What Are the Differences Between the Standalone and Embedded Versions of SAP Analytics Cloud?

While SAP Analytics Cloud is well suited to resolve typical analytical challenges, many companies run multiple solutions that produce data.

Often, these solutions carry their own analytical engines or their own prebuilt reports.

SAP Analytics Cloud supports organizations trying to establish a holistic analytics workflow across multiple solutions, a process that is also called embedding. One way to embed SAP Analytics Cloud into other solutions is using the iFrame technology. In this scenario, SAP Analytics Cloud is embedded into another website or solution.

In addition, SAP is strongly investing into establishing SAP Analytics Cloud as the standard analytical engine for the majority of SAP solutions. Various SAP solutions, including SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics, SAP Marketing Cloud, or SAP Sales Cloud are already equipped with an embedded version of SAP Analytics Cloud. This embedded version helps users get used to workflows and elements in SAP Analytics Cloud.

The embedded version of SAP Analytics Cloud is pretty similar in each of SAP’s solutions and only varies slightly across solutions. In comparison to the standalone version, the embedded version only offers a story environment and can only connect to the data source into which it’s embedded.

Which Data Sources Are Available? If you use SAP S/4HANA Cloud, for example, the embedded version of SAP Analytics Cloud can only connect to core data services (CDS) views of this particular SAP S/4HANA Cloud instance.

No easy answer exists for the question if you should opt for the standalone or embedded version of SAP Analytics Cloud. However, we recommend asking yourself the following questions:

• Which license is available for you? Do you have access to a standalone version of SAP Analytics Cloud, or do you only have licenses for the embedded version of SAP Analytics Cloud as part of another SAP solution? If you have licenses for the embedded version of SAP Analytics Cloud only, you can use these solutions as a way to try out the SAP Analytics Cloud first. However, if you already have licenses for the full version, you’ll have more functionalities available in the full version.
• Which functionalities do you require? Is a story environment sufficient? Are all relevant data sources available? The embedded version of SAP Analytics Cloud only allows you to create stories based on the data of the solution in which it’s embedded. If you want to connect to multiple data sources or build analytical applications, the embedded version won’t offer enough functionalities.

In addition, the following questions can further support your decision making:

• Is SAP Analytics Cloud available as an embedded version for your data source? If so, are you planning to use SAP Analytics Cloud as your central analytics platform, or do you only want to create some reports for this specific data source?
• Do you need extended functionalities like the automated export of stories or access via mobile applications?
• How many users do you have? Are the licenses of an embedded version sufficient?

Editor’s note: This post has been adapted from a section of the SAP Analytics Cloud by Abassin Sidiq.