Managing Content on the SAP Fiori Launchpad

• Web Browser SAP GUI transaction /UI2/FLPAM
• Customizing (transaction SPRO) path: SAP NetWeaver → UI Technologies → SAP Fiori → Setting Up Launchpad Content → Setting Up Technical Catalogs → Manage Technical Catalogs with SAP Fiori Launchpad App Manager
• In SAP S/4HANA 2020, the capabilities of the existing Mass Maintenance tool were extended, and to align with the broader range of capabilities, the app was renamed Launchpad App Manager. We no longer use the term "Mass Maintenance" for the app; it is now the Launchpad App Manager.
• The Launchpad App Manager supersedes the Launchpad Designer, and complements the Launchpad Content Manager.
• Launchpad App Manager is used to:
  • Manage all technical catalogs in one place, which makes it easier to manage launchpad app descriptor items
  • Explore existing technical catalogs and their content
  • Maintain technical catalogs
  • Maintain launchpad app descriptor items
  • Perform mass changes
• Learn more in SAP Blog: SAP Fiori Launchpad App Manager Tool Available for SAP S/4HANA 2020.

1. Create a launchpad app descriptor item for each app you will integrate in the launchpad.
2. Add the launchpad app descriptor item to an existing technical catalog or your own custom technical catalog.
   • Leave the app type table empty in the embedded deployment to allow all application types to be maintained in the Launchpad App Manager
   • Catalog type must be maintained (How to maintain allowed catalog types for launchpad app manager)
     • Standard is for apps on the front-end server (e.g. SAPUI5 Fiori app, SAPUI5 Fiori app on Business Technology Platform, Tile only, URL app)
     • Replicable is for apps on the back-end server that have to be replicated to the front-end server (e.g. Transactions, Web Dynpro apps, WebClient UI apps)

You can now create a business catalog with references to the tile/target mappings from the technical catalog.

• Upwards of 300 new SAP Fiori apps are introduced with each SAP S/4HANA release. This creates a need for a mass maintenance tool to manage the business catalogs and launchpad app descriptor items for the front-end target applications (SAP Fiori apps). The Launchpad Content Manager tool addresses this need.
• System-wide changes are stored in the configuration scope (transaction /UI2/FLPCM_CONF)
• Client-specific changes are stored in the customizing scope (transaction /UI2/FLPCM_CUST)
• Launchpad Content Manager is used to:
  • Search for launchpad content (both SAP-delivered and custom content)
  • Create custom catalogs
  • Copy catalogs (e.g. copy SAP standard catalog to customize)
  • Add/remove catalog content (references to tiles and target mappings)
  • Rename catalogs
  • Delete catalogs
  • Transport catalogs
  • View where launchpad content is used. For example:
    • Which business catalogs are used in which business roles
    • Which tile definitions and target mappings are defined in which technical catalogs or referenced in business catalogs

1. Create a business catalog
2. Add reference tiles and target mappings to the catalog
   Note

   You cannot create or delete original tiles and target mappings because they are maintained in the technical catalog. Use the Launchpad App Manager to maintain technical catalogs.

Alternatively, you can copy a business catalog to create a new catalog while maintaining the original tile and target mappings. References to tile/target mappings can then be added and/or removed to customize the business catalog to your needs.

• Starting in SAP S/4HANA 1909, the SAP Smart Business tools were superseded by an SAP Fiori app Manage KPIs and Reports (F2814) that combines KPIs and Reports into one app.
• SAP Fiori app Manage KPIs and Reports (F2814) is used to:
  • Configure KPIs and Reports delivered by SAP
  • Copy KPIs and Reports into the customer namespace
  • Create your own KPIs and Reports from scratch

The SAP Fiori Launchpad Content Manager was introduced to ease mass administration of Catalogs. It serves as a partial alternative to the SAP Fiori Launchpad Designer, but only for the creation and maintenance of Business Catalogs. The Content Manager can only configure references in Catalogs, not the actual definitions. Following the recommended configuration, Business Catalogs are the catalogs granted to users in order to grant access to SAP Fiori Launchpad applications. For all applications the SAP Fiori Launchpad Content Manager is the tool that should be used to do all Business Catalog creation and configuration.

The SAP Fiori Launchpad Content Manager runs at two different levels via two separate transaction codes. /UI2/FLPCM_CONF launches the Content Manager at the configuration layer (cross client), while /UI2/FLPCM_CUST launches the Content Manager at the client-specific layer.

