SAP Fiori is a user experience (UX) platform designed to simplify and streamline enterprise software systems, allow users to easily access critical business functions, and revolutionize how businesses interact with their SAP software systems.
This article explores the main features and benefits of SAP Fiori, how it has transformed enterprise operations, and where our team of SAP consultants can fit in your organization.
Understanding SAP Fiori Architecture
SAP Fiori is a functional application design system within SAP architecture that provides the tools needed to help users create business applications with greater accuracy, customize SAP solutions to meet evolving organizational needs, and maintain compliance with industry design guidelines.
Main Advantages of the SAP Fiori Cloud
With SAP Fiori, users can build and customize apps to meet evolving business needs and ensure that application designs are consistent across all SAP products, including SAP S/4HANA and the SAP Graphical User Interface (GUI).
Here are a few critical advantages of the SAP Fiori Cloud across the entire SAP architecture:
- Improve the speed and efficiency of onboarding and training for new employees
- Encourage employees to complete tasks quickly and accurately to maintain high levels of employee engagement and satisfaction
- Improve user productivity and data quality across all SAP applications
- Leverage native mobile deployment capabilities and web apps to improve accessibility
- Adapt and scale app development to meet evolving business and user needs
- Create functional apps and ensure application designs remain consistent across systems
- Increase efficiency of app creation, testing, and deployment processes across apps
Key Components of SAP Fiori
As an intuitive framework designed to provide a stronger foundation for user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) functions, SAP Fiori provides a few key components that make it easier for users to improve application development and deployment processes across teams.
Here are the key components of the SAP Fiori design system…
1) SAPUI5
SAP UI5 is an HTML5 framework for creating responsive, cross-application web applications that build the foundation for SAP Fiori operations and enable consistent user experiences across the entire enterprise.
With UI5, SAP Fiori users can build custom user interfaces that comply with product, security, and accessibility standards and leverage flexible integrations to extend the functionality of their SAP applications and access the UI development toolkit on all browsers and devices.
2) SAP Fiori Launchpad
The SAP Fiori Launchpad is a central entry point for all SAP Fiori applications on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. The Launchpad provides a dashboard interface for users to access and view all their apps in one place.
As the “shell” that hosts all SAP applications and displays custom home pages and tiles, the Fiori Launchpad provides the functionality needed to display live indicators, manage tasks, and access notifications throughout the SAP cloud platform.
Additional SAP Fiori Launchpad services, like personalization, navigation, app configuration, and embedded support, help users create a more consistent app landscape and experience for all users.
3) SAP Fiori Apps
SAP Fiori apps are role-based, responsive, and designed for various devices such as desktop, tablet, and mobile, providing a simple and intuitive user experience for the most frequently used functions across SAP software.
There are two main types of applications in SAP Fiori:
- Transactional apps: Provide the functionality needed to perform transactional tasks, group apps into catalogs, and assign them to roles in the SAP Fiori Launchpad to improve app visibility and security for users. They also simplify interactions between existing business processes to offer an easier, more efficient way to control what users can see through role-based permissions.
- Analytical apps: Offer better insight into real-time business operations by collecting, displaying, and combining key analytics data and metrics across the SAP Fiori UX. These apps are launched within a key performance indicator (KPI) tile, can be easily created with the SAP Smart Business Modeler, and have the functionality needed to combine SAP HANA analytics and SAP Fiori interface components to improve data accessibility and transparency for users.
4) SAP Fiori Elements
Formerly known as Smart Templates, SAP Fiori elements provide a set of pre-defined templates and patterns to help developers build SAP Fiori apps more efficiently, provide consistency across the SAP Business Suite, and reduce development time for SAP apps.
The SAP Fiori design guidelines included in each element are designed to help users provide a more consistent application design process across business units to maintain compliance with design guidelines.
SAP Fiori elements also minimize the coding required on the front end to build applications in SAP Fiori, making app design and development quicker and easier for users.
5) OData
OData, or Open Protocol Data, is a standardized protocol used as the data model for SAP Fiori app functionality, making it easier for developers to build and consume RESTful web services across their SAP ERP system.
