Lesson 2 of 5
KPIs in embedded analytics
9 min
SAP S/4HANA reports directly on its own transactional data. This is called embedded analytics: analytical apps, overview pages and KPI tiles that read live data through CDS (core data services) views, with no separate data warehouse in between. For a process owner, that means many standard KPIs are already available in the Fiori launchpad, if your roles include them.
Kinds of analytical content
Standard apps for common KPIs
SAP delivers analytical apps for many of the KPIs in lesson 1. Exact names and availability vary by release and edition, and some apps need activation, so always confirm in the SAP Fiori apps reference library for your release. Examples that process owners commonly use:
| KPI area | Example standard apps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Receivables, DSO | Accounts Receivable Overview (overview page), Days Sales Outstanding, Overdue Receivables, Total Receivables | DSO app shows the trend and drills into detail; check your release in the apps library |
| Payables | Accounts Payable Overview and related payables analytical apps | Cards for overdue payables, blocked invoices and cash discount |
| Sales fulfillment | Sales order fulfillment issue analysis apps in the sales area | Lists orders with delivery, credit or billing issues |
| Journal entries | Manage Journal Entries, Display Line Items in General Ledger | Filter by document type and user to count manual entries |
Examples of standard analytical content. Confirm names and availability for your release.
| Approach | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Standard analytical app | Delivered, upgrade-safe, drill-down to documents | Definition may differ from your legacy KPI |
| Custom analytical query on standard CDS views | Your definition, still on live data | You own and must regression-test it |
| Process mining (SAP Signavio) | End-to-end flow, variants, cross-system | Separate product and data extraction |
| Spreadsheet extract | Quick and flexible | Manual, error-prone, not repeatable; avoid for owned KPIs |
Overview pages are the natural home screen for a process owner. Each card shows a KPI or a short list, and clicking it opens the analytical app with the same filters applied, so you can go from "DSO is up" to the customers driving it in a few clicks. Analytical apps usually end in a list of documents; from there you can open the individual invoice or order. That drill path, from KPI to document, is what makes embedded analytics useful for root cause work and not just for reporting.
Check the definition before you trust the number
A standard app calculates a KPI one way; your legacy report may have calculated it another. DSO can be calculated in several ways (for example by a simple ratio or a "countback" method), and receivables may or may not include items not yet due. Before go-live, open the app documentation in the Fiori apps reference library, read the calculation, and compare a month of results with your legacy figure. If they differ, decide which definition becomes the official one and document why.
Access and roles
Analytical apps follow the same role concept as transactional apps. A process owner who cannot see the DSO app usually lacks the business role or catalog that contains it, not the app itself. Ask for the role during the project and test it in UAT, so the KPI is available on day one.
What would you do?
After go-live, Contoso's DSO in the standard app is 6 days higher than the ECC report showed for the same month. Grace asks whether the S/4HANA migration made collections worse. What should Dan do first?
- Embedded analytics reads live S/4HANA data through CDS views; no separate warehouse.
- Overview pages and analytical apps cover many standard KPIs; confirm availability in the Fiori apps reference library.
- Check the calculation definition and reconcile to documents before trusting a KPI.
- Test KPI apps and the roles that grant them in UAT.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. What does embedded analytics in SAP S/4HANA read?
2. Where should you confirm an analytical app's availability and calculation for your release?
3. A KPI app shows a different value from the legacy report. What is the first step?
4. A process owner cannot see the DSO app. What is the most likely cause?