Qlik Sense
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Qlik Sense vs SAP Analytics Cloud: A Comparative Analysis

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    Introduction

    Choosing the right business intelligence tool is crucial for effective data analysis and reporting. Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud are both prominent platforms in this space, each offering unique features and capabilities.

    This comparison will delve into the specifics of each tool, assessing aspects such as ease of use, visualizations, and integration capabilities. Understanding their differences can guide users to make an informed decision that aligns with their business needs.

    Additionally, we'll explore how Sourcetable provides a modernized, spreadsheet-like interface that syncs with your data, offering an intuitive alternative for business intelligence tasks.

    Qlik Sense

    What is Qlik Sense?

    Qlik Sense is a data analytics tool designed for business intelligence and data visualization. Utilizing AI and associative analytics, it enables users to gain data insights rapidly.

    • Key Features

    • AI-driven insights for advanced data analysis.
    • Associative analytics for comprehensive data exploration.
    • Self-service visualization capabilities for personalized dashboard creation.
    • Natural language interaction and search for intuitive data queries.
    • Predictive analytics and automated insight generation for proactive decision-making.
    • Automated data preparation for streamlined data management processes.
    • Integration with numerous data sources for centralized data analysis.
    • Accessibility from any location and on any device for flexible usage.
    • Embedding options in other applications for integrated analytics solutions.
    • Extensive APIs for customization and extended functionality.
    • Adoption and Trust

      Widely adopted with over 40,000 customers trusting its robust data analytics capabilities.

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    What is SAP Analytics Cloud?

    SAP Analytics Cloud is a reporting automation tool that leverages generative AI to streamline the reporting process. It incorporates advanced technologies, such as Joule copilot, to assist in the creation of comprehensive business plans. This platform is designed to support the delivery of mission-critical analytics, enhancing business intelligence (BI) capabilities across various industries.

    • Reporting automation tool with generative AI
    • Uses Joule copilot for business planning
    • Delivers mission-critical and industry-specific analytics
    • Elevates BI capabilities
    • Transforms enterprise planning
    • Unifies financial, supply chain, and operational planning
    Qlik Sense

    Qlik Sense Key Features

    Associative Analytics Engine

    Qlik Sense's associative analytics engine enables deep exploration of data, uncovering insights through free selection and instant calculations.

    Augmented Analytics

    Augmented by AI and ML, Qlik Sense provides automated insight generation, predictive analytics, and natural language interaction for enhanced data analysis.

    Visualization and Dashboards

    Interactive visualizations and dashboards allow users to create and share insights through self-service analytics tools.

    Data Integration and Preparation

    Qlik Sense offers comprehensive data prep and integration capabilities, supporting efficient data management and connectivity.

    Alerting and Automation

    Data-driven alerting technology alongside event-driven actions facilitates timely response and decision-making processes.

    Application Automation and Customization

    Through a low-code environment and open APIs, Qlik Sense allows for the development of custom applications, visualizations, and extensions.

    Collaboration Tools

    Qlik Sense enhances collaborative efforts with features like shared notes, discussion threads, and a self-service data catalog.

    Mobile and Cloud Analytics

    Users can access Qlik Sense analytics on mobile devices, with options for cloud-based or on-premises deployment.

    Scalability and Connectivity

    High-performance scalability and powerful data integration ensure Qlik Sense works with a variety of data sources, apps, and cloud services.

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    Key Features of SAP Analytics Cloud

    Javascript Requirement

    SAP Analytics Cloud necessitates the activation of Javascript for functionality.

    Latest Release Highlights

    The latest version of SAP Analytics Cloud introduces new features and enhancements.

    Generative AI for Reporting

    The platform incorporates generative AI to streamline the reporting process.

    Pre-Built Business Content

    Industry-specific analytics are supported by pre-built business content.

    Collaborative Planning

    A unified solution is provided for financial, supply chain, and operational planning, facilitating collaboration.

    Qlik Sense

    Advantages of Qlik Sense for Business Intelligence

    Enhanced Data Interaction

    Qlik Sense enables self-service visualization solutions, allowing users to easily create and interact with data reports, fostering improved data literacy across organizations.

    Cost Effectiveness

    The affordability of Qlik Sense, at $30 per user per month, positions it as a relatively inexpensive option for robust data analytics tools, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes.

    Device Compatibility and Mobility

    With its compatibility across a wide range of devices and a mobility feature, Qlik Sense ensures that data analytics and reporting are accessible anytime, anywhere, boasting a responsive design for optimal viewing on different screens.

    Collaboration and Security

    Qlik Sense offers a centralized hub to facilitate collaboration and information sharing, combined with a comprehensive security feature to protect sensitive data and maintain governance.

    Customization and Extensibility

    Users can tailor analytics solutions through customization options, open APIs, and the ability to develop custom apps and visualizations, enhancing the flexibility of Qlik Sense to meet specific business needs.

