Discover 4 Key SAP BPC Functions [Checklist]

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Four Critical BPC Functions Checklist

If you’re a SAP Business Planning and Consolidation consultant (SAP BPC) or SAP BPC end user, you will frequently have need to use BPC functions.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of them, and it sometimes is hard to remember them, so I’ve decided to provide an on-going series of articles on those functions, which you can either copy here, or download from our site when I assemble them into one large checklist.

 

SAP Functions Are Critical to Your Project's Success

With that, here is the first installment of 4 SAP BPC Function definitions with their likely use cases.

 

Objective:  You need to use SAP Business Planning and Consolidation functions to convert an existing Excel spreadsheet so it may be used in BPC for Excel as an input template.

 

BPC functions allow you to create excel type workbooks that require minimal ongoing maintenance.

 

The EVSND (Send) function references another cell and sends its value to the database when a Send is initiated.  The arguments specified in the EVSND function identify where the data value is to be sent in the database.  Any dimension that is not specified in the function will be taken from the Current View.  EVSND also returns the value from the database to the referenced cell.  This is useful for two reasons:

  • You do not have to add any EVGTS functions to the sheet in order to return values to the cell
  • Because the values are returned to the referenced cell, BPC only sends those cells that have changed since the last send in the current session.

SAP BPC Exchange Function

Objective:  You need to create data range report.

Description:  The EVDRE (Data Range Exchange) function allows you to create large reports or input schedules with optimal performance.  EVDRE is considered and “exchange” function because it is bidirectional, that is, it can be used to both send and retrieve data.

 

SAP BPC EvDre Builder

The Initial Screen for the EvDRE Builder

SAP BPC Time Functions

Objective:  You need to create a date range that is offset from another date range.

Description:  EVTIM (Time Period Offset) Function specifies an offset from a given time period.   A typical use of this function is as follows:  In cell D4 of a new workbook, enter an EVCVW function to return Q1 2012.  In cells E4 through G4, enter an EVTIM function, with an offset of 1.  These cells should retrieve Q2 2012 through Q4 2012.  When you change the Current View to Jan 2012, all the cells change accordingly, showing Feb 2012 through Apr 2012.

SAP BPC Reporting Functions

 

Objective:  You need to utilize BPC reporting functions to create a report template from a blank Excel workbook.

Description:  The EVGTS (Get Value and Scale) function retrieves a data value.  The arguments specified in the EVGTS function identify which data value to retrieve from the database by specifying the dimension members that describe that data value.  Any dimension that is not specified in the function will be taken from the Current View.  The retrieved value will be scaled if the scale property is enabled for the specified account.

 

You can also use the EVGTS function to retrieve data from two different applications.

 

Description:  You can create reports that retrieve data from multiple applications.  The applications must reside within the same application set.  The EVGTS function has an argument called AppName.  To retrieve data from one application, create EVGTS functions that reference that particular application in the AppName argument.  To retrieve data from a second application with the same report, simply create additional EVGTS functions that reference the second application in the AppName argument.

 

SAP BPC Variance Function

 

Objective:  Create a variance calculation using the EVBET function.

 

Description:  The EVBET (Better/worse) function performs a better or worse comparison of two values, based on the account type (ACCTYPE) property of the account member.  The ACCTYPE property may have one of the following values: 

  • INC (Income),
  • EXP (Expense),
  • AST (Asset),
  • LEQ (Liability & Equity).

SAP BPC Row Expansion Functions

 

Objective:  You need to create a report that contains a row expansion EVEXP function and a column expansion EVEXP function.  This will enable drill down capability in both the rows and the columns of the report.

Description:  When expansion functions are used in reports and input schedules, users can dynamically expand dimensional data based on criteria defined in the expansion formula.  In the expansion formula, you can specify whether to expand the report by row, column, or both, and on which member to base the expansion criteria.  By clicking on a cell that contains an expansion formula, the report is restructured to include the new members, while maintaining its original design.  The EVEXP (Expand) expansion function performs row or column expansions.

 

I'll provide some more of these functions in a subsequent entry.  In the meantime, if you need these and 6 other critical SAP BPC functions in a handy checklist format, just press the button.

 

Get 10 BPC Functions Checklist

 

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How-To BPC Checklist Guides

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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.
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He also recently released a book "How to Dominate Any Market - Turbocharging Your Digital Marketing and Sales Results", which is available on Amazon.

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