The browser-based design and application concept SAP Fiori was redesigned in 2019 with the goal of making work with SAP software as simple, efficient, and enjoyable as possible. With its intuitive interface and consistent design principles, SAP Fiori takes usability and productivity to a new level. SAP Fiori 3.0 replaces complex legacy interfaces with a clean, modern, and user-friendly design. Its focus is on standardizing and personalizing the user experience across all SAP applications.
By 2027, all organizations moving to SAP S/4HANA will be required to use the integrated SAP Fiori applications. That’s why it’s highly recommended to get familiar with the innovations in SAP Fiori early on to ensure a smooth transition to SAP S/4HANA and to benefit from the modern user experience.
SAP Fiori is a design system and user experience (UX) framework developed by SAP to simplify and improve how users interact with SAP products. It’s a cross-application, role-based, and device-independent UI solution that delivers a consistent, app-like experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. With its customizable interface and app-centric navigation, SAP Fiori provides users with a unified and intuitive experience. Its flexibility allows organizations to personalize layouts, tiles, and themes according to business needs and user preferences, enhancing overall productivity and satisfaction.
The SAP Fiori Launchpad serves as the central entry point (homepage) for all SAP Fiori applications. Users can personalize their launchpad by adding, removing, or organizing tiles and groups to create a workspace that fits their daily tasks. This central access point also supports direct links to classic SAP GUI transactions, allowing hybrid use during migration phases. Many users often ask “what is SAP Fiori used for?” – simply put, it transforms how employees access business applications in SAP by replacing traditional transaction-based navigation with modern, task-oriented workflows.
SAP Fiori is built on SAP Fiori apps, which are developed using the SAPUI5 framework (SAP User Interface for HTML5). These apps are the foundation of the Fiori experience and are designed for flexibility and modularity. Businesses can either use standard SAP Fiori apps or create their own custom applications tailored to specific business processes.
Because SAP Fiori is designed to enhance usability and efficiency across all SAP products, SAP plans to transition all applications to Fiori-based interfaces. Over time, SAP Fiori will become the unified user interface across the entire SAP ecosystem. For example, users can launch SAP Fiori from SAP GUI via specific tcodes or links, ensuring continuity between classic and modern environments. This hybrid setup supports gradual adoption and helps IT teams train end users more efficiently.
The SAP Fiori design concept is built on five core principles that define its usability and visual identity:
Role-based:
SAP Fiori aligns closely with the role-based authorization model in SAP systems. Each user has access only to the Fiori apps and functions relevant to their job role, creating a task-focused and uncluttered workspace.
Coherent:
With its consistent and cross-application design, users can easily navigate between different SAP applications. This creates a unified user experience and shortens the learning curve.
Simple:
SAP Fiori eliminates unnecessary functions, enabling users to complete tasks in just a few clicks. This simplicity is one of the key benefits of SAP Fiori – reducing training time and increasing efficiency.
Delightful (Appealing):
The modern design, based on themes like Belize or Quartz, gives SAP Fiori an appealing visual appearance. The intuitive navigation and responsive layout create an enjoyable and engaging experience.
Adaptive:
The SAP Fiori interface is device-independent – accessible through browsers, desktop clients, or the mobile app. This flexibility enables seamless work from anywhere, which is one of the main advantages of SAP Fiori in today’s hybrid workplace environments.
The introduction of SAP S/4HANA brought not only a new database technology and cloud architecture but also an updated SAP Fiori interface. With SAP Fiori 3.0, the web interface was modernized to deliver a seamless, role-based user experience, while the SAP Fiori Launchpad continues to act as the Single Point of Entry (SPE) for all SAP applications.
The Fiori Launchpad gives users direct access to SAP Fiori applications, classic SAP GUI transactions, and other business tools – all within one unified environment. It serves as the main dashboard, offering a personalized workspace that enhances both productivity and usability.
