My business Intelligence page deals with the data aspect of warehousing, focus on front end tools is not currently a part of this page.
Lately has integration to, and warehousing over PTC Windchill PDMLink and SAP been a taking focus.
Increasing Information Sophistication
This time I focus in on how this sophistication could enable us to harvest information from historical facts. Enabling us to create KPI’s, understanding the factors leading to success or failure.
- Maintain the ability to act on events as the arises, at the time avoiding to drown amounts of data. (Read more)
- Descriptive is harvesting value taking base in historical facts with the aspiration of understanding the factors leading to success or failure. (Read more)
- Predictive is really looking into the future, based on information trying to figure out the probability of a certain outcome. (Read more)
- Prescriptive is analytics aimed to help business managers translate their forecasts and business information into actionable, practicable plans. (Read more)
Integration with SAP Native (R3)
For years getting data out of SAP has been a pain for me; it holds contains heaps of data and a horrible data structure. Generally the platform lacks architects who remotely have an overview of effects of changes and configurations made to one module have on another. The security of SAP is really simple, and mostly enforced in a layer straight under the RFC, and not at all at database level. The delta mechanisms of extractors are either not there, not working or simply driven from a simplified view of the tables driving the extractors.
That being said, it is amazing the amount of functionality they are able to push into the platform. As such I got nothing against SAP, but as a colleague once said, I got no issues with the platform, only with the kind of people it attracts.
Within the SAP IT community there is a sense of data ownership with an utter disconnect to the business. Data exists in SAP to be used in SAP, and not elsewhere. If integration happens it is mostly something these people consider as into the SAP platform and in much less degree to other systems. Their inability to run bigger (not even huge) data amounts, drives them to invest in HANA instead of looking elsewhere for an business intelligence platform. If you want to extract data you well meet heaps of resistance, you will hear data is not easily accessible, data exists in objects, security is not possible, direct access is not possible… trust me it is lies.
Data in SAP is really accessible, it is fairly understandable, well documented, their data dictionary is open for everyone, and their security is easy to extend to your platform.
In the coming time I am going to put out info of how I extract data from SAP to our Business Intelligence platform on SQL SERVER 2016.
In the coming time I am going to elaborate on the TCodes I use for probing into data, which rights you possibly need to examine data and develop models. I am also going to list the Models built in ER Diagrams and some SQL examples of how to relate the information.
Should you need more info pls contact me privately @ guldmann@gmail.com
Integration with PTC Windchill PDMLink
(coming soon)
Operational data store (ODS)
The general purpose of an ODS is to integrate data from disparate source systems in a single structure, using data integration technologies like data virtualization, data federation, or extract, transform, and load. This will allow operational access to the data for operational reporting, master data or reference data management.
An ODS is not a replacement or substitute for a data warehouse but in turn could become a source. In the coming time I am going to address ODS as a source of in a data warehouse context.
Posts by Thomas Kejser
Moreover than being one of my very best friends, is Thomas is an authority on data warehousing and possibly the person who taught me the most on the Microsoft Platform.
The Golden Hour 