Creating Planning Models in SAP Analytics Cloud

by Guru Pantangi | Analytics , SAP Analytics Cloud ,

One of the best features of SAP Analytics Cloud is that it provides BI capabilities, Predictive analysis and Planning capabilities in one single integrated platform – basically the best of all (possible) worlds. Planning is one of the most important features in SAP Analytics Cloud. Planning models typically allows you to do everything that analytical models do and also gives you a lot more control over your data wherein you can do budget allocation, forecasts, what-if analysis etc. Here in this blog, we have listed the steps as to how we can create a planning model from excel :

Steps to create Planning Model from Excel :

• Menu –> Create –> Model

• Click on “Start a blank model”.

• Provide name and description. Check “Enable Planning” option, then click on create.

• Now time setting has to be done. For this example, kept the granularity to “Quarter” level, provide the start date and end date based on the data set (2016 to 2017).

• Now click on “Account” and create a new dimension.

• Provide the name and description for the account and click on Ok.

• Now provide the accounts which are to be used for planning.

For this example, I have used the below. Write the formula required for the fields.

• Create new or use the existing Dimensions for the planning data model.

• In this example I used “Product Line” and “Product Type”. Save the model.
• Now to load data, Click on Data Source.

• Import Data from the Source (In this example Excel is the data source).

• Select the data file and click on import.

• After loading the data as draft, it has to be linked to the data model created.
• Click on the draft data.

If the names on the model and on the csv file are same then the data will be directly linked.

In this example, time is not mapped as the excel file has time under a different name (Year).

• Drag and drop the Year on the Time tile.

Now, map the cersion using “Map Version” button.

• Click on version Tile, and click on “Map Versions”.

• Check the version mapped and click on Ok if everything is correct.

• Now click on Finish mapping.

• Click on finish again.

Your planning model is ready to be consumed into a story. You can now explore this data, create stunning visualizations, value-driver trees, perform what-if analysis and do tonnes of other interesting things.