RESPONSIBILITIES OF SAP BW CONSULTANT:
SAP BW Data Extraction Consultant: The BW Data Extraction Consultant is responsible to identify and obtain the data required to satisfy the requirements of the BW project. This data may include:
SAP R/3 data
New Dimension product data
Data external to SAP within the organization (legacy data)
Data external to SAP from outside the organization (provider data – D&B, Nielson)
The BW Data Extraction Consultant role has a broad range of responsibilities and may require multiple individuals to satisfy the role depending on the scope of the BW project and the complexity and quality of the data.
If SAP R/3 and New Dimension data only is required to satisfy requirements and if this data is included in the standard Business Content of BW, this role may be combined with the BW Application Consultant role. This standard Business Content allows for extraction of R/3 and New Dimension data in a straightforward and rapid manner.
If non-SAP data is required, if standard Business Content must be enhanced significantly, if BAPI interfaces are being used, and/or if the data quality from the source system is insufficient, this role can be quite complex and can required significant resources. This complexity and quality of data is a primary contributor to the size and scope of the BW project.
If legacy data is being extracted a close relationship is required with the legacy extraction expert. In some cases, the legacy extraction expert may assume this responsibility.
Specifically, the BW Data Extraction Consultant is responsible for:
Designing the data solution to satisfy defined business requirements
Identifying the data in the source environment
Mapping the data to the BW environment
Identifying data quality gaps
Developing a plan to close data quality gaps
Developing the required extraction programs, if necessary
Developing the associated interface programs, if necessary
Testing of all developed programs
Ensuring integration testing of data from various sources
Developing a production support plan
SAP BW Data Access Consultant: The BW Data Access Consultant is responsible to assess the business requirements, and design and develop a data access solution for the BW project. This solution may include use of:
BW’s Business Explorer
Non-SAP Data Access tools (e.g., Business Objects, Cognos, Crystal Reports, and other certified data access tools)
Visual Basic development
Web development
WAP (wireless) development
R/3 drill-through
The BW Data Access Consultant role has a broad range of responsibilities and may require multiple individuals to satisfy the role depending on the scope of the BW project and the requirements associated with data access.
The BW Data Access Consultant should work closely with the individuals responsible for business requirements gathering and analysis and have a thorough understanding of the way the data will be used to make business decisions.
Often significant change management issues are generated as a result of modifications required by end users to the data access design and implementation. As a result the BW Data Access Consultant is in a key position to provide valuable information to the change agent or change management process.
Specifically, the BW Data Access Consultant is responsible for designing the data access solution to include:
Understanding the data that will be available in BW in business terms
Identifying the way end users want to analyze the data in BW
Designing the data access solution to satisfy defined business requirements
The BW Data Access Consultant is also responsible for developing the data access solution to include:
Developing options for data access (i.e. web solution, R/3 drill through, ODS reporting, master data reporting, 3rd party tools)
Developing prototypes of data access for review with end users
Developing the required data access solutions
Developing the associated interface programs and/or customized web enhancements, if necessary
Configuring the Reporting Agent, if necessary
Configuring the GIS
Testing of all developed solutions
Ensuring integration testing of data access solution
Developing a production support plan
Working with training development to include data access solution in BW course materials
SAP BW Data Architect: The BW Data Architect is responsible for the overall data design of the BW project. This includes the design of the:
BW InfoCubes (Basic Cubes, Multi-cubes, Remote cubes, and Aggregates)
BW ODS Objects
BW Datamarts
Logical Models
BW Process Models
BW Enterprise Models
The BW Data Architect plays a critical role in the BW project and is the link between the end user’s business requirements and the data architecture solution that will satisfy these requirements. All other activities in the BW project are contingent upon the data design being sound and flexible enough to satisfy evolving business requirements.
The BW Data Architect is responsible for capturing the business requirements for the BW project. This effort includes:
Planning the business requirements gathering sessions and process
Coordinating all business requirements gathering efforts with the BW Project Manager
Facilitating the business requirements gathering sessions
Capturing the information and producing the deliverables from the business requirements gathering sessions
Understanding and documenting business definitions of data
Developing the data model
Ensuring integration of data from both SAP and non-SAP sources
Fielding questions concerning the data content, definition and structure
This role should also address other critical data design issues such as:
Granularity of data and the potential for multiple levels of granularity
Use of degenerate dimensions
InfoCube partitioning
Need for aggregation at multiple levels
Need for storing derived BW data
Ensuring overall integrity of all BW Models
Providing Data Administration development standards for business requirements analysis and BW enterprise modeling
Provide strategic planning for data management
Impact analysis of data change requirements
As stated above, the BW Data Architect is responsible for the overall data design of the BW project. This includes the design of the:
BW InfoCubes (Basic Cubes, Multi-cubes, Remote cubes, and Aggregates)
BW ODS Objects
BW Datamarts
Logical Models
BW Process Models
BW Enterprise Models
SAP BW Application Consultant: The BW Application Consultant is responsible for utilizing BW to satisfy the business requirements identified for the project. As provided in the other roles, if the scope of the BW project is tightly controlled and can use standard BW Business Content, InfoCubes, and Queries, the BW Application Consultant may assume the responsibility to perform several roles concurrently to include:
BW Data Architect
BW Data Access Consultant
BW Data Extraction Consultant
SAP Project Manager
Business Process Team Lead
Authorization Administrator
If this occurs, the BW Application Consultant must have a broad range of skills and this position will be under significant pressure during the course of the BW project. In this situation, the BW Application Consultant inherently must be responsible for the overall integrated design and realization of the BW solution.
If the project scope is broad and must extend Business Content, InfoCubes and/or Queries, then the project warrants resources being assigned to the roles identified above. In this case, the BW Application Consultant is responsible for the overall integrated design and coordinated realization of the BW solution.
If this role is assumed by an SAP Consultant, often the expectations are that they are familiar with all components and functionality of Business Information Warehouse. This role often naturally becomes a focal point for all design consideration related to BW.
The BW Application Consultant (or one of the resources identified above) uses the BW Administrator Workbench to perform the functions provided by BW:
Establish connections to the BW sources
Activate the standard Business Content
Enable the standard InfoCubes and Queries
Enhance the InfoCubes as required by the BW Data Architect
Enhance the Queries as required by the BW Data Access Consultant
Define authorization profiles and access
Evaluate statistical performance and make recommendations to Basis support for optimization where possible
Manage the CTS layer
SAP BW Basis Consultant: The BW Basis Person must be able to advise on BW Landscape issues, Transport environment, Authorisation, Performance Issues of Database and BW, Installation of BW Server, Plug Ins and Frontend (For all layers there are patches / support packages) that should be regularly installed.
This role can be assumed by the Basis Consultant (However, additional BW skills are absolutely necessary)
e. You need to model your HAP based on data source, data analysis and data target.