By providing the data needed to define best practices within SAP Web Dispatcher tools, OData helps users identify changes in each application, define functions and uses for reusable app development procedures, and build RESTful APIs to meet individual needs.
6) SAP Gateway
SAP Gateway is a middleware component that provides tools that facilitate better communication and collaboration between SAP systems and SAP Fiori apps, including both SAP and non-SAP applications.
An integral part of SAP NetWeaver, the SAP Gateway uses OData services to connect different devices, systems, and app environments to one comprehensive SAP system.
With SAP Gateway functionality, users are enabled to leverage any programming language or business model to connect applications and exchange important data between the SAP HANA database and SAP Fiori applications.
10 SAP Fiori Apps You Need to Explore
While every business is unique, we’re confident that these 10 SAP Fiori apps should add tremendous value to practically every organization.
1) My Timesheet [App ID – F0397]
The My Timesheet app is perfect for any employee. It allows them to manage their work time quickly and easily from any device. One feature we like is that it allows you to create timesheet entries for a single day or multiple days in a single step.
2) Monitor Project Progress [App ID – F2031]
With this app, project managers can track the schedule and progress of a project, either regularly or in response to specific events. We especially like that you can check project issues grouped into different severity categories and display them in red, yellow, or green according to their criticality.
3) Procurement Overview Page [App ID – F1990]
We consider this app a must-have in every business process. The Procurement Overview Page allows you to view all urgent contracts, purchase requisitions, or spending information according to specified filter criteria. At a glance, the app shows you the most important information and tasks relevant to your business.
4) Invoice Processing Analysis [App ID – F1745]
With this app, you can view the total amount of posted invoices and the total number of posted line items. They can be viewed in a particular month, for a certain supplier, by a certain user, or posted in each processing status.
5) My Accounts [App ID – F0002]
This app helps sales reps search the backend system and display general sales data of their own account or a selected account. They can also access related data such as contacts, leads, and opportunities, and the information can be shared or discussed in SAP Jam. Any sales rep prepping for an account meeting is going to love this app.
6) My Contacts (CRM) [App ID – F0004]
This is another vital app for the sales team. With My Contacts, you can search for contacts stored in the back end, either for your own contacts or all contacts. You can display contact details, start follow-up activities, and edit contact information. So, if a user just met someone new while out and about, getting their contact information into the system is as simple as adding a new contact to one’s mobile device.
7) Sales Management Overview [App ID – F2601]
This app gives sales managers a graphical overview of their sales data on cards. A key feature is the ability to view relevant sales KPIs on each of the cards.
8) Sales Performance – Plan/Actual [App ID – F2941]
With this app, sales managers can compare planned and actual sales data on different dimensions, such as sales organization, customer, and product, helping them better evaluate whether they’re hitting their sales targets.
9) My Tasks (CRM) [App ID – F0003]
The My Tasks app uses information from the CRM to give you an overview of what you need to take care of by a specific date. Our favorite feature is the “Due Today” and “Due This Week” views.
10) My Tasks (PPM) [App ID – F2150]
In addition to #9 on our list, there’s also a My Tasks app for project team members. This version has many useful features that allow you to view the status, severity, and priority of a task at a glance.
How Can We Help?
Whether you need help understanding the main differences between SAP GUI and SAP Fiori architecture to make more informed decisions, additional support outlining plans for a new SAP Fiori implementation project, or just an extra hand maintaining your ABAP backend server to ensure Fiori apps function properly, Surety Systems is here to help.
Our team of senior-level SAP consultants has the technical development skills and functional application expertise needed to help you optimize the functionality of your SAP Fiori design system and make the most of your SAP investments over time.
Getting Started with Us
And, if you’re still asking yourself, “What is SAP Fiori?” we’ve got the answers you need.
From learning how to use the SAP Cloud Platform SDK to build apps more efficiently to outlining SAP Fiori elements floorplans to improve usability, integrating areas of SAP software (i.e., SAP CRM, SAP Analytics Cloud, etc.) for better accessibility, and everything in between, our team of SAP consultants can help.
Contact us today for more information about our SAP consulting services!
