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User Experience Insights

Jocelyn Dart
November 4, 2022 | 15 minute read

SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – What is Key

User Extensibility and Who are your Key
Users
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 RSS Feed • J a n u a r y 2 0 2 3 : Linked in the blog Custom Reusable Elements, Custom Business Objects and
Data Source Extension to add �elds in standard VDM on how to create custom objects to
extract data for custom analytics. 
• D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 2 : Added a  new blog on how key user can preset default values for other
users. 

When it comes to con�guring, adapting, and extending your SAP S/4HANA solution, k e y u s e r
e x t e n s i b i l i t y provides powerful low-code/no-code features to manage customer-speci�c
changes for your solution.  These changes can be made during your implementation project,
during an upgrade project, and at any time you need.

Even better, key user extensibility changes can be made by your business experts, a central
process governance group, your functional consultants, or used by your technical team. Who
makes the changes is really up to you!
 Key Users are authorized to make changes to apps on behalf of other users. Source: SAP stock
images

I n m a n y c a s e s , ke y u s e r ex t e n s i b i l i t y i s t h e � r s t o p t i o n yo u s h o u l d c o n s i d e r w h e n yo u
n e e d t o m a k e a c h a n g e to a user interface or to a business process, because compared to
other extensions key user extensions are:

• S i m p l e – no-code/low-code
• C o s t - e � e c t i v e – require minimum cost/e�ort/skill
• U p g r a d e - s t a b l e – are automatically retained as you upgrade releases
• S a f e – many of these changes be undone or reset, if needed

For example, you can use key user extensibility to add, remove or reorganize �elds in many SAP
Fiori apps, as shown in this example of SAP Fiori app F1511A Create Maintenance Request with
U I A d a p t a t i o n m o d e being used to add, remove or reorganize �elds on the user interface.

Adapt UI can be used to add, remove, relabel, and reorganize �elds and features. Example of UI
 Adaptation mode as it appears in the SAP Fiori app F1511A Create Maintenance Request

You can �nd videos showing you the A d a p t U I process in the SAP Help Portal in the SAP Fiori
Launchpad User Guide section Personalizing and Adapting Apps, for example: Adapting SAP
Fiori UIs can be this simple.

A d a p t U I i s j u s t o n e t y p e o f k e y u s e r e x t e n s i b i l i t y.

So keep reading to understand:

• W h e re d o yo u � n d Ke y U s e r E x t e n s i b i l i t y
• W h a t t y p e s o f c h a n g e s c a n b e m a d e w i t h Ke y U s e r E x t e n s i b i l i t y
• W h o a re yo u r Ke y U s e r s
• Ke y U s e r E x t e n s i b i l i t y FAQ
• W h e re t o � n d o u t m o re a b o u t Ke y u s e r s

Where do you �nd Key User Extensibility

Key user extensibility is a cloud-centric approach to making the most common changes needed
to User Interfaces (UIs) and to business processes. This same cloud-centric approach is
applicable even in on-premise. Key user extensibility is available when using:

• SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition

• SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition
• SAP S/4HANA on-premise
• SAP Launchpad Service

For example, in SAP S/4HANA cloud, private edition and on-premise, key user extensions:

• are mostly m a d e d i re c t l y i n S A P F i o r i a p p s ,
• are b u i l t i n t o m a n y S A P F i o r i a p p s  
• in some cases, c a n e v e n c h a n g e c l a s s i c U I s – s u c h a s G U I t r a n s a c t i o n s – a l o n g s i d e
re l a t e d SA P F i o r i a p p s
◦ For example, your custom �elds can be added to SAP Fiori apps and to GUI transactions
at the same time using SAP Fiori app F1481 Custom Fields. You can  update at the same
time reports, business scenarios, form templates, email templates, and APIs !

