Explore the main features of SAP Analytics Cloud, see how it can help your business, and get a competitive overview of SAC vs other BI solutions.
Having a functional and comprehensive BI (business intelligence) solution is a must for any enterprise, as the importance of data in driving performance and competition keeps increasing at a frenetic pace. SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) — the most advanced analytical solution by SAP — has positioned itself as an integrated platform that combines business intelligence, planning, and real-time predictive analytics in a single place.
In this article, we’ll share a comprehensive overview of SAP Analytics Cloud including its features, key application areas, comparison with other BI solutions (both SAP and non-SAP), and industry use cases to help businesses make informed decisions regarding their analytical landscape.
SAP Analytics Cloud: Overview and Key Features
SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) is a high-end software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution from SAP that offers robust business intelligence, real-time data aggregation, visualization, and reporting capabilities. It enables organizations to conduct analytics, planning, and forecasting seamlessly within a single web-based application. At the same time, these organizations can leverage advanced technologies like machine learning and AI for enhanced insights and decision-making.
SAC’s versatility makes it a complete BI tool that can work independently of other SAP applications, allowing businesses to use it within their existing ecosystems.
SAP Analytics Cloud’s nature allows companies to fetch data from various on-premise and cloud data sources without the use of additional servers, databases, or complex installation processes. In particular, businesses can benefit from the following advanced features offered by SAC:
AI-driven augmented capabilities
Joule assistant powered by generative AI helps businesses streamline report generation, revealing actionable insights and allowing them to create dynamic business plans that enhance productivity and drive data-based decision-making.
Business-critical analytics
BI capabilities combined with industry-specific analytics through pre-configured business templates help companies gain deeper insights and adjust to their specific challenges and needs.
Transform business planning
Collaborative planning across financial, supply chain, and operational domains becomes easier due to integration capabilities that provide a centralized solution for teams that need alignment and agility in decision-making processes.
Data integration
Seamless data integration from diverse sources, including on-premise and cloud-based systems, ensures comprehensive analysis and informed decision-making based on a holistic view of the business landscape.
Predictive analytics
Advanced predictive analytics capabilities let businesses forecast future trends, anticipate market shifts, and optimize resource allocation, thus enabling proactive decision-making and strategic planning.
Embedded machine learning
Embedded machine learning algorithms serve to automate routine tasks, identify patterns in data, and provide personalized recommendations to drive operational efficiency and innovation.
SAP Analytics Cloud Application Scenarios
SAC has a significant range of application areas; still, there are several that allow a business to benefit the most from SAC capabilities. Here are some of the core application areas where SAC delivers significant value:
Corporate analytics
SAC empowers organizations with real-time, self-service analytics capabilities that ensure faster, data-driven decision-making. Through intuitive dashboards, visualizations, and smart features like natural language queries and augmented analytics, business users can discover trends, identify opportunities, and track KPIs across departments. Whether it’s sales performance, operational efficiency, or customer behavior, SAC provides a centralized and scalable approach to corporate reporting and strategic insights.
Financial planning
A standout feature of SAC is its integrated planning functionality, which allows finance teams to go beyond static reporting. Users can create dynamic financial models, simulate scenarios, and collaborate on budgets and forecasts within the same platform. With real-time data access and predictive forecasting, SAC supports continuous planning and agile financial management. The platform also facilitates top-down and bottom-up planning processes, ensuring alignment across business units and enhancing overall financial governance.
Integrations with other SAP solutions
One of the key strengths of SAC lies in its seamless integration with other SAP products, providing a connected enterprise analytics experience. Integration with SAP S/4HANA ensures real-time access to transactional data, enabling live insights into core business operations. Through connection with SAP BPC, SAC enhances financial planning and consolidation processes, bridging the gap between operational and financial planning. Additionally, SAC's integration with SAP DWC provides advanced data modeling and governance, ensuring trusted data for analytics at scale. These integrations streamline workflows, eliminate data silos, and ensure a single source of truth across the organization.
