Fiori and UI5 - detours into the mobile world

We don't even want to talk about intuitive meaning. Until now, SAP had to be worked for - and once you'd managed it, you were proud of it.

Small fonts and minimal design are just as much a part of SAP as the ingenious system behind it. But it would be unfair not to mention that SAP has been working on this topic for years.

The answer to questions about user-friendliness and an appealing design are HTML5 applications that run in modern browsers and are created using the in-house SAPUI5 toolbox.

So far, so good - but unfortunately a new technology does not automatically mean user acceptance.

Fiori: bouquet full of user-friendliness, bumpy start

Since 2013, SAP has been working intensively and independently of the application to redefine user acceptance and, with SAP Fiori, is delivering a design concept that predefines the implementation of mobile applications based on SAPUI5.

This allows partners and customers to concentrate on implementing the application without having to develop their own UX strategy and thus also reach occasional users.

As beautiful as the new colorful world looks at first glance, getting started can be bumpy. Despite the design principle of device independence, Fiori unfortunately does not mean that every Fiori app from the Fiori Apps Library can automatically be used on mobile devices.

A look at the library shows that many applications are based on WebDynpro and are therefore not suitable for smartphone and tablet.

SAP's marketing trick box

Malicious tongues could claim that SAP is reaching deep into its marketing bag of tricks here, because interesting Fiori applications with a high customer benefit are often only provided for a Hana database or even only for S/4.

In addition, there is confusion when it comes to choosing the right web application development environment. Should it be Eclipse with a jungle of plug-ins, a WebIDE installed on premise with a reduced range of functions or the WebIDE in the Hana cloud?

As a user, you quickly feel left alone here and are tempted to fall in love with the old interfaces again.

SAP's strategy may certainly also have technological reasons, but it does not hide the fact that the main aim is to create an incentive to make the leap to Hana or S/4.

Into the mobile world with existing licenses

Nevertheless, users should not be discouraged so quickly, as there are a number of tools available for the design and use of Fiori apps within the scope of the existing licenses.

With the SAPUI5 toolbox, the associated design concept and the app templates supplied, the first Fiori applications can be implemented and connected to SAP business applications in a very short time.

Especially if the Fiori Library does not contain the right application for your own processes. The infrastructure requirements are minimal and can be scaled to the respective use case as usual.

You may need a service provider to design your own apps. However, the effort is manageable and worthwhile in any case.

In this way, SAP's approach of not only integrating occasional users in warehouses and production halls or approvers at train stations, highways and airports into the processes, but also generating acceptance for the software, is fulfilled in a small roundabout way.

This is a huge step towards usability and away from the old, somewhat dusty interfaces.

And even if many Fiori apps require a Hana database or S/4, the range of apps for the classic Business Suite is already very extensive and has the best chances of significantly improving the acceptance of SAP applications, which is urgently needed in some cases, and not waiting for the concrete S/4 strategy.