Release and Upgrade Management for Analytical Services

Business planning with SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse (SAP NetWeaver BW) allows business experts to accelerate the decision-making process, predict future trends on the basis of historic analyses, and provide all decision makers with a central point of access to data and information.

SAP NetWeaver BW provides a complete solution - BW-Integrated Planning - that is integrated into the BW system and SAP BEx. It can be used to create and use planning scenarios and other applications.

Note the following notes on the differences between BW-Integrated Planning and the older solution  BW-BPS (Business Planning and Simulation):

BW-BPS Versus BW Integrated Planning

In BW-integrated planning, most of the analysis functions in the analytic engine and SAP BEx can also be used for planning applications. In comparison to BW-BPS, you need fewer objects (you use the same variables in analysis and planning, for example) and tools (SAP BEx Query Designer and SAP BEx Web Application Designer).

Since a large number of BW-BPS concepts are also used in BW-integrated planning (including planning levels, planning functions, planning sequences, characteristic relationships and data slices), these can be switched from BW-BPS to BW-integrated planning with minimal effort.

BW-BPS and BW Integrated Planning in Parallel

Both planning tools use the same data basis and can be used in parallel in one system. Existing planning applications do not need to be migrated.

Some functions, such as the lock procedure and formulas, are used by both BW-BPS and BW- Integrated Planning.