The benefits and capabilities of SAP BPC 11.1

Of course, SAP offers many options for the consolidation & planning issue. With choices between BPC 10.1 Netweaver, Embedded and BPC Optimized, there are plenty of flavors. In addition, Group Reporting has now entered the playing field which thus offers even more choices. With all these different options, BPC 11 threatens to become a somewhat neglected child, something that would be unjustified in our opinion. It is therefore high time to take another look at SAP BPC 11.1. What is its current status? Why is it such a logical successor to BPC Microsoft. We are happy to tell you.

SAP BPC 11, how was it again?

First, a quick refresher. BPC 11 is the successor to BPC 10.1. At least, it is from SAP's point of view because technically it is a completely new version. In fact, SAP BPC 11.1 runs exclusively on BW/4HANA. This new HANA platform naturally brings some advantages. By far the biggest advantage is the gain in performance. This is gained because calculations have been moved to the HANA database. In addition, the HANA database is ideally suited for processing large amounts of data and integration with SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) has been improved.

A 'Fiori look'

Functionally, BPC 11 is relatively similar to its predecessor, BPC 10.1. What stands out is the new "Fiori look" of web interface which puts buttons just in a different place. Of course, in addition to more performance and the optical changes, improvements have been made but otherwise functionally a lot remains the same. Something that could be considered a big plus for BPC MS users. Processes can remain identical and users are quickly reacquainted with the system. Compared to BPC MS, this version is also more 'Dummy proof', making it easier for new users to get used to it.

SAP BPC 11.1

Meanwhile, sub-version BPC 11.1 has also been briefly released. The changes from its predecessor are mainly in the technical part. As a result, users can immediately start working as usual. On the back end, BPC 11.1 runs on BW/4HANA 2.0. This improved database performs even better than its predecessor. So even more performance gains!

Hosting

There are plenty of organizations that do not have a BW/4 HANA database at all. This will often be the case for a lot of BPC Microsoft organizations as well. Fortunately, this need not be a problem at all. Through hosting there is a possibility to dispose of the required database. The database is then made available to your organization by another party. Finext works with SWAP Support within its network. In addition to support, they also offer such hosting options that allow organizations without an SAP landscape to run BPC 11.1 as a standalone tool. This certainly makes BPC 11.1 an option to consider!

Migration

Moving from a BPC Microsoft version to BPC 11.1 requires a re-build of the existing application in BPC 11.1. The models and much of the functionality between the two BPC versions are not very different. As a result, transferring historical data is often less complex. Also, quite a few functionalities can be easily rebuilt so you don't have to reinvent the wheel. This could significantly reduce the cost of a rebuild compared to other tools where functionalities do differ. Of course this is different for every organization, but it is something to consider.

Conclusion

So BPC 11.1 is a great solution for the planning and consolidation issue within your organization. Especially for existing BPC Microsoft customers, it is definitely an option to consider. It offers fast performance and brings with it all the functionality of its predecessors, allowing users to quickly continue working as usual. Because this version of BPC is a bit more buttoned up, users can make fewer mistakes and new users can get up to speed more quickly and safely. It is also possible for organizations without a BW/4HANA 2.0 database to use BPC 11.1 through hosting.