Value Driver Trees (VDTs) help you visualize how key business metrics relate to each other. In SAP Analytics Cloud, they’re an essential tool for modeling how changes in one driver—like pricing, headcount, or expenses—can impact downstream outcomes such as gross margin or net income. This article walks you through the steps to set up a VDT from scratch, using your planning model.
When to Use a Value Driver Tree
Use a VDT when you want to:
- Build driver-based plans that reflect real-world business logic
- Simulate changes to metrics and see their immediate impact
- Present complex plans in a visual, easy-to-understand format
- Support top-down and bottom-up planning
Prerequisites
Before setting up a VDT, make sure:
- You’re using a planning model (import data model)
- The model includes date and version dimensions
- You have planning permissions to enter and publish data
- The story canvas is ready to insert widgets
Steps to Create a Value Driver Tree
Add a VDT to Your Story
1
In your story, go to the canvas view
2
Select Add > Value Driver Tree
3
Choose either a responsive layout or a fixed widget
4
Pick your planning model from the data source list
5
Click Create New Value Driver Tree
Add and Configure Nodes
1
Each node represents a value (like revenue or quantity). You can:
2
Add nodes manually one at a time
3
Auto-generate nodes based on the model structure
4
Duplicate existing nodes and adjust their logic
Add and Configure Nodes
1
Right-click anywhere on the VDT
2
Select Add Node or Auto-create from Model
3
Choose a measure, account, and (optionally) a structure
4
Define how the node filters or splits its data (e.g., by region or product)
Common Node Configurations
| Setup Option | When to use it |
|---|---|
|
One measure, one structure |
Keep it simple—just display a single row (e.g., revenue in USD) |
|
One measure, multiple structures |
Show comparisons (e.g., actuals vs. forecast, or different currencies) |
|
Multiple measures |
Display related KPIs (e.g., sales volume and sales value) in a single node |
Note
- You can’t mix measures, accounts, and structures all at once—choose two of the three.
Linking Nodes
To connect your nodes:
- Drag the link icon from one node to another (parent to child or child to parent)
- Use the Relationships panel to add or remove connections
- Each node can have multiple parents or children, but cannot form cycles
