Premier Fluid System Solution Provider Modernizes SAP Analytics by Migrating BW 7.5 to SAP Datasphere

A Premier Fluid System Solution Provider relied on traditional SAP BW 7.5 landscape to support enterprise reporting and analytics, with SAP ECC as the primary source system. While BW had served the organization well, the architecture was increasingly restrictive—limiting flexibility, scalability, and integration with modern analytics tools such as Power BI. 

To modernize its analytics foundation and prepare for future SAP and cloud initiatives, the client partnered with Applexus to migrate from BW 7.5 to SAP Datasphere. The engagement focused on building a cloud-native data foundation using SAP SLT for real-time replication and modeling data directly within the Datasphere database, enabling seamless consumption by Power BI. 

Challenges

Legacy BW architecture limiting agility 

• BW 7.5 constrained the ability to scale analytics, integrate modern tools, and respond quickly to evolving business requirements. 

Tight coupling to ECC data models 

• Reporting logic was closely tied to ECC-based BW objects, making modernization complex and costly. 

Limited openness for modern BI tools 

• Power BI consumption required additional layers and workarounds, increasing latency and maintenance effort. 

Complex data replication strategy 

• A need to shift from BW-centric data extraction to a modern, real-time replication approach aligned with SAP’s roadmap. 

Our Solution

Migration from BW 7.5 to SAP Datasphere 

• Applexus transitioned the analytics foundation from BW 7.5 to SAP Datasphere, enabling a more open, cloud-native architecture. 

Real-time data replication using SAP SLT 

• SAP SLT was implemented to replicate data from ECC directly into the Datasphere database, ensuring timely and reliable data availability. 

Future-ready modeling approach 

• Data replication was designed to leverage CDS-based replication views, aligning with S/4HANA standards and future system evolution. 

Power BI–ready semantic models 

• Business models were built natively in Datasphere, optimized for direct consumption by Power BI, eliminating BW dependencies. 

Benefits

Modern, cloud-native analytics foundation 

• SAP Datasphere replaced BW 7.5 with a scalable, flexible platform aligned with SAP’s long-term data strategy. 

Improved data freshness and reliability 

• SLT-based replication ensures near real-time access to ECC data without complex batch dependencies. 

Simplified analytics architecture 

• Removing BW reduced system complexity, maintenance overhead, and dependency on legacy constructs. 

Seamless Power BI integration 

• Datasphere models enabled direct, high-performance Power BI reporting with minimal latency. 

Future-ready SAP data strategy 

• The architecture is prepared for S/4HANA adoption, CDS-based modeling, and advanced analytics use cases.