SAP Fiori Development
SAP Fiori is the design system and UI framework for SAP S/4HANA — replacing SAP GUI transactions with role-based, mobile-responsive web applications built on SAPUI5. SAP ships thousands of standard Fiori apps that can be activated and configured; for processes SAP doesn't cover, custom Fiori apps are built using SAPUI5 and OData services. 2iSolutions delivers both: standard Fiori activation and configuration, and custom Fiori and SAPUI5 application development on S/4HANA and SAP BTP.
Activating standard Fiori apps vs building custom ones — understanding the difference
Most S/4HANA customers can get significant value from standard Fiori apps before any custom development. Understanding what's available from SAP and where the gaps are is the starting point for every Fiori engagement.
SAP-delivered Fiori apps
SAP ships 2,000+ Fiori apps for S/4HANA covering most standard ERP processes. These are activated on the Fiori Launchpad, configured to match business requirements and assigned to roles. Most organisations start here.
- My Purchase Orders / Requisitions
- Manage Sales Orders / Quotations
- Financial Statement / Trial Balance
- Production Orders Overview
- My Leave Requests / Timesheets
- Approve Purchase Orders (workflow)
- Inventory Movements and Stock Overview
- Service Order Management
Bespoke apps for processes SAP doesn't cover
When standard Fiori apps don't exist, don't fit the business process, or need capabilities beyond what SAP configuration allows, custom SAPUI5 development fills the gap. Built on the same Fiori design system — users see consistent UX across standard and custom apps.
- Custom approval workflows beyond standard SAP
- Consolidated dashboards aggregating multiple data sources
- Dealer, supplier or customer-facing portal apps
- Shop floor tablet interfaces for production workers
- Industry-specific process apps (deckle planning, batch record)
- S/4HANA extensions built with Fiori Elements + RAP
- BTP-hosted Fiori apps accessing S/4HANA via APIs
- Mobile-first apps for field sales or field service
What our SAP Fiori development practice covers
Fiori Launchpad Setup & Configuration
Configuring the SAP Fiori Launchpad — the browser-based home screen where users access all Fiori apps. Group and catalogue structure designed around user roles, not SAP's default layout. Tile configuration, app finder search, theming with corporate branding and role-based visibility ensuring each user sees only the apps relevant to their job.
Custom SAPUI5 App Development
Building bespoke Fiori applications using SAPUI5 — SAP's enterprise-grade JavaScript UI framework based on OpenUI5. Custom apps follow SAP Fiori design guidelines so they are visually consistent with standard SAP apps and familiar to users who already use Fiori daily. Deployed to the Fiori Launchpad or to SAP BTP as standalone apps.
Fiori Elements Development
Accelerated Fiori app development using SAP Fiori Elements — where the UI is generated from OData service annotations rather than written manually. List Report, Object Page, Overview Page and Worklist templates cover the majority of transactional app patterns. Faster to build, lower maintenance overhead, automatically responsive to Fiori design updates.
OData Service Development (RAP / Gateway)
Every Fiori app needs an OData service to access SAP backend data. We build OData services using SAP's RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP) in ABAP for S/4HANA, and via SAP Gateway for systems on older releases. CDS views define the data model; ABAP behaviour definitions add the business logic. The OData service is the contract between frontend and backend.
BTP-Hosted Fiori Apps
Fiori apps deployed on SAP BTP rather than embedded in S/4HANA — using SAP Business Application Studio for development, HTML5 Application Repository for hosting and Destination Service for connectivity back to S/4HANA APIs. Preferred for apps that need to be available to external users (dealers, suppliers, customers) without exposing the S/4HANA system directly.
Fiori App Extension & Modification
Extending or adapting standard SAP Fiori apps without modifying SAP standard code — using SAP's UI Adaptation, Flexibility Layer and SAPUI5 extension points. Adding fields, changing layouts, modifying business logic and injecting custom actions into standard apps in an upgrade-safe way that survives SAP support packages.
The Fiori development stack — frontend to backend
A complete Fiori application spans frontend JavaScript, OData service definition and ABAP backend logic. Our team covers all three layers — which matters because developers who only know the frontend create inaccessible data; developers who only know ABAP create unusable UIs.
SAPUI5 / OpenUI5
SAP's enterprise JavaScript UI framework — MVC architecture, 500+ UI controls, built-in accessibility and internationalisation, Fiori design system compliance. The same framework used by SAP's own Fiori apps.
