In SAP BW (Business Warehouse), key figures represent measurable business metrics such as sales revenue, quantity sold, or cost. However, business users often require analysis on specific subsets of data, like sales in a particular region or profit for a certain product category. To support this, SAP BW provides Restricted Key Figures (RKF) — a powerful way to filter and analyze data selectively within queries.
This article explores what Restricted Key Figures are, how they work, and best practices for their use in SAP BW reporting.
A Restricted Key Figure is a key figure that has been limited or restricted by one or more characteristics (dimensions). It enables users to calculate and display a key figure for only a specific segment of data rather than across the entire dataset.
For example, instead of showing total sales revenue, a Restricted Key Figure can show sales revenue only for a particular country, customer group, or product line.
When used in queries, the RKF behaves like any other key figure but only reflects the filtered data subset.
Imagine a business analyst wants to compare total sales revenue with sales revenue specifically from the North America region.
Both can be displayed side by side in a report to provide clear insight into regional performance.
Open the InfoProvider or Query Designer.
Select the base Key Figure to restrict.
Create a new Restricted Key Figure:
Save the Restricted Key Figure.
Use the RKF in queries or calculations.
Restricted Key Figures are a vital tool in SAP BW for analyzing specific data subsets without modifying the underlying data model. By filtering key figures on characteristics, they provide flexible, efficient, and reusable metrics that empower business users to gain targeted insights quickly.
Understanding and effectively using Restricted Key Figures enhances your SAP BW reporting capabilities, enabling more precise and meaningful data analysis aligned with business needs.