Intelligent User Experience Transformation with SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA: it’s not "Why", it’s "When".

Giving users an intuitive, simple yet powerful entry point to access all their SAP applications, as well as other related business applications, is a strategic priority for SAP, since it is one of the key requirements requested by all SAP customers.

SAP has over 300,000 screens and 12,000 transaction codes to arrive at our destination and then having 100’s to 1000’s of fields to fill in or bypass, we can now use the simplicity of a Fiori role-based User Interface.

SAP introduced SAP Fiori in 2011 as an entirely new user interface, designed from scratch considering new trends and achievements in user experience, which differs from the existing transactional interfaces. This experience is available on SAP devices, third party platforms, and mobile applications. It promises to allow users to access key business information through touch-enabled devices with simple gestures.?

SAP Fiori gets its name?from the Italian word for flower. Flowers are nice to look at, shaped with nature's intelligent design, and delightful to behold.?

Interfaces created with SAP Fiori are more transparent, optimized for a given user role and tailored to the needs of the user. SAP Fiori cannot be compared to classic user experience versions (SAP GUI for example).

The SAP Fiori Launchpad (FLP) is the starting point for using SAP Fiori. It clusters the SAP Fiori applications relevant for users and provides access to the SAP Fiori apps. Users also have the possibility to adjust their SAP Fiori Launchpad by removing, re-adjusting, and adding SAP Fiori apps.

Why SAP Fiori remains important in S/4HANA in 2022

SAP Fiori is more than just an alternative user interface for SAP S/4HANA. Getting to the new business value of UX is a funnel.?If we do not consider the full breadth of the UX available early, we are likely to miss out on most useful opportunities. All the best digital transformation benefits in SAP S/4HANA are now delivered in SAP Fiori.

• New innovations: machine learning, artificial intelligence, and chatbots are available in SAP Fiori only.?
• New business processes:?for example, demand-driven MRP (Material Resource Planning), group reporting (for Finance), and central procurement, require SAP Fiori.?
• Insight into action paradigm:?SAP Fiori combines analytical data with transactional processing on a single user interface with very flexible app-to-app navigation that supports the train-of-thought of the knowledge worker.?
• Simplified processes:?These offer more efficient business control.?
• Improved user experience for end users: a more precise fit to their tasks for their business role, with personalization options that improve their personal productivity.?

Fiori Problem statements in a S/4 implementation Project.

S/4HANA on-premise and S/4HANA Cloud versions are introducing new innovations in Fiori, many customers are still unsure about how to include SAP Fiori in their SAP S/4HANA project.

Typical problem statements are

• How do we move to a “Fiori First” Browser Based Approach? Our end users have been using SAP GUI for the past 10+ years and always comfortable with SAP Transactions.?
• Can we do a fractured approach with SAP Fiori & SAP GUI or migrate first with SAP GUI and later innovate with SAP Fiori?
• How do we increase end user awareness and adoption if we develop and deploy Fiori applications??
• If we are using standard and custom SAP Fiori apps in our ECC system now, do we need to reinvent the wheel when we move to S/4HANA?
• Lack of proper estimation tools to estimate resources/timeline/efforts for UX Projects.

What will clients miss out in S/4HANA without SAP Fiori

Although customers can carry out a lot of their business process accessing the system via backend SAP GUI instead of Fiori apps, they would miss a lot.?

1. User Experience:?Fiori User experience is a lot more intuitive. Hence less training is required for end users. For Brownfield customers, there will be change management issues and Fiori training required.?
2. New ways of working:?People assume that there is a 1:1 relationship between SAP GUI and SAP Fiori. With SAP Fiori, transaction may have been decomposed into multiple apps (or vice versa); either way, promoting new, more efficient ways of working.
3. Reporting:?Without Fiori, customers are severely restricted in their ability to exploit Embedded Analytics that are a core part of SAP S/4HANA.

SAP Digital experience tools in SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform)

SAP BTP is a combination of different services which are available on the cloud. These gives customers the possibility to create an engaging digital experience, and build and extend SAP applications, quickly and efficiently.??

SAP Extension Suite (formerly known as part of SAP Cloud Platform) enables businesses to rapidly build and enhance applications, processes and Digital experiences.?

SAP Mobile Services, SAP WorkZone, SAP Launchpad services, SAP Fiori and Conversational AI under SAP Extension suite are Digital experience tools available.

For example, the challenge of making application UIs from different products available in a central entry point is addressed by the SAP Fiori launchpad for SAP BTP, which is offered as a cloud service on SAP BTP.??It provides an integrated user experience spanning diverse SAP and third-party applications across the customer landscape and comprises the following:

• It allows end users to see and launch all available applications assigned to their role.
• It offers cross-product app-to-app navigation.
• It provides complementary integration capabilities such as central inbox, notifications, search, and digital assistance.

How should System Integrations (SI’s) help organizations in understanding SAP S/4HANA Fiori and create a UX Roadmap.

Delivering User Experience (UX) is a core capability of S/4HANA projects, regardless of the business processes being deployed.?

SAP System integrators are responsible in showing the right UX direction to organizations during implementations. They should do this by

1. Have a UX Lead, who takes the central responsibility to ensure the project delivers a coherent and valuable user experience to the target audience.?
2. Educate and build SAP Fiori awareness early during discovery and prepare phases of the project for end users/client facing resources. Generate interest, excitement, and FOMO (fear of missing out).
3. Develop a UX Roadmap jointly with the customer across multiple phases?

• Start small and grow your UX (plan the UX roadmap)
• Start with a lean launchpad focusing on Essentials.
• Talk to end users, understand their pain points, and make recommendations.

4. Conduct Design thinking workshops with Management teams to discuss gaps.

5. Build a UX Center of Excellence (COE) and develop UX Governance principles.

6. Work on Customer experience teams together in projects. They bring a different perspective in SAP UX projects.???