. When you read it, picture the stack from the bottom up: Integration and data platforms at the foundation, semantic and governed models in the middle, then analytics and experience at the top. If you keep that mental picture in mind, it becomes much easier to see how each decision reinforces (or erodes) a future-ready architecture.
| Do you need… use | Best Practices | Avoid |
| … to interact with S/4HANA business processes (using REST APIs)?
The expected use case for Fiori is when we’re interacting with S/4HANA processes. SAP Fiori or BTP Workzone is ideal for mobile, transactional user experiences and lightweight analysis that leads to action. For anything heavier, consider using BTP with CAP. |
– Keep the core clean and first use SAP’s apps, delivered with S/4HANA, first.
– Always extend with an additional object and compare outputs. – Use BTP when customization is heavier, you need to be exposed securely over the internet, or there is a potential mobile requirement. |
– If you’re looking for a reporting-only platform that goes beyond a list report that Fiori Elements can easily generate.
– If data volume is high, there will be a need for deep analysis or exploration. Complex data processing isn’t ideal for the browser. – If there is a need for offline or mobile device integration. |
| … real-time, in-app operational analytics on S/4 data?
Utilize S/4HANA Embedded Analytics, leveraging ABAP CDS views / analytical queries, which can be consumed by Fiori applications or live data models in SAP Analytics Cloud, providing richer data visualizations. |
– Exposed to employees who are in a position to analyze operational data quickly and act
– Utilize Fiori when we need to audit what actions have been taken – A dynamic SAP-specific semantic layer is required for users (currency, unit of measure, company codes, etc.) – Limited drill down to keep views performing as expected for impatient users |
– Highly complex data models with lots of filtering required
– Additional query and complex interactions are driven by the user from a browser, vs using a tool designed to manage complex contexts – Replicating CDS views meant for real-time consumption into SAC data models that are for operational data reporting |
| … dashboards, self-service BI, predictive, or planning (esp. cross-app)?
Use SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) because it is SAP’s strategic analytics and planning front-end. BusinessObjects BI primarily continues to support existing WebI/reporting footprints. |
– Prefer live connections to S/4 or Datasphere
– Only use data imports for blending/complex calculations that cannot be done live. – SAC is the only reporting tool on the market that can take advantage of SAP’s semantic layer |
– If reporting needs are purely operational, other tools can do the job
– ECC Support is limited; ECC on a traditional RDBMS like SQL Server, Oracle, or DB2 will have limited support and reporting |
| … governed, reusable data models that combine SAP + non-SAP with business semantics and minimal copies?
Utilize SAP Datasphere, as it forms the foundation of SAP’s business data fabric. Used on its own and as an enhanced product suite, SAP Business Data Cloud is utilized. Consume with SAC |
– Business Builder for business entities (dimensions & facts)
– Use the Analytic Model for query-ready consumption. – Keep a star-like layout with apparent grain, keys, and aggregation semantics, and push filters down |
– Datasphere is not an Integration Bus
– Avoid sourcing data directly from SAP Systems into a 3rd party Data mart. The semantic layers will shift, and a lot of time is wasted verifying data integrity between the two. – Do not replicate every single table into Datasphere just in case. |
| … bespoke data services or heavy SQL/procedural logic (multi-model, time-series, vector, etc.) for apps or analytics?
SAP HANA Cloud (DBaaS). Use when you outgrow standard HANA / CDS modeling or need services/algorithms close to data. |
– Useful if there is a need to create a lot of custom data models that incorporate non-SAP Data and go beyond the S/4HANA Embedded Analytics
– Applications that are operational, but don’t need to be in S/4HANA. Specifically preferred if the applications are 100% customer-made – Federated or staging areas for data that will be utilized elsewhere. |
– Calculation views for Analytics
– Column stores for performance – Use SDI for change data capture when necessary |
| … to integrate applications/processes/transactions with partners or customers through APIs, events, or files?
Utilize SAP BTP Integration Suite (Cloud Integration, API Management, Event Mesh, TPM) for data movement, leveraging Datasphere/HANA SDI for advanced analytics. |
Integration Suite is not an ETL tool, and should be used to integrate applications, third parties, and Business-to-Business transactions – When possible, utilize RESTful APIs provided by SAP, which will future-proof your integrations – Event mesh is ideal for streaming events to systems that subscribe to those events, and moves the implementation of those events to the subscriber – B2B and TPM addons make transactions like EDI much easier to implement and manage |
– Do not use as an ETL tool; the integrations should be real-time or near-realtime for processing
– Automations that can be handled in BPA and S/4HANA can significantly reduce integration complexity – Encrypt sensitive data in flight, as developers or admins with the appropriate access can see this information |
When you put all of this together, you begin to see an intentional pattern rather than a random collection of products. Fiori and Embedded Analytics provide users with what they need in the flow of work. SAC turns that into cross-process insight and planning. Datasphere and HANA Cloud provide you with governed, high-performance data services. Integration Suite keeps everything connected and moving.