    User-Friendly and Advanced Capabilities

    As a user-friendly and powerful tool, Qlik Sense empowers users with AI-powered analytics, simplifying complex data tasks while delivering advanced insights to drive decision-making.

    Qlik Sense

    Disadvantages of Qlik Sense for Business Intelligence

    Performance Issues with Large Data

    Qlik Sense exhibits performance degradation when handling large data sets. This can lead to slower data processing, impacting the efficiency of business intelligence tasks.

    Cost Implications

    The cost of Qlik Sense can be prohibitive, especially for larger teams where expenses can accumulate. Additionally, the need for add-ons and plugins, which incur extra charges, can further escalate the total cost of ownership.

    Export Limitations

    Qlik Sense's export functionality to Excel is limited, which can be a drawback for businesses that rely on complete data transfer between systems.

    Qlik Sense

    Frequently Asked Questions About Qlik Sense

    What payment methods are available for Qlik Sense training?

    You can pay for training with a credit card, Training Card, or invoice.

    How can I determine which Qlik Sense training courses to take?

    You can take training recommendations to find which courses to take for your role.

    Where can I check my registration status for Qlik Sense training?

    You can check your registration status on the My Training page.

    Can I use a Training Card to pay for any Qlik training products?

    You can use a Training Card to pay for most Qlik training products, but they cannot be used to pay for certifications.

    Is there an expiration date for using the Training Card for Qlik Sense training?

    You have 12 months from the purchase date to use the Training Card.

    Use Cases for Qlik Sense

    • Qlik Sense

      Improving efficiency, customer service, and sales at retail food chains

    • Qlik Sense

      Creating company-wide portals for analytics

    • Qlik Sense

      Enhancing operational success in retail

    • Qlik Sense

      Reducing cost and effort in loan prospect conversion

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    Advantages of SAP Analytics Cloud for Business Intelligence

    Cloud-Based Solution

    SAP Analytics Cloud provides a cloud-based environment, facilitating access to BI tasks from anywhere, enhancing flexibility and scalability for businesses.

    Generative AI Capabilities

    The integration of generative AI within SAP Analytics Cloud automates reporting processes, discovers insights, and assists in the development of business plans, streamlining BI operations.

    Enhanced BI Functions

    This platform elevates BI capabilities, ensuring that businesses can perform mission-critical analytics efficiently, providing a competitive edge in data-driven decision-making.

    Industry-Specific Insights

    With pre-built business content, SAP Analytics Cloud delivers industry-specific analytics, allowing for tailored insights that are relevant and actionable for each unique business sector.

    Unified Planning Solution

    It also serves as a unified planning solution that integrates financial, supply chain, and operational planning, fostering a cohesive strategy across various business functions.

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    Disadvantages of SAP Analytics Cloud for Business Intelligence

    Performance and Integration Challenges

    SAP Analytics Cloud can experience significant lags when synchronizing acquired data with live data, affecting real-time business intelligence. Large volumes of data can further decelerate performance, leading to inefficiencies in data processing. Integrating with legacy systems poses difficulties, often requiring extensive effort and resources to achieve seamless data flow. The platform's heavy reliance on other SAP products can limit flexibility for businesses with diverse IT environments.

    User Experience and Customization Limitations

    The user interface is noted for not being highly intuitive, which can hinder user adoption and productivity. Customization options are lacking, making it challenging to tailor the platform to specific business needs or preferences. Additionally, the mobile application needs to be faster and more resource-efficient, impacting on-the-go data accessibility and decision-making.

    Collaboration and Data Management Issues

    Collaborative features within SAP Analytics Cloud are limited, restricting teamwork capabilities which are essential for a cohesive business intelligence strategy. Data management processes can be cumbersome; for instance, model rebuilding can lead to the loss of data validation, necessitating significant rework to restore data integrity. When adding sequences to the Predictive Analytics server, users encounter complexities that impede streamlined analytical operations.

    Cost and Data Connectivity Concerns

    The expense of deploying SAP Analytics Cloud can be substantial, impacting the total cost of ownership for businesses, particularly for small to medium-sized enterprises. Connecting to various data sources is not straightforward, often leading to additional challenges for organizations that utilize multiple databases or external data streams.

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    Frequently Asked Questions About SAP Analytics Cloud

    What is SAP Analytics Cloud?

    SAP Analytics Cloud is a solution for business intelligence, augmented and predictive analytics, and enterprise planning. It enables you to analyze, report, budget, and forecast all within a single solution.

    Can SAP Analytics Cloud connect to different data sources?

    Yes, SAP Analytics Cloud can connect to various on-premise and cloud data sources including SAP HANA, SAP BW, SAP BPC, OData, Google BigQuery, SQL, and SAP Universes.

