Data Warehousing (SAP Library)

Data Warehousing
(SAP BW/RIS)

SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW)

SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW) is SAP’s Data Warehouse solution. It has been specially developed to allow you to gather and analyze all kinds of statistical information in the best possible way.

If retailers consistently use SAP Business Information Warehouse in conjunction with Retail Content - also specially developed by SAP –, they will have a sure solution to their demands for increased performance and flexibility in information systems in future.

Recommendations

Since 01.01.2000, the Retail/Consumer Product (CP) development teams have been planning all standard developments based solely on the Business Information Warehouse (SAP BW) in order to support modern and efficient information and planning processes in Retail.

There will be no more developments in the Retail Information System (RIS) after Release 4.6C. SAP is no longer responsible for RIS maintenance once the maintenance period set out in the contract has expired.

We advise all new customers who are planning to introduce SAP Retail as a production system to implement SAP BW (after Release 2.0A) as soon as possible too.

We advise all current customers to consider transferring their data from the RIS to the new SAP BW System as soon as possible.

We do not anticipate any technical problems with data migration from the RIS to SAP BW for software after Release 4.0B. There is a separate migration guide available in the SAP Service Marketplace http://service.sap.com/retail under Expert Knowledge Corner.

For additional information about SAP BW, go to the SAP Online Documentation http://help.sap.com under mySAP.com Components and then Business Warehouse.

Retail Information System (RIS)

The Retail Information System (RIS) is a tool which enables you to collect, aggregate and analyze data from retailing activities.

The RIS is a component of the Logistics Information System (LIS). The LIS is divided into the following information systems:

Sales Information System (SIS)

Purchasing Information System (PURCHIS)

Inventory Controlling (INVCO)

Quality Management Information System (QMIS)

Retail Information System (RIS)

These information systems are available in the SAP Retail menu.

All the information systems mentioned use the following core techniques (reporting tools) to evaluate data. These are all described in the documentation for the Logistics Information System:

Standard Analyses with a variety of options for processing lists and using graphics in presentations

Flexible Analyses, which allows you to define your own list layouts and formulas

Flexible Planning with a planning table that you can structure yourself, various planning methods, distribution functions, support for forecasts, and interactive graphics

The Early Warning System, which allows you to spot weak points and exceptions more easily

The Logistics Information Library, which uses simple search strategies to allow you to access and catalog key figures within LIS

The RIS integrates data from the areas of Purchasing, Sales and Distribution, and Inventory Management, and also enables you to evaluate data that is particularly significant for Retail (for example, data relating to sales price-change documents or the POS interface).

You will find further information on the RIS under LIS Components: Retail Information System.

The RIS enables you to analyze all information from the supply chain that is relevant to retailing. It provides you with a wide variety of views on all the information from the operative applications. You can also define the level of detail in which the information is displayed.

The data that has been updated in the RIS documentation structure provides the basis for Merchandise and Assortment Planning.

Planning System