How Can I Integrate SAP Business Objects into my Current BI?
In business, information is king. The movement towards in-depth analytics to enhance decision-making has grown so widespread that even baseball teams are joining in. According to SAP’s website, organizations see a 13x increase in ROI from incorporating analytics into their business strategy.
Business Intelligence (BI) enables a deeper, richer usage of data and information, and it spreads the conversation across the entire enterprise. Basically, it raises the collective IQ. SAP’s BusinessObjects software has become an industry leader, given it’s multitude of capabilities and front-end applications.
Implementing Business Objects (BOBJ) can be a major process, in scale, and we all know the concerns that come with software transitions. So, we will provide some important things to keep in mind when introducing the software, as well as best practices for the implementation process.
How can I set myself up for a smooth transition?
Some early legwork can save plenty of headaches down the road.
Know your terrain.
You’ll want to know what component of BOBJ does what, as well as your existing systems. Most facets of your current BI will require maintenance on functioning during the rollout. The positive side is it’s an opportunity to review your current framework and decide exactly what stays and goes. (It’s like getting new floors – first you have to clean out your furniture and belongings. It’s a pain, but an opportunity to see all you have and decide what you choose to keep).
Be practical.
Make sure everyone knows your reporting needs and what components should be implemented. What you don’t want is to be months into the transition and find out you’re installing things you don’t need.
In that, an early, thorough conversation is critical. The most seamless implementations have been a result of thorough initial meetings. These are ‘fact-finding processes’, of sorts. In these meetings, you should identify your business goals, and then how these new reporting capabilities can help achieve those. You can discuss security, as in, who will have access to what? Who can export content, or schedule reports for others? You can discuss report design – how would you like information delivered?
You as the customer need to be on the same page with your developer, as well as with your internal team.
Once you’re past these, it’s time for the migration. There are a few, brief practices that can greatly aid the process to being a smooth one:
Building ‘interim bridges’ or ‘reverse bridges’ between legacy and new components. You want your system to be functional during the transition, of course.
Enhancing certain components to support the migration. This may be a headache, as these systems will soon disappear, but it’s a necessary part of the transition
Thorough integrative and interface testing. It’s best to solve problems as they arise.
Integrating BOBJ into your current BI can be a complex, though rewarding decision. It can also be a major transition, depending on what systems you have and what you’re looking to bring on. Solid preparation, frequent discussions, and following best practices can keep this project on time and running as smooth as possible.
To learn more about how to integrate SAP BusinessObjects into your current BI contact the experts at Advisicon today.
