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Microsoft Excel vs. SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Excel

    Score9 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Excel is a spreadsheet application available as part of Microsoft 365 (Office 365), or standalone, in cloud-based and on-premise editions.

    $6.99

    per month

    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence

    Score7 out of 10
    N/AThe SAP® BusinessObjects™ Business Intelligence Platform provides users with ad hoc queries, reporting, data visualizations, and analysis tools. Its integrated, unified infrastructure aims to offer scalability from one-to-many tools and interfaces on-premise, in the cloud, or as a hybrid approach.N/A
    Pricing
    Microsoft ExcelSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Editions & Modules
    Excel with Microsoft 365
    $6.99
    per month
    Excel for 1 PC or Mac
    $139.99
    perpetual license
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft ExcelSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft ExcelSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    SAP
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    99%
    Would buy again
    78 Answers
    81%
    Would buy again
    13 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    70 Answers
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    12 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    76 Answers
    81%
    Happy with the feature set
    13 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    46 Answers
    90%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    9 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    54 Answers
    85%
    Implementation went as expected
    11 Answers
    Features
    Microsoft ExcelSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Microsoft Excel and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Excel
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    7.8
    56 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Pixel Perfect reports00 Ratings8.550 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards00 Ratings6.752 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates00 Ratings8.251 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Microsoft Excel and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Excel
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    7.1
    53 Ratings
    12% below category average
    Drill-down analysis00 Ratings6.452 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities00 Ratings6.551 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages00 Ratings8.335 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration00 Ratings7.352 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Microsoft Excel and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Excel
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    7.8
    53 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Publish to Web00 Ratings8.344 Ratings
    Publish to PDF00 Ratings8.251 Ratings
    Report Versioning00 Ratings7.646 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling00 Ratings8.052 Ratings
    Delivery to Remote Servers00 Ratings6.931 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Microsoft Excel and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Excel
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    6.0
    48 Ratings
    28% below category average
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)00 Ratings5.846 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization00 Ratings6.143 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics00 Ratings6.042 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining00 Ratings6.16 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Microsoft Excel and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Excel
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    7.4
    53 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Multi-User Support (named login)00 Ratings7.953 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model00 Ratings7.251 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)00 Ratings7.450 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control00 Ratings7.27 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)00 Ratings7.234 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Microsoft Excel and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Excel
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    6.3
    38 Ratings
    21% below category average
    Responsive Design for Web Access00 Ratings5.637 Ratings
    Mobile Application00 Ratings5.332 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile00 Ratings5.534 Ratings
    Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
    Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Microsoft Excel and SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Feature
    Microsoft Excel
    -
    Ratings
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    7.9
    28 Ratings
    2% above category average
    REST API00 Ratings8.124 Ratings
    Javascript API00 Ratings7.723 Ratings
    iFrames00 Ratings8.221 Ratings
    Java API00 Ratings7.526 Ratings
    Themeable User Interface (UI)00 Ratings7.624 Ratings
    Customizable Platform (Open Source)00 Ratings8.622 Ratings
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    Microsoft ExcelSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
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    Google Sheets
    Score8.9 out of 10
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    Score8.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Google Sheets
    Score8.9 out of 10
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    Score6.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft ExcelSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (78 ratings)
    7.1
    (78 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.9
    (7 ratings)
    8.3
    (24 ratings)
    Usability
    8.5
    (23 ratings)
    6.6
    (21 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (5 ratings)
    Performance
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.0
    (10 ratings)
    Support Rating
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    8.6
    (16 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (4 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (8 ratings)
    Configurability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (45 ratings)
    Data Sources
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.3
    (45 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft ExcelSAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    I don't really know another program as powerful as Excel. I've used Google Doc programs but do not feel they come close. So far, anytime I've needed a table of some sort for data, whether it's budget oriented or information off a survey, the best system has been Excel. We do web audits on occasion and we create an Excel worksheet featuring every URL of the pages we're auditing, notes, data about the content, information about files attached to the page and other information to help us determine what pages need updating, deleting or otherwise. We also use Excel primarily to export our Google Analytics to in order for us to create reports for clients that need to see specific information about their traffic.
    Incentivized
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    SAP
    As mentioned earlier reporting was a big headache for us and the tools we used didn't support large data sets and visualization Performing analytics with such data sets was cumbersome and later post using this SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence we were able to correlate different data sets and prepare the dashboard pretty easier which were helpful and easier to understand.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Microsoft
    • It is very good at embedded formulas and tying cells to one another
    • It allows me to compare deals terms on a side-by-side basis and talk my clients through it easily.
    • It is very helpful as well in terms of allowing me to filter/sort results in many different ways depending on what specific information I am most interested in prioritizing.
    Incentivized
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    SAP
    • This software is easy to initially learn, and very powerful in producing reusable reports.
    • It is much faster than my company's internal manual queries. The ability to build off of a saved query and share queries to other users is a great positive.
    • My favorite part is that you can run queries in the background and it does not interfere with your current work or slow your computer down.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Microsoft
    • Excel offers collaboration features that allow multiple users to work on the same spreadsheet, but managing changes made by different users can be challenging. Excel could improve its features by offering more granular control, better tracking of changes, and more robust conflict resolution tools.
    • Itcan be a barrier to productivity when importing and exporting data from other applications or file formats. To improve its features, it should offer better support for standard file formats and more robust error handling and reporting tools.
    • Excel can be challenging for finance students and working professionals, but it can be improved by offering more robust tutorials, better documentation, and more user communities and support forums.
    Incentivized
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    SAP
    • The installation can be very complex and time-consuming, it requires a lot of planning and foresight as to what role the software will play in the organization.
    • The software has a relatively large learning curve that takes dedicated users months to get comfortable with, the UI is a bit intimidating for new users.
    • SAP could organize their help better, it can be difficult to find dependable solutions to issues via their website and support channels.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Microsoft
    Excel remains the industry standard for spreadsheets and has maintained simple and straight-forward formula writing methods. Although there is a learning curve to do more complex calculations, there are countless help sites and videos on the Internet for almost any need.
    Incentivized
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    SAP
    The institution has decided to move in a different direction, and will be using MSBI for reporting. I have been very happy with the Business Objects suite of tools, and will continue to use them heavily until we make the transition.
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Microsoft
    I'm giving it a 7 because it is my go to. But the fact other prefer Google Sheets when working with a team does get irritating. I've used the online version of Microsoft Excel that other teams can get into and it still seems behind Google Sheets. It's a little clanky and slow? If that's even a term.
    Incentivized
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    SAP
    From a server and client side perspective. the Business Intelligence Platform provides a foundation for all aspects of content development, distribution, analysis, collaboration and self service. Ease of use from targeted content delivery through controlled accessibility. Content exporting in the format of the users choice. Scheduling for internal or external delivery. Public and private folders for secure content access when requied. Web based for viewing on the users device of choice without the need to download additional applications.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    I have rarely, if ever, had issues with its availability.
    Incentivized
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    SAP
    When we implemented 3.1, we had a tough time managing the system: It took almost a year to stabilize.