- SAPUI5 controls, layouts and patterns
- Fiori Elements — List Report, Object Page, Overview Page
- Custom controls where standard patterns don't fit
- Responsive design — desktop, tablet and mobile from one codebase
- SAP Business Application Studio (BAS) development environment
OData v2 / v4 Services
OData is the standard API protocol for Fiori — defining the entities, properties, associations and operations that the frontend app can access. Version 4 is preferred for new development; version 2 is still common in existing S/4HANA landscapes.
- OData v4 for new Fiori Elements apps (RAP-based)
- OData v2 for existing Gateway-based services
- CDS annotations drive Fiori Elements UI generation
- Value helps, field-level validations and draft handling
- Filtering, sorting, paging and deep entity operations
RAP — RESTful ABAP Programming Model
SAP's recommended development model for building OData-exposed business objects on S/4HANA — CDS views for data modelling, behaviour definitions for business logic, and ABAP classes for implementation. The standard for all new S/4HANA Fiori app backend development.
- CDS root views and projection views
- Behaviour definitions — managed vs unmanaged
- Determinations, validations and actions in ABAP
- Draft handling for edit-save workflows
- Feature control and instance-level authorisations
S/4HANA Embedded vs SAP BTP
Fiori apps can run embedded in S/4HANA (served from the ABAP system) or hosted on SAP BTP (HTML5 App Repository). BTP hosting is preferred for external-user apps and for separating frontend deployment from backend change cycles.
- S/4HANA embedded — Fiori Launchpad on ABAP system
- BTP-hosted — HTML5 Application Repository + Work Zone
- Destination Service for S/4HANA connectivity from BTP
- XSUAA / Identity Authentication for user management
- Continuous deployment via SAP BTP CI/CD service
Fiori app types — from approvals to portals to shop floor
Custom Fiori app requirements fall into recognisable categories. Most businesses need several of these — often discovered once the standard Fiori apps are live and process gaps become visible.
Custom Approval Workflows
Multi-level purchase order, service order, capital expenditure and vendor onboarding approvals — with conditional routing, delegation, escalation and mobile-friendly approval screens beyond what standard SAP workflow covers.
Management Dashboards
Real-time operational dashboards aggregating S/4HANA data — production status, financial KPIs, procurement pipeline, inventory aging — in a single-screen view for executives and department heads without running reports.
Shop Floor & Production Apps
Tablet-optimised Fiori apps for production workers — work order queues, time confirmation, barcode scanning, quality check recording and shop floor reporting without navigating complex SAP GUI transactions.
Supplier & Vendor Portals
Self-service Fiori portals on SAP BTP for supplier delivery confirmations, PO acknowledgement, document uploads and account statement viewing — built on SAP standards, not a separately maintained web application.
Customer-Facing Portals
Customer self-service apps on SAP BTP — order status, delivery tracking, invoice download, credit note request — giving customers structured access to SAP data without exposing the S/4HANA system directly.
Dealer & Channel Apps
Dealer and distributor portal apps on SAP BTP — order placement at agreed pricing, scheme visibility, secondary sales tracking and outstanding statement access — powered by the same S/4HANA data as the head office view.
Warehouse & Logistics Apps
Mobile Fiori apps for warehouse staff — goods receipt, transfer order confirmation, stock transfer, physical inventory counting and delivery creation, designed for barcode scanner devices and warehouse floor conditions.
Field Sales & Service Apps
Mobile Fiori apps for field sales representatives and service technicians — customer visit recording, order capture, service confirmation, parts usage and customer signature, connected to S/4HANA in real time or via offline sync on BTP.
Industry-Specific Custom Apps
Process-specific Fiori apps for industry requirements — deckle plan optimisation for paper manufacturers, batch record management for pharma, production schedule visualisation for discrete manufacturing, and custom analytics for specific business functions.
What makes our Fiori development practice different
Full-Stack Fiori Capability
SAPUI5 frontend developers and ABAP RAP backend developers in the same team — meaning the OData service and the Fiori app are designed together, not handed off between separate frontend and backend teams with a JSON contract in the middle. Integration issues surface during development, not during UAT.
Upgrade-Safe Extension Patterns
Standard Fiori apps extended using SAP's Flexibility Layer and UI Adaptation — not modified directly. Custom apps built with OData v4 and RAP for new projects, avoiding Gateway-layer technical debt. Every custom app is designed to survive SAP support packages and S/4HANA version upgrades.
