SAP Fiori apps provide a modern, role-based user experience designed to simplify interactions with SAP systems. However, every enterprise has unique business processes and requirements. To truly maximize the value of SAP Fiori, customization is essential. Customizing SAP Fiori apps allows organizations to tailor the look, feel, and functionality of standard apps or build entirely new ones to align with specific business needs.
This article explores the key approaches and best practices for customizing SAP Fiori applications.
- Align with business processes: Modify apps to reflect your organization’s workflows and rules.
- Enhance user experience: Add or rearrange UI elements for improved usability.
- Integrate with other systems: Connect Fiori apps with additional data sources or services.
- Extend functionality: Incorporate new features without waiting for standard SAP updates.
- Enables business users (key users) to personalize UI without coding.
- Allows hiding/showing fields, changing labels, and rearranging UI controls.
- Available via the Adapt UI mode accessible in Fiori Launchpad.
- Best for simple layout or text changes.
SAP provides an extensibility framework to customize apps without modifying SAP standard code:
- Extension Points: Predefined hooks in SAP Fiori apps where custom UI elements or logic can be added.
- Custom Controllers: Extend or override controller methods to add new behavior.
- Annotations: Enhance or modify OData service metadata to influence UI rendering (especially for Fiori Elements apps).
- Custom Fields and Logic: Add custom fields in backend systems and expose them in the UI.
This approach ensures easier upgrades and supportability.
Sometimes customization needs are so extensive that developing a custom app is preferable:
- Use SAP Business Application Studio or SAP Web IDE for development.
- Utilize SAPUI5 and Fiori Elements frameworks.
- Connect custom apps to existing or new OData services.
- Follow Fiori design guidelines to maintain consistent UX.
Fiori Elements apps use annotations to declaratively define UI behavior, such as:
- Defining list columns, filters, and sorting.
- Configuring charts and tables.
- Specifying actions and navigation.
Customizing annotations enables changes without manual UI coding, accelerating adaptations.
- Avoid core code modifications: Always prefer extensibility mechanisms to keep apps upgrade-safe.
- Document customizations: Maintain clear records for future reference and troubleshooting.
- Test thoroughly: Validate customizations across different devices and user roles.
- Leverage SAP tools: Use tools like SAP Fiori tools extension for Visual Studio Code to manage extensions.
- Involve business users: Gather feedback from end-users for meaningful customizations.
Customizing SAP Fiori apps empowers organizations to deliver tailored, efficient, and user-friendly experiences that reflect their unique business needs. Whether through runtime UI adaptation, extensibility framework enhancements, or full custom app development, SAP provides robust tools and methods to customize Fiori applications safely and effectively.
By following best practices and leveraging SAP’s extensibility features, companies can maintain smooth upgrade paths while continuously improving their digital workplace.