Magic word Fiori
It's like this:
"In the evening, we glide quickly and easily through the Internet on our tablet, navigate intuitively through the portals and use our fingers, the mouse or the keyboard as required.
The next morning we boot up our computer and fight our way through a jungle of tables and columns of figures from which we can only wrest the secrets we need with cunning and trickery and countless jumps"
Alexander Trapp, developer for new technologies at G.I.B, describes the dichotomy in the use of information technology in work and leisure.
"The Fiori design concept pushes the consumerization of IT, with a focus on the user experience"
explains Trapp.
"We are in close contact with our users to find out how they use our add-ons. Understanding the business processes is important.
We are trying to understand whether the user is initiating and executing certain work steps in this particular way because it makes sense and is logical for them, or whether they are being forced to do so by the system."
After looking over the shoulder, the new findings need to be incorporated into the Fiori concept. Trapp and his colleagues often use the 1-1-3 principle for this.
This is a basic Fiori approach, whereby exactly one use case is considered for one role. The aim is to achieve the desired result with a maximum of three navigation steps.
The user puts together the Fiori apps assigned to him (or his user roles) on the Launchpad according to his wishes and executes them with a click or a touch gesture.
"The aim is to simplify transactions by reducing them to the essentials"
explains Trapp,
"In doing so, we are also completely breaking away from the familiar SAP interfaces and presenting the user with a modern, intuitive design."
Neuronal networking
The technical implementation takes place with the help of a so-called framework. A framework is the environment that the expert uses to develop their programs.
The framework contains programming aids, libraries, tips and programming examples to support them in their work. The comprehensive UI5 framework is based on the Java programming language and enables the development of mobile, web-based applications with the new SAP Fiori look and feel.
The exchange of figures, data and facts between the web front end and the Abap-based SAP programs takes place via an interface, the so-called OData protocol.
"The communication between the Javascript front end and the Abap-based back end is interwoven and branched, comparable to the neural network of our brain.
In such a complex system, ensuring data consistency and a coherent data return flow is extremely difficult. Front-end and back-end developers must therefore be in constant dialog"
explains Sabine Hopmann, Abap programmer in the New Tech team at G.I.B. In addition, there is a desire for speed.
First-class performance plays a very important role, especially in the mobile sector. The high expectations of users are often at odds with the complex computing operations of SAP programs.
"When it comes to speed, we immediately think of Hana and in-memory data management, which is another technological building block in the system architecture of the future"
adds Hopmann.
In fact, the terms Hana, in-memory, UI5 and Fiori are on everyone's lips, but are still a long way from reaching every company.
"The new technology and the requirement for simplification are revolutionary changes in the market, and not just for SAP users.
Of course, companies first have to be convinced of the economic benefits of the sometimes considerable investment"
says Sabine Hopmann.
The future belongs to apps
In addition, a simple, intuitive user interface that is both efficient and functional is anything but trivial to develop.
"Creating meaningful apps is a major challenge. It takes time"
adds the Abap expert. Nevertheless, the new tech developers Hopmann and Trapp agree: the future of SAP user interfaces belongs to Fiori apps.
