Discover how LeverX supported MAHLE in restoring complete and accurate export data in SAP Analytics Cloud. The project ensured reliable reporting and set the foundation for future improvements.
Background
MAHLE International GmbH is a German automotive parts manufacturer headquartered in Stuttgart. Founded in 1920, it has grown into one of the world’s leading suppliers in the automotive sector.
The company operates across more than 30 countries and employs over 72,000 people. Its core business units include Powertrain and Charging, Thermal and Fluid Systems, and Lifecycle and Mobility. As of 2022, MAHLE ranked fourth among German automotive suppliers, after Bosch, ZF, and Continental, with products used in approximately half of the vehicles worldwide.
MAHLE’s long-term strategy, known as Strategy 2030+, focuses on three directions: electrification, thermal management, and alternative fuels such as hydrogen and e-fuels. The company is gradually shifting toward sustainable mobility solutions, while continuing to support its traditional product lines.
This shift increases the demand for accurate, data-driven insights, especially in export performance, where timely and reliable reporting becomes critical to making informed business decisions.
Challenge
As part of their regular reporting activities, MAHLE uses SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) to monitor export performance. One of the key dashboards used in this process, the Tesla Export dashboard, occasionally displayed incomplete or missing data. This led to inconsistencies and disrupted the reliability of insights drawn from it.
The main issue was that some data imported from the SAP HANA database did not appear correctly in SAC. In some cases, records were missing, parameters were incorrect, or historical data was unavailable. These problems made it difficult for the client’s analysts and controllers to trust the data or use it confidently in reporting.
Our Approach
The LeverX team was brought in to support MAHLE. Their focused goal was to identify the cause of data inconsistencies in the Tesla Export dashboard and propose a reliable way to resolve them.
Because the SAC system was already live and in use, the team had to work within the constraints of an existing setup. This required quickly analyzing the current data model, understanding the data flow from the SAP HANA database to SAC, and pinpointing where issues were occurring without disrupting daily reporting activities.
To address the client’s needs, the approach centered on the following key objectives:
- Analyze the structure of the SAC data model and how it is connected to the HANA database.
- Identify the root causes behind missing or incorrect data in the Tesla Export dashboard.
- Restore full data availability, including historical records, while ensuring no data was rejected during import.
- Fix parameter-related errors affecting report outputs.
- Propose long-term solutions that could help avoid similar issues in the future.
One key proposal involved implementing a Delta Mechanism to streamline future data imports from HANA to SAC. This mechanism was presented as a potential enhancement and submitted for client review.
The Solution
The project focused on SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) support services targeting the Tesla Export dashboard. The team began by analyzing the SAC data model and its connection to the SAP HANA database. This step involved reviewing how data was being transferred, where it was breaking, and why some records were missing or not displayed correctly.
Key actions taken included:
- Reimporting all data from the HANA database into SAC ensured that the import process was complete and no records were rejected.
- Fixing SAC job configurations to eliminate incorrect parameters in the dashboard and ensure accurate displayed information.
- Restoring historical data to ensure that current and previous years' export data were visible and usable for analysis.
Throughout the engagement, the team followed best practices in data quality management, ensuring that all changes maintained data integrity and aligned with the client’s reporting standards.
By the end of the engagement, MAHLE had a fully working SAC dashboard with restored data visibility. The analysts and controllers could now rely on it for accurate and timely export reporting. The client also received clear recommendations for preventing similar issues in the future.
Results
The project resolved the client’s primary issue: unreliable data in the Tesla Export dashboard within SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC). After completing the support activities, the dashboard reflects complete and accurate export data sourced from the SAP HANA database, including records from previous years.
Key results included:
- Accurate export reporting with no rejected records or missing data during import.
- Correct parameter handling in SAC reports, leading to consistent and trusted output.
- Restored the availability of historical data, enabling more comprehensive performance analysis.
These improvements immediately enhanced the reliability of MAHLE’s export reporting and analytics. Business users, including data analysts and controllers, could work with consistent data and make decisions based on accurate information.
In addition to solving the immediate problems, the project laid the groundwork for future stability. The LeverX team presented two potential paths for long-term improvements, including implementing a Delta Mechanism to optimize data import processes. These proposals gave the client a clear path for future optimization.