BTP Deployment Experience
We deploy Fiori apps on SAP BTP — HTML5 App Repository, Work Zone, Destination Service, XSUAA — not only embedded in S/4HANA. BTP deployment is required for external-user apps (dealer portals, supplier portals, customer-facing apps) and preferred when frontend and backend deployment cycles need to be decoupled.
Functional + UI Knowledge Together
A Fiori app that exposes the wrong data or supports the wrong process is useless regardless of how well it's coded. Our developers work with SAP functional consultants who understand what the business user actually needs — so app requirements are correct before development begins.
Fiori for Specific Industries
We have built custom Fiori apps for manufacturing (shop floor, production dashboards), distribution (dealer portals, secondary sales), pharma (batch record, QC apps), chemicals (deckle planning) and high tech (device tracking, channel management). Industry context shapes what the app needs to do.
Fiori AMS — Support After Go-Live
Custom Fiori apps need ongoing maintenance — SAP support package updates can affect standard app extensions, OData services need updates when S/4HANA data models change, and new requirements emerge as users adopt the apps. We maintain custom Fiori applications under the same AMS contract as the S/4HANA system.
Fiori development from a team that built four production apps on SAP BTP
DealerConnect, ShopConnect, SupplierConnect and ServiceConnect — 2iSolutions' own applications — are deployed in live customer operations using the same SAPUI5, OData and BTP architecture as custom Fiori development. We write the same code for clients as we wrote for our own products.
SAP Fiori development: frequently asked questions
What is SAP Fiori and how is it different from SAP GUI?
SAP GUI is SAP's traditional desktop application — transaction-based, not mobile-responsive and designed for expert users navigating complex screen layouts. SAP Fiori is SAP's modern UX system — browser-based, mobile-responsive, role-specific applications designed around user tasks rather than system transactions. Fiori apps are built on SAPUI5 (JavaScript) and access S/4HANA data via OData services. Most new S/4HANA functionality is delivered as Fiori apps, not SAP GUI transactions.
Do we need custom Fiori development or can we use SAP's standard apps?
Most S/4HANA implementations use a combination — standard SAP Fiori apps for the majority of processes (SAP ships 2,000+), and custom SAPUI5 development for processes that aren't covered or need significant extension. A Fiori app readiness assessment at the start of an S/4HANA implementation identifies which standard apps are fit for use, which need extension, and where custom development is unavoidable. This prevents over-investing in custom development for things SAP already delivers.
What is SAPUI5 and how does it relate to Fiori?
SAPUI5 is the JavaScript UI framework on which SAP Fiori is built — a comprehensive library of 500+ UI controls, responsive layouts, data binding patterns and integration with OData services. All SAP Fiori apps (standard and custom) are built on SAPUI5. OpenUI5 is the open-source version of the same framework. When we say "custom Fiori app," we mean a custom SAPUI5 application that follows SAP Fiori design guidelines and runs on the Fiori Launchpad or SAP BTP.
What is the RAP framework and why does it matter for Fiori development?
RAP (RESTful ABAP Programming Model) is SAP's recommended development model for building OData-exposed business objects on S/4HANA. It uses CDS views for data modelling and ABAP behaviour definitions for business logic — generating the OData v4 service that the Fiori app consumes. RAP is the replacement for older SAP Gateway development and is tightly integrated with Fiori Elements. Apps built on RAP are more consistent, better performing and more maintainable than those built on the older BOPF or Gateway approaches.
Can custom Fiori apps be deployed on SAP BTP instead of in S/4HANA?
Yes — and for external-user apps (dealer portals, supplier portals, customer-facing apps) it's the recommended approach. BTP-hosted Fiori apps are served from the HTML5 Application Repository, access S/4HANA via the Destination Service and BTP Connectivity, and manage user authentication via SAP Identity Authentication Service or XSUAA. External users access the app without needing S/4HANA user licences, and the S/4HANA system is not exposed directly to the internet.
How long does custom Fiori app development take?
A focused single-purpose Fiori app — a custom approval workflow, a shop floor dashboard, a supplier confirmation screen — typically takes 6–10 weeks from requirements to Fiori Launchpad deployment. More complex apps with multiple user roles, offline capability, BTP deployment and significant RAP backend development take 10–20 weeks. The timeline is driven primarily by the complexity of the OData service (how many entities, relationships and custom business logic), the number of UI screens, and the testing scope required.
Need a custom Fiori app, or want to know which standard Fiori apps are ready to activate?
We start with a Fiori readiness assessment — identifying which standard SAP apps are fit for your processes, which need extension, and where custom SAPUI5 development is the right answer. That assessment prevents over-investment in custom code for things SAP already delivers.