Over the past few weeks, I have had many conversations with both customers and our branding team about what it means to “run simple.” It turns out that SAP Screen Personas fits very well into our Run Simple mission.
At the corporate level, Run Simple has three pillars:
- Simplify decision making
- Simplify business processes
- Simplify technology
All of SAP’s solutions align around one or more of these these pillars. Let’s discuss how they apply to SAP Screen Personas.
Simplify Decision Making
Enterprises need their employees to enter data into the systems of record so they can use this information to drive business decisions. With the simpler screens that SAP Screen Personas enables, you can accelerate adoption of SAP by removing barriers (excuses) to using it. One common example I have seen is customers making SAP more user friendly by eliminating the need to memorize transactions codes. More intuitive screens can also simplify decision making by reducing confusion about what data to enter where, and speeding data entry by using pull-down menus instead of free-text fields.
Simplify Business Processes
One key part of the run simple philosophy is streamlining business processes. In the core SAP ERP systems that many customers use to run their businesses, it might take several separate transactions, each of which contains multiple screens and/or tabs. There is good reason for this, as the software was designed to accommodate many disparate industries from automotive to mining to public sector to utilities (plus 21 more!). So, some screens contain fields that are relevant for one industry but do not apply to the others. SAP Screen Personas allows you to streamline these processes into fewer screens and clicks by:
- Removing unused fields from the screen
- Consolidating multiple transactions, screens, or tabs into one simple screen
- Automating repetitive actions or navigation into a single keystroke
Simplify SAP Usage
Since SAP Screen Personas is a plug-in for the NetWeaver ABAP stack, it does not really simplify the technology stack the way SAP HANA does. But, it does not complicate it either, as there is no separate server required.
The big advantage on the usage side is that SAP Screen Personas helps you standardize on one consistent user experience or theme for all SAP transactions. With one common look and feel for all SAP transactions, with intuitive interfaces and navigation (this will generally be the new Fiori design, but could also be your own template), you can reduce training requirements for your team. You can further reduce the need for training classes by embedding training content directly into your screens, including video tutorials, notes, and roll-over help.
SAP Screen Personas simplifies the entire user experience.
Empower your users with a consistent design
SAP Screen Personas is a key part of SAP’s UX strategy, forming the foundation of the “enable” component within the new/renew/enable framework.
See a presentation of how to Run Simple with SAP Screen Personas.
If you start applying several of SAP’s core solutions that help you Run Simple (SAP HANA, SAP Screen Personas, and SAP Fiori), you are sure to see measurable results. And when you do, please share them with the community on SCN or on experience.sap.com.
For the SAP Screen Personas product team, peter.spielvogel.
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