Comparing SAP Analytics Cloud vs. Competitors
SAC is not the only player in the market of advanced analytics solutions. More to that, it’s not even the only, yet most advanced, analytics solution by SAP. Below, we will compare SAP Analytics Cloud to the most famous tools from SAP and other software companies to help you gain a better understanding of their differences, similarities, and functional peculiarities.
SAC vs. analytics solutions from other providers
Let’s compare SAC vs Microsoft Power BI, SAC vs Tableau, SAC vs Qlik Sense, and SAC vs Anaplan. These solutions are extremely popular on the market and widely used by companies around the world.
| Criteria | SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) | Microsoft Power BI | Tableau | Qlik Sense | Anaplan |
| Primary Function | Cloud-based analytics, planning, and visualization | Business analytics and visualization | Data visualization and business intelligence | Self-service BI and analytics | Cloud-based planning, budgeting, and forecasting |
| Deployment Model | Cloud | Cloud, On-premise | Cloud, On-premise | Cloud, On-premise | Cloud |
| Data Integration | Integrates with SAP and other cloud/on-prem systems | Integrates with Microsoft and other data sources | Connects to various databases and data sources | Integrates with databases, cloud, and SAP | Integrates with ERP, CRM, and other business systems |
| Target Users | Business users, analysts, and planners | Business users, data analysts, and small-to-medium businesses | Data analysts and business users | Business users, analysts, and developers | Finance teams, planners, and executives |
| Visualization & Reporting | Advanced visualizations and interactive dashboards | Good visualizations and interactive dashboards | Highly interactive, complex visualizations | Rich, interactive dashboards and visualizations | Basic visualizations with a focus on planning |
| Advanced Analytics | Advanced (predictive analytics, machine learning) | Limited (with Power BI AI capabilities) | Advanced (data exploration and forecasting) | Advanced (associative data model, AI-powered insights) | Moderate (focused on planning and scenario modeling) |
| User Interface | Intuitive, web-based UI, modern design | User-friendly, integrated with Microsoft Office tools | Intuitive, highly interactive, drag-and-drop UI | Interactive and intuitive interface | User-friendly, planning-centric UI |
| Collaboration & Sharing | Strong (cloud collaboration, sharing, versioning) | Strong (easy sharing via Power BI Service) | Strong (easy sharing via Tableau Server and Cloud) | Moderate (collaboration features, but less comprehensive) | Strong (collaborative planning features, workflow management) |
| Real-time Analytics | Yes, real-time data access and analysis | Yes (with direct query and streaming data) | Yes (live data connections for real-time analysis) | Yes (real-time data analysis with live connections) | Limited (more focused on planned scenarios) |
| Mobile Access | Full mobile access (via app or browser) | Full mobile access (via Power BI mobile app) | Full mobile access (via Tableau mobile app) | Full mobile access (via Qlik Sense mobile app) | Full mobile access (via Anaplan mobile app) |
| Cloud Integration | Fully integrated with SAP Cloud | Integrated with Azure and Microsoft Cloud | Integrates with cloud services like AWS and Google Cloud | Integrates with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud | Full cloud-based integration, especially with ERP and CRM |
| Security & Governance | Strong (role-based, integrated with SAP security) | Strong (role-based access and data security) | Strong (role-based access and security policies) | Strong (enterprise-level security and access control) | Strong (enterprise-grade security and role-based access) |
| Cost | Subscription-based, flexible pricing | Affordable (subscription-based, free version available) | Expensive (licensing costs for full features) | Subscription-based, flexible pricing | High (subscription model, tailored pricing based on usage) |
| Customization | High (customizable via scripting, data models, and applications) | Moderate (Power Query for data manipulation, some customization) | High (customizable reports and dashboards) | High (data models, scripting, and analytics customization) | Moderate (focuses on planning and scenario management) |
As you can see, these systems still have differences, and businesses should choose based on their needs and budgets. SAC, probably the most advanced and universal cloud-based solution for analytics and planning, is suitable for businesses of any scale and for any team. Power BI and Anaplan have limited flexibility yet offer strong functionality for financial teams. Tableau is known for its powerful and flexible visualization capabilities, and Qlik Sense focuses on self-service BI and interactive visualizations.
