What is diffrernce between key figures and characteristics?

Hi all,
I am a newbie to SAP BI....i am doing Masters in ERP(SAP)....I have confusion about what is basic difference between key figures and characteristics?
Why do we have to define attributes in characteristics?
If any one can refer me a thread that answers my questions or explain with very lucid example I will highly appreciate it.....please answer this question as I have just spend 4-5 months studying BI and have not really implemented in the Industry but we do have access to SAP BI where we perform tutorials....
Also please let me know the links to materials where basics of BI are explained in a very simple way.....
Thanks,
Regards,
Rahul

KF is anything which can quantitatively measured: Amount, Number, Value, Price... whatever you want to measure is called Key Figure. This key figures are also called KPI (Key Performance Indicator). If you want to know the number of sales orders, the number of deliveries, the amount of deliveries... all are key figures
And to add to that, key figures are also divided into two:
Cumulative KF: Like I said, amount, value, price
Non-cumulative KF, this is different kind of key figures which shouldn't be summed up, for example: Age, Inventory, Number of Employees. When you measure this key figures, you don't add the age of every body, because that doesn't make any sense, but adding the sum of all deliveries, or adding all Sales does make sense, that is the difference between the two key figures.
Characteristics: are anything which couldn't be quantitatively measured: material, customer, plant, employee ID and so on...
Aways, in BI you measure the KF against the Key figures..
thanks.
Wond

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Difference between Key figure and a Key field?

Difference between Key figure and a Key field?
Thanks,
Pramod

Hi,
Key fileds as just like your primary key of R/3 Tables.
Key figure are type of info object which is used to hold amout,value for your info providers..
check this link for key figures and there types...
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_bw31/helpdata/en/80/1a63b3e07211d2acb80000e829fbfe/frameset.htm
under "Tab Page: Aggregation". you can be able to find three aggregation options:
Minimum
Maximum
Sum
Types of non-cumulative keyfigures
Regards,
Viren.

Mixing Key Figures and Characteristics in 2004s Table Display

In a 3.x query definition using table display, I could put a key figure in the middle of the characteristics. The results would be columns Char1, Char2, KF1, Char3, for example. The same query upgraded to 2004s insists on displaying the key figure at the end of the characteristics, even with the Query Properties / Data Formatting set to Tabular View (in BEx Analyzer).
Any ideas on how to keep the key figure in the middle of the characteristics?
Thanks.

Hi,
New QD wont support table display. You need to use Report designer for this.
Thanks & Best Regards,
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Restricted Key Figure and : Change Variable in WAD

Hi everybody,
I have a restricted key figure in my query, which is restricting all sales volumes of a product by time variable.
I am using this restricted key figure instead of a real filter on the whole query because I have to view the total volume of this product and the volume in this year.
This works very well, but I have no possibility to change the value of the time variable in the restricted key figure in WAD by a generic navigation block.
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Thanks,
Alex

Hi...
The Web item Generic Navigation Block displays the navigational state of a query view in the Web application in the form of a table. All characteristics and structures in the query view are listed in the table and their filter values are displayed. You can change the navigational status of the query view. You can filter according to single values and remove the filter again.
You want to see the results in tabular form and to be able to navigate
through those results using key figures and characteristics.
1. From the Start menu, open the Web Application Designer and start the Web
Application Wizard
a) Choose Start → Programs → Business Explorer → Web Application
Designer → Tools → Wizard.
Choose Next to skip the start page.
2. Select the Generic Navigation Block item and accept the default settings for
this item.
a) In the Select Web Item dialog box, choose Standard Items → Generic
Navigation Block, then select Next to transfer the item into your Web
template.
3. Assign the query Customers/Sales as a Data Provider
to the Generic Navigation Block web item. After assigning the Data Provider,
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a) Choose Query.
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From the Roles, select the query for Reporting→ Unit: BEx
Web Application Designer → Lesson: BEx Web Application Wizard →
Exercise → Customers/Sales .
Choose OK. The dialog box closes and you return to the Web application
Wizard. Choose Next to reach the Edit Attributes dialog box. Since you
want to accept the default properties of the item, choose Next.
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Add the Table Web item to your Web template and accept the suggested settings
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a) In the Overview dialog box, choose Add Item to add an additional item to
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Choose Next in order to transfer the item into your Web template.
5. Assign the same Data Provider to this item as you did for the Navigation Block.
Accept all the default settings for this item. Arrange the Web template to have
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b) Leave the properties of the table item unchanged. Skip over the Edit
Attributes dialog box by choosing Next.
c) Both Web items now appear in the Overview dialog box. Change the
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web items. Choose Next.
6. Save the Web template.
a) You do not have to make any entries in the Save Web Template dialog box.
Choose Save to save your Web template.
Save the newly-created Web template in your Favorites.
give Description: ..................
give Technical name: ...........
7. Display the Web template in the browser.
a) Choose Display theWeb template in theWeb browser .
8. Exit the Web Application Wizard.
a) Choose Exit. The Wizard window closes and the Web template is opened
in the Web Application Designer where you can make additional edits
as required.
with regards,
hari kv

Diff between Calculated key figure and new formula 6extra functions why

Hi Friends
In BEx query designer we have Restricted key figure & Calculated key figure. In the case of Ristricted Key figure And new selection the difference is Global and local.
But if we come to Calculated Key figure and New Formula the difference is same global and local. But in New formula we have 6 extra function. My question is does is there any certain reason for this or SAP AG not be able to develop those functions
Thganks & Regards
Bramhanand