    Is SAP Analytics Cloud available on mobile devices?

    SAP Analytics Cloud offers a mobile app for iOS devices, allowing users to access their analytics and enterprise planning on the go.

    How often is SAP Analytics Cloud updated?

    SAP Analytics Cloud has a quarterly release cycle, with test edition tenants receiving updates earlier than standard tenants. It also has a weekly maintenance window for updates and system maintenance.

    Where can I find release notes for SAP Analytics Cloud?

    Release notes for each version of SAP Analytics Cloud can be found under System > About in the application.

    Use Cases for SAP Analytics Cloud

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      Analytics for human resources

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      Analytics for all daily operations

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      Analytics for oil & gas

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      Analytics for reporting

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      Analytics for utilities

    sourcetable

    Why Sourcetable is a Superior Choice for Business Intelligence

    • Streamlined Reporting and Analytics

      Sourcetable offers a more intuitive approach to reporting and data analytics by integrating data from multiple services into a user-friendly, spreadsheet-like interface. This simplifies the process of data management, making it accessible to users of all skill levels without the need for specialized training.

    • Unified Data Synchronization

      Unlike Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud, Sourcetable syncs data across all platforms seamlessly, eliminating the complexity of working with disparate data sources and ensuring that users have access to the most up-to-date information in a centralized location.

    • Enhanced User Experience

      The spreadsheet-like interface of Sourcetable is familiar to most users, reducing the learning curve and allowing businesses to get started with their BI tasks without delay. This contrasts with the often complex interfaces of traditional BI tools that may require extensive user training.

    • Cost-Effective Solution

      Sourcetable provides a cost-effective alternative to Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud by streamlining the data analytics process, potentially reducing the need for additional IT support and specialized staff to manage and interpret data.

    • Accessibility and Collaboration

      With its emphasis on ease of use, Sourcetable enhances collaboration among team members by providing a platform that is readily accessible to all stakeholders. This facilitates better decision-making as insights are easily shared and understood by the entire team.

    Qlik Sense
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    Comparison between Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud

    AI and Machine Learning Capabilities

    Both Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud integrate AI and ML to enhance data analytics. They leverage these technologies for predictive analytics and automated insight generation.

    Analytics and Visualization

    Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud offer advanced visualization tools and dashboards, enabling users to create interactive and dynamic reports.

    Associative and Augmented Analytics

    Each platform provides associative analytics, allowing for in-depth data exploration. Augmented analytics capabilities are also prominent, facilitating data preparation and insight discovery for users of all skill levels.

    Multiple Data Source Integration

    Both platforms support integration with a variety of data sources, ensuring comprehensive analytics across multiple data sets.

    Collaboration Features

    Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud include features for collaboration, such as shared dashboards and reports, enhancing team-based data decision-making.

    Deployment Options

    They offer flexible deployment options, including cloud-based SaaS and on-premises solutions, catering to different organizational requirements and data governance standards.

    Mobile Accessibility

    Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud are designed to be mobile-friendly, providing analytics capabilities on-the-go through dedicated mobile applications.

    Customization and Extensibility

    Both platforms come with a set of open APIs, allowing for the development of custom applications and extensions to tailor analytics solutions to specific business needs.

    Customer Base

    Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud are widely adopted across various industries, with both serving a large number of customers globally.

    Qlik Sense
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    Qlik Sense vs. SAP Analytics Cloud

    Associative Analytics Engine

    Qlik Sense features a unique associative analytics engine that allows users to explore data in any direction, uncovering insights without the limitations of query-based analytics. SAP Analytics Cloud, while offering analytics capabilities, does not emphasize an associative model for data exploration.

    Augmented Analytics

    Both Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud offer augmented analytics features. However, Qlik Sense's augmented capabilities include AI-assisted creation, AutoML, and automated insight generation, focusing on empowering users of all skill levels. SAP Analytics Cloud also provides machine learning technology but with different functionalities and user experiences.

    Data Source Integration

    Qlik Sense integrates with hundreds of data sources, providing a comprehensive data preparation and integration environment. SAP Analytics Cloud also supports integration with various data sources but may have different integration capabilities and supported sources.

    Deployment Options

    Qlik Sense offers flexibility in deployment, available both as a cloud-based SaaS solution and an on-premises option. SAP Analytics Cloud is primarily a cloud-based solution, aligning with SAP's cloud-first strategy, which may not offer the same level of on-premises deployment options.

    Customization and Extensibility

  • Qlik Sense provides a complete set of open APIs for custom app development, new visualizations, and embedded analytics.
  • SAP Analytics Cloud offers extensibility features, but the level of customization through APIs may differ from Qlik Sense.
  • Performance and Scalability

    Qlik Sense is known for its high-performance scalability, especially in handling large and complex datasets. SAP Analytics Cloud is also designed to scale but may have different performance benchmarks when compared to Qlik Sense.