SAC vs other SAP’s analytics solutions
Now let’s take a look at SAP Cloud Analytics vs other analytics tools by SAP: SAC vs SAP BPC, SAC vs SAP BW, SAC vs SAP Lumira, and SAC vs SAP BO.
| Criteria | SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) | SAP Business Planning and Consolidation (BPC) | SAP Business Objects (BO) | SAP Business Warehouse (BW)* | SAP Lumira* |
| Primary Function | Cloud-based analytics, planning, and visualization | Financial planning, budgeting, and consolidation | Business reporting, analysis, and dashboards | Data warehousing, reporting, and analytics | Data visualization and exploration |
| Deployment Model | Cloud | On-premise, Cloud | On-premise, Cloud | On-premise, Cloud | On-premise |
| Data Integration | Integrates with SAP systems, databases, and cloud services | Integrates with SAP ERP, BW, and others | Integrates with SAP BW, databases, and other sources | Integrates with SAP ERP and external systems | Connects to multiple data sources, including SAP BW |
| Target Users | Business users, analysts, planners, and decision-makers | Finance teams, planners, and consolidators | Business users, analysts, and decision-makers | Data analysts and BI developers | Business users and data analysts |
| Visualization & Reporting | Advanced reporting, interactive dashboards, and planning | Basic reporting and financial consolidation | Rich reporting and ad-hoc analysis | Advanced reporting and analytics | Interactive visualizations and dashboards |
| Advanced Analytics | Advanced (Predictive, machine learning) | Limited (Focus on finance) | Advanced (OLAP, ad-hoc, and dashboards) | Advanced (Data mining, OLAP, and reporting) | Basic (Focused on visual analytics) |
| User Interface | Web-based interface with intuitive UI | Excel-based interface (classic) | Web-based interface, rich UI | SAP GUI, Web interface | Intuitive, self-service visualizations |
| Collaboration & Sharing | Extensive (cloud collaboration, sharing, and versioning) | Limited collaboration tools | Extensive (Web Intelligence, Dashboards) | Limited collaboration tools | Limited sharing capabilities |
| Real-time Analytics | Extensive real-time analytics and planning | Limited (focus on period-end reporting) | Supports real-time data | Supports real-time data analysis | Limited real-time capabilities |
| Mobile Access | Full mobile access (via app or browser) | Limited (via SAP Fiori or Mobile App) | Available through a mobile app | Available through SAP BW Mobile and Fiori | Available through a mobile app |
| Cloud Integration | Fully integrated with SAP Cloud | Limited (BPC embedded in SAC for Cloud) | Available with SAP Cloud Platform | Yes (via BW on HANA, SAP Data Hub) | Limited (some cloud integrations) |
| Security & Governance | Strong (role-based, integrated with SAP security) | Strong (role-based access control) | Strong (enterprise security features) | Strong (role-based access, data security) | Moderate (basic security options) |
| Cost | Subscription- based, flexible pricing | High (typically, due to financial modules) | High (complex setup and maintenance) | High (cost for setup and maintenance) | Moderate (licensing and maintenance) |
| Customization | High (customizable via scripting, data models) | High (flexible but needs expert knowledge) | High (customizable reports and dashboards) | High (customizable data models and reports) | Low to moderate (focus on self-service) |
*SAP BW and SAP Lumira are outdated, yet still used, BI solutions by SAP. Businesses currently using them should consider transferring to a different SAP BI solution to stay competitive and efficient by leveraging the latest technology solutions.
In short, SAP Analytics Cloud is the most universal option among SAP analytics solutions. It combines predecessors' features to create a single space for all types of analysis and teams. Still, some businesses prefer to choose other solutions that offer more specific and less customizable functionalities that can be more focused on some department or task type.
SAP Analytics Cloud Pros and Cons
SAC is a high-end solution for advanced analytics and planning, yet its cloud nature has a set of peculiarities that result in both advantages and disadvantages.
SAC pros
- All-in-one platform: SAC combines business intelligence, planning, and predictive analytics into a single cloud-based solution. This helps streamline workflows across different teams and reduces the need for multiple separate tools.