    With 4.0, we want to roll out to more users, and are holding back because of fears about the performance issue
    Read full review
    Performance
    Microsoft
    Excel load and performs calculations immediately. It integrate well with all Microsoft Office applications and does not slow them down.
    Incentivized
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    SAP
    Overall, the tool (Web Intelligence 4.2) is fast and solid. One issue is a dependability on JAVA for a full feature report creation/edit capabilities (as opposed to limited HTML option). Second, planned end of JAVA support by major browsers (Chrome is already not supporting JAVA applet).
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    I have not had to use it often, but it is good.
    Incentivized
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    SAP
    SAP has released various versions of SAP BO BI. starting from 3.1 and going to 4.0,4.1,4.2 and latest being 4.3. SAP provides support to these new versions. As new versions keep on coming, support for the very old software goes out of scope from SAP. it is when the different organization plans to get their BO content migrated from a lower version to a newer version. The newer version had definitely added functionality and features which ease the work of users.
    Incentivized
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    In-Person Training
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    SAP authorized training is best, Please go ahead with it. Even lot of online training options/videos available for self learning
    Incentivized
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    Online Training
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    I haven't used it or got feedback from the end user.

    Content looks to be pretty detailed. Focused on SQL but not BW.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    Hire specialists and experienced staff. Mix some beginners so that everyone is not a leader but a learner too. Plan well; architect well; break down implementation in small steps and move towards larger steps. Create a centralized and authorized SAP Business Objects implementation team.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Microsoft
    Out of Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, IBM SPSS, and Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel is by far the most common tool used for anything data-related across organizations. Accordingly, our organization has also implemented Microsoft Excel as a first-step tool. We recently adopted Microsoft Power BI (the free version), and use it occasionally (mostly for creating dashboards), but it is less commonly understood by stakeholders across our organization and by our clients. Accordingly, Microsoft Excel is more user-friendly and because of its popularity, we can easily look up how to do things in the program online. Google Sheets is a comparable alternative to Microsoft Excel, but because it's cloud-based and we have sensitive data that needs to be protected, we chose against using this software. Finally, a few users (including myself) have access to and utilize IBM's SPSS. For my role, it's a helpful tool to do more rigorous analyses. However, because of its cost and limited functionality as a simple spreadsheet, we only use it for more complex analyses.
    Incentivized
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    SAP
    We selected SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI) based on price. It can stack up against others in terms of price and honestly, that's about it. Salesforce Commerce does a hell of a better job at handling it. However, in the space of Business Intelligence, SAP can do more, and that's why at the end we went with it
    Incentivized
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    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Microsoft
    N/A I was not involved in this process.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAP
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    Microsoft
    Each user can use it to whatever level of expertise they have. It remains the same so users can contribute to another's work regardless of whether they have more or less expertise
    Incentivized
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    SAP
    SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI) Platform supports SOA Service Oriented Architecture. You can start/restart/enable/disable all the servers. You can seamless do load balancing and clustering. It supports all leading application and web server. Supports LDAP SSO integration. People who can work on excel with training they can work on SAP Business Objects Web Intelligence, dashboard, Lumira, Information design tool product suite. Tool is very user friendly and easy to learn and implement
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • Excel has positively impacted the business as it has increased our efficiency.
    • It also saves us the time that we would have spent on making the calculations that it does for us.
    • Since it works on all devices and is compatible with both Windows and Mac, we do not have to invest in any other alternative.
    Read full review
    SAP
    • By generating and distributing reports in a timely manner, we were able to save millions of dollars for the company which otherwise would not have been visible.
    • Almost realtime dashboard, saved the company a huge amount by showing the outages and kept the company from buying a tool to do just that.
    • It showed the customers who were not paying the bills and were missing in the system due to some loophole. This was visible by doing reporting on the theft usage of electricity.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots