Notes: CRM Analytics–BI from a CRM perspective (1)

1. What's the essence of the CRM Analytics?

   Measure, Predict and Optimize.

2. Building blocks in CA.

   The input of all CA includes attribute data (such as MD, customer demographics, etc) and behavioral data (transaction data) and the output of CA is knowledge mainly represented as analytic results (such as behavior models or performance indicators).

3. BI Content

   BI Content is a preconfigured set of role and task-related information models that are based on consistent metadata in SAP Business Intelligence. BI Content provides selected roles within a company with the information they need to carry out their tasks.

   This information model includes integral roles, workbooks, queries, InfoSources, InfoCubes, DataStore objects, key figures, characteristics, update rules, and extractors for SAP applications.

This is exactly the process how information is turned into knowledge.

1. Data Acquisition from CRM to BI.

    In BI, data acquisition starts from source system setting, then DataSource. Here as a standard SAP Source System, CRM has its DataSources already built in the BI System. So after you have create the CRM system as one source System, initial data transfer can start as the DataSource definition is done already.

    3.1 DataSource

    In BI, DataSource has two types, one for transaction data and one for master data (which also contains three different types: text, attributes, hierarchies).

    DataSource contains all the metadata that is required for describing the data to be extracted and how the data would be extracted, including application components, extraction method, extractor and the delta transfer process…

    3.2 InfoSource

    InfoSource is an option when data transformed from DataSources to InfoProviders for running two sequential transformations without storing the data again, and it contains InfoObjects for joining two transformations (IO acts as a key for identifying the data) . If there's only direct transformation from DS to IP, IS will be of no use.

    3.3 Transformation Process

   It defines rules or modifies the data. Now only transformation rule is required, before Netweaver 7.0 the update rule and the InfoSources are all mandatory.

    3.4 InfoPackage

   It is used when loading data from the source system (CRM for example). IP determines what data would be transferred and from which source system.

    3.5 Data Transfer Process

2. BI is cross-client.

   BI system is mainly for analytic usage, so for Bi system, it won't need multiple clients to run the system. Data in BI database are all client independent, and actually there is no need to have many clients.

3. Simplified architecture for data transfer from CRM to BI (From CRM perspective).

   

   sBDoc for synchronization and mBDoc for message flow will be followed by the BW adaptor which is located in CRM Middleware, after that the data will transfer to BI system using standard Service API.

   

   The above screenshot pictures the process how the data is acquisited by the BW.