• c a n b e u s e d t o i m p ro v e yo u r b u s i n e s s p ro c e s s e s , such as �exible work�ow, output

management, and situation handling

Yo u c a n e v e n u s e k e y u s e r e x t e n s i o n s i n yo u r o w n c u s t o m F i o r i a p p s . For example:

• Provided your developer applies the technique SAPUI5 Flexibility Services when building your
custom apps, your custom apps can provide the A d a p t U I feature to change the visibility of
�elds and features.
• Public and Role-Speci�c Views are built-in to custom apps based on SAP Fiori elements
�oorplans
What types of changes can be made with
Key User Extensibility
Key user extensibility is designed to cover the m o s t c o m m o n c h a n g e s that customers typically
need to make.  For example, in SAP S/4HANA cloud, private edition and on-premise, key user
extensibility enables you to:

• Add custom �elds

◦ E.g. To make them available in existing apps, forms, APIs, OData Services, and/or CDS
Views

• Add custom logic

• Add standard �elds to existing apps using Data Source Extensions
• Expose hidden �elds and features (buttons, tables, tabs, cards, etc.)
• Hide standard �elds and features (buttons, tables, tabs, cards, etc.)
• Reorganize standard �elds and features (buttons, tables, tabs, cards, etc.)
• Create custom analytics and KPIs
• Create custom CDS Views, custom business objects, and reusable elements – e.g. to extract
data for custom analytics
◦ Refer to: Custom Reusable Elements, Custom Business Objects and Data Source
Extension to add �elds in standard VDM

• Create saved sets of default values

• Create app views – to pre-set default �lter settings, table settings, and chart settings
• Create app variants – copies of apps with certain features defaulted or hidden
• Maintain translations
• Add custom search objects
• Manage custom date functions (single dates and date ranges) for analytics
• Manage launchpad layouts (spaces and pages)
• Manage teams and responsibilities
• Manage �exible work�ows
• Manage situations
• Manage machine learning scenarios

These types of changes can be made on behalf of all users of your solution.

• Example 1: You can preset d e f a u l t v a l u e s for other users, e.g. preset values for newbies, for
your team, for di�erent shared services roles.  Refer to blog post  Yes Key Users can set
Default Values for other Users

Many of these changes can be made role-speci�c to a business role.

• Example 1: Yo u c a n c re a t e a n a p p v a r i a n t t h a t l i m i t s t h e a v a i l a b l e a c t i o n s o f a n a p p ,
such as creating a display-only version of a Manage app. Refer to blog post Converting a SAP
Fiori “Manage” app to a Display Only using Adapt UI or openSAP microlearning Adapting the
 UI of List Report Apps – SAP S/4HANA User Experience
• Example 2: Yoou c a n c re a t e a ro l e - s p e c i � c v i e w f o r � l t e r/ t a b l e /c h a r t s e t t i n g s . Refer to
blog post SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – New options for managing Views for �lters tables and
charts
• Example 3: Yo u c a n c h o o s e a t e a m o f p i l o t u s e r s t o re c e i v e s i t u a t i o n s . Refer to
Situation Handling: How to use Responsibility Management e�ciently

Most of these changes are made via SAP Fiori apps or features.

You can �nd a summary of many of the extension apps in blog post SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA –
Yes you need SAP Fiori to Con�gure, Adapt and Extend SAP S/4HANA

Who are your Key Users

To put it simply, key users are whomever you a u t h o r i ze to m a k e c h a n g e s o n b e h a l f o f o t h e r
u se rs .

For example, only authorized key users can access the A d a p t U I feature in the launchpad.

When in a SAP Fiori app, authorized key users can access the Adapt UI feature in the User
Actions (Pro�le) menu. In this example you can see Adapt UI just above the Sign Out option.

W h o yo u d e s i g n a t e a s yo u r ke y u s e r s c a n c h a n g e ove r t i m e o r d i � e r f o r d i � e re n t t y p e s
o f key u s e r ex t e n s i o n s .

You choose how you want to govern key user extensions.  You can change your governance
approach over time, as your team and your business users build their skills and get comfortable
with Key User Extensions.  Some governance options are:

• During your project, you might designate yo u r f u n c t i o n a l c o n s u l t a n t s a s yo u r k e y u s e r s

to make some initial adjustments as they discuss business needs directly with your business
 stakeholders

• As part of UAT and system handover, you might run some knowledge transfer sessions then
designate yoou r s u b j e c t m a t t e r e x p e r t s a s k e y u s e r s .  This lets them make any further
adjustments needed as you move into your after go-live hypercare period, or for ongoing
changes once your solution is running business-as-usual.

