/sap-sac-planning

Value Driver Trees for Planning

Overview

Value Driver Trees (VDT) in SAP Analytics Cloud visualize how values flow through a planning model, showing hierarchical links between different metrics and enabling driver-based planning and scenario simulation.

Key Concept: Instead of looking at isolated KPIs, VDTs connect key business drivers to show how changes in one area affect the bottom line.

When to Use Value Driver Trees

Use Cases

Example Value Chain

Marketing Spend ────┐
                    ├──► Sales Volume ────┐
Market Conditions ──┘                     │
                                          ├──► Revenue ────┐
Product Price ────────────────────────────┘                │
                                                           │
                                                           ├──► Gross Profit
Raw Material Cost ──┐                                      │
                    ├──► COGS ─────────────────────────────┘
Labor Cost ─────────┘

How Value Driver Trees Work

Node Structure

Each node shows:

• One or more accounts/measures
• Values for each time period
• Links to parent and child nodes

Node Configuration Options

Flow Direction

Value driver trees flow from right to left:

• Child nodes on the right (drivers)
• Parent nodes on the left (outcomes)
• Each node can have multiple parents and children

Creating a Value Driver Tree

Prerequisites

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Add VDT Widget

In Story:

• Select Value Driver Tree from launch page, or
• Add → Value Driver Tree from toolbar

In Analytic Application:

• Add → More Widgets → Value Driver Tree

2. Select Model

Choose a planning model or analytic model with date dimension.

3. Add Nodes

Three methods to add nodes:

Auto-Create:

Right-click → Auto-create Value Driver Tree from Model

Automatically creates nodes based on model structure.

Manual:

Right-click → Add Node

Add individual nodes and configure manually.

Duplicate:

Right-click node → Duplicate Node

Copy existing node configuration.

4. Configure Nodes

For each node, configure:

5. Set Date Range

Configure Presentation Date Range:

• Select date dimension
• Choose range and granularity
• Applies to all nodes

6. Link Nodes

Create relationships between nodes:

• Hover over node
• Drag left icon to link to parent
• Drag right icon to link to child

Or use Builder Panel → Relationships to add/remove links.

7. Style and Collapse

• Use Styling Panel for colors and borders
• Right-click → Collapse Node to hide descendants
• Set Minimum Node Width for longer titles

Planning with VDTs

Data Entry

Value driver trees support data entry:

1. Click on a value cell
2. Enter new value using keypad or keyboard
3. Press Enter to confirm
4. Values automatically update linked nodes (if calculated)

Touchscreen Support: VDTs work well with digital boardroom presentations.

Spreading in VDTs

When entering at aggregate level:

• Values spread to child time periods
• Spreading follows model's spreading configuration

Publishing Changes

Simulation and What-If Analysis

Scenario Simulation

1. Create structure with actual and forecast values
2. Enter forecast values in nodes
3. See cascading impacts on parent nodes
4. Compare scenarios side-by-side

Drill-Down Analysis

Drill into nodes by dimension:

1. Right-click node → Drill into
2. Select dimension (e.g., Region)
3. Choose members (e.g., North, South, East, West)
4. New child nodes created for each member

All descendant nodes are duplicated and filtered accordingly.

JavaScript API for VDTs

Get VDT Reference

// Get value driver tree widget
var vdt = ValueDriverTree_1;

Node Operations

// Get selected node
var selectedNode = vdt.getSelectedNode();

// Get node value
var value = selectedNode.getValue("Revenue", "2025Q1");

// Set node value (if planning enabled)
selectedNode.setValue("Revenue", "2025Q1", 1500000);

Refresh Data

// Refresh VDT data
ValueDriverTree_1.getDataSource().refreshData();

Collapse/Expand

// Collapse node (hide descendants)
ValueDriverTree_1.collapseNode("Node_Revenue");

// Expand node (show descendants)
ValueDriverTree_1.expandNode("Node_Revenue");

Advanced Configuration

Calculated Accounts

Create calculated accounts for VDT nodes:

1. Select node
2. Add Account → Create calculation
3. Define formula

Example calculations:

Gross Margin = Revenue - COGS
Net Profit = Gross Margin - Operating Expenses
Growth Rate = (Current - Previous) / Previous * 100

Structures for Comparison

Create structures to compare:

• Versions (Actual, Budget, Forecast)
• Scenarios (Base, Optimistic, Pessimistic)
• Currencies (USD, EUR, local)
• Variances (Actual vs Budget)

Restricted Measures

Use restricted measures for specific filters:

North America Revenue = Revenue WHERE Region = "NA"
Q1 Sales = Sales WHERE Quarter = "Q1"

Styling Options

Node Styling

CSS Customization

Apply custom CSS classes:

.vdt-node-positive {
    background-color: #e8f5e9;
    border-color: #4caf50;
}

.vdt-node-negative {
    background-color: #ffebee;
    border-color: #f44336;
}

Conditional Formatting

Apply colors based on values:

• Green for positive variance
• Red for negative variance
• Yellow for attention items

Best Practices

Design Guidelines

1. Limit depth - 3-4 levels maximum for readability
2. Clear naming - Use descriptive node titles
3. Logical flow - Drivers right, outcomes left
4. Consistent structures - Use same structures across nodes
5. Filter strategically - Don't over-filter individual nodes

Performance Tips

1. Limit nodes - Large VDTs can be slow
2. Use collapse - Hide detail nodes when not needed
3. Filter at VDT level - Instead of per-node filters
4. Simplify calculations - Complex formulas impact performance

User Experience

1. Provide context - Add titles and descriptions
2. Use color coding - Visual indicators for status
3. Enable tooltips - Help users understand values
4. Test on target devices - Especially for touchscreens

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Debugging Tips

1. Check filters - Verify dimension filters match data
2. Review structures - Ensure measures are correct
3. Test calculations - Validate formulas independently
4. Check model - Confirm model has required data

Official Documentation Links

• Set Up VDTs: https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_ANALYTICS_CLOUD/00f68c2e08b941f081002fd3691d86a7/f6189755175940f3a4e007c3d6b83ee5.html
• Plan with VDTs: https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_ANALYTICS_CLOUD/00f68c2e08b941f081002fd3691d86a7/32c739d6f05b4990a08ef3948b18a1aa.html
• Video Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/embed/0-LW3-Fc-eE
• Custom Calculations: https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_ANALYTICS_CLOUD/00f68c2e08b941f081002fd3691d86a7/5089d7effccf45878ad0ed5a038d5ecc.html

Version: 1.0.0 Last Updated: 2025-12-27 SAC Version: 2025.25