5 benefits of migrating your BPC planning applications to SAP Analytics Cloud

January 17, 2025

4 minutes

For years, companies have relied on SAP Business Planning and Consolidation (BPC). While that’s long been a solid choice, planning needs are evolving rapidly. Time to switch to SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC). Providing clear advantages in updates, security, innovation, and AI-powered planning, SAC is sure to future-proof your business planning. Does the transition seem daunting? It shouldn’t be!

At Flexso, we have many years of experience implementing SAP BPC. In recent years, we've also successfully carried out an increasing number of SAC implementations. Working with both systems has given us unique insights on how planning has changed over time. It also taught us that companies should begin planning their move to SAC. Now rather than later. After all, as BPC nears the end of life, support will inevitably dwindle.

What if you use BPC for strategic consolidation?

If you use BPC for consolidation, you will have to move that part to SAP S/4HANA Group Reporting.

The planning part of BPC migrates to SAP Analytics Cloud.

Why move to SAP Analytics Cloud now?

SAP BPC combines the flexibility of Excel with the power of SAP BW for data storage and calculations, which made it a great planning solution. However, planning needs have changed. Today’s planning has to be agile and break free of isolated silos. It also requires collaborative, cross-functional approaches, like extended planning and analysis (xP&A). At the same time, more and more systems are moving to the cloud. SAP Planning is no exception.

Want an actionable plan for your move to SAC? Talk to our analytics wizards.

Feeling daunted? These 5 benefits will change your mind

Sure, switching from SAP BPC might feel challenging, but sticking with the status quo isn’t a viable path forward. Here’s why it makes perfect sense to move – and how you can move at your own pace:

Keep your in-house planning knowledge

Transitioning to SAC doesn’t mean starting from scratch. SAP BPC and SAC are similar in this respect: both maintain models, dimensions, and formulas. This overlap keeps your team's planning knowledge relevant and cuts the learning curve.

Grasp the advantages of the cloud

Hosting SAC Planning in the cloud offers several critical benefits:

Quarterly updates: Always stay on the latest version with new functionalities.
Reduced IT dependency: No local installs, version mismatches, or heavy IT involvement.
Available anytime, anywhere: Plan anytime, anywhere, with seamless cloud access.

Embrace AI and planning innovations

SAC Planning, built on the HANA Cloud platform, has some cutting-edge features that will redefine your planning capabilities:

Driver-based calculations for precise planning.
Planning simulations to test before implementation.
Predictive functionality to explore what-if scenarios.
AI integration for data-driven forecasting and insights.
Private versions to test changes privately before making them public, maintaining flexibility and control.

Transition with ease, thanks to out-of-the-box content

Unlike BPC, where you have to build everything from scratch, SAC has a wealth of pre-built content:

Models and templates for OPEX, CAPEX, workforce planning, and more.
Stories and connections to enterprise solutions within the xP&A suite.
Free access via SAP’s Business Content Network makes setup faster and easier.

Choose the migration option that fits your needs

Maybe the best news of all: you don’t need to switch to SAC all at once. Depending on your needs, you can choose from three migration strategies:

Complete migration: Move all operations to SAC Planning.
Complementary approach: Create planning models in SAC for specific areas, like Sales and HR. Then, integrate them with your existing BPC system.
Add SAC front-end: Use SAC Planning’s advanced functionalities as a front-end for your current BPC system.

Step into the future of planning today

In summary: don’t let outdated tools hold you back. Migrating from SAP BPC to SAC Planning unlocks advanced planning tools that offer a more agile, collaborative, and innovative experience.

Ready to make the switch and need some help? If you want to know more about the best migration approach for your organization, come talk to our experts. As we know the ins and outs of both BPC and SAC Planning, we can guarantee clear advice, tailored to your exact needs.