Real-time controlling redefined
How MIKA and SAP Analytics Cloud are revolutionising concurrent costing
Contents
The challenge in project controlling
For SAP Finance Managers and Controllers, concurrent costing is a critical process. It provides the transparency you need over the current state of costs and revenues in projects. It draws on the very latest information from production orders, purchase orders and customer orders, for example. Yet in many organisations this process is marked by latency and complexity. The data is often fragmented, has to be replicated and does not reflect the true, current position. This leads to delayed decisions and makes it harder to pinpoint the precise causes of variances.
The solution lies in seamlessly integrating S/4HANA data into modern analytics platforms. While classic MIKA reporting already exists in the S/4HANA system, the MIKA Dashboard in SAC addresses the challenge of harnessing the power of SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) to enable project controlling in real time. The SAC dashboard is a complementary solution that improves how data is presented and viewed, transforming the complex data of concurrent costing into an intuitive, immediately available basis for decision-making.
1. The technological basis for real-time decisions
The greatest added value of MIKA lies in its architecture, which consistently relies on the use of live data. This is a decisive factor for controllers who depend on maximum currency and data consistency.
Live Connection: the end of data latency
MIKA uses the Live Connection of the SAP Analytics Cloud. Unlike import models, in which data has to be replicated into the SAC, the data remains in the source system, the SAP S/4HANA, at all times.
- Real-time controlling: Every analysis and every report accesses the latest postings in the SAP system directly. There is no time lag caused by nightly or hourly loading processes.
- Maximum security: Since no data replication takes place, the sensitive financial data remains securely within the SAP system. The SAC acts merely as a visualisation and analysis layer, which meets the compliance requirements of many organisations.
CDS Views: consistency and performance from S/4HANA
The basis for high-performance data provision is provided by the Core Data Services (CDS Views) in S/4HANA. These optimised views serve as a consistent, high-performance data foundation for MIKA. They ensure that the complex calculation data is already logically prepared within the SAP system before it is visualised in the SAC. This guarantees not only high speed in data querying, but also a uniform definition of key figures across all reports.
The architecture of MIKA, shown in the accompanying architecture graphic [reference to architecture graphic in the PDF below], demonstrates the direct connection from the PPG (Portfolio/Quote) via the Project System through to the SAC MIKA Dashboard. This underlines the end-to-end transparency that is essential for effective project controlling.
2. The business USP: the 3-stage deep-dive analysis
The central business benefit of MIKA for controllers lies in its logical and intuitive analysis structure, which enables quick navigation from the overall overview right down to the detail level. It divides the analysis into three dashboard pages that build on one another:
Stage 1: Overview (quick check)
The overview page delivers all the important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the selected project at a glance. It serves as an initial summary and allows for quick orientation. Controllers can see immediately where action is needed, for example through deviations between the quotation, the budget and the ongoing project costing.
Stage 2: Detail (root-cause investigation)
From the overview, controllers can dive straight into the detail view. This page offers an in-depth analysis at line-item level. Here, detailed tables can be examined for a precise review of cost types, budgets and actuals. This level is crucial for precise root-cause investigation: where do the deviations come from? Which cost types have been exceeded? Intuitive filtering by WBS elements and cost types makes it possible to focus quickly on the relevant areas.
Stage 3: Total (strategic management)
The total view offers a consolidated look across the entire area, independently of individual projects or WBS elements. This strategic perspective is ideal for management reporting and for the overarching management of the entire portfolio. It makes it possible to identify trends and to make strategic decisions on a broader data basis.
This three-stage structure ensures that controllers can switch from the macro to the micro level in a matter of seconds, which massively increases efficiency in controlling.
3. User experience and future readiness
Using SAP Analytics Cloud as the front end guarantees a modern UX/UI. The dashboards are clearly structured and intuitive to use, which significantly increases acceptance among the end users, the controllers. An innovative detail that underlines MIKA’s user-centred design is the integrated theme switch. The ability to switch easily between light and dark designs ensures optimal readability in any situation and on any device.
Strategic outlook
MIKA is not a static solution; it is continuously developed further. Future enhancements plan to make the respective contribution margins from MIKA reporting available directly in SAC, in order to make the analysis even more comprehensive. Work is also under way on integrating an import model as an alternative data basis, in order to offer maximum flexibility for users’ varying requirements.
Conclusion: precision and speed in controlling
PPG-MIKA from BDF EXPERTS closes the gap between the data complexity of S/4HANA and the need for real-time transparency in project controlling. By making consistent use of the SAP Analytics Cloud Live Connection and high-performance CDS Views, SAP finance managers and controllers gain a tool that:
- offers speed (real-time data without replication).
- guarantees precision (a consistent data basis from S/4HANA).
- boosts efficiency (an intuitive, three-stage deep-dive analysis).
Learn more:
Would you like to find out how you can switch your project controlling to real time and significantly increase the efficiency of your concurrent costing? Request a live demo of MIKA now and experience the deep dive into your S/4HANA data.
Related articles
SAP Analytics Cloud Q2 2026
25 years of BDF EXPERTS: our website through the ages (7/25)
BDF EXPERTS launches new website
Finding
the right
solution together.
We are happy to answer your questions and to help you find the right services for your requirements.
