SAP Analytics Cloud Planning and Data Analysis Training Course

Course overview

Finance, sales and operational teams often work from disconnected spreadsheets, static reports and planning cycles that cannot explain how an assumption changed a forecast. SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) brings analysis, budgeting, forecasting and collaboration into one environment, but teams need more than dashboard-building knowledge to use it reliably. This five-day course equips participants to build governed models, analyse performance drivers and run planning processes that managers can review, challenge and approve.

Participants learn how SAC data models, dimensions, measures, hierarchies and calculated accounts support analysis and planning. They connect and prepare data, create stories with responsive visualisations and input controls, build planning versions, enter and spread values, configure data actions and allocations, and use calendar tasks and data locking to control the planning cycle. The course also covers variance analysis, forecast scenarios, Smart Predict features and practical design choices for usable management reporting.

Training is delivered through instructor demonstrations, guided SAC exercises and a running business case based on a regional operating plan. Participants configure a planning model, build an executive planning story, create an allocation data action and test a forecast scenario. They leave with a reusable SAC planning and analysis workbook containing their model design, story layout, planning workflow and implementation recommendations.

The course is suited to professionals who must convert operational or financial data into actionable plans, including analysts, planners, reporting specialists and SAP project team members. It provides a practical foundation for teams adopting SAC Planning or replacing spreadsheet-led budgeting processes.

Course objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Build SAP Analytics Cloud models with measures, dimensions, hierarchies and planning-enabled properties
• Import and validate source data using SAC data acquisition, transformation and mapping functions
• Create interactive SAC stories using charts, tables, input controls, filters and calculated measures
• Configure public and private planning versions for budget, forecast and actual-versus-plan analysis
• Enter, distribute and disaggregate planning values using data entry forms and spreading methods
• Design allocation logic with data actions, advanced formulas and multi actions
• Apply data locking, calendar tasks and approval workflow controls to a planning cycle
• Produce an executive planning story and implementation workbook for a business planning scenario

Benefits of attending

Target competencies

Who should attend

• FP&A Analysts — who need to replace spreadsheet forecasts with controlled driver-based plans
• Business Analysts — who translate operational data into management analysis and planning models
• SAP Analytics Cloud Consultants — who configure stories, models and planning processes for clients
• Finance Systems Analysts — who support budgeting, consolidation and reporting platforms
• Data Analysts — who need to analyse business measures and publish interactive SAC content
• Project Managers — who oversee SAC planning deployments and need to assess design decisions

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should be comfortable using spreadsheets to analyse business data, including rows, columns, formulas, filters and basic charts. Familiarity with budgeting, forecasting, actual-versus-budget variance or operational KPI reporting is helpful because exercises use these scenarios. No prior SAP Analytics Cloud experience is required, and participants do not need ABAP, SQL, SAP BW modelling or data science experience. A complete beginner to SAC should expect to work through the interface step by step; however, they should be able to interpret measures such as revenue, cost, volume and margin.

Training methodology

Each day combines instructor-led SAC demonstrations with guided build exercises in a dedicated training tenant. Participants work through a connected planning case, progressing from source data and model design to stories, forecasts, allocations and workflow controls. Short design reviews compare alternative modelling and reporting choices, while group discussions address governance, ownership and user adoption. The final day includes a structured application-planning workshop in which participants define a priority business use case, required data, planning process, controls and first deliverables for their organisation.

Course outline

Day 1: SAP Analytics Cloud foundations and analytical modelling

• SAP Analytics Cloud navigation, roles, folders and content lifecycle
• Planning and analytical model architecture in SAC
• Measures, account dimensions, generic dimensions and master data
• Hierarchies, properties and time dimensions for reporting
• Data acquisition from files, live connections and imported connections
• Data transformation, mapping and validation during import
• Calculated measures, restricted measures and exception aggregation

Workshop: Participants import regional sales and cost data, create a governed SAC model and document its dimensions, measures and validation rules.

Day 2: Interactive stories and business performance analysis

• Story pages, responsive layout and management-report structure
• Tables, charts, geo visualisations and KPI tiles
• Input controls, page filters and linked analysis behaviour
• Time comparison and actual-versus-plan variance analysis
• Calculated dimensions, thresholds and conditional formatting
• Smart Insights and Explain for performance-driver investigation
• Story prompts, bookmarks and presentation-ready navigation

Workshop: Participants build an executive sales and margin story that identifies regional variances and allows managers to filter performance drivers.

Day 3: Planning models, versions and forecast entry

• Planning-enabled models and planning area configuration
• Public versions, private versions and version management
• Data entry tables, comments and planning annotations
• Spreading, disaggregation and distribution methods
• Driver-based planning using volume, price and headcount assumptions
• Currency conversion and unit conversion in planning models
• Forecast scenarios and rolling forecast design

Workshop: Participants create budget and forecast versions, enter regional assumptions and produce a rolling forecast for the business case.

Day 4: Automation, allocations and planning governance

• Data actions and their role in automated planning calculations
• Advanced formulas, parameters and data-action prompts
• Allocation steps using source, target and driver dimensions
• Multi actions for sequenced planning processes
• Data locking dimensions and lock-state administration
• Calendar tasks, process chains and planning ownership
• Authorisations, data access and audit considerations

Workshop: Participants configure an overhead allocation data action, combine it in a multi action and define a controlled regional submission task.

Day 5: Predictive planning, solution design and workplace application

• Smart Predict forecasting and predictive scenario setup
• Planning story design for review, challenge and approval meetings
• SAP Datasphere integration patterns for SAC models
• SAP S/4HANA actuals integration and reconciliation considerations
• Performance optimisation for models, stories and planning operations
• Testing strategy for planning logic, security and user acceptance
• SAC planning implementation roadmap and adoption measures

Workshop: Participants complete an end-to-end planning solution review and produce an SAC implementation workbook with model, story, workflow and rollout recommendations.

Tools & standards covered

SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP Datasphere, SAP S/4HANA, Microsoft Excel

A typical training day

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in the East Africa Time zone, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

How you can take this course

Certification

Participants who complete the full five days receive the Skillset Development Certificate of Completion, stating the course title, course code, dates and delivery format — suitable for professional-development records and employer reimbursement.

Frequently asked questions