Looker vs SAP BusinessObjects: Best BI Solution for Enterprise Data Analytics

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses often find themselves inundated with data, both structured and unstructured. The key to leveraging this copious amount of data lies in choosing the right Business Intelligence (BI) tool. As a digital leader, making informed decisions about your technology stack is paramount. Today, we’ll delve into a comparison between two stalwarts in the BI domain: Looker and SAP BusinessObjects. By the end of this article, you'll have a clearer understanding of which solution might better suit your enterprise data analytics needs.

Understanding the Candidates

Looker and SAP BusinessObjects both cater to enterprise-level BI requirements but approach the task with different philosophies and feature sets.

Looker is a cloud-based BI solution that’s known for its powerful data exploration capabilities and modern approach to data analytics. It relies heavily on LookML, its proprietary modeling language, to define data relationships and business metrics.

SAP BusinessObjects, a veteran in the BI sphere, offers a comprehensive suite for data reporting and analysis. It is both cloud-native and on-premise, providing a flexible approach to data handling. BusinessObjects excels in creating complex reports and has a robust metadata management system.

Key Features and Capabilities

Both BI tools are equipped with extensive features, but certain aspects set them apart:

1. Data Integration and Modeling

   Looker: Looker’s strength lies in its data modeling powered by LookML. This layer allows users to define logic, relationships, and business metrics directly within the database, making it easier to build and scale data models. With its database-native approach, Looker ensures that data is fresh, leveraging the power and performance of your existing data warehouses like BigQuery, Redshift, and Snowflake.

   SAP BusinessObjects: BusinessObjects has a more traditional approach with its Semantic Layer, Universe Design Tool, and Information Design Tool. These allow users to create a meta-data layer that simplifies complex database architectures, making it easier for non-technical users to perform data analysis. Although this can be quite powerful, it may require more initial setup and higher maintenance efforts.

2. Reporting and Dashboards

   Looker: With Looker, building dashboards is intuitive and highly customizable. It offers real-time data visualizations and rich, interactive dashboards. its simplified and modern UI/UX focuses on ease of use, enabling users to rapidly develop, share, and iterate on dashboards.

   SAP BusinessObjects: Renowned for its reporting capabilities, BusinessObjects provides an extensive range of pre-built report templates and connectors. It supports complex and pixel-perfect reporting, which is essential for regulatory and compliance reporting. However, this might come at the cost of longer development cycles compared to Looker.

3. Real-Time Data and Performance

   Looker: Performance is a strong suit for Looker. By querying live data directly from the data warehouse, Looker ensures up-to-date analytics without the need for data extraction. This makes it ideal for real-time analytics and operational reporting.

   SAP BusinessObjects: SAP has been traditionally strong in batch reporting but has been evolving with capabilities for real-time data integration. Its performance can be stellar but might require specific configurations and optimizations tailored to the enterprise's data architecture.

4. User Accessibility and Collaboration

   Looker: One of Looker’s standout features is its emphasis on collaboration. It integrates seamlessly with third-party tools like Slack and Git for sharing and collaboration. Its modern UI also democratizes data analytics, making it easier for citizen data scientists and business users to get actionable insights.

   SAP BusinessObjects: BusinessObjects supports robust collaboration through its suite of tools like Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports. It provides strong version control and audit capabilities. However, the learning curve can be steeper, and it often requires IT intervention for complex queries and configurations.

5. Security and Compliance

   Looker: Looker employs advanced security measures including SOC 2, ISO 27001 certifications, and supports row-level security, enabling data governance and compliance with industry standards.

   SAP BusinessObjects: SAP, being a legacy enterprise solution, has a well-established track record in security and compliance. It offers comprehensive security models, multi-layered security for critical data, both at the object and data level, and is compliant with various international regulations.

Use Cases and Suitability

Each BI tool’s strength aligns with different enterprise needs:

Looker:

• Ideal for cloud-first companies or those aiming to leverage modern data architectures.
• Suited for organizations requiring real-time data analytics and frequent iterative dashboards.
• A great fit for businesses looking to empower non-technical users with self-service BI and collaborative capabilities.

SAP BusinessObjects:

• Best suited for large enterprises with complex BI requirements and existing SAP ecosystem integration.
• Ideal for organizations in heavily regulated industries requiring detailed, pixel-perfect compliance reporting.
• A go-to for companies with extensive legacy systems requiring robust enterprise-wide reporting and detailed metadata management.

Implementation and Scalability

Looker:

• Quick to deploy, especially in a cloud environment. Its modern approach means less overhead in maintaining data models and reports.
• Scales effortlessly with cloud infrastructure. The flexibility of LookML supports agile development and continuous improvement.

SAP BusinessObjects:

• Typically requires longer implementation times due to its comprehensive suite and the need for extensive setup.
• Scales effectively in large enterprise settings. However, maintenance and scalability often require dedicated resources and expertise.

Cost Considerations

While cost structures can vary significantly based on enterprise size and needs, it’s crucial to consider:

Looker:

• Often perceived as more cost-effective due to its cloud-native architecture and reduced need for large on-premise infrastructure.
• Pricing is generally based on a per-user, per-month subscription model.

SAP BusinessObjects:

• Can be more costly due to its extensive suite of tools and the potential need for significant on-premise infrastructure.
• Often involves licensing fees, and costs can accumulate with additional modules and the need for skilled IT personnel for maintenance.

Conclusion

Choosing the right BI solution for your enterprise hinges on understanding your specific business needs, existing infrastructure, and long-term growth plans.

Looker stands out with its modern, cloud-native approach, making it an excellent choice for businesses seeking real-time data access, ease of collaboration, and agile data modeling.

SAP BusinessObjects remains a powerhouse for large enterprises needing comprehensive, detailed reporting, especially in regulatory environments, and those heavily invested in the SAP ecosystem.

In the end, the best BI tool is one that aligns seamlessly with your business goals, IT infrastructure, and user requirements. Whether it’s Looker or SAP BusinessObjects, make an informed decision to harness the full potential of your enterprise data analytics. Reach out to us at Deploi, and let’s determine the optimal path for your digital transformation journey.