SAP Analytics
Thought Leadership

SAP BPC v7,v10 Microsoft Tech Alert!

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Thu, Aug 02, 2018 @ 12:08 PM

We have had a number of BPC Windows customers calling regarding non responsive server after installing updates .

Topics: SO - BPC v7.x, SO - Platform - Microsoft, SO - BPC v10.x, SO - BPC v11.x

[TECH ALERT] Current Performance Issues with SAP BPC 10 and 10.1 MS

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Wed, Feb 28, 2018 @ 09:02 AM

Our tech team has noticed a pattern of SAP BPC performance issues with certain SAP BPC 10 and SAP BPC 10.1 systems on Microsoft. Dimension indexes are becoming fragmented, which seems to relate to dimension processing. The addition of even a single member to a dimension, with the same processing, fragments the first index (clustered) in the list. In turn, Analysis Services is unable to read from the dimension table efficiently, which in turn kills retrieval of data (reports / schedules) performance.

Topics: Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Performance, Technical

SAP BPC Performance - Best Practices

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Tue, Feb 02, 2016 @ 09:02 AM

Column5 and I have seen a lot of things over the years in the EPM space. I have been working on the technical side of BPC MS since 2000, BPC NW since 2007, and BPC NW on HANA since 2012, having implemented it around the world over 1000 times.

I have a dream to, at some point, write a book of everything I have seen over the years. If investors knew what was really going on deep within some of the world’s datacenters, I think some heads would be rolling! I won’t mention ANY NAMEs but some of them are the who’s who of worldwide companies!

I keep running into the same thing over and over and over again, whether it is hosted by a 3rd party or implemented on-site at a client. The challenges start with a common element that is surprisingly easy to fix: No one seems to take care of the servers and technology!

Topics: Best Practices, Performance, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

EPM Add-in and Admin 10/10.1 on a Tablet?

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Tue, Oct 06, 2015 @ 09:10 AM

A key component of an effective reporting strategy is the ability to get data to users when, where, and how they need it to make better decisions. For many users in today’s technology-driven world, that means mobile devices are a critical part of the overall reporting strategy.

Topics: Best Practices, Thought Leadership, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), EPM 10, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

Does BPC Performance Depend on the Technology Stack?

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Wed, Aug 05, 2015 @ 12:08 PM

The Battle of BPC

I have been in the Analytics space for over 13 years, having started at the original OutlookSoft Corporation (creator of the BPC software) as employee #33 (or so). I stayed with the company that acquired OutlookSoft in 2007, SAP, until 2008, when I came to Column5. I have been involved in over 1000 technical implementations of the BPC software (all technology stacks) over the years with companies around the world.

When I say “Technical Implementation”, I mean performing a System Landscape Design (SLD), multiple Installations, Performance Tuning, Disaster Recovery, Environment Synchronization (Transports), and Go-Live Support. As I started the Technical team at Column5 back in 2008 after working at SAP/OutlookSoft for 8 years Column5, has used the above services and others to ensure client success, or as I like to say “EPM NIRVANA”.

Obviously SAP has moved the software forward leaps and bounds in a lot of functional ways, but especially supporting multiple server technology stacks on the backend. This allows SAP to really fit into just about all of the worldwide business technology strategies. Currently with BPC, there are three different “flavors” of the software and they are:

• BPC (10) BW powered by HANA
• BPC (10) NetWeaver
• BPC (10) Microsoft

Topics: Best Practices, Thought Leadership, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Performance, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

5 Things You Can Do to Get the Best Performance from Your BPC MS 10/10.1 Server Environment, Part 2

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Tue, May 12, 2015 @ 08:05 AM

If you have not read part one of this blog, read it here!

Topics: Best Practices, Thought Leadership, EPM 10, Performance, Microsoft, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

5 Things You Can Do to Get the Best Performance from Your BPC MS 10/10.1 Server Environment, Part 1

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Tue, Apr 28, 2015 @ 10:04 AM

1. Landscape Design

I have been working with the BPC product since its inception in 2000. I am always surprised when clients have skipped or are not interested in what we refer to as a System Landscape Design. We take the functional design and/or what you are currently doing in the product to properly size the servers and client machines for the future use of BPC. If you skip this step, I believe there is no way you will get good performance!

Topics: Best Practices, Process Improvement, Thought Leadership, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Performance, Microsoft, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

Searching the Web for SAP EPM and BPC Answers - Part II

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Mon, Sep 23, 2013 @ 07:09 AM

In the first part of this blog, I discussed how to obtain some helpful and resourceful information around the SAP EPM space on the web.  My main emphasis focused around several SAP websites including the SAP Service Market Place, SAP’s Help Center and the EPM Forum.  Though I know most sequels don’t do as well as the original, I would like to now share with you some very supportive sites that revolve around the database layer of BPC.

Topics: Training, Microsoft

Searching the Web for SAP EPM & BPC Answers - Part I

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Wed, Jul 31, 2013 @ 12:07 PM

It seems every day we are always searching for something on the Internet. A good recipe for pea soup, the cheapest hotel in Oakland, California or the difference between an Aardvark and an Armadillo. We are creatures of habit.  You most likely get your news or local forecast from the same source on line each morning, the same way you probably go to the same coffee house.  Although there are thousands of similar sites, we find a website that provides us with the information we are looking for and we stick with it. I have found over the years that these habits cover not only one’s personal searches but their professional as well.

Topics: Best Practices, Performance, Implementation, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

Using a Technical Expert When Implementing BPC

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Tue, Jul 23, 2013 @ 12:07 PM

Many clients want to implement BPC v10 themselves with no input from technical services which affects development time, project time line and overall project success.There is a right and wrong way to implement BPC and ensure overall project success. We want every client to achieve the highest quality installation.

Topics: Best Practices, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Performance, Implementation