Anyone who has been using TM1 productively for years and is now watching SAP Datasphere grow within their own IT landscape is familiar with this concern: Will we have to rebuild our planning from scratch? The answer is no. TM1 remains TM1. The cubes, rules, and reports that your team has developed over the years will remain unchanged.
What is changing is the data feed. SAP Datasphere is SAP’s cloud data platform for unified data management across SAP and non-SAP systems – a data hub, not a planning application in its own right. For TM1 customers, it becomes the central location where master and transaction data from ERP, CRM, and other sources converge before flowing into the planning process.
The integration works in both directions: TM1 loads current master and transaction data from SAP Datasphere and automatically writes the planning results back. No more manual exports, no clipboard in Excel, no nightly jobs that went wrong in the morning.
Why is SAP Datasphere changing the way TM1 customers receive data?
Many companies are currently restructuring their SAP landscapes. As part of the transition to S/4HANA and SAP’s cloud strategy, SAP Datasphere is increasingly becoming the central data layer through which master and transaction data from ERP, CRM, and other sources are consolidated. For TM1 customers, this means that the familiar manual exports from SAP – which used to be fed into planning via flat files or Excel – no longer fit this new architecture.
Once SAP Datasphere is established as the central data hub within the company, pressure will grow to integrate planning with it rather than feeding it through workarounds. This does not affect every company immediately. As long as SAP Datasphere is not in use or firmly planned for implementation, this issue is not currently relevant for TM1 customers. However, those already working with Datasphere or actively planning its implementation should consider integrating planning early on, before additional manual processes become entrenched.
We explain in detail what TM1 fundamentally offers as a planning platform and how IBM Planning Analytics is structured in our article “What Is TM1?”
How does the technical integration between TM1 and SAP Datasphere work?
Simply put: SAP Datasphere organizes data into different areas, each with a clear purpose – one area makes processed data available for use, another processes and models raw data, and a third receives data from connected systems, including the planning results written back from TM1. This architecture makes SAP Datasphere a data hub: a central, consistent data source that multiple systems can access simultaneously, rather than each system maintaining its own copy of the data.
No completely new interface is programmed from scratch to connect TM1. The connection runs through the SAP Integration Suite – SAP’s standard toolkit for automated data exchange between systems. This significantly shortens the implementation time because off-the-shelf modules are used instead of programming each interface individually. Nevertheless, the architecture and configuration in detail determine whether the integration will be stable and maintainable; this comes down to experience.
Specifically, this means for the data flow: TM1 uses the Integration Suite to load the latest master and transaction data from SAP Datasphere and loads it into the appropriate cubes for planning and forecasting. Conversely, TM1 automatically writes the planning results back to a designated area of SAP Datasphere, from where they are available to other systems in the SAP environment. Both directions are automated; they are not one-time data transfers. For most TM1 customers, this automated write-back is the greatest benefit of the entire integration.
How does a TM1-Datasphere project work in practice?
Because the integration uses off-the-shelf connectors rather than a custom solution built from scratch, it’s realistic to expect to go live in weeks rather than months. The process consists of five steps:
- As-Is Analysis: Existing data sources, current export processes, and the existing SAP Datasphere structure are reviewed and documented.
- Target Architecture: Define how the data domains will be structured in SAP Datasphere and the order in which the cubes will be connected.
- Technical Implementation: The initial data exchange between TM1 and SAP Datasphere is technically tested and validated in both directions.
- Implementation & Testing: The interface’s import and export logic is built and tested with live data in a test environment before going live.
- Go-Live: Handover to production, followed by rollout to additional cubes and companies, as well as training for the team.
We offer a starter package – including an as-is analysis, target architecture, and technical proof of concept – at a fixed price of 9,900€. This package confirms that data can be exchanged between TM1 and SAP Datasphere and outlines how this can be done. The effort required for the subsequent full implementation depends on the scope of the project: the number of cubes, the number of companies, and the complexity of the existing SAP Datasphere structure. We’d be happy to discuss this during a free initial consultation.
An Overview of the Key Facts About the TM1-Datasphere Integration
- Bidirectional: TM1 loads master and transaction data from SAP Datasphere and automatically writes the planning results back.
- Architectural Principle: SAP Datasphere functions as a data hub with separate areas for incoming, processed, and delivered data; it does not have its own planning application.
- Integration approach: SAP Integration Suite serves as the standard toolkit for data exchange; no custom development from scratch is required.
- Approach: IBM Planning Analytics can be connected to SAP Datasphere in a production environment without requiring a system change.
- Timeframe: Go live in weeks rather than months, thanks to standard connectors instead of a custom interface.
- Starter package: Current state analysis, target architecture, and technical implementation for a fixed price of 9,900€.
Glossary: Key Terms Related to TM1 and SAP Datasphere
Technical proof of concept: fixed price of 9,900€, usually one week
Shows where your TM1 landscape stands and what a SAP Datasphere integration actually requires. In a free initial consultation, we’ll first clarify whether any action is needed at all.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About the TM1-SAP Datasphere Integration
How long does it take to set up a TM1 connection to SAP Datasphere?
The current state analysis, target architecture, and technical proof of concept can be offered as a starter package for a fixed price of 9,900€. This demonstrates that data can be exchanged between TM1 and SAP Datasphere. The full implementation – including implementation, testing, and go-live – depends on the scope of the project, particularly the number of cubes and companies, and will be discussed on a case-by-case basis during a meeting.
What TM1 data can be synchronized with SAP Datasphere?
Essentially, all master and transaction data made available in SAP Datasphere – for example, from ERP or CRM systems. The initial analysis conducted at the start of the project determines which specific cubes and data points will be integrated, based on the existing planning structure.
How does the process of writing planning results back to SAP Datasphere work?
The planning results generated in TM1 are automatically transferred via the SAP Integration Suite to a designated area in SAP Datasphere. From there, they are available to other connected systems without having to be manually exported or re-entered.
What requirements must a company meet to connect to the network?
SAP Datasphere should already be in use or specifically planned for implementation, as should a production TM1 or IBM Planning Analytics environment. If a decision on SAP Datasphere has not yet been made, this topic is not worth considering at this time. The initial consultation and subsequent assessment of the current situation will clarify the exact requirements for each specific case.
How much does a TM1-SAP Datasphere integration cost?
The current state analysis, target architecture, and technical proof of concept can be offered as a starter package for a fixed price of 9,900€. This demonstrates that the integration works from a technical standpoint. The subsequent full implementation will then be discussed on a case-by-case basis during a meeting, depending on the number of cubes, companies, and the complexity of the existing SAP Datasphere structure. A flat rate would not account for these differences.
Does TM1 need to be replaced or rebuilt for the integration?
No. TM1 remains TM1. Existing cubes, planning rules, and reports remain unchanged. The integration affects only the data feed, not the planning logic itself.
How does BI2run support the TM1-Datasphere integration?
We’re familiar with TM1 from years of project experience working with companies that have IBM Planning Analytics in production. This experience informs every initial consultation and every current-state analysis: We review your existing TM1 and SAP landscape before we discuss architecture – not the other way around.
If the initial consultation shows that SAP Datasphere isn’t yet sufficiently established in your company to make an integration worthwhile at this time, we’ll tell you so. We’d rather give an honest “not yet” than launch a project that starts in the wrong place.
