SAP LUMIRA (2.0) DISCOVERY

Today, i would like to share with you readers about the reporting tool or i can say, a tool via which we can create dashboards and we can able to represent our data in the graphical format and i.e. known as SAP LUMIRA.

In my last tutorial about lumira i have shared how it works and what are all the features of this tool along with some question and answers that can be benefited as interview point of view.

In this blog i would like to share with you about Lumira 2.0 version that is going to be released in the market by the beginning of winter and we can assume it as a "Gift"from SAP for this year.

 This would be the cover page for SAP Lumira 2.0 version.

The best part of this version is that in this version we would be having Design studio along with the Lumira tool , so we can say that it is been integrated into one tool. The next best part of this tool is that, it is GUI based and so less java or css coding would be required as that of required in Design Studio currently.

Features which are present in Lumira 2.0 version- 

• As compared to older versions of lumira, the new version have combined prepare, compose and visualize work flows in one canvas.
• there has been improved interaction across the application.
• BW and UNIX connections are now available by default post installation.
• In terms of filters, in the new version we have visualization level filters in the canvas.
• there is consolidated view of filters applied and now we can filter by multiple conditions.
• Hierarchical  List of values display and navigation available.
• we have additional control types along with extended filters to input control.
• In context to visualization we have improved charts defaults.
• extended scenarios for data discovery along with visualization.
• Charts like pie, donut, line, stack, waterfall have been improved as compared to older versions.
• There is been enhancement in data highlights formatting across chart types.
• We have re usable conditions across the visualization.
• As compared to older versions we have now drill support for level based hierarchies.
• Improved interaction on cross tabs.
• Enhanced default maps like ESRI and NavTeq
• We can re use the components on the canvas.
• We do have now SAP BW online access and analysis in new version.
• We have now common server for design studio and lumira and design studio components have been merged into lumira.
• GUI based and less use of coding.

SAP lumira 2.0 has the ability to combine with with the following with -

DATA DISCOVERY AND APPLICATION -

SAP Lumira
SAP Business Objects Explorer
SAP Business Objects Analysis for OLAP (Online Analytical Processing)
SAP Business Objects Design Studio
SAP BEX Web Application Designer
SAP Business Objects Dashboards

OFFICE INTEGRATION -

SAP Business Objects Analysis Office
Live Office
EPM Add-In
SAP BEX Analyzer 

REPORTING - 

SAP Crystal Reports
SAP Business Objects Web Intelligence
SAP Business Objects Set Analysis
Desktop Intelligence

BUSINESS WAREHOUSE - LIVE ANALYSIS

BEx Query Elements -

• Support for Display and Navigational attributes for analysis
• Support for Hierarchical Custom Key Figure and Characteristic Structures
• Selection of elements of a custom structure

BEx Query Hierarchies -

• Support for Hierarchy with Linked nodes, measure structure (in Cross tab),
• Respects Hierarchy level settings, Expand to Level setting on Query
• Expand to Level, Expand and Collapse All on client
• Compact Axis in Rows and Columns
• Switch Hierarchy on client

BEx Query Display -
Display settings applied in Query while analyzing such as - 

• Scaling Factor,
• Reverse Sign,
• Number of Decimals,
• Hide/Show Element,
• Sort on Characteristics,
• Key & Text Display combinations for characteristics,
• Show or Suppress Result rows,
• Placement of result rows

BEx QUERY VARIABLES - 

• Hierarchy Variables
• Variables with Query result replacement
• Variable Representation with Interval along with Range
• Contains operator for Selection Option Variable
• Support for Variables in Default Area of BEx Query
• Resolves Hierarchy & Hierarchy Node variables dependencies
• Support for Cascading variables for compound characteristic
• Merged Variable Support

BEx Query Functionality - 

• Support for Conditions applied on Rows / Columns in BEx queries
• Support for Conditions applied on Independent Characteristics in BEx queries
• Support for Local and Cell level calculations, respecting the context of calculation in Query
• Zero suppression for columns and rows trough out the analysis with different object selections

HANA Live Analysis - 

Enhancement done with HANA Live Office Analysis -

• Support for Parent Child and Level based hierarchies
• Drill options on hierarchies such as Drill Up, Drill Down, Drill By, Drill Path(new).
• Supports merged variables.
• Operators for selection option variables.

IMPROVED UX - 

Enhanced home screen - 

• All Starting points Sources, Connections, Local & Platform Documents in one Screen.
• BW and UNX connections available by default post installation.
• Retain session to BIP across workflows i.e. Login, Connection, Save and UNX access.

Application Enhancement - 

• Prepare, Visualize and put a story together in one screen, combine any of actions in the process of Lumira 2.0 version
• Contextual actions and right click enabled for all components and workflows.

Input Control Enhancements -

• Drag and Drop filters to create controls.
• Improved control look and Feel, control, text and padding of visual enhancements.

