We are becoming more and more familiar with the use of mobile apps for personal purposes, from purchasing the next train ticket, booking a taxi or doing the weekly shopping. Businesses are expecting the same simplicity from their enterprise software, allowing their employees to perform their tasks anytime anywhere. In this context, SAP Fiori as the new SAP software personalised and role-based user experience, provides optimal usability on multiple devices that allow employees to do more with fewer clicks and less training. In this article we are exploring the benefits that SAP Fiori brings to the Workforce (vs the traditional SAP GUI interface) as we go through the journey to adopt SAP S/4HANA, as well as highlighting how some of the key SAP Fiori features contribute to a great User Experience (UX).
SAP Fiori has completely changed the old SAP GUI transaction world, where memorising the most needed transactions and typing the codes to access them through the laptop was the norm.
What are the specific Fiori benefits vs traditional GUI?
The advantage that SAP Fiori brings to the table most widely quoted is its innovative User Interface (UI). SAP Fiori features an intuitive interface that encourages the discovery and execution of most common tasks. Additionally, Fiori apps share common design signals, enabling users to easily get a feel for the entire programme. This cuts down on the learning curve considerably, and makes it easier for workers to adapt to new tasks and assignments.
For example, a common distribution function involving 3 to 4 transaction codes in SAP GUI can be completed in less clicks and two or three inputs in the same SAP Fiori app.
SAP GUI is predating the mobile workforce and it is designed with a mouse and keyboard in mind. Based on the version and device it may behave differently, and when users turn it, it cannot replicate all features in full. Switching to SAP Fiori UX allows versatility and allows Bringing Your Own Device (BYOD). The simple interface allows staff to work from touch screens, and the consistent actions and design enables users to expect a similar experience regardless of which app they are using with ease.
Improving UX is not only a matter of becoming a more digital organisation and making the end users life easier, there are also monetary benefits associated with it as better data quality (which increases productivity), savings on training costs and less human errors. For this reason, it is important to consider UX as a separate end-to-end track in your SAP S/4HANA transformation, as the way of designing, developing and deploying the right SAP Fiori apps your Workforce require during the journey, while ensuring the new SAP Fiori User Interface (UI) is adopted. While UX is one of the key changes for your Workforce during the S/4HANA transformation, it is also the key enabler for them and your organisation to materialise the transformation benefits.
The UX tour starts at the begging of the SAP S/4HANA transformation when end users start to experience the new Fiori UI. Role mapping will become an iterative activity within the programme UX work stream, following the following agile principles:
The relevant business roles that will test the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in each sprint are identified at the beginning of each sprint.
The identified SAP Fiori business roles and associated apps are assigned to the business users participating in the sprint, who will experience the new SAP UX since the beginning of the programme. At the same time, it is key they share their experience and knowledge with the wider business end user community (i.e. show and tell sessions).
The business roles and associated apps are adjusted, based on the business feedback, after each sprint in the SAP Fiori launchpad, until the full programme UX scope is finalised and accepted.
Understanding the Fiori apps required to perform the day-to-day activities is key for the business. Hence involving the programme UX track in the End User Experience workshops at the beginning of the programme is critical, with the aim of identifying the business roles and apps required for each persona and include them in their adoption journey. This provides the UX track team with a full understanding of all business roles and apps initially in scope and, the Organisational Change Management (OCM) team with an overview on how each persona UX will be discovered, tested and accepted, provisioning all the necessary inputs to plan the delivery of subsequent training, communications, adoption and business readiness activities.
Organisations need to change their mind when adopting SAP Fiori and understand that this is not about an upgrade to a new User Interface (UI), this is a structural change to embed a new User Experience (UX) within their Workforce. As a result these are the three lessons learnt you need to take into account when bringing businesses into the SAP Fiori adoption journey:
SAP Fiori is not all about understanding the business roles and apps needed, it is equally important the end user comprehends where to find all the information about them (SAP Fiori Apps Library) and how to search for new ones (The SAP Fiori launchpad). Consequently, the new SAP Fiori UI tools and available information needs to be familiarised with the end user community (as well as the relevant business roles and apps) to make a successful SAP Fiori UX. This will boost the business productivity, reduce current programme and future training costs and increase acceptance of the new SAP S/4HANA solution across the workforce.
As there are multiple options to configure personal devices (i.e. grouping apps or setting a personalised screen background), the SAP Fiori UI provides multiple features that improve UX and increase end user satisfaction, such as the enterprise search, notifications, user assistance and personalisation options. These features allow the SAP Fiori UI personalisation with instant access to the most value-added transactions for the end user. Other features allow the information to be displayed in different views and levels of detail, including overview pages, list report pages, object pages, worklist pages and analytical list pages.
Embedded Analytics is a SAP Fiori new capability, providing real-time operational reporting and more choice to customise the required reports. There are two possible approaches to make the most of it: using standard Fiori apps and/ or creating custom Fiori apps for analytics. Embedded Analytics not only provides the information required by the business, it also helps the programme and change management professionals to understand the SAP S/4HANA adoption journey: giving insight into how the new system is used, providing transparency on the key process constraints and offering opportunities for continued improvements. This is achieved using our change teams continued business engagement to explore and interrogate the next phase of each persona UX journey.
Understanding the best apps needed to perform the most value added activities and, at the same time how to make the most of all SAP Fiori features, is what makes the difference and contributes towards a great UX.
Your S/4HANA transformation is the best opportunity to become a digital organisation as you transform how work will be performed in your organisation. By doing so, you prepare your Workforce for the challenges ahead; creating an organisation that adapts easily, is agile and attracts the best people. And most importantly, one that can evolve as seamlessly as S/4HANA does. If you are planning to benefit from an improved UX, Transform ERP can certainly help you succeed in your transformation.
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