- Real-time data access: With live data connections to SAP S/4HANA, BW, and other sources, users can access up-to-date information instantly, which is critical for timely decision-making.
- User-friendly interface: The intuitive, modern UI of SAC allows users to create dashboards, reports, and planning models with minimal IT support. Built-in features like smart insights and natural language query processing make analytics more accessible.
- Strong planning capabilities: SAC’s planning functionality is robust, allowing for collaborative budgeting, forecasting, and scenario modeling.
- Seamless integration with other SAP solutions: As part of the SAP ecosystem, SAC integrates naturally with S/4HANA, BPC, SAP BW/4HANA, and SAP Data Warehouse Cloud, ensuring consistency and data governance across systems.
- Cloud scalability & security: Built on state-of-the-art SAP BTP, SAC benefits from enterprise-grade security, compliance, and the scalability of a cloud-native environment.
SAC cons
- Learning curve for advanced features: While basic features are user-friendly, advanced modeling, scripting (e.g., using SAC's scripting language if needed), or custom analytics may require training or technical expertise from IT teams.
- Limited offline capabilities: SAC’s cloud nature requires an internet connection, which can be a drawback for users who need robust offline access or reporting.
- Cost considerations: Licensing and scaling costs can add up, especially for smaller businesses or those not already invested in the SAP ecosystem.
How Industries Benefit from SAP Analytics Cloud
From finance to manufacturing, businesses across industries can leverage SAC to make faster and smarter, data-driven decisions. Here's how various sectors benefit:
Manufacturing
Manufacturers use SAC to optimize production efficiency, reduce downtime, and enhance supply chain visibility. By integrating with SAP S/4HANA and IoT data, users can monitor machine performance, track inventory in real-time, and predict equipment failures before they occur, minimizing costs and maximizing output.
Retail
SAC delivers insights into customer behavior, sales trends, and inventory performance. It empowers marketing and merchandising teams to forecast demand more accurately, tailor promotions, and manage stock levels across channels. Retailers also benefit from visual dashboards that highlight real-time performance by region, store, or product line.
Financial services
Banks and financial institutions use SAC for advanced financial planning, risk analysis, and regulatory reporting. With integrated forecasting and what-if simulations, finance teams can model different economic scenarios and respond proactively to market changes. SAC’s strong data governance also helps meet compliance requirements with greater accuracy.
Healthcare
Healthcare organizations rely on SAC to analyze patient outcomes, optimize staffing, and manage operational efficiency. Integrated planning tools help hospitals allocate resources more effectively and forecast patient loads, while predictive analytics support early diagnosis and proactive care models.
Public sector
Government agencies and public institutions use SAC for budgeting, performance monitoring, and transparency. With real-time dashboards and planning capabilities, public sector organizations can align spending with outcomes, manage programs more effectively, and share performance data with stakeholders and citizens.
Energy and utilities
In the energy sector, SAC supports asset management, consumption analysis, and sustainability reporting. Utility companies can analyze usage patterns, detect anomalies, and plan infrastructure investments more accurately. Integration with geospatial and sensor data provides deep insights into grid performance and energy efficiency.
How LeverX Helps You Succeed with SAP Cloud Analytics
With 20+ years of SAP experience and an SAP Golden Partner status, LeverX experts can help businesses seamlessly incorporate SAP Analytics Cloud into their current ecosystems or assist in transferring their processes to SAP, experiencing the full capacity of SAP solutions for the whole enterprise.
We consult with our clients to help them choose the best tailored solution that suits their special business needs and covers all the industry specifics. Additionally, we provide 24/7 professional support to ensure smooth operations of the new solution and offer security services to make sure your SAC (or any other solution) is protected, and your data is safe. Contact us to get the right solution or expert consultation.
Summing It Up
SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) is a comprehensive analytics solution that allows businesses to make data-driven decisions due to extensive predictive, AI forecasting, and real-time reporting capabilities. It benefits digital transformation and lets companies stay ahead of the competition.
Compared to other analytical tools, SAC is the most universal solution that can be used in any industry and department due to customizable settings and intuitive interface, making it accessible across various industries without constant IT assistance. Contact LeverX experts to see how SAC can help your business to level up.
