SAP Fiori Elements has revolutionized how SAP applications are developed by providing pre-built templates that accelerate UI development, promote consistency, and reduce coding efforts. While Fiori Elements apps are powerful on their own, integrating them with other SAP solutions unlocks even greater business value by enabling seamless data exchange, process orchestration, and enhanced user experiences across the enterprise landscape.
This article explores strategies, methods, and best practices for integrating Fiori Elements applications with other SAP solutions such as SAP S/4HANA, SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Ariba, and SAP Analytics Cloud.
- Unified User Experience: Provide users with consistent, role-based access to data and processes spread across multiple SAP systems.
- End-to-End Process Support: Connect front-end UI with backend systems to enable comprehensive workflows.
- Real-Time Data Access: Ensure that data displayed in Fiori Elements apps reflects the latest transactional or master data.
- Leverage Best of Breed: Combine capabilities from specialized SAP solutions to address complex business needs.
The flagship ERP suite, SAP S/4HANA, often serves as the backend for Fiori Elements apps. Integration includes:
- OData Services: CDS views and OData services expose business data and logic consumed by Fiori Elements.
- Transactional and Analytical Apps: Fiori Elements apps for S/4HANA cover everything from order management to inventory analytics.
- Extension Points: Use SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) to extend and integrate Fiori Elements apps with S/4HANA processes.
For HR-related scenarios, integrating Fiori Elements apps with SAP SuccessFactors enables:
- Access to employee data and workflows.
- Use of OData APIs to read/write SuccessFactors data.
- Embedding SuccessFactors analytics in custom Fiori Elements apps.
Procurement and supplier collaboration apps can be integrated by:
- Consuming Ariba APIs within Fiori Elements apps.
- Embedding Ariba workflows into Fiori launchpad catalogs.
- Syncing procurement data for unified supplier management.
Analytical capabilities can be enhanced by:
- Embedding SAC dashboards and stories within Fiori Elements apps.
- Linking transactional data from Fiori apps to SAC models for advanced analysis.
- Leveraging SAC planning and predictive tools alongside Fiori UIs.
¶ 1. OData and CDS View Consumption
Fiori Elements apps primarily consume backend data via OData services generated from CDS views. Designing CDS views with proper annotations facilitates seamless UI integration and consistent behavior.
BTP offers tools like SAP Cloud Integration, API Management, and Extension Suite to:
- Connect on-premise and cloud systems.
- Implement API gateways and security policies.
- Develop side-by-side extensions that integrate with core SAP solutions.
¶ 3. Embedded Analytics and Smart Controls
Use Smart Controls and annotations to embed analytics from SAP solutions directly into Fiori Elements apps, enriching the user interface with key performance indicators and visual insights.
Integrate multiple SAP solutions via the SAP Fiori Launchpad by:
- Aggregating tiles from different backends.
- Configuring navigation targets for cross-system access.
- Providing a single point of entry for users.
- Design for Loose Coupling: Minimize dependencies between apps and backend systems to ease maintenance.
- Use Standard APIs and Services: Prefer SAP-provided OData services and APIs to ensure compatibility and support.
- Leverage Annotations: Utilize CDS and UI annotations to standardize behavior and UI elements.
- Secure Data Access: Implement role-based authorization and secure communication channels across integrated systems.
- Test End-to-End Processes: Validate integrated workflows for performance and correctness.
Integrating SAP Fiori Elements apps with other SAP solutions delivers a cohesive, powerful enterprise experience that combines UI efficiency with rich backend capabilities. Whether it’s synchronizing data from S/4HANA, embedding HR workflows from SuccessFactors, or augmenting procurement processes with Ariba, integration unlocks the full potential of SAP’s ecosystem.
By following best practices and leveraging SAP’s integration technologies, organizations can build scalable, secure, and user-friendly Fiori Elements apps that drive business innovation and operational excellence.