5/21/22, 5:46 PM What is SAP Fiori

MU LTI C LOU D A S A SERV ICE

What is SAP Fiori?

By Managed Cloud Services team

5 minute read 13 August 2019

SAP Fiori is the user interface or user experience (UX) that supplements and can replace the
SAP GUI. This streamlined application uses tiles to encapsulate standard tasks, such as
approving purchase requisitions, viewing sales orders, and approving timesheets. What is
SAP Fiori? This is still a question worth asking as the UX is evolving and getting more
sophisticated since its initial launch in 2013.

What is SAP Fiori?

Fiori is a streamlined application, delivering a role-based user experience that can be

personalized across all lines of business, tasks and devices. It uses tiles toConnect with us
encapsulate
standard tasks like viewing sales orders or approving timesheets. Based on customer input,
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5/21/22, 5:46 PM What is SAP Fiori

SAP devised the SAP Fiori UX with user friendliness and ease of use in mind. The UX also
provides mobile deployment capabilities so users can work without needing access to a
computer.

Ultimately, there’s a significant difference between the SAP GUI and SAP Fiori UX. While the
older GUI was bulky and hard to learn or train on, SAP Fiori has the seamless movements
and controls you would expect out of any mobile application. The screens are simple,
customizable and modern, and there are none of the unnecessary tabs and fields the
previous UX had.

SAP Fiori 2.0

SAP Fiori 2.0 launched in October 2016 as an update to Fiori adding UX functions that were
missing in the first version, e.g., enhanced navigation, multi-application management and
proactive system notifications. Developed as the latest evolution for SAP HANA and
S/4HANA, version 2.0 offers a new visual design that can adapt Fiori UIs to corporate
identities. Other features introduced in SAP Fiori 2.0 include an overview page, which
streamlines information flow, list reports, object pages and a launchpad for navigating apps.
The launchpad enables querying for apps that may be required for new processes and new
ways to organize tools intuitively. A Viewport expands users’ desktops to the right and left.
SAP Fiori 3.0 is the new target design being planned from SAP, which evolves the design
system to fully support the Intelligent Suite.

The benefits of Fiori

What are some SAP Fiori benefits? Users report increased productivity with Fiori. Research
reveals that Fiori delivers a 64% reduction in time needed to complete a task compared to
SAP GUI. It’s simpler and easier to learn, so it drives a strong adoption rate and cuts training
time. Employees also tend to get less frustrated with Fiori.

SAP Fiori offers more intuitive workflows that feature business logic instead of SAP logic.
Users who are not experts in SAP find this easier to use. People can move around in the
organization more readily. They don’t have to retrain on SAP to switch roles. The UX also
results in improved mobility. In contrast to the mouse-and-keyboard structure of the SAP GUI,
Fiori-based applications are usable by mobile employees on a variety of device types.

On the application development side, users of SAP Fiori on HANA find less need to build
their own tools. This is partly the result of the expanding Fiori library. In addition, the
SAP/Apple partnership provides a range of preset app options.

SAP Fiori architecture

Developed to meet new enterprise IT criteria, SAP devised Fiori to be available on demand in
the cloud and on-premises. Fiori must also support multiple device form factors. Some
architectural principles underpinning Fiori include:
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Central access to apps through the SAP Fiori launchpad – supporting personalization,
navigation and configuration

Security with single sign-on (SSO) as well as role-based authentication and

authorization

Open Data Protocol (OData), which facilitates secure provisioning and data
consumption

Fiori also embeds analytics into apps, if required. Developers can engage in custom
development, so they are able to design, build and deploy SAP Fiori apps rapidly. They
achieve this goal by using Fiori’s enterprise-ready UI development toolkit, which is based on
SAPUI5 with support for HTML5 and JavaScript. This makes possible app extensibility, with
possible enhancements to apps through the SAP Web IDE and its templates.

As a result of this architecture, SAP Fiori is not tied to a specific device, session or user. Fiori
app users can start a task and save it in an incomplete form. Later, they can resume working
on it from a different device. The app automatically saves data asynchronously. Users can
even hand off partially - completed tasks to one another.

Deployment options

When it comes to SAP Fiori deployment options, admins have five basic choices: Fiori Front
End Server (FES) embedded deployment, FES hub deployment, gateway embedded, gateway
hub and cloud. Each approach suits a specific set of requirements and SAP landscape
preferences.

FES embedded deployment, where Fiori is embedded in a single SAP landscape, is the
simplest deployment option9. It is best for situations where there is a single Fiori
instance running.

FES hub deployment, which bundles the Fiori UI components, SAP Launchpad and SAP
Gateway. Business logic and traditional UIs stay on the back end, so you can integrate
multiple back end systems like SAP CRM and SRM.

Gateway embedded, where the SAP Gateway is embedded in the back end, which
makes it possible to integrate cloud FES instances with a cloud connector..

Gateway hub, here SAP Gateway serves as a hub – making it easy to connect the
backend with FES in the cloud.

SAP Fiori Cloud, with FES in the cloud on a standalone basis. It connects to back end
systems that are on-premises.

Launchpad configuration

SAP Fiori Launchpad configuration involves a shell which hosts SAP Fiori apps. At the same
time, the shell provides the apps with configuration, navigation and personalization services,
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along with embedded support. The result is a tile-based information architecture. Each tile
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5/21/22, 5:46 PM What is SAP Fiori

represents a business application, which can be launched by the user. Tiles display
according to the user’s role and indicate live statuses, such as how the number of open
tasks.

SAP GUI vs. Fiori

Ultimately, how can you compare the SAP GUI vs. Fiori? Fiori offers several clear benefits
over SAP GUI, including better productivity and multi-device task workflows. In architectural
terms, Fiori gives you the advantage of RESTful APIs, which are more fluid and easily
connected than traditional SAP application integration tools.

Fiori is projected to replace SAP GUI, particularly in organizations that are migrating to HANA
and S/4HANA. This is mostly the result of a better UX overall, developed to enhance the new
database. The older GUI is comparatively bulky and difficult to learn (or train). Fiori is built in
HTML5. As a result, it has the kind of seamless movements and controls you expect from a
modern mobile app. The screens are simple and clean in design, matching what users
expect from today’s applications.

Moving forward with SAP Fiori

SAP Fiori is simple for users, but behind the scenes it can be challenging to set up and
manage. Configuration and gateways require expertise to navigate the pitfalls of the project
as well as being able to identify the additional stakeholders needed for a mobilizing your
applications. Additionally, if you’re harnessing SAP Fiori as part of a more complex project,
such as an SAP HANA migration, an SAP-certified partner like NTT can ease the transition
and help optimize your new IT landscape.

Learn more about how we can help your business harness the competitive benefits of SAP
Fiori.

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