The advantages of the SAP Fiori Launchpad Content Manager include:

• Easily navigate from the selected catalog to all roles where it is assigned.
• Select a role and navigate to any catalog that role contains.
• Select a Tile/Target Mapping and navigate to catalogs that contain that app descriptor.
• Catalog creation and app assignment is a simpler process and less error prone than the Launchpad Designer tool.
• As the Content Manager can only utilize references, it is much less likely that a catalog will end up having both references and actual definitions of app descriptors. When used in combination with the Fiori Application Manager, it is not possible at all.

When using the SAP Fiori Launchpad Content Manager, the process for creating a Business Catalog is straight forward. On the Catalogs tab of the Content Manager, click the Create button and provide a Name and an ID. Once created, references may be added to the catalog, with one method shown here:

1. Select the Business Catalog where you wish to place the reference
2. Click the Add Tiles/Target Mappings button and choose Add Tiles/TMs to Selected Catalog
3. The UI will switch to the Tiles/Target Mappings tab. From this tab locate the application by searching on any property shown, such as App ID, Title, Semantic Object, etc..
4. Select the line with the Tile + TM (or TM in the case of a Factsheet/Object Page app)
5. Choose the Add Tile/TM Reference button to add the full app descriptor (or Add TM Reference in the case of a Factsheet/Object Page app)
6. The app descriptor reference is added to the Business Catalog

As an alternative method it is also possible to select the Technical Catalog with the original Tile/Target Mapping or app descriptor, then choose the specific app for which a reference is needed, and adding it as a reference in another catalog.

The Fiori Launchpad Designer has been used since the beginning of the SAP Fiori launchpad, however since then, alternative methods have been released to make it easier to manage launchpad content.

These alternatives are:

• SAP Fiori Launchpad Content Manager - business catalog creation and maintenance
• SAP Fiori Launchpad App Manager - technical catalog creation and maintenance
• Manage Launchpad Spaces and Manage Launchpad Pages apps - to manage the spaces and pages that define how apps display on the launchpad.

While there are alternatives available, the SAP Fiori Launchpad Designer is still available for use and has not been deprecated. In fact, there are still some distinct use cases where the Launchpad Designer must be used. In particular, if some configurations are only to apply to a subset of users in a particular client, the Launchpad Designer remains the only option.

Similar to the SAP Fiori Launchpad Content Manager, the SAP Fiori Launchpad Designer runs at two different levels via two separate transaction codes. /UI2/FLPD_CONF launches the Launchpad Designer at the configuration layer (cross client), while /UI2/FLPD_CUST launches the Launchpad Designer at the client-specific layer.

While the Launchpad Designer is still useful in some scenarios, problems can arise if care is not taken while using the tool. For example, when creating a catalog, there is no option to choose whether the catalog is intended for use as a Technical Catalog or Business Catalog. With the newer tools, they are segmented in functionality where the SAP Fiori Launchpad App Manager can only create Technical Catalogs and the SAP Fiori Launchpad Content Manager can only create Business Catalogs. The Launchpad Designer does not distinguish between the two. Therefore when using the Launchpad Designer, administrators must make sure to place only references in catalogs intended for use as Business Catalogs and actual tiles/target mappings in catalogs intended for use as Technical Catalogs.

SAP delivers standard technical catalogs that contain apps per application area, business catalogs with relevant apps assigned, and business roles with relevant business catalogs assigned. As an administrator, you can use the technical catalogs as repository to create your own role-specific business catalogs and groups. If you want to adapt the content delivered by SAP, use the SAP business catalogs as a starting point.

