How to…

Realize an ABC Analysis

BUSINESS INFORMATION WAREHOUSE

ASAP How to Paper

Applicable Releases: BW 2.0B, 2.1C, 3.0A

October 20 2001

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REALIZE AN ABC ANALYSIS

1 Business Scenario
You have an InfoCube with Orders on a header and item level, customers and ordered quantity. In a
reporting szenario you want to create a web application where you graphically answer the question
"Do I make 80% of my ordered quantity with only 30% of my customers?"

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2 The Result
The result is a web report with a chart and a table. The chart immediately shows, that in this example
30% of your customers account for almost 80% of your order quantity.
In the data table you get detailed information about your customers. The column "Customer %"
shows that one customer is about 5% of your total customers, i.e. you have 22 customers altogether.
In the "Quantity %" column you can see how much of your ordered quantity this specific customer is
responsible for. Both columns show accumulated values (running totals).

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3 The Step By Step Solution

In this step you learn how to create a query that shows the necessary result and how to show the
result in a web appliaction. The query can be realized with BEx Analyzer features only. It is not
necessary to change the data model of the InfoCube, create virtual key figures, etc.

1. Create a new Query. Place

characteristic 'Customer' in the
rows

2. Create a new calculated key

figure. Define the formula by
simply dragging ' Quantity' into
the formula area.

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3. When you save the calculated

key figure you have to specify
its 'Enhanced' properties. Press
the button 'Enhance >>>' .

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4. New fields will appear. Here you

have to specify the 'Exception
Aggregation'. Set this
parameter to 'Counting all
values' with reference
characteristic being 'Customer'.
Press the 'Ok' button

5. Now insert the newly defined

calculated key figure into your
rows.

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6. Create a new formula in the

rows. The formula should be '1
%A SUMGT Quantity (Excp.
Aggr. Count) '. This formula
calculates the percentage share
of one customer to the total
number of customers.

7. Insert 'Quantity' into your rows.

Change the title of the selection
to 'Quantity %'.

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REALIZE AN ABC ANALYSIS

8. The query should now look like

this.

9. Now hide the first column.

From the context menu of the
column element choose the
properties dialogue. There you
have to set the check box
'Hide'.

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REALIZE AN ABC ANALYSIS

10. In the properties dialogue of

the fourth row set the number
of decimal places to zero.
Additionally, set the
'Cumulated' check box and
choose 'Calculate result as...'
'Summation'.

11. In the properties dialogue of

the fifth row set the number of
decimal places to zero. Set the
'Cumulated' check box and
choose 'Calculate single values
as normalization of result (incl.
Filter)'

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REALIZE AN ABC ANALYSIS

12. Save and run the query. In

the 'Quantity %' column from
the context menu choose 'Sort
in descending order -->
Quantity'.

13. Save the workbook and the

query view.

14. Publish the query view to the

web. Create a template with a
table item and a chart item.
When you parameterize the
chart, choose an XY (Scatter)
chart type with connected value
points.

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15. In the chart options set the

title for the X- and Y-axis

16. Choose 'Format Plot area' to

define the quadrant that should
be highlighted.

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REALIZE AN ABC ANALYSIS

17. For both axes choose

'Format Axis'. Set the scaling
parameters for the axis:
minimum = 0 and maximum =
100. If you want to you can
specify minor and major units
that are going to be displayed.

18. Run the web application in a

browser to inspect the result

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