Key Improvements and Features with the Optimized Story Experience

Last Update: August 25, 2022

Status as of SAP Analytic Cloud Version: 2022.15 (2022 Q3 QRC)

With SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) we offer as many capabilities as possible to streamline your business. With every update, there are a new set of features that are made available.

With this blog post, we will go over just a few of the many improvements that are now available with the Optimized Story Experience in the 2022.15 (Q3 QRC) release. NOTE: these improvements are exclusively available in the Optimized Story Experience. It is the new and strategic direction of stories within SAP Analytics Cloud.

In case you are not aware of the Optimized Story Experience, it is recommended to read these previous blog posts that we’ve published:

Functionality Improvements

These are the set of improvements that we’ve made to existing workflows based on feedback that were provided by customers.

Flexible Version Dimension in Charts

There is now an option to delete the default version filter that is applied to a Chart. It provides Planners the flexibility to have the visualization dynamically update to reflect a specific or multiple versions.

It is up to the Story Designer to ensure that the Chart meets at least one of these conditions to display data:

• The version dimension is added to the chart (i.e. via the dimension or color binding)
• Ensure there is a single value filter on version (via a filter or linked analysis)
• Consume a restricted cross calculation on version (it is known as a measure for the New Model Type with Multiple Accounts)

Terminology with the Chart Builder Panel for Models with an Account Dimension

With the New Model Type, we wanted to ensure there was a seamless building experience when transition from the Classic Account Model. Hence, we’ve updated the terminology within the Chart Builder Panel for account-based models. These are the updates that are made:

• Account Dimension Models (Classic Account Model or New Model Type with Multiple Accounts) will now display Account as the primary binding
• Measure Models (New Model Type with Multiple Measures, Live Data Models, and so on) will continue to display Measure as the primary binding

Single Selection Input Controls

With the creation of a new Single Select Filter (Page or Story) we will now hide the All option by default. There is still an option for the Story Designer to show the All option based on the use case.

Improved Behavior for Linked Analysis

With Linked Analysis we will no longer create a local filter on the driver widget. Instead, all widgets that are impacted by Linked Analysis (Driver and Receiver) will now have a Linked Analysis filter visible. With the improved behavior:

1. We will remove the Linked Analysis filter from all visualizations as soon as it is deleted via a Receiver or Driver widget
2. There is a new icon to indicate that a Linked Analysis filter is applied
3. With Linked Analysis – Apply to Story it will override any existing story filter on the same dimension.

Axis Alignment

Charts that are using Axis Alignment will now render the visualization with the axis in the correct position. We’ve also limited the Viewer to reset an axis position. Story Designers will still have an option to unlock and lock an axis while in Edit Mode.

Child Member Selection in Hierarchies

There is more flexibility when it comes to interacting with Hierarchical Filters. With the selection of children nodes, we will no longer automatically select the parent node. Selecting the parent node will automatically select all its respective children.

Chart Drilling

There are several improvements that we’ve made when it comes to interacting with the drill levels in Charts. These include:

1. The drill up will return the results prior to the drill down
2. Expands and collapses are now maintained during drill up and drill down
3. Hierarchy drill level menu only changes for drill level changes – it is no longer reactive to non-drill level changes
4. Reset drill in view mode is now aligned with reset drill in edit mode
5. Exclude rest node filter will not be removed when the option show leaves as flat is disabled
6. Account drills are removed when any measure is removed from the chart or when switching to a chart type that does not support them

Other Improvements

There are more improvements that are available within the Optimized Story Experience. For example:

1. Improved Loading Experience
2. Sort on Heatmap with Unbooked Data
3. Widget Level and Version Filter
4. For more information on all the behavior improvements, see Optimized Story Experience Improvements.

New Features

These are a set of new features that are now available exclusively in the Optimized Story Experience. There are more that are currently in development which will be made available in future releases.

Reference Line – New Aggregation Type

The Dynamic Reference Line will now include more aggregation types – Average excl. Null and Average excl 0, NULL with Average excl. NULL being the default selection.

Chart Local Filter – All Members

We now provide an option to select All Members in Chart Local Filters for flat dimensions and non-multi-level hierarchies. It will result in the members dynamically updating as soon as new members are added or deleted (including Version).

Interacting with data points within the Chart will result in the Dynamic Local Filter being overridden.

Data Access Language for Static Page and Story Filters

We will now support Data Access Language for members and subtitle within a Static Page and Story Filter. The System Admin is required to enable the Refresh Member Description for Filters within the Administration Settings.

SAP Analytics Cloud Documentation on Optimized Story Experience

For more information on the Optimized Story Experience

For more information on how to enabled Optimized Story Experience, see Enabling Optimized Story Experience.

For more information on the limitations, see Optimized Story Experience Restrictions. Frequent updates are made for Fast Track tenants.

For more information on the behavior improvements, see Optimized Story Experience Improvements.