The Business Data Cloud (BDC) is rewriting SAP Analytics
SAP BDC is creating a new generation of business analytics: integrated, cloud-based and AI-supported.
Why is SAP Analytics reinventing itself?
SAP has undergone a profound transformation in the area of business analytics and business intelligence in recent years. What used to consist of a large number of individual, sometimes overlapping tools is now being replaced by an integrated, cloud-centric and AI-supported platform.
With the Business Data Cloud (BDC), SAP is responding to the requirements of a new technological decade and setting a clear strategic milestone.
After all, it is no longer just a matter of bringing together data from different sources. Modern data landscapes must enable real-time analyses, process large volumes of data with high performance, offer cloud scalability and, above all, seamlessly support AI functionalities. The BDC addresses precisely these challenges and combines them with comprehensive, immediately usable business content that drastically reduces project runtimes and massively simplifies analytics processes.
Where do we come from and why do we need something new again?
In recent years, the SAP analytics sector has been highly fragmented. The increasing requirements of the specialist departments came up against a multitude of technical solutions, some of which existed side by side. For companies, this meant great complexity, both in the tool landscape and in the technical orientation of their analytics strategies.
In 2019, the SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) was supposed to put an end to this fragmentation. It combined BI, planning and predictive analytics in a central platform and was closely integrated with SAP S/4HANA. Embedded Analytics integrated KPIs directly into Fiori apps, putting the business user more at the center.
But the demand did not stop there:
Our data-driven economy demands data management that is not linear but multidimensional. The answer to this was the SAP Datasphere, which combined modern data models, data mesh concepts and the integration of non-SAP sources. However, it initially remained parallel to SAC.
At the same time, the focus on decision intelligence is fundamentally changing expectations of analytics. Tools such as Joule enable access in natural language, provided that all relevant data is available in a standardized and reliable manner.
Analytics is therefore no longer a separate tool, but an integral part of every business process.
The new Business Data Cloud creates precisely this bridge. It integrates transactions, analytics, planning and AI-supported forecasts more closely than ever before, creating the basis for a holistic, intelligent company data ecosystem.
What is behind the Business Data Cloud (BDC)?
The BDC is not a single product, but a complete platform framework that brings together existing SAP components, new functionalities and constantly growing business content.
The aim is to create a modern, scalable and future-proof data and analytics platform.
The central components of the BDC are
- SAP BDC Cockpit: Management of content, security settings, governance and deployment.
- SAP Datasphere: The central database and modeling layer – the heart of every BDC.
- SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC): For reporting, planning, dashboarding and insight apps.
- Partner platforms: Integration of SAP Databricks (AI/ML) and SAP Snowflake (AI / Datalake functionalities).
- SAP Catalog & Marketplace: Access to data products – including SAP standard content and partner data.
- Generative AI services: e.g. SAP Digital Assistant or Joule.
All modules are semantically linked with each other. Data is maintained centrally, but can be used consistently in a wide variety of tools. This creates a single point of truth that not only increases data quality, but also speeds up analyses and decision-making.
The heart of the BDC: SAP Datasphere
At the heart of every BDC is SAP Datasphere, which was launched in 2023 as a further development of the SAP Data Warehouse Cloud. It functionally replaces the classic SAP BW, but has been completely modernized technologically.
The Datasphere offers, among other things:
- Flexible modeling including semantic enrichment
- Integration of SAP and non-SAP systems
- Virtual data access instead of redundant replication
- A powerful low-code / no-code working environment for data engineers & citizen developers
Thanks to its integration into the BDC, however, the Datasphere is not just the data warehouse, but part of a holistic data ecosystem.
The role of the SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC)
The SAC remains a central component of the BDC, especially as a reporting and planning solution. It is optional, as customers can also use other front-end tools.
However, the Intelligent Apps – one of the biggest added-value features of the BDC – are based on SAC stories and analytic applications. Anyone who wants to take advantage of this benefit of the Business Data Cloud will therefore hardly be able to avoid SAC.
