SAP Analytics Cloud at Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA

The initial situation within the Corporate Center was characterized by a multi-part planning process for the upcoming planning year, which covered various areas such as personnel planning, cost center planning, revenue planning and investment planning. Special features of the planning included historically based, technical system breaks between the SAP system landscape and manual planning steps, which worked against a fully integrative approach to financial planning. At the same time, the process led to an increasingly intensive commitment of resources for internal controlling in order to be able to map the administrative and organizational effort in addition to the content-analytical review of the plan values. There was no ad-hoc overview of the interim status of planning from a content and process perspective. Furthermore, special analyses for the Executive Board increasingly required more flexibility, for example in order to fully weigh up different scenario considerations and incorporate them into planning in a more time-efficient manner.

The vision was to technically optimize Bertelmann Corporate Center planning by implementing the SAP Analytics Cloud and, in turn, to increase capacity efficiencies for analyses and streamline the budget process. Automated processes should be used to simplify the planning process. Cost center managers should therefore be able to immediately transfer their planning data to a central location, the SAP Analytics Cloud, and integrate it into other sub-plans themselves. Controlling is relieved by standardized and largely automated processes so that, in addition to a better process overview, it has more freedom for controlling-specific tasks in the context of planning, such as ad-hoc and scenario analyses in the SAP Analytics Cloud. In addition, retraction, i.e. the return of data to the source system, is automated, which further reduces the effort required for manual activities. Overall, the Corporate Center's Controlling department is striving for a more agile and effective planning environment with this vision, which meets the company's requirements and enables better business partnering on the part of Controlling.

The implemented solution was based on intensive consultations and a lively exchange with the specialist departments and Controlling in order to identify all relevant perspectives and requirements. Data bases in the form of data models and structures were established in close cooperation with Controlling. Particular attention was paid to the efficient input of planning figures by developing special planning apps. These enabled a seamless end-to-end scenario in which all sub-plans were linked and data could be easily and conveniently integrated into the next planning step. The process was controlled entirely by the SAP Analytics Cloud, i.e. the sending of input masks, reminders, blocking concepts and integrations were largely automated and mapped in the SAC calendar. This meant that Controlling always had an overview of the current degree of progress in planning and was able to intervene selectively or run interim analyses as required.

Bertelsmann's central Executive Board was given a central cockpit with an overview of current budget figures and the option to analyze them in more detail using various filter and drill options. This cockpit also enabled an interactive approval process in which the Executive Board could actively decide on investment projects in the various divisions as part of the planning process. The integrated and concurrent commentary function at data point level provided greater transparency and context for the individual KPIs and budget projects.

The implemented solution created a more transparent, efficient and integrative planning environment, which enabled closer business partnering between controlling and management and thus more efficient decision-making. The use of SAP Analytics Cloud helped to optimize the planning process and increase the efficiency of the planning process and controlling.