Using “Pivot with” – SAP Business Objects

So far, we have learned how we can filter the data in our cross tabs and charts; we learned how we can switch between different characteristics and key figures, and we learned how we can create filters for the measures. In this section, we will use the new feature of Pivot with, which allows us to combine the step of filtering and switch into a single menu item.

Business Objects Pivot Table

1.Open the BI Launchpad via Start > All Programs > SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.0 > SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform > SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform Java BI Launchpad.

2.Logon with your SAP credentials and the SAP authentication for your SAP Netweaver BW system.

3.Select the menu Applications.

4.Select Analysis, Edition for OLAP. In the next step, you are presented with the list of available OLAP Connections.

5.Select the connection we created previously pointing to your SAP NetWeaver BW system.

6.Click Next. You are now receiving the list of available BEx queries.

7.Select the BEx Query from section BEX Queries FOR ACTIVITIES.

8.Remove all items from the Rows.

9.Add characteristic Sold-to-Party to the Rows.

10.Select the element Key Figures in the Columns.

11.Use a right-click and select the menu Filter > by Member.

12.Ensure that only the key figure Net Value is shown.

13.Click OK.

14.Select the characteristic Sold-to-Party in the Rows.

15.Use a right-click and select the menu Filter > by Measure.

16.Define a rule which will show the Top 10 customers based on the Net Value (see Figure 5.76).

Figure 5.76 Filter by Measure

17. Click OK (see Figure 5.77).

Figure 5.77 Top 10 Customers

We are now looking at the Top 10 members of characteristic Sold-to-Party. In the scenario of the previous section we were responsible for specific products, so let us assume this time that we are a Sales Manager and that we would like to find out which products, some of our customers bought. We could simply add the characteristic Product to the Rows, but in that way we would see the data for all the members of Sold-to-Party and perhaps we are more interested in specific customers this time.

Frequently asked SAP BO Interview Questions

18. Select an entry of characteristic Sold-to-Party in the cross tab.

19. Use a right-click and select the menu Pivot with (see Figure 5.78).

Figure 5.78 Pivot With

Here we can now select a characteristic which is going to replace characteristic in the Rows. In our example, we are interested in the Products and therefore we are selecting the entry Product.

20. In the menu Pivot with select the entry Product (see Figure 5.79).

Figure 5.79 Pivot with Product

You are now presented with the different option for characteristic Product. These options could include the flat presentation – in our example the entry Product – or the list of available hierarchies, in our example Product Hierarchy 1 and Product Hierarchy 2. The list of options depends on the available meta-data for the characteristic in SAP NetWeaver BW.

21. In the menu Pivot with select the entry Product and then select the entry Product again (see Figure 5.80).

Figure 5.80 Result of Pivot With

You will notice that several steps now happened with a single menu call:

Characteristic Sold-to-Party has been removed from the Rows. Characteristic Product has been added to the Rows.

The selected member of characteristic Sold-to-Party has been moved to the Background and is acting as a filter to the cross tab.

The feature Pivot with provides you with the functionality to perform these three steps with a single menu item.

In this section, we learned how to use the new feature called Pivot with and in the next section, we will discuss the options to suppress zero values in our cross tab.