Intelligent Apps
Intelligent apps are the special highlight of the Business Data Cloud (BDC). What makes the BDC unique is its constantly growing range of ready-to-use business content.
Data Products:
- Prefabricated data solutions tailored directly to the most important business areas.
- Standardized data models: Clear, proven structures for data analysis that can be used without great effort.
- Ready-made analytical models that are immediately available for evaluations and forecasts.
- Data flows for SAP sources: Predefined data flows that facilitate the connection of various SAP systems.
Intelligent Apps (formerly Insight Apps):
- Enable complex analyses and automated evaluations.
- Out-of-the-box SAC Stories: Ready-made report and analysis templates for the SAP Analytics Cloud for individual customization.
The big advantage for companies: All this content is directly available via the BDC Catalog & Marketplace and can be used immediately. This means that time-consuming preparatory work, such as setting up data models or defining KPIs, is largely eliminated. Companies can therefore start live analyses much faster and quickly gain valuable insights for their decisions – without lengthy IT projects in advance. This makes the BDC a fast analysis solution that significantly shortens the path from data source to meaningful analysis.
Customer developments? Possible, but not mandatory
The BDC offers extensive standard content that already covers many analytical requirements.
At the same time, the platform remains open for individual extensions.
Customers can not only develop their own content. They can also copy, enrich and customize content.
The developer interface is intuitive and offers many transformation functionalities. In order to meet all logic requirements, Python coding can also be used in SAP Datasphere.
Opportunities and challenges for the use of AI in day-to-day business
AI is not yet a jack of all trades in 2025. It is always important to keep in mind what these tools were made for and what they can do – and also in which areas they do not yet excel.
The opportunities
- Productivity boost through intelligent automation and user-friendly shortcuts
- Better decision-making thanks to cross-data insights and easy-to-find information
- Consistent user experience across SAP modules
- Future-proof platform: open to new skills and agents
The challenges
- Dependence on data quality and system integration
- Clearly defined processes for uniform governance and monitoring are essential
- Development of change management and user acceptance
- Limits for highly individualized processes and complexities
And what about the AI?
With its AI functionality Joule, SAP BDC supports users with their queries. Questions can be posed directly to the AI and the answers, based on the semantically enriched data from the user’s own system, are presented to the user in an attractive format.
In addition, the AI/ML tool Databricks, for example, can be used in a zero-copying process in the BDC. The knowledge gained is available to the user in the usual way in the SAC without the hassle of copying data.
Is the BDC suitable for my company?
For SAP customers, the answer is clear: yes.
The Business Data Cloud is SAP’s central analytics product and will replace or fully integrate the following systems in the long term:
- SAP BW 7.5: Mainstream maintenance until 2027 (optional until 2030)
- SAP BW/4HANA: strategic maintenance until 2040
- Standalone Datasphere: merges completely into the BDC
Companies that are not yet in the cloud should start looking at the target architecture now at the latest.
Outlook: Roadmap 2026
SAP has announced numerous further developments for 2026, including
- More content: new data products, intelligent applications, additional cloud regions
- New integrations: Zero-copy exchange with Databricks, Snowflake, Google BigQuery and connection to Microsoft Fabric
- Enhanced AI functions: over 40 new line-of-business agents
Conclusion
The Business Data Cloud (BDC) is at the center of SAP’s future strategy and stands out clearly through ongoing innovations and integrations. Companies should follow the development of the BDC and the Roadmap 2026 closely, as new data products, intelligent apps and the connection to leading cloud and AI technologies are setting the course for a future-proof data architecture. Those who set the course for the cloud today will benefit in the long term from the technological leadership and strategic flexibility that SAP offers with the BDC.
Deeper insights & advice
Axians supports companies on their way to intelligent SAP automation: from data strategy and BTP integration to the implementation of Joule Agents.
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