For organizations migrating from SAP GUI to SAP Fiori, the launchpad makes it easier to adopt modern UI standards without disrupting existing workflows. Many users wonder how to access Fiori apps from SAP GUI – the answer lies in this central entry point, where traditional SAP transactions can be mapped and launched directly as Fiori tiles, ensuring a smooth and familiar transition to the modern interface.
Furthermore, the SAP Fiori interface integrates seamlessly with SAP Enable Now, allowing organizations to provide in-app guidance and training directly within the user interface. This integration is particularly valuable for onboarding and change management, helping employees quickly adapt to new SAP Fiori applications.
The core architecture of SAP Fiori 3.0 remains consistent but offers two primary deployment options, each influencing security and authorization concepts differently.
In both cases, SAP recommends aligning the release levels of the Fiori and HANA servers to avoid compatibility issues and ensure consistent performance.
SAP Fiori relies on a set of modern technologies that together deliver a responsive and dynamic user experience:
SAP Fiori 3.0 offers several key advantages that significantly improve productivity, user satisfaction, and business agility:
In short, the benefits of SAP Fiori go beyond design – they redefine how users experience enterprise software, focusing on simplicity, personalization, and speed.
SAP Fiori applications are divided into two main categories:
SAPUI5 Fiori Apps:
SAP Fiori Legacy Apps:
For users transitioning from legacy interfaces, it’s important to know how to add SAP GUI transactions to the SAP Fiori Launchpad. This allows you to integrate traditional SAP functionality into the modern, browser-based Fiori environment.
Common Fiori tcodes (transaction codes) such as /UI2/FLP or /UI2/FLPD_CUST help administrators configure launchpad layouts and maintain business catalogs efficiently.
Popular SAP Fiori apps include:
Each app is designed to deliver a consistent experience and can be tailored to different Fiori roles in SAP, such as HR Administrator, Procurement Manager, or Maintenance Engineer. This role-based approach ensures that users see only the tiles and data relevant to their daily responsibilities.
SAP Fiori security is a crucial part of any implementation and ensures that both data integrity and system access are protected. Security can be maintained by following these best practices:
Organizations often combine these practices with the SAP Fiori security guidelines provided by SAP’s Enable Now platform to train users on secure behavior and system handling. Additionally, the Xiting Authorizations Management Suite (XAMS) can help simplify Fiori security administration.
The Xiting Authorizations Management Suite (XAMS) for SAP Fiori simplifies and accelerates Fiori administration through intelligent automation features. It helps organizations efficiently manage Fiori catalogs, spaces, and pages, while ensuring compliance with SAP authorization concepts.
Key capabilities include:
With XAMS, companies save time, reduce manual analysis efforts, and seamlessly integrate Fiori apps into their authorization framework. This solution is especially beneficial for large enterprises managing hundreds of business roles and custom Fiori apps across different systems.
So, why use SAP Fiori? Because it transforms the way users interact with SAP systems – moving from rigid, transaction-based GUIs to flexible, task-oriented apps. Businesses benefit from:
SAP Fiori isn’t just a UI – it’s a design philosophy that brings usability, agility, and innovation to every level of enterprise operations.
There are three main types:
Yes, SAP provides official documentation and tutorials through the SAP Help Portal and Enable Now learning platform. These resources guide users on how to launch apps, customize the launchpad, and configure business catalogs.
While SAP GUI represents the classic, transaction-based interface of SAP systems, SAP Fiori offers a modern, role-based, and intuitive user experience. Instead of relying on transaction codes and complex navigation paths, SAP Fiori uses apps that are tailored to specific business roles and processes. This simplifies day-to-day operations, increases efficiency, and aligns with the way modern users expect to interact with business software. In short, SAP Fiori transforms SAP’s traditional interface into a user-centered digital workspace that supports flexibility, mobility, and faster decision-making.
“Fiori” is the Italian plural of “fiore,” which means flowers. The name symbolizes simplicity and growth - the same values that define the SAP Fiori design approach.