Visualization improvement - 

• Avoid re-work on formatting of charts while updating chart for additional details with one canvas approach.
• Formatting capabilities under Design Tab, your work is retained irrespective of where you do formatting.

Story and Layout enhancements -

• Tile based approach and intelligent placing to reduce users effort in alignment.
• Insert visualization at particular location with right click on the canvas.

FILTERS IN LUMIRA 2.0 - 

• Create Visualization Level filters on the canvas with contextual menu.
• Consolidated view of applied filters on Filter bar at any level of application i.e. Story, Page and Visualization
• Support for multiple conditions in a Filter with AND or OR conditions depending on operator combinations
• Hierarchical display and navigation for List Of Values from BW hierarchies

INPUT CONTROL  ENHANCEMENTS - 

• It now support for additional control types like -

1. date picker for objects like DATE.
2. Slider for numeric dimensions.
3. Text box to type in values.

• Extended Scopes -

1. Interact with Page filters via controls
2. Interact with the Visualization filters via controls

• Conditions -  Additional Operator support at Parity with Filters
• Hierarchies - List of values display in control.

VISUALIZATION ENHANCEMENTS IN LUMIRA 2.0 - 

• Subtle grid lines by default for better reading
• Hide overlapping labels by default
• Improved font styles for axis, legend and data labels
• Better labels and no default legend for Pie charts
• Improved font styles for Numeric Points
• Convert a bar chart to Dual Axis chart
• Convert a bar chart to Combined chart

Enhancements on charts that can be seen are Waterfall, Stacked Column Chart, Pie and Donut Charts respectively.
WATER FALL CHART -

• Increasing and Decreasing color customization for waterfall chart
• Option to connect the bars with line
• Support for total and sub-total bars
• More properties available for Plot Area, Axes, Title
• Extended scenarios for data discovery with visualizations

STACKED COLUMN CHART -

• Options to show labels as Value, Percentage or both
• Option to show total values

PIE & DONUT CHART -

• Options to show labels as value, percentage, category and category-percentage
• Display of labels for Pie and Donut charts outside the Pie by default

LINE CHART -

• Enhancements on the lines, i.e. smooth lines can be seen as compared to older ones.
• Customization for the axes i.e. x and y axis.
• Option to hide overlapping data labels in charts

• Improved set of color palettes along with increase with numbers i.e. 9 to 12.
• Customization for chart borders for chart area and plot area.

CONDITIONAL FORMATTING - 

• Create conditions on measure or dimension values.
• We can re use the conditions in all visualization.

CROSS TABS - 

• Add / Replace column with Drag and Drop in cross tabs.
• Drills options are been enhanced on custom basis like Drill up, drill down, drill by, drill path.
• Assigning scaling factors for measures.
• Displaying and Cells Scaling Factor and Units on header.
• Swap axis between rows and columns
• Overall results respecting aggregation of measure in single row

GEO MAPS - 

• Additional Data point representation for NavTeQ
• Multiple Layers with markers from different Data sets
• Provide Titles for Geo Maps and Layers
• Switch default Maps between ESRI and NavTeQ.

STORY AND LAY OUT - 

• Precise resize and movements of components on canvas
• Choose from multiple viewing modes i.e. Fit to Content, Width, height or Actual as per your preference
• Reuse Story, Page, Visualization and Controls by duplicating them
• Overlap any object on the canvas (last added object will appear front)
• Opacity for background color and image can be changed
• Along with Filters bookmarks now capture, sorting, ranking and custom calculations on visualization
• Additional aspect Ratios for better rendering on Launchpad or define your own aspect ratio for target device.

COMPOSITES - 

• Creation of own components is now possible in lumira 2.0 version. With the basic knowledge of Java script it can be achieved.
• Re-usable across applications, stored on the BI platform
• Can be used to define global components (header, footer, toolbar, global script pool)
• Can also be used to decompose complex applications into smaller, better manageable parts

ENHANCED BOOKMARKS - 

• Designer configures what is captured in a bookmark (e.g. selection of data sources, global script variables, components)
• Increasing robustness of bookmarks against application UI changes
• Promotion Management support of bookmarks and the folders
• Multiple Bookmarks can be defined within one application
• Bookmark configuration as a technical component in design time.
• Personal and global bookmarks are supported

ENHANCEMENTS ON CHARTS-

• Context menu at run time to change title, change legend.
• Chart configuration redefined such as:

1. new user interface.
2. new properties like - EXTENDED LABEL CAPACITY.
3. Selection of chart types and set properties in one place.
4. Contextually display properties according to selected elements.

• Charts are been more simplified then older versions in terms of

1. Reduction in number of chart types without effecting their features.
2. Easy to define dual and combination charts.

• Improvement done on chart feeding panel.
• Chart property “Allow Data Source Modification” to enable add/delete dimensions/KPIs to chart
• All configuration options moved to property sheet at design time