SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA provides several pre-defined semantic layers, with which you can create pivot tables in Microsoft Excel to run interactive analysis.

Semantic layers are metadata packages for efficient query generation. A semantic layer is a set of data and metadata retrieved from the database, which allows fast analysis of data. It can also be defined as the capability of manipulating and analyzing data from multiple perspectives.

A semantic layer consists of numeric facts called measures, which are categorized by dimensions. Measures are measurable analytical elements that can be quantified and calculated. Dimensions are individual descriptive analytical elements that are not measurable.

For example, a company might want to analyze sales opportunities by sales employee, by territory, and by month or quarter. The number of sales opportunities is a measure, and all methods of analyzing, including sales employee, territory, and month/quarter, are dimensions.

Semantic layers are used to create multiple views of transactional data for analytical purposes. In SAP Business One, version for SAP HANA, you can use the pre-built and customized semantic layers to create Microsoft Excel pivot tables. Semantic layers can also serve as data sources for dashboards and Crystal reports.