SAP Fiori is the design system and user experience (UX) approach that SAP has developed for its business applications. Instead of hundreds of transaction codes, it gives users simple apps prepared for their role. These apps are used through the SAP Fiori launchpad, which opens in a browser, and, for suitable apps and depending on device and security conditions, on desktop, tablet and phone. The launchpad on its own is not Fiori; it is the entry point to the apps, and SAP GUI applications can also be opened from within the launchpad.
In SAP S/4HANA, Fiori is the core user experience approach recommended by SAP. Classic SAP GUI screens may continue to be used for some tasks, while a significant share of new functions is delivered as Fiori apps. How far this applies varies by release and usage model. The word “Fiori” means “flowers” in Italian; SAP uses it as a product name.
With SAP Fiori, the most widely used SAP applications are now offered to users through a brand-new interface, on both desktop and mobile devices. Designed around the needs of the end user, SAP Fiori's flexible foundation allows existing SAP processes to run more effectively and efficiently.
Fiori should be thought of not as a cosmetic makeover of screens but as a structure made up of several layers:
SAP's ready-made apps are listed by role, product and release in the SAP Fiori Apps Reference Library. In a Fiori project, the first step is usually to determine which standard apps from this library will be used.
SAP GUI is SAP's classic interface and works with transaction codes; for example, among the classic SAP GUI transaction codes, FB50 is used to enter a general ledger posting and F110 to run the automatic payment program. The availability of Fiori apps for similar tasks varies by release. Besides the client installed on the computer, SAP GUI can also be used in a browser via SAP GUI for HTML and launched from the launchpad. Fiori, by contrast, is browser-based and guides users according to the task they need to perform.
In practice, the two interfaces are used side by side for a while in most S/4HANA projects. Expert users doing heavy data entry may prefer SAP GUI for some tasks, while managers, approvers and occasional users benefit most from Fiori.
Fiori's role-based structure is seen most clearly in finance teams. Users in different roles on the same system work with a different start screen:
Which standard apps can be used in these roles depends on the release, licence, roles and authorisations.
One of Montag's case studies is a good example of this last use. At one of Türkiye's leading textile companies, bank integrations, SAP Treasury & Risk Management and the cash flow infrastructure were set up first; then a management cockpit was created to monitor loans, deposits, the FX position, letters of guarantee, letters of credit and cash flow. In the cockpit, financial reports were visualised in SAP Analytics Cloud, while SAP Fiori-based management screens let executives go straight to the indicators they need instead of navigating complex SAP transaction screens. With these two platforms, the indicators became viewable on iPad, iPhone, Android and other compatible devices. For details, see the CFO cockpit case study.
Fiori's success depends less on how good the screens look than on delivering the right app to the right user. Clarifying the following points before the project starts saves time:
The answers to these questions determine whether Fiori will be just a new interface or a working environment that genuinely makes users' work easier.
Montag handles the roll-out of standard Fiori apps and the launchpad and role design; for needs that standard SAP processes do not meet, it also carries out custom ABAP development and Fiori interface design, and it handles this work together with finance processes, bank integrations and management reporting. For details of the scope, see our services.
For companies that want to present financial indicators to senior management on a single screen on mobile devices, our CFO Reporting Cockpit package uses SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP Fiori together.
To plan your move to Fiori or to assess role-based screens for your finance team together, you can reach us through our contact page.
SAP Fiori is the design system and user experience that SAP has developed for its business applications. Instead of transaction codes, it gives users simple apps prepared for their roles and, for compatible apps, lets them be used with the same logic on computer, tablet and phone. In SAP S/4HANA, it is the main interface recommended by SAP.
“Fiori” means “flowers” in Italian. SAP uses the word as the product name of its user experience and design system. In the SAP context, Fiori refers to the modern, role-based interface of SAP applications.
SAP GUI is the classic SAP interface that works with transaction codes; it can be used through a client installed on the computer or from a browser via SAP GUI for HTML. Fiori is an interface that opens in a browser and, for compatible apps, on mobile devices, and presents users with apps according to their role. In S/4HANA projects, the two interfaces are often used side by side for a while.
The Fiori launchpad is the entry screen through which users access Fiori apps from a browser. It is not just a tile screen; current releases include the Spaces & Pages layout, roles, catalogs and navigation options. Which apps a user sees is determined by authorisations together with launchpad content assignments.
No. Fiori apps can also be used on previous-generation SAP ERP (ECC) systems with a certain infrastructure; on the ECC side, SAP Gateway and front-end requirements, as well as release compatibility, are assessed for compatible Fiori apps. In S/4HANA, however, Fiori is the main interface recommended by SAP, and the range of apps is much broader.