CASE STUDY | BANKING | SAP ANALYTICS CLLOUD
Decision Inc. Implements Real-Time Financial Intelligence: Discovery Bank’s Journey To Integrated Reporting And Planning In SAP Analytics Cloud
Solution overview
INDUSTRY
Banking
SOLUTION
SAP Analytics Cloud integrates seamlessly with SAP S4HANA
LOCATION
South Africa
CLIENT
Discovery Bank
AUTHORS
Annika Struwig
Requirement
Discovery Bank faced several critical challenges in its finance planning environment. Their existing processes were heavily reliant on manual Excel-based workflows, leading to inefficiencies and inaccuracies.
Solution
Decision Inc. responded by designing and delivering a comprehensive Daily Tracker Dashboard Reporting Solution leveraging SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) that integrated seamlessly with SAP S4HANA to transform the bank’s finance planning and reporting landscape comprehensively.
Impact
This SAP Analytics Cloud solution not only transformed Discovery Bank’s finance planning but also positioned them for ongoing innovation and growth through data-driven decision making.
The project delivered significant, measurable benefits to Discovery Bank’s finance function:
Client Overview
Discovery Bank, launched as part of Discovery Limited in 2019, is a full-service digital retail bank headquartered in South Africa. Since its inception, the bank has positioned itself as a pioneer in behavioral banking, integrating advanced analytics with personalized financial products designed to improve customers’ financial health and well-being. Within just 5 years of its launch, Discovery Bank attracted over 1 million clients, establishing itself as a significant player in the South African banking landscape.
As a subsidiary of Discovery Limited, a well-established financial services group, Discovery Bank offers a comprehensive range of banking products, including transactional accounts, personal and home loans, savings, and credit cards, all delivered through a seamless digital platform. The bank’s innovative approach leverages customer behavior insights to tailor financial services and reward customers, making it a preferred choice for digitally savvy and financially conscious consumers.
the challenge
Discovery Bank faced several critical challenges in its finance planning environment. Their existing processes were heavily reliant on manual Excel-based workflows, leading to inefficiencies and inaccuracies. The key issues included:
Limited integration between financial systems causing isolated data silos
Latency in data reporting, resulting in delays of up to two days and backwards-looking analysis
Lack of driver-based planning and scenario analysis capabilities, restricting financial agility
High manual effort with dependency on key personnel for data validation and report preparation
Cumbersome data quality checks and slow calculation processes.
To overcome these challenges, the bank required a real-time or near real-time reporting solution integrated with their SAP S4HANA system. Their goals included implementing driver-based budgeting and forecasting, enabling daily granularity for income tracking, and enhancing predictive and scenario-based planning within a unified platform.
THE SOLUTION
Decision Inc. responded by designing and delivering a comprehensive Daily Tracker Dashboard Reporting Solution leveraging SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) that integrated seamlessly with SAP S4HANA to transform the bank’s finance planning and reporting landscape comprehensively.
The Solution Delivered the Following to Discovery Bank:
INTEGRATION
Centralised financial data into a single model supporting income statement and balance sheet reporting seamlessly integrated with SAP S4HANA.
CONNECTIVITY
Used SAP Cloud Connector and SAC Agent for secure, scheduled integration, ensuring data alignment and consistency.
AUTOMATION
Implemented planning-enabled SAC models, replacing manual Excel sheets with automated driver-based budgeting and forecasting.
GRANULARITY
Enabled daily disaggregation of forecast data, allowing granular, near real-time scenario analysis and performance tracking.
ACCESSIBILITY
Delivered dynamic, interactive SAC Stories with flexibility to access reports directly in SAP Analytics Cloud.
This approach was executed in phased stages including analysis, design, development, testing, user acceptance, training, and post-go-live support. Rigorous quality assurance and strong project governance guaranteed delivery of a fit-for-purpose, high-quality solution.
Overall, Decision Inc.’s solution delivered a robust, scalable finance planning platform integrated tightly with SAP S4HANA’s powerful data foundation, positioning Discovery Bank for ongoing financial excellence through data-driven decision making, agility, and reporting transparency.
This integration and automation will ultimately free up finance resources to focus more on strategic activities rather than time-consuming data consolidation and error correction tasks.
Customer Testimonial
Decision Inc. proposed a clear, seamless solution that fully leveraged our existing technology stack. The implementation was effortless, with an emphasis on adding value at each stage. As a result, we now have significantly enhanced reporting and planning capabilities, with exciting opportunities to expand the scope as we advance toward the Finance of the Future.
Greg Murphy, Head of Capital and Commercial Management, Discovery Bank
The outcome
This SAP Analytics Cloud solution not only transformed Discovery Bank’s finance planning but also positioned them for ongoing innovation and growth through data-driven decision making.
The project delivered significant, measurable benefits to Discovery Bank’s finance function:
Replaced manual, error-prone Excel workflows with a robust, automated planning platform, improving efficiency and scalability.
Increased confidence in budgeting and forecasting through integrated driver-based planning and predictive analytics.
Reduced reliance on key personnel by automating data consolidation and validation processes, lowering operational risk.
Strengthened transparency and drill-through capabilities, empowering finance teams with actionable insights.
Enabled near real-time data availability and daily tracking of income and key performance indicators, enhancing decision agility.
Accelerated financial planning cycle times, allowing rapid response to market changes and improved operational performance.
