How to Migrate from BusinessObjects to Tableau: Step-by-Step Guide

Why Move from BusinessObjects to Tableau?

Though BusinessObjects offers a robust semantic layer, businesses move from BusinessObjects to Tableau for agile, self-service analytics platforms.

• Legacy reporting with BusinessObjects: BusinessObjects (BO) are primarily designed for static, report-centric analytics. This has led to a slowing down of decision-making and limits analytical flexibility. In dynamic business environments, we need modern analytics, which includes AI-driven insights, natural language queries, and real-time collaboration.
• Self-Service Analytics: Tableau empowered business users with an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface. They provide users with low-code analysis, reducing bottlenecks and enabling ad-hoc queries. 
• Data visualization and Interactivity: BusinessObjects produces pixel-perfect, static reports. Tableau, with its strong community support, offers interactive dashboards with real-time updates, fostering data exploration. 
• Cloud Readiness: Tableau integrates with modern cloud data warehouses and data lakes. This makes it easier for organizations to support cloud-first strategies, real-time analytics, and scalable data environments.

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Challenges faced during the BusinessObjects to Tableau Migration and ways to overcome

BusinessObjects and Tableau differ in architecture, data modeling, and usage patterns. Several challenges needed to be addressed for a successful BusinessObjects to Tableau Migration

• Complex Universe Translation: BusinessObjects relies on the universe semantic layer, where all joins, complex logic, and object names live. All these cannot be migrated to Tableau; to overcome this, universe structures must be thoroughly recreated using optimized database views or Tableau data models to maintain consistency and performance.
• Security Mapping: BusinessObjects (BO) is highly incorporated with a security model based on folders and universe-level restrictions. Their security roles and access rules do not have direct translation to Tableau’s security framework. To mitigate this, implement Tableau user groups. Role-based permissions and row-level security are aligned with enterprise authentication systems.
• Visualization: BusinessObjects focuses on structured and static reports. But Tableau emphasizes interactive and visual analytics. To overcome this, redesign dashboards using Tableau best practices. Avoid replicating report layouts from BusinessObjects. 
• Performance and Data Model Optimization: Poorly optimized data models can cause slow dashboard performance in Tableau. To overcome this, improve indexing, optimize schemas, and optimize queries.
• User Adoption: Business users may resist adopting Tableau. To overcome this, provide role-based training, hands-on workshops, and clear documentation about Tableau features.
• Licensing and Transition costs: Running both BusinessObjects and Tableau in parallel during migration can increase licensing and infrastructure costs. To overcome this, plan for a phased migration with clear timelines and decommission BusinessObjects in phases.

Best Practices for a BusinessObjects to Tableau Migration

1. Audit and create a roadmap with milestones, resource assignments, and a change management communication plan in the BusinessObjects environment.
2. Document business logic, complex metrics, filters, and prompts from BusinessObjects to ensure accurate recreation in Tableau.
3. Redesign data performance Tableau performance, using optimized database views and star or snowflake schemas.
4. Choose the right connection strategy by evaluating live connections.
5. Rebuild dashboards again in Tableau by avoiding lift and shift. It will enhance visualization and logic.
6. Ensure it is cloud-compatible for all major platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
7. Implement security and governance controls using Tableau user groups, row-level security, and project-based permissions.
8. Enable user adoption with structured training.
9. Validate the data by running both BusinessObjects and Tableau in parallel.
10. Plan for phased decommissioning of Business licensing, reducing licensing and infrastructure costs once Tableau is stable.

7 Step BusinessObjects to Tableau Migration Process

Migrating from BusinessObjects to Tableau is a transition from a legacy reporting factory to a modern analytics ecosystem. The step-by-step process for a successful migration is

1. Assess the BO environment:

First, analyze the current BusinessObjects environment dashboard reports, dashboard, universe, calculations, filters, variables, users, and data sources. Identify unused items to streamline efforts.

2. Data Preparation: 

Categorize reports based on complexity. List reports are termed as simple, cross-tabs with logic are termed as medium, and dashboards with heavy variables are termed as complex. Rationalize existing reports to eliminate unused, duplicate, or outdated content. Standardize KPI definitions and understand data sources, quality, and complex logic. Document universe structures, joins, calculations, filters, and prompts on how it needs to be recreated in Tableau data models.

3. Data Source Development

Connect Tableau to the underlying database. Recreate the BO Universe by building Tableau Data Sources (Data Models), with joins, filters, and calculated fields. Configure Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, define user roles, permissions, and row-level security. 

4. Report Conversion and Rebuild:

Convert Webl reports semi-automatically or manually into Tableau dashboards. Use the Tableau Content Migration Tool (CMT) for automated migration of workbooks and data sources. Manually migrate smaller deployments or complex BusinessObjects reports as interactive Tableau dashboards using best visualization practices. Enhance usability with filters, parameters, drill-downs, and actions. 

5. Validate:

Compare results from new Tableau reports/data sources with BO reports. Run legacy BO report and new Tableau dashboard side-by-side. Ensure Row-Level Security (RLS) so that only allowed users see the data. Obtain business sign-off to ensure trust in the Tableau platform.

6. Testing:

Do user acceptance testing to ensure that the data in both reports means the same. Conduct comparative testing, calculation verification, performance checks, security acceptance, and user acceptance testing (UAT).

7. Monitor and Optimize:

Recreate data refresh schedules in Tableau. Deploy to production and continuously monitor the performance metrics.

What to Do After You Migrate from BusinessObjects to Tableau

The post Tableau migration phase is very critical for ensuring a smooth transition, driving user adoption, and maximizing the return on investment on the new BI platform.

• Performance optimization: Run comparisons between Business Objects and Tableau to verify data, calculations, filters, and security. Track key metrics like refresh success, query speeds, and user logins using Tableau Admin Insights. Identify the bottlenecks in extracts or connections and optimize with hyper extracts or data blending.
• User Training: Offer hands-on training on Tableau-specific features like parameters and data blending. Users accepting the new Tableau features will only focus on the success of the migration, ensuring it runs in the long term. Post migration, continuous training, knowledge-sharing sessions, and ongoing support ensure that employees have adopted Tableau’s features.
• Security and Governance: Implement row-level security, metadata catalogs with pre-migration controls. Replicate row-level security and audit logs.
• Decommissioning BusinessObjects: Follow best practices. Run BusinessObjects and Tableau in parallel for a period. It will actually act as a time frame to fix the issues that arise during testing. Gradually transitioning BusinessObjects once the new Tableau is stabilized. This approach will minimize the downtime and any disruption in business hours.

Why Choose Entrans for Your BusinessObjects to Tableau Migration?

BusinessObjects to Tableau migration is a strategic move that moves the path towards faster decision-making and self-service analytics. Partnering with a team of migration experts like Entrans takes away the risks that come with manually migrating from SAP Business Objects to Tableau. Our technical team has deep knowledge of both Business Objects and Tableau. We follow a well-defined migration approach that helps preserve business logic, ensure accuracy, and accelerate user adoption.

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