SAP Analysis for Office (AO) is a powerful Microsoft Office add-in designed to enable business users and analysts to perform advanced data analysis directly within familiar Excel or PowerPoint environments. It seamlessly integrates with SAP data sources such as SAP Business Warehouse (BW) and SAP HANA, allowing users to access, explore, and visualize business data with ease.
This article focuses on how to connect SAP Analysis for Office to SAP BW and SAP HANA systems, highlighting the setup process, key considerations, and best practices to maximize its analytical capabilities.
SAP Analysis for Office serves as a bridge between Microsoft Office applications and SAP enterprise data platforms. It empowers users to:
To enable these capabilities, establishing a robust and efficient connection between SAP AO and SAP data sources is critical.
SAP BW is a widely used enterprise data warehouse solution designed to consolidate and manage business data. SAP AO connects to SAP BW via the BEx Query interface, which provides the metadata and data retrieval capabilities.
Install SAP Analysis for Office Add-in
Ensure that SAP AO is installed and properly integrated with Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint.
Configure SAP Logon
The SAP Logon pad must be installed and configured with the connection parameters to the SAP BW system (Application Server, System Number, Client, User credentials).
Launch SAP Analysis for Office
Open Excel and start a new Analysis for Office workbook.
Select Data Source – BEx Query
In AO, navigate to Insert > Data Source > BEx Query.
Log in to SAP BW System
Use your SAP credentials to log in to the SAP BW system from the pop-up dialog.
Choose BEx Query
Browse or search the list of available BEx Queries defined in SAP BW that you want to analyze.
Load Data
Select the query and click OK to load the data into the worksheet.
SAP HANA is an in-memory, columnar database platform optimized for real-time analytics and transactions. SAP AO can connect to SAP HANA via Calculation Views or Analytical Views designed in SAP HANA Studio or SAP Web IDE.
Install SAP Analysis for Office and SAP HANA Client
Ensure SAP AO and the SAP HANA Client libraries are installed on the workstation.
Configure Connection to SAP HANA
Add the SAP HANA system details in the SAP Logon pad or through SAP AO’s direct connection interface.
Launch SAP Analysis for Office
Open Excel and select Insert > Data Source > SAP HANA.
Login to SAP HANA System
Enter the SAP HANA system credentials to authenticate.
Select Calculation or Analytical View
Browse or search for available Calculation Views or Analytical Views to use as the data source.
Insert Data into Workbook
Load the selected view data into Excel for analysis.
Connecting SAP Analysis for Office to SAP BW and SAP HANA unlocks powerful analytical capabilities directly within Excel and PowerPoint. By leveraging live SAP data, business users gain flexibility, accuracy, and efficiency in reporting and decision-making.
Understanding the connection setup, data sources, and best practices is essential for SAP professionals and analysts aiming to deliver high-value insights using SAP Analysis for Office in today’s dynamic business environments.