The latest developments confirm that the business world is changing rapidly. Efficient reporting therefore means more than just providing data. It is important to ensure that decision-makers are regularly informed about the most important developments. With the new function in SAP Analytics Cloud that allows users to subscribe to metrics, SAP extends its information distribution with a push-based approach. This enables users to automatically receive curated updates on the most important KPIs via email, without actively opening SAP Analytics Cloud. In the following, I will present the functionality in detail and explain the added value it offers.
The My Metrics functionality, which we introduced in the article My Metrics in SAP Analytics Cloud: Personalized KPI Monitoring Made Easy, provides a quick overview of the most important key figures. However, this overview must be accessed manually, which is not exactly convenient when you are not working in SAC anyway and just need a quick update. With the new subscription feature, users can have updates automatically sent to them via email. Instead of having to actively open metrics and check KPIs, the information now comes automatically to the user. Thus, the new feature addresses the need of users for regular updates.
The regular updates make it possible to track trends, identify patterns, and make well-founded, data-driven decisions. At the same time, the continuous updates keep users constantly informed about significant changes to their metrics. This allows them to react quickly and in a targeted manner when it matters.
To receive regular updates, open the menu in the metrics list and select the entry Subscribe to Metrics Report.
Under General Information, you can assign a name and a description for your subscription. Use a meaningful description to clearly communicate the purpose of the report and the target audience.
In the Schedule section, use the Recurrence Pattern setting to specify whether the report should be sent daily, weekly or monthly. If required, you can also use a factory calendar to send the report only on working days. For reports dependent on working days, you should check if the model's factory calendar is configured correctly. If the model contains multiple factory calendars, check whether the correct calendar is selected.
Afterwards, you can define the recipients of the report. You can use both individual users and teams.
Tip: Test the distribution with a small group first to ensure that the schedule and content are appropriate before rolling it out to a larger group of recipients.
The user receives a notification with the data changes and can immediately jump to the metric if needed.
Note: The “Send email notification for metric reports” field must be enabled. Otherwise, notifications will only appear within the SAC environment and will not be sent by email. If a user does not wish to receive notifications, they can also pause the notifications.
Once the subscriptions are set up, there must of course also be a way to manage them. Directly below the subscribe option in the metrics list, you will find the management for all subscriptions.
In the following menu, you can manage your own subscriptions. You can adjust the time periods, the frequency, or the recipients. It is also possible to pause a subscription for a certain period or delete it entirely.
There are some limitations to keep in mind when working with subscriptions. Let’s first look at the limitations that directly affect the subscription itself:
Subscriptions always cover complete MyMetrics lists – individual KPIs cannot be selected separately.
Each subscription is limited to a maximum of 15 KPIs.
Notifications are only triggered for KPIs whose value has changed since the last evaluation.
In addition, a few technical requirements must be met:
This feature is only available for SAC environments running on Cloud Foundry.
Metrics from live sources require the connection type Tunnel.
The subscription feature for metric reports in SAP Analytics Cloud marks an important step towards proactive reporting. By switching from the pull to the push principle, executives receive the relevant information without having to take action themselves. Decision-makers thus stay constantly informed about the development of their most important key figures and can react faster to changes. The simple setup, flexible scheduling options and the ability to receive reports both via SAC notifications and by email make the feature a valuable tool in everyday work.
If you would like to explore how SAP Analytics Cloud metric subscriptions can support your reporting strategy, feel free to reach out for personalized advice or a consultation tailored to your business needs.