In an era where AI increasingly generates and surfaces insights, clarity, consistency, and trust in how data is presented becomes more critical. The International Business Communication Standards (IBCS) provides a global framework to ensure business information is visualized in a way that is consistent, comparable, and universally interpretable.
We’re excited to share that SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) in Business Data Cloud (BDC) has been re-certified by IBCS until February 2028. This re-certification reflects SAP’s continued commitment to:
- Standardized Visual Communication across ALL Analytics Experiences
- Reducing Cognitive Load for Consumers
- Enabling Faster and Confident Decision
Continuous Improvements toward IBCS Excellence
IBCS re-certification is driven by a series of targeted enhancements that improve how users interpret and interact with data, strengthening consistency, readability, and comparability across analytics experiences. As part of the February 2028 re-certification, SAP Analytics Cloud within Business Data Cloud introduces several key improvements, which we explore in more detail below.
Sort with 100% Stacked Bar Charts
We now support sorting for 100% stacked bar charts, allowing users to order categories based on values or measures. This enhancement improves data analysis by making trends and comparisons easier to interpret.
Grid Lines for Improved Readability
We’ve introduced Grid Lines which can be toggled on and off via the Designer in the Charts Show / Hide settings. It can help improve the readability of the Chart and make it easier to interpret data points that have their data labels hidden due to collision. There is an option to update the color of the Grid Lines via the Styling Panel.
+/- Indicators for Table Comparisons
Within Tables, Designers can now configure the +/- indicators for comparison calculations, making variances immediately distinguishable and clearly communicated at a glance.
Configurable Separator Line Color and Axis / Separator Line Thickness
Separator line and axis line thickness can now be controlled, and separator line color can be configured. Axis line color remains configurable, providing consistent flexibility in defining visual structure and hierarchy.
Improved Padding for Data Label Backgrounds
Refined data label background padding improves readability and ensures values remain clear and legible, even in compact visualizations.
Enhanced Axis Title Configuration
For Viewers to have better context, Designers can now add Axis Titles which reflects the name of the bound object. It helps in understanding what data is being represented on each axis.
For the Axis Title, we allow the configure of the color and position. For the X-Axis Title we support a left, center, and right alignment while for the Y-Axis we support a centre and top alignment.
Adjust Bar Width at Widget Level
You can now adjust the bar width at the widget level, instead of having to use Chart Scaling, giving designers greater control over the appearance of individual bar and column charts.
Setting the widget-level bar width overrides chart scaling bar width and default bar width settings for the chart. All other chart scaling settings are still applied.
Expanded Number Format Settings in Themes (Tables & Geo)
Extended number formatting options within themes ensure consistent representation of values across tables and geo visualizations, strengthening enterprise-wide standardization.
Why This Matters AND What Comes Next
IBCS is not just a design guideline, it is a foundation for trusted, scalable analytics. With this re-certification, SAC in BDC continues to:
- Deliver Consistent and Interpretable Insights
- Enable Consumers to Build Mental Models for Faster Decisions with Confidence
- Provide a Standardized Layer for Analytics in AI-driven and Application-Embedded Scenarios
With this, it is important to:
- Revisit YOUR Dashboards and Align them with IBCS Best Practices
- Leverage these Enhancements to Standardize how Insights are Communicated Across YOUR Organization
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