The goal for its company’s engineers has been to design IT solutions for business under the main premise of creating solutions to deal with data in real-time. The first systems of the German giant had a simple interface. They were not designed with UX in mind. In addition, it was rather difficult for SAP programmers to aspire to a specific style as it was a time of discovering new paths in the IT industry. This is why for many years (especially in times when a fast Internet was a dream straight out of sci-fi books) the company systems’ front-end was not a paragon of user friendliness.
We look differently on the surrounding world
As time went on, it became clear that not only the hardware, but also the way to handle it, underwent transformation. Devices changed their look, purpose, became equipped with touch screens and went mobile. It became obvious that office work could be performed any place on Earth as long as there was Internet access. This changed the user’s outlook towards technology. It also meant that German SAP had to face a huge challenge: it had to deal head-on with the flexibility and fast pace of concurrent technology. Thus Fiori came about – an entirely mobile SAP product.
Mobility at SAP
SAP introduced a tool that is available regardless of whether the user’s system is located on-premise or in the cloud. The purpose behind it was to simplify business processes occurring in the structures of many organisations to an even wider extent. Fiori is a business application, or rather a whole suite of applications, based on new system access logic founded on the architecture previously used in SAP HANA solutions. Its foundation in UI5 technology allows for the access to business functions from any device; both by means of web browser as well as standalone application. The suite was designed with ergonomics in mind (UI and UX).
SAP Fiori value in use
Solution architects have betted on five basic values that need to be adhered to in order for the balance of tool use to be preserved:
1. Responsiveness – the application needs to be available on a number of platforms and devices (stationary as well as mobile). It automatically adjusts to the user device’s screen resolution and it adjusts the sizing of the elements to the parameter-described requirements.
Advantages:
– simple navigation;
– legible content;
– ease of use regardless of the device;
– automatic adjustment to the device in hand.
2. Intuitiveness – for the application to be intuitive it needs to be simple to use and not be complex on many levels. User interface (UI) rules have been applied here so that the entire application is as tailored to the expected user behaviour as possible.
Advantages:
– ease of use;
– fast pace of work.
3. Integrity – one common interface on all devices, a point of access to the functionality from all areas and applications.
Advantages:
– no need to re-learn anything after switching from one device or platform to another;
– access to key elements from one location.
4. Security – great emphasis on data security that could be compromised by e.g. a user losing the mobile device.
Advantages:
– comfort of work;
– sense of security.
5. Enjoyment – tool operates in accordance with user experience (UX), that is modern in design and that drastically transforms and enhances the way the user interacts with the system.
Advantages:
– even more intuitive and satisfactory use of the solution.
Do what you do well
An important features of Fiori is also its focus on specific roles and assignment of specific privileges to specific application users by the administrator. These roles can be categorised for instance as: managers, employees, sales representatives, purchasing specialists, etc. This form of device use determines the ease of access to key functionalities.
At the same time, due to the implementation of intelligent views, the application enables users to monitor processes, prepare analytical reports as well as perform tasks or make decisions based on these reports.
Is that it?
No. SAP Fiori is a product that we can develop even further. Similarly to Hicron’s realisations for PKP project. It is possible to create a solution containing precisely those options and modules that are required by the business.
Even more so, and we are talking about Fiori here, it is a solution equipped with a number of dedicated applications: a full list of which can be found at here.
Solution of the future
Technology undergoes constant transformations and one cannot assume that what is best today will remain so in 10, 20 or 30 years. Nevertheless, SAP Fiori is constantly being honed and polished, and the number of applications in the SAP library grows by the day.
More and more companies are discovering that they need to keep adjusting to market trends and keep up with the mobile and fast-paced world’s zeitgeist. Because of its real-time reporting ability, Fiori becomes an indispensable business partner to many managers, who now can leave the office and still keep everything under control. The tool’s usefulness was recognised by Red Dot Award, which awarded SAP for the Design Concept of 2015. Find out more at YouTube.
