SAP CRM Analytics - Frequently Asked Questions

Q - What reporting capabilities are available with SAP CRM?

A.- In CRM 2007 SP03, there are multiple reporting choices:

1. Real time reporting leveraging CRM Interactive Reporting
   • Fully embedded operational ad hoc reporting functionality enabling users to easily build operational reports
   • Easy to use design time and runtime Adobe Flash based UI to create operational reports from CRM data and publish the reports to CRM users. The runtime enables personalization of the views and export to Excel.
2. xCelsius dashboard integration with CRM Interactive Reporting - The new functionality includes a new web service and UI capabilities to create xCelsius xlf files from CRM operational reporting content, link xCelsius SWF files with real time CRM reports, and publish the dashboards to other CRM users on a new dashboard page. There is no Xcelsius content shipped out of the box with CRM 2007.
3. Business Explorer Analyzer (part of SAP NW BI) can be used to create reports from SAP BI queries. Reports can be viewed and customized using BEX Analyzer web functionality. SAP CRM also ships standard BI queries and reports

Q - What operational reporting capability is available with SAP CRM 5.2 and 2007?

A - CRM Interactive Reporting is an operational reporting capability available since CRM 2006. It enables creation and publishing of real time reports from CRM data only. There is no requirement for BW or a BI server and installation is very fast. From the technology perspective, it uses a BI client and Virtual InfoProvider with a CRM specific caching layer. The BI client needs to be in the same box as the CRM client.

From the user experience perspective, it includes a wizard for design time and Adobe Flash runtime experience that is fully embedded in the CRM web client. CRM users can use CRM Interactive Reporting to create operational reports from CRM data and publish the reports to CRM users. The runtime enables personalization of the views and export to Excel.

Q - What limitations exist with CRM operational reporting?

A. The CRM operational reporting data model is limited to CRM One Order model objects plus campaigns for limited header level data on Opportunity, Activity, Service Ticket, e-mail campaigns, and leads reports only. Limited line item data only available with Opportunities & Service. No additional header or line item data is available and no additional fields can be added. Custom fields can only be added to existing CRM operational reporting data model. Usage of CRM interactive Reporting should be limited to smaller deployments due to its transactional nature.

Q - What is the existing integration between Business Objects and CRM 2007?

A - In CRM 2007 sp03, CRM shipped integration between CRM Interactive Reporting and xCelsius dashboards. The new functionality includes a new web service and UI capabilities to create xlf files from CRM operational reporting content, link xCelsius SWF files with real time CRM reports, and publish the dashboards to other CRM users on a new dashboard page. There is no Xcelsius content shipped out of the box with CRM 2007.

Q- How do I build an integrated dashboard with CRM 2007?

A- Please click on the download media hyperlink above to view the video blog that explains how this works.

Q - What additional software needs to be licensed to use integration between Business Objects xCelsius and CRM 2007?

A - Customer who wants to build dashboards integrated with CRM 2007 SP03 will need to license Xcelsius Enterprise Designer - one copy per person building/editing xlf files. Distribution of connected Xcelsius models (using web services for example) require Xcelsius Interactive Viewing licenses for either each person viewing (named user license) or CPU license (Note: viewing licenses are paper licenses and there is no software shipped here).

Q - What can CRM 2007 customers do to leverage BI content in Xcelsius?

A. - Customers can build xCelsius dashboards against standard BI content by building a Universe on top of existing CRM BI queries and using Live Office or Query as Web Service to integrate CRM content with xCelsius. The runtime dashboards can be integrated in the CRM UI via customizing.

Q - What options exist to integrate CRM 2007 with other Business Objects tools like Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence?

A. CRM customers can leverage existing CRM BI content to create Crystal or WEBI reports using SAP Integration kit and Business Objects Enterprise. Customers can integrate with Crystal Reports using the SAP Integration kit. Customers can integrate with Web Intelligence by building a Universe on top of a BI query.

Q - Are there any plans to change this operational reporting mechanism with something from BOBJ, like Web Intelligence ?

A - There are no immediate plans to replace the CRM operational reporting design time and runtime with a Business Objects tool. Customers will have the choice to deploy Business Objects tools against the real time CRM Interactive Reporting data model so they can leverage the real time data model in CRM 7.0 ep01.

Q. What are the planned enhancements to CRM/Business Objects integration in the next release?

A. For CRM 7.0 ep01 (Q4 2009), we are planning to enhance integration between CRM and Business Objects as follows:

• Integration between CRM web client and Business Objects Crystal Report and Web Intelligence clients. No pre-built content is planned.
• Enhanced integration between CRM web client andxCelsius with capabilities to integrate with SAP BI for both real time content and BW content
• Pre-packagedCRM Xcelsius dashboards
• Enhanced real time CRM Interactive Reportingdata model to include most CRM One Order objects plus Campaigns
• Capability to easily add CRM custom fields to CRM Interactive Reporting data model