SAP Feature Comparison: Power BI and Tableau - Pyramid Analytics

The Pyramid Analytics platform offers superior self-service analytics on SAP BW and SAP HANA data compared to Microsoft Power BI and Tableau by enabling direct SAP data querying without ingestion, supporting a wider range of data sources and complex data models, providing market-leading query performance, robust data preparation tools, advanced hierarchical result structures, localized data models, server-defined logic, and unique SAP-specific features like "Key Dates," while also delivering enhanced augmented analytics and visualization capabilities.

Self-Service Analytics on SAP BW and SAP HANA

Access SAP data directly and get value instantly. The Pyramid Platform enables self-service analytics directly on SAP data, allowing analysis alongside other data sources, whether on-premises, in the cloud, or both. This section compares Pyramid Analytics with Microsoft Power BI and Salesforce Tableau regarding SAP capabilities.

Getting the Most from Your SAP BW, SAP BW4/HANA, SAP HANA Data

Feature Comparison

Query Scope and Performance

Direct query of SAP data without ingestion
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: Prefers data ingestion
- Tableau: Prefers data ingestion
Non-SAP data sources and hybrid data access
- Pyramid: Any SQL data & popular MDX sources
- Power BI: Limitations on MDX query
- Tableau: With limitations
Query performance/speed
- Pyramid: Market-leading
- Power BI: Prefers data ingestion; slows query speed
- Tableau: Prefers data ingestion; slows query speed

Data Preparation

Robust data prep tools
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: May require Power Query
- Tableau: Requires add-on or 3rd-party tool (Alteryx)
Data model structures
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: Limited
- Tableau: Limited
Result structures
- Pyramid: Including regular, ragged, parent-child hierarchies
- Power BI: Limited
- Tableau: Limited
Localized data and models
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: Limited
- Tableau: Limited
Create models back into HANA
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: No
- Tableau: No
Server-defined logic
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: Yes (if direct)
- Tableau: Yes (if direct)
“Key Dates” BW and BW4/HANA
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: No
- Tableau: No

Self-Service Data Discovery and Analytics

Augmented analytics: data narratives, NLQ, related metrics
- Pyramid: Gartner ranks above Power BI & Tableau
- Power BI: Yes
- Tableau: Yes
Data visualization
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: Yes
- Tableau: Yes
No-code/low-code data science and machine learning
- Pyramid: Built-in, autoML, Python, R
- Power BI: May require Power Query, Power BI Desktop, Azure
- Tableau: Einstein Discovery (separately licensed)
Advanced total and subtotal formulation options
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: Limited
- Tableau: Limited

Presentation and Publishing

Storyboarding
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: Yes
- Tableau: Yes
Publishing
- Pyramid: Pixel-perfect, scheduling, distribution
- Power BI: Lacks report scheduling and bursting
- Tableau: Yes
User-designed dynamic infographics
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: Yes
- Tableau: Yes

Governance

SSO security
- Pyramid: BW, BW4/HANA: Direct, SNC+AD, or Logon Tickets; HANA: Direct or SAML
- Power BI: Direct, SNC+AD, or Logon Tickets
- Tableau: Direct, SNC+AD, or Logon Tickets
Content governance
- Pyramid: Lineage, structure analysis, versioning
- Power BI: Data security undermined by desktop client
- Tableau: Data security undermined by desktop client

Architecture and Deployment

Deployment
- Pyramid: On-premises, any cloud, or hybrid
- Power BI: Deployment requires Microsoft's cloud
- Tableau: Uses legacy client-server architecture
Embedding on any HTML5 web page or app interface
- Pyramid: Yes
- Power BI: May require DAX coding
- Tableau: May require significant customization
Extensibility
- Pyramid: APIs, embedding, BPI, workflows
- Power BI: Yes
- Tableau: Yes

Support

Technical support
- Pyramid: Market-leading, according to analyst survey results
- Power BI: Potentially insufficient, according to analyst survey results
- Tableau: Potentially insufficient, according to analyst survey results

Gartner, Inc., “Critical Capabilities for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms,” May 2022; Gartner scored Pyramid Analytics above all other vendors evaluated for the Augmented Analytics Use Case

Dresner Advisory Services, LLC, “Wisdom of Crowds® Business Intelligence Market Study,” 2022

Say Hello To Decision Intelligence

Level up to decision intelligence and get more from SAP with Pyramid.

The Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform

Empower anyone in your organization to make faster, more intelligent decisions with SAP BW and SAP HANA data.

Meaningful Analysis with Integrated Data Prep: Frictionless and integrated no-code, AI-driven platform that combines data prep, data science, and business analytics capabilities.
Build Interactive Analysis in Minutes: Self-serve by directly accessing multiple data sources across the environment with a tailored experience.
Faster Decisions with AI and Machine Learning: Simplified analytics stack with lower total cost of ownership.

Most-Loved Benefits of Pyramid with SAP

Speed Up the Journey from Data-to-Decision

Direct Access to SAP: Access SAP data directly and provide analytics for anyone in your organization.
Leave Data Where It Is: Connect to SAP BW and HANA directly and query against them, without moving the data, for a fast experience.
Combine Data In Minutes: Develop reports and dashboards that combine data from SAP and other systems quickly.
No Code: Build complex queries and execute on SAP BW without writing code.
Leverage SAP Rules: Use business rules and hierarchies already defined within your SAP system to understand your data and business.

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