Subject: SAP-Fiori-Elements
SAP Fiori has revolutionized the SAP user experience by providing modern, role-based, and responsive applications. Within the SAP Fiori ecosystem, developers often encounter two key concepts: SAP Fiori Elements and SAP Fiori Apps. Although related, they serve different purposes and offer distinct advantages in the design and development process.
This article aims to clarify the differences between SAP Fiori Elements and SAP Fiori Apps, helping developers and business stakeholders choose the right approach for their SAP UI projects.
SAP Fiori Apps are custom-built or standard applications designed following the SAP Fiori design principles, providing tailored user experiences for specific business roles and processes. They are typically developed using SAPUI5, allowing for maximum flexibility in UI design and business logic implementation.
Key characteristics of SAP Fiori Apps:
Examples include custom approval workflows, complex planning tools, or interactive dashboards specifically designed for a business unit.
SAP Fiori Elements is a framework that provides predefined templates and floorplans for common application patterns like list reports, object pages, and analytical dashboards. Instead of building the UI from scratch, developers use metadata annotations on the OData service and manifest files to generate consistent, standardized UIs automatically.
Key characteristics of SAP Fiori Elements:
Common use cases include master-detail apps, worklists, or data entry screens that follow standard SAP Fiori patterns.
| Aspect | SAP Fiori Elements | SAP Fiori Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Development Effort | Low to medium (mostly annotation-driven) | High (custom UI coding required) |
| UI Flexibility | Limited, based on templates and annotations | High, fully customizable UI/UX |
| Consistency | High, follows SAP Fiori design guidelines | Depends on developer implementation |
| Suitable Use Cases | Standardized transactional apps | Complex, highly customized scenarios |
| Maintenance | Easier, standardized templates | Requires more effort |
| Performance | Optimized through SAP frameworks | Depends on custom implementation |
Choose SAP Fiori Elements if:
Choose SAP Fiori Apps if:
While SAP Fiori Elements provides many templates, developers can enhance functionality by:
This flexibility helps balance rapid development with necessary customization.
Both SAP Fiori Elements and SAP Fiori Apps are essential parts of the SAP Fiori landscape. Understanding their differences helps organizations choose the right tool for their specific needs—whether that means leveraging SAP Fiori Elements for rapid, standardized app development or investing in fully custom SAP Fiori Apps for complex, tailored experiences.
By combining these approaches strategically, SAP developers can deliver efficient, user-friendly, and maintainable applications that align with modern enterprise requirements.