We recommend the following:

• Do not change SAP catalogs directly. Instead, copy SAP business catalogs to use them as the starting point for creating your own business catalogs. This will ensure to get a consistent set of SAP Fiori apps that supports app-to-app navigation by including the relevant target mappings. This will not necessarily be the case when you select only a set of single apps from the technical catalogs.
  • Exception: Some apps (mainly SAP GUI for HTML apps) are not contained in any business catalog and are only delivered as part of technical catalogs. In these cases, you need to select a single app (tile/target mapping) from the technical catalog and add it as a reference to your custom business catalog.
• Create separate catalogs for the provisioning and usage of tiles and target mappings. This facilitates the reuse of catalog content because one original tile/target mapping can be referenced from several catalogs. Any changes to the original tiles and target mappings are automatically reflected in the reference (unless the configuration of the reference tile/target mapping was changed).
  • Technical catalogs: Contain original tiles and target mappings
  • Business catalogs: Contain references to the tiles and target mappings in the technical catalogs
• Create and change your catalogs in one scope area at a time. For example, changing catalogs created in the configuration scope while you work in the customizing scope could lead to outdated catalogs.
  • Configuration scope: Technical catalogs; this allows you to reuse the tiles and target mappings created in the technical catalogs in all clients.
  • Customizing scope: Business catalogs; this allows you to manage business catalogs for a selected client.
• Use the following tools to create and change your catalogs:
  • Technical catalogs: Launchpad App Manager
  • Business catalogs: Launchpad Content Manager
• A catalog should not contain more than 100 apps (tile/target mapping combinations). This helps prevent performance issues at design time (e.g. when the catalog is copied).

In the Spaces and Pages layout of the SAP Fiori launchpad, a space is assigned to a business role, and the app tiles/links are organized using pages and sections within the space. SAP delivers predefined space templates to reduce the workload of setting up spaces for each business role. Please note that spaces and pages do not impact authorizations. If a section contains a tile/link that a user is not authorized to launch, that tile/link will be hidden from the user.

The tools for managing the launchpad layout are:

• SAP Fiori app Manage Launchpad Spaces (F4834): Spaces are organizational units that combine several pages in a menu that is shown in the navigation bar of the launchpad. In this app, you can design the layout of the launchpad for different business roles.
• SAP Fiori app Manage Launchpad Pages (F4512): A page has one or more sections, with different apps in each section to create a layout that an end user would see when they access the launchpad. This app enables you to create the pages and assign apps to different sections within pages.
• SAP GUI Transaction PFCG: Assign spaces to business roles with Role Maintenance in the SAP GUI.

Learn more in SAP Blog: SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA Overview of Tools for Maintaining Custom Launchpad Content and Layout.

When the decision is made to configure the display for users via Spaces and Pages, two separate apps are used. The Manage Launchpad Spaces app is used to create Spaces or examine SAP-delivered Predefined spaces. These Predefined Spaces correspond to the SAP-delivered Business Catalogs and Roles, so if a custom Business Catalog was created, it is likely a custom Space will also need to be defined.

Creating the Space is a simple process and as a part of that, a first Page in the space may be created as well. The Space is the object associated with the Role created in PFCG, the pages are not.

The process of creating a Space is simple, provide a Space ID, a Space Description which is only seen by Fiori Administrators and a Space Title that will be seen by users. Both the Space Description and Space Title can be changed if necessary, but the Space ID cannot be changed after initial creation. Finally, provide a valid Transport for the creation process. Optionally, the "Also Create a Page" checkbox can be selected, which will add three separate fields that will define the Page information, the page ID, Description and Title.

Once created, any other pages that have already been created can be added to the Space. A Space can have multiple pages.

Pages are the components that will display the SAP Fiori Launchpad application tiles. They can be created separately from Spaces, but are assigned to users via a parent Space when the Space is associated with a role.

The Page is created/edited via the Manage Launchpad Pages Fiori Launchpad application, though a first page in a Space can be created as a part of the Space creation process. When launched, the Pages are separated into Customer-Created and Predefined sections. As with the Spaces, Predefined Pages correspond SAP-Delivered Business Catalogs and Spaces, so if the Page is to be associated with a customer defined Business Catalog, a new one will need to be created.

When creating a Page, an ID, Description and Title are required, along with a Transport. The Description and Title can be changed later, while the ID can't. As with the Launchpad Space, the Title is what the end users will see in their Launchpads.

Within the Pages there can be multiple sections of application tiles. As mentioned previously, the recommended process is to create the Page after the Business Catalog and Space have been assigned to a role. Then any apps that are assigned to the same role through Business Catalogs as the page within it's Space will show automatically via the Derived from Roles section. If other apps are necessary, other catalogs can be shown with their apps, but they will show as "out of context" within the Manage Launchpad Pages application.

As a best practice, it is recommended that a page have no more than 5-7 sections with 5-7 apps per section. In general, more than 35 application tiles per page is the recommended maximum.