SAP Fiori vs. UI5: A Simple Explanation for Project Managers and Decision-Makers

In the world of SAP, the terms “Fiori” and “UI5” are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion among project managers, stakeholders, and even technical teams. Understanding the distinction between these two concepts is not just a matter of semantics; it is crucial for effective project planning, resource allocation, and ultimately, the successful delivery of a modern, user-centric SAP experience. This article demystifies the relationship between SAP Fiori and SAPUI5, providing a clear explanation tailored for decision-makers.

At its core, the difference is simple: SAP Fiori is a design language, while SAPUI5 is a development framework. One is the blueprint, and the other is the set of tools and materials used to build the final product. They are not competitors; they are partners in creating the modern SAP user experience.

SAP Fiori: The Blueprint for a Better User Experience

Think of SAP Fiori as the architectural blueprint for a user-friendly application. It is a set of design principles and guidelines that dictate how an SAP application should look, feel, and behave. Introduced by SAP in 2013, Fiori was a direct response to the widespread criticism of the classic SAP GUI’s complexity and poor user experience. The goal was to create a user experience that is role-based, responsive, simple, coherent, and adaptive.

When we talk about Fiori, we are referring to several things:

• A Design Philosophy: Fiori is a user experience (UX) approach focused on simplifying tasks and providing a consistent look and feel across all devices—desktop, tablet, and mobile. It prioritizes the user’s needs, presenting only the information and functions relevant to a specific role, such as a sales manager or a maintenance technician.
• A Set of Design Guidelines: SAP provides extensive Fiori design guidelines that specify everything from color palettes and typography to the behavior of buttons and menus. These guidelines ensure that all Fiori apps, whether built by SAP or by customers, share a consistent and intuitive interface
• A Library of Pre-Built Apps: SAP offers thousands of standard Fiori apps for common tasks in S/4HANA, such as “Approve Purchase Orders” or “Create Sales Orders.” These apps are ready to use out of the box and serve as a prime example of the Fiori design philosophy in action.

In short, Fiori is the “what” and the “why” of the user experience. It defines what the app should do for the user and why it should be designed in a certain way to maximize usability and productivity.

SAPUI5: The Tools and Materials for Building the Application

If Fiori is the blueprint, then SAPUI5 (SAP User Interface for HTML5) is the construction company with all the necessary tools and materials. SAPUI5 is a JavaScript-based development framework used to build modern, responsive web applications. It is the technology that brings the Fiori design to life.

Key aspects of SAPUI5 include:

• A Development Framework: Like other popular JavaScript frameworks such as React or Angular, SAPUI5 provides developers with a structured way to build applications. It includes a rich library of pre-built UI controls (buttons, tables, charts, etc.) that are designed to adhere to the Fiori guidelines.
• Based on Open Standards: SAPUI5 is built on open web standards like HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. This means that applications built with UI5 can run in any modern web browser and on any device, without the need for plugins.
• Data Integration: A core strength of SAPUI5 is its ability to connect to and work with data from various sources, especially SAP systems. It has built-in support for OData (Open Data Protocol), the standard way of communicating with SAP S/4HANA and other SAP systems.
• Open-Source Version (OpenUI5): SAP also provides a free, open-source version of the framework called OpenUI5. This allows developers to build applications without requiring an SAP license, although SAPUI5 includes additional libraries and features specifically for SAP integration.

SAPUI5 is the “how” of application development. It is the framework developers use to actually write the code and build the application that the Fiori blueprint describes.

The Car Analogy: A Simple Way to Understand the Difference

To make the distinction even clearer, let’s use an analogy from the automotive world.

• SAP Fiori is like the design philosophy of a luxury car brand, such as Mercedes-Benz. This philosophy dictates that their cars should be elegant, comfortable, safe, and provide a premium driving experience. It includes specific design guidelines for the shape of the grille, the layout of the dashboard, and the feel of the materials.
• SAPUI5 is like the factory, the robots, the raw materials (steel, leather, glass), and the engineering expertise that Mercedes-Benz uses to actually build the cars. It is the underlying technology and infrastructure that turns the design philosophy into a physical product.

You can’t drive a design philosophy, and you can’t have a Mercedes-Benz without the factory that builds it. Similarly, you can’t use a Fiori design without an application built with a technology like SAPUI5. And while you could use the factory (UI5) to build a car that doesn’t follow the Mercedes design (Fiori), it wouldn’t be a Mercedes.

What This Means for Project Managers and Decision-Makers

Understanding this distinction has several practical implications for planning and executing SAP projects:

1. You Need Both: When a business user requests a “Fiori app,” they are asking for an application that is both designed according to Fiori principles and built using a technology like SAPUI5. A project plan must account for both UX design (Fiori) and front-end development (UI5).
2. Resource Allocation: You need developers who are proficient in SAPUI5, but you also need UX designers who understand the Fiori design guidelines. A team of skilled UI5 developers without UX guidance may build a functional app, but it may not be intuitive or user-friendly—it won’t be a true Fiori app.
3. Standard vs. Custom: Your first step should always be to check if SAP already provides a standard Fiori app for your use case. If it does, using it is almost always faster and cheaper than building a custom app from scratch. If a standard app doesn’t exist or doesn’t meet your needs, you will need to budget for a custom UI5 development project that follows the Fiori guidelines.
4. Leverage Fiori Elements: To accelerate custom development, SAP offers Fiori Elements. This is a framework on top of SAPUI5 that provides pre-built templates for common application patterns (e.g., lists, reports, dashboards). Using Fiori Elements can significantly reduce development time and ensure consistency with the Fiori design.

Conclusion: A Partnership for Success

SAP Fiori and SAPUI5 are two sides of the same coin, working together to deliver a modern and effective user experience for SAP customers. Fiori provides the vision and the rules for a great UX, while UI5 provides the tools and the power to make that vision a reality.

For project managers and decision-makers, the key takeaway is to embrace both. A successful SAP UX strategy requires a commitment to the Fiori design principles and an investment in the UI5 development skills needed to bring them to life. By understanding that you are not choosing between Fiori and UI5, but rather leveraging their powerful partnership, you can ensure your projects deliver applications that are not only functional but also loved by your users.