    Customer Base

    Qlik Sense is utilized by over 40,000 customers worldwide, indicating a broad market presence. SAP Analytics Cloud, backed by SAP's extensive enterprise customer base, also has a significant user community, though specific customer numbers are not provided.

    Industry Focus

    Qlik Sense offers solutions for highly regulated industries with its on-premises solution, while Qlik Cloud Analytics caters to cloud-preferred customers. SAP Analytics Cloud, with SAP's strong foothold in enterprise resource planning, may offer tailored solutions for industries heavily reliant on SAP's ecosystem.

    sourcetable

    Comparison of Qlik Sense, SAP Analytics Cloud, and Sourcetable

    Qlik Sense vs. SAP Analytics Cloud

    Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud are both comprehensive data analytics platforms that offer a range of analytics capabilities. Qlik Sense is renowned for its AI-powered associative analytics engine, which facilitates highly interactive visualizations and dashboards. It enables augmented, active, and predictive analytics, and is designed to be used by all skill levels, with over 40,000 customers worldwide. In contrast, SAP Analytics Cloud also offers advanced analytics but is integrated within the SAP ecosystem, which can be a crucial factor for businesses already using SAP solutions.

    Qlik Sense vs. Sourcetable

    While Qlik Sense is an advanced analytics tool that provides a robust set of features including AI and ML-powered analytics, associative exploration, and predictive analytics, Sourcetable is positioned as a simplified spreadsheet interface that combines data from various sources for analysis without needing complex setups. Qlik Sense offers a more extensive range of capabilities, such as creating ML models and embedding analytics into applications, which may be better suited for larger organizations or those with advanced analytics needs. Sourcetable, however, may appeal to users seeking straightforward data amalgamation and manipulation in a familiar spreadsheet format.

    SAP Analytics Cloud vs. Sourcetable

    SAP Analytics Cloud is a business intelligence platform that offers planning, predictive analytics, and business intelligence within the SAP ecosystem. It is designed for enterprise-level data management and analytics, providing advanced features like machine learning and integration with SAP's other business applications. Sourcetable, on the other hand, offers simpler data integration and reporting capabilities, aimed at users who require a user-friendly and accessible platform for data analysis without the complexity of an enterprise solution.

    sourcetable

    Frequently Asked Questions About Sourcetable

    What is Sourcetable and who is it for?

    Sourcetable is a spreadsheet that allows users to access data from most 3rd party applications, query data, and build live models. It is used by growth teams and business operations teams and is ideal for anyone needing to centralize, analyze, and model data that updates over time.

    Do I need to know how to code to use Sourcetable?

    No, Sourcetable does not require coding. Users can start creating reports and building live models that automatically update without any coding knowledge.

    How often does Sourcetable sync data?

    Sourcetable syncs data from over 100 applications and most databases every 15 minutes on the regular plan and every 5 minutes on the pro plan.

    How much does Sourcetable cost?

    Sourcetable costs $50 per month for the starter plan and $250 per month for the pro plan. Additional seats cost $20 per month per seat.

    Is there a free trial available for Sourcetable?

    Yes, all plans have a 14-day free trial period, allowing users to test the features of Sourcetable.

    Qlik Sense

    Qlik Sense Pricing Overview

    • Qlik Cloud Analytics Plans

      Qlik Cloud Analytics Plans require an annual billing cycle.

    • Premium Plan

      The starting cost for the Premium plan is $2,700 per month.

    • Enterprise Plans

    • Initial data allowance is 500GB per year for analysis.
    • Enterprise plans encompass all features of the Premium plan.
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    SAP Analytics Cloud Cost

    • Subscription and Licensing

      SAP Analytics Cloud is provided on a subscription basis, ensuring ongoing access to the service. The platform offers a variety of flexible licensing options to accommodate different user needs and organizational sizes. Pricing details are provided upon request, aligning with the customized approach to licensing.

    • User and Contract Requirements

      Licensing for SAP Analytics Cloud starts with a minimum requirement of 5 users, catering to small teams and larger enterprises alike. All subscriptions come with a minimum contract term of 12 months, which underscores the commitment to a sustained service provision.

    • Payment Options

      Payment for SAP Analytics Cloud can be processed via invoice for all countries, offering a universally accessible payment method. Additionally, credit card payments may be available, but this option is contingent on the country of purchase.

    Conclusion

    Qlik Sense and SAP Analytics Cloud both offer robust solutions for business intelligence, each with their unique strengths. Qlik Sense provides an associative model for data analysis, while SAP Analytics Cloud offers advanced analytics with planning capabilities integrated into the BI system.

    For those seeking a more streamlined approach, Sourcetable may be a suitable alternative. It simplifies the BI process by allowing real-time data sync across services within a spreadsheet interface, emphasizing ease of use and accessibility.



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