--- title: 9 SAP BOBJ Universe Best Practices [White Paper] description: We provide SAP BOBJ Universe Best Practices and KPI consulting. SAP BW Consulting provides end-to-end analytical application support. image: https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16568901-png/images/kpis_found-resized-600.png --- ![SAP BOBJ Universe Best Practices](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16568901-png/images/kpis_found-resized-600.png) # 9 SAP BOBJ Universe Best Practices [White Paper] Table of Contents ## How Many [KPIs](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/5-kpi-design-best-practice-guidelines) are Enough?    Which [KPI](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/business-ratio-formulas-financial-formulas)s are applicable to which [Business Processes](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/business-process-requirements-specification-template)?  If you are familiar with the SAP Solution Map Composer (Now replaced by [SAP Solution Explore](https://solutionexplorer.sap.com/solexp/ui/)r and the SAP Signavio Process Navigator) you will know that [KPIs](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/enterprise-services/sap-industry-solutions/business-requirements-analysis) are only defined for some [business processes](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/understanding-the-difference-between-value-model-and-value-case) and that it is difficult, but not impossible to find out which [KPIs](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/business-reporting-requirements) are related to which [Business Processes](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/how-to-improve-sap-profitability-management-p2-the-ultimate-guide).  You do this by doing a sort of [reverse lookup](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/identifying-cause-of-data-load-error-when-using-a-sap-bw-dtp) within the KPI panel.    One of our client companies recently asked us to help them identify and rationalize their KPIs across their company.   ### What we found was that they suffered from a proliferation of '[SAP BOBJ Universes](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/sap-view-consultant-profiles-resumes-and-cv)'?     In this project we found [100 Universes](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/enterprise-services/sap-industry-solutions/business-intelligence/sap-businessobjects-webi), with more than **40,520** distinct **Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)** in just 33 of those universes alone!  We know that there will be more than 100,000 [KPIs](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/10-sap-data-migration-mistakes-to-avoid) across this company when we finish the [analysis](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/business-process-consulting)!  As you might imagine, there is a proliferation of varying interpretations and meanings of these KPIs.     ![KPIs Found](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16568901-png/images/kpis_found-resized-600.png?width=318&name=kpis_found-resized-600.png "KPIs Found")   Clearly, no company needs or can use 100,000 KPIs.  You may think this is an unusual situation, but we find it nearly everywhere we work.   This proliferation of KPIs arises from a variety of causes:   ![Management Driven KPI Issues resized 600](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16573006-png/images/management_driven_kpi_issues-resized-600.png?width=352&height=206&name=management_driven_kpi_issues-resized-600.png)   This first group of ‘**assignable causes’** of KPI variation are the [result of the](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/14-sap-business-planning-best-practices) management of the company or outside forces.  There is no particular rank order to the list above, although **Mergers and Acquisitions** would probably be at or near the top of the list.  If there are changes in the definition or use of KPIs due to any of the above causes, you can address them with ‘management process changes’. ![Technical System KPI Issues resized 600](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16615177-png/images/technical_system_kpi_issues-resized-600.png?width=298&name=technical_system_kpi_issues-resized-600.png)   The above list of causes of KPI variation is more technical in nature, though of course, each cause of variation requires [management](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/5-simple-ways-to-assess-your-market-segmentation) attention to correct.   ## [**Universe Best Practices**](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/how-to-get-the-webi-universe-data-source-connection-setup)   1. Be **consistent** across the board with **[naming standards](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/request-sap-bw-naming-conventions-review) ** 2. You need **track and trace capability** from the **Universe to the Requirement** and from requirement to the Universe. 3. You need the ability to **add transformations** in your universe and using your database to tell you where all it will or might affect other users. 4. Your database needs the ability to **capture an unlimited number of tables/columns/free characteristics**.  They should be **tied together** by the **Universe ID**. 5. The database must provide **automated Revision Tracking**.  In our Access KPI tracking [database](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/develop-a-data-governance-framework), we have automated the process. 6. The database must be and is **web enabled** to **allow global visibility for collaboration.**  This gives everyone access to a common database. 7. Because the database exports its results to excel, it can be used as an **interface to the [SAP Business Warehouse](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/how-sap-certification-ought-to-work)** to upload files. 8. Your requirements database must provide **sign-off capability**.   The **KPI Catalog database**, exclusively developed by our guru’s at SAP BW Consulting, inc. provide these capabilities and more. 9. The [database](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/10-sap-data-migration-mistakes-to-avoid) must also provide [a t](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/fully-loaded-cost-calculator)**[racking mechanism](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/fully-loaded-cost-calculator) for all reports** that are generated from any universe   Learn more **on how to develop a successful [SAP Business Objects Universe](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/sap-businessobjects-bi-4-advanced-analysis-demo)** with our Universe Development Lifecycle guide.   [![Your Universe Development Lifecycle Guide](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/118735/dab5b80c-18cb-47cd-bb99-c6e674c2549e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/118735/dab5b80c-18cb-47cd-bb99-c6e674c2549e)   *Love to hear your comments, or learn your own Best Practice recommendations. *     People Who Read This Also Read:   - **[3 Ways To Design KPIs Using SAP Solution Map Composer](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/3-ways-to-design-kpis-using-sap-solution-map-composer)** - **[5 KPI Design Best Practice Guidelines](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/5-kpi-design-best-practice-guidelines)** - **[Business Reporting Requirements Analysis](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/business-reporting-requirements-analysis)** - **[Download Your SAP Webi Universe Design Template](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/download-your-sap-webi-universe-design-template)** - **[The Universe Will Set Your Data Free!](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/the-universe-will-free-your-data)**     Topics from this blog: [SAP BW Consulting](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/sap-bw-consulting) [Best Practices](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/best-practices) [How-To](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/how-to) [BOBJ Universes](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/bobj-universes) ### Download SAP BW Mindmap Learn what SAP Business Warehouse is and what it does in under five minutes [![Get this Mindmap](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/118735/8db2ad37-8211-47a3-86ae-09b6b2bb297b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/118735/8db2ad37-8211-47a3-86ae-09b6b2bb297b) [mailto:someone@yoursite.com](mailto:someone@yoursite.com) ### Lonnie D. Ayers, PMP About the Author: Lonnie Ayers is a Hubspot Certified Inbound Marketing consultant, with additional certifications in Hubspot Content Optimization, Hubspot Contextual Marketing, and is a Hubspot Certified Partner. Specialized in demand generation and sales execution, especially in the SAP, Oracle and Microsoft Partner space, he has unique insight into the tough challenges Service Providers face with generating leads and closing sales using the latest digital tools. With 15 years of SAP Program Management experience, and dozens of complex sales engagements under his belt, he helps partners develop and communicate their unique sales proposition. Frequently sought as a public speaker in various events, he is available for both inhouse engagements and ** remote coaching. ** ![Balanced Scorecard Consultant](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hubfs/social-suggested-images/Balanced%20Scorecard%20Certified%20Graduate.jpg) He also recently released a book **"How to Dominate Any Market - Turbocharging Your Digital Marketing and Sales Results",** which is available on [ Amazon.](https://www.amazon.com/Dominate-Turbocharging-Digital-Marketing-Results/dp/1728357950/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1589182458&refinements=p_27%3ALonnie+D.+Ayers&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Lonnie+D.+Ayers)**** [View All Articles by Lonnie D. Ayers, PMP](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/author/lonnie-d-ayers-pmp) ## The SAP Blog Subscribe to our blog and receive SAP BW Updates, demand generation, inbound marketing, sales enablement, technology and revenue generation insights and ideas delivered right to your email. [mailto:someone@yoursite.com](mailto:someone@yoursite.com) ![SAP](https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/viewthroughconversion/960101754/?value=0&guid=ON&script=0) ![](https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=199270410761059&ev=PageView&noscript=1) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/9-sap-bobj-universe-best-practices#blogposting", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "about" : [ { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "SAP BusinessObjects Universe", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP_BusinessObjects" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Best practice", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_practice" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Key performance indicator", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_indicator" }, { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "SAP", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP" } ], "author" : { "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/about-lonnie-ayers#person" }, "dateModified" : "2011-10-17", "datePublished" : "2011-10-17", "description" : "Discover best practices for SAP BusinessObjects Universe design and learn how to streamline your universe development lifecycle with expert guidance.", "headline" : "9 SAP BOBJ Universe Best Practices [White Paper]", "inLanguage" : "en", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/9-sap-bobj-universe-best-practices#webpage" }, "mentions" : [ { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Business process", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_process" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Data warehouse", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_warehouse" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "SAP Business Warehouse", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP_Business_Warehouse" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Microsoft Excel", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Excel" } ], "name" : "9 SAP BOBJ Universe Best Practices [White Paper]", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "ViewAction", "name" : "Get Business Reporting Requirements Analysis", "target" : { "@type" : "EntryPoint", "actionPlatform" : [ "http://schema.org/DesktopWebPlatform", "http://schema.org/MobileWebPlatform" ], "inLanguage" : "en", "urlTemplate" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/enterprise-services/sap-industry-solutions/business-reporting-requirements-analysis" } }, "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#organization" }, "url" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/9-sap-bobj-universe-best-practices" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#website", "@type" : "WebSite", "name" : "SAP BW Consulting, Inc.", "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#organization" }, "url" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#logo" }, "name" : "SAP BW Consulting, Inc.", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/543163/admin/", "https://www.youtube.com/user/SAPBWConsulting/", "https://twitter.com/Lonniea39", "https://www.facebook.com/SAPBWConsulting" ], "url" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#logo", "@type" : "ImageObject", "caption" : "SAP BW Consulting, Inc. logo", "url" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sapbw-consulting.png?width=2847&name=sapbw-consulting.png" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/about-lonnie-ayers#person", "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Lonnie D. 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