Hi Surendra thank you for your reply.
But i am not asking difference between calculated key figure and New formula.
What i am asking is in the case of Restricted Key figure And new selection the difference is Global and local.
But in Calculated Key figure and New Formula the difference is same global and local and in New formula we have 6 extra function. My question is does is there any certain reason for this.Why not SAP AG is not included the new formula functions in Calculated key figure.
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On what occasions do the key figures become attributes of characteristics?

hi all,
On what occasions do the key figures become attributes of characteristics? can anyone explain me with an example.
regds
hari

Hi,
When we create key figures also we can define the keyfigre as attribute, in the additional poperties tab by selecting attribute check box.
(or)
Once we created KF and activated, the same can be placed in Char attribute tab. In the Char creation, we can assign attributes as per our requirement. So the attributes may be be char/kf.
Best regards,
Ramakrishna

What makes this a Key Figure Model (and not Account Model in BW) ?

I am reviewing a document on Key Figure Model versus Account Model in BW.
this example is said to be "Key Figure" Model
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A            100 DM      390 DM         50 DM
What makes this a Key Figure Model (and not Account Model in BW)

Hi Amanda,
Consider the simplified a company income statement:
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COGS
-- Gross profits
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Interest expense
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Taxes
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In the Account Model every line is represented by one KF only. Let name it as 'Amount'. Another characteristic is telling us what kind of amount it is. Imagine that you have accounting trial balance that lists accounts, starting and ending balances, and debit and credit turnovers for each account.
An accountant will tell you that a credit turnover in account #XXXX represent the company revenue (sales), a debit turnover in account #YYYY - cost of goods sold etc.
Simplified inflow of transactional data will consist of:
Account Amount
XXXX    -12345
YYYY    8765
etc.
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In your example you provide a KF model because every distinct type of amounts is represented by its own KF.
Best regards,
Eugene
Message was edited by: Eugene Khusainov
Message was edited by: Eugene Khusainov

What is difference between bex analyser and bex browser

what is difference between bex analyser and bex browser . please explain what are use of both and what we do in both.

hi
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AHP,
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Re: what is difference between sap locking and database locking

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EXPORTING
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call transaction 'MM02'.
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Hi Paluri
Here is the difference between SAP locks and Database locks, i will try to find the solution to your code.
Regards
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http://www.sap-img.com/abap/what-is-user-exits.htm
www.****************
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What is difference between SAP R3 And SAP IS Mills Product
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Regards

Hi,
SAP R/3 is the central enterprise version. It is not specifically designed for any inducstry sectors and it can cater many of the industry types.
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What is difference between report programming and dialog programming?

hi,
what is difference between report programming and dialog programming? plz provide some example code
bye

ABAP programming
Basically reports are used to read database and represent the results in lists.
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Reports are stand alone programs and controlled by events.
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steps in report:
Processing the selection screen
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1st u write simple logics, after that u can enhance the code as step by step.
http://venus.imp.mx/hilario/Libros/TeachYrslfAbap4/index.htm
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_47x200/helpdata/en/d1/802cfc454211d189710000e8322d00/frameset.htm
http://www.sapdev.co.uk/reporting/reportinghome.htm
Dialog Programming
Structure of a Dialog Program
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Screens (dynpros)
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ABAP/4 module pool
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Check this link for basics.
http://sap.mis.cmich.edu/sap-abap/abap09/index.htm
Check this link for Dialog Programming/Table Control
http://www.planetsap.com/Tips_and_Tricks.htm#dialog
Check this SAP Help for Dialog Program doc.
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/9f/db9cdc35c111d1829f0000e829fbfe/content.htm
Check this SAP Help link for Subscreens.
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/9f/dbabfe35c111d1829f0000e829fbfe/content.htm
Check this link for subscreen demo program.
http://abapcode.blogspot.com/2007/05/demo-program-to-create-subscreen-in.html
Also check this link too.
http://abapcode.blogspot.com/2007/06/dialog-programming-faq.html
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/9f/db9cdc35c111d1829f0000e829fbfe/frameset.htm
http://sap.mis.cmich.edu/sap-abap/abap09/sld004.htm
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/52/670ba2439b11d1896f0000e8322d00/frameset.htm
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/52/670c17439b11d1896f0000e8322d00/frameset.htm
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/52/670c17439b11d1896f0000e8322d00/frameset.htm
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/9f/db9ccf35c111d1829f0000e829fbfe/frameset.htm
http://abapprogramming.blogspot.com/

Difference between Key feilds and Data fileds in ODS

Hi team,
What is diff between data fields and Key fileds in ODS ?.
Pl let me know.
Regards,
Senthil

Hi
Key fields:
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If you activate the ODS it will generate a Table with Primarykey which you defined in the ODS.
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http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/a6/1205406640c442e10000000a1550b0/frameset.htm
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Add new key figure with characteristics in report painter

Hi expert,
I am create a new report painter in GRR2 under report group 8A2 (EC-PCA: Standard Reports) and i would like to create a report show on G/L amount with segment.
When i click on first column to assign "key figure with characteristics" i am not able to find characteristics "segment".
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regards,
ng chong chuan

Hi,
"segment" is not a characteristic of classical profit-center accounting (libraries 8A*). Its a New GL characteristic, thus create a report painter report for New GL library.
best regards, Christian

What is diffrernce between key figures and characteristics?

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