• Some organizations have a c e n t r a l p ro c e s s g o v e r n a n c e g ro u p who might be designated

as responsible for key user changes or for certain types of key user extensions.
◦ For example, you might want your central process governance group to control adding
custom �elds, so that you don’t end up with several teams creating similar �elds

• You might give s o m e k e y u s e r c a p a b i l i t i e s t o yo u r I T t e a m o r e v e n s e l e c t e d

d e v e l o p e r s – as key user functions can be the most e�ective way to extend your apps and
the essential way to add custom �elds.
◦ For example, as you build your skills into intelligent technologies, you might want your IT
team to make some initial settings for your pilot machine learning or situation handling
use cases.

Because key user extensibility uses a no-code/low-code approach, by making selected business
users responsible for the changes themselves you can minimize lost-in-translation errors and
communication overhead between business and IT.

Remember that at all times, your technical team still maintains control over who is authorized to
make changes, and when and where those changes are applied to your system landscape.

Where do key users make their changes

While some changes can be made in production, for the most part key users usually make their
changes in your development environment. You can understand how this works with a couple of
example use cases.

• Use case 1 is an example of a change that must be made in development environment and
then transported to production.
• Use case 2 is an example of a key user change that could be made either directly in your
production environment, or in your development environment and then transported through
your system landscape.

Use case 1 – Creating a Display only copy of a Manage app 

It’s a common need to restrict the features of an app to create a simpler version for a di�erent
set of users.  Consider the needs of casual users versus experts.  Your casual users may need an
app to review and check data, but don’t have time to build the skills or policy knowledge to make
changes. So you want to restrict the actions available.

For example, you decide you want to give some casual users who create and track purchase
requisitions from time to time, a restricted feature “copy” of SAP Fiori app F2229 Manage
Purchase Requisition Professional. You still want to retain the original full-featured app for your
more experienced purchasing o�cers who will use the app every day.
Re s t r i c t i n g f e a t u re s o f a n a p p i s s o m e t h i n g yo u c a n d o u s i n g A d a p t U I .

To s a v e yo u r re s t r i c t e d v e r s i o n f o r yo u r c a s u a l u s e r s , i n A d a p t U I yo u s a v e yo u r
c h a n g e s a s a n A p p Va r i a n t .  

An A p p Va r i a n t is e�ectively a copy of the app with your UI adaptations applied. By creating an

app variant you can meet the needs of your casual users, while retaining the original full-featured
app for your purchasing o�cers.

Of course, before your casual users can use the app variant:

• The App Variant needs to be assigned to your casual users via their business role.
• You will need to coordinate with your security administration to assigning your app variant to
the correct business roles.
• Your security administrator typically updates the business role authorizations in your
development environment. Then they will want to check and test them to make sure all the
authorizations are correct.

So this type of key user change is usually p e r f o r m e d i n a d e ve l o p m e n t

e n v i ro n m e n t and then the app variant and the role assignments are transported to
production. 

To see how this works refer to openSAP microlearning Adapting the UI of List Report Apps – SAP
S/4HANA User Experience

Use case 2 – Set a default public view for a Monitor app 

Many SAP Fiori apps have smart �lter bars, smart tables and smart charts that you can use to
preset default settings such as �lters/columns/measures shown, sort, chart type, etc.

For example, for SAP Fiori apps such as F4332 Emission Forecast or  F2375 Supervise
Collections Worklist or F2358 Monitor Purchase Order Items or F5105 Maintenance Backlog
Overview

These settings are personalization options that can be set by each individual user for
themselves.

But what if you are the most experienced person on your team?

Rather than teach everyone in your team how to make these settings to get the most out of the
app, you want to share the best possible combination of �lters, table and chart settings for your
team.  You might even want to create several di�erent combinations of settings for di�erent use
cases – such as one for every day business-as-usual and another for end of �scal period tasks.

S h a r i n g o p t i m a l p e r s o n a l i z a t i o n s e t t i n g s w i t h yo u r t e a m i s s o m e t h i n g yo u c a n d o a s a
k e y u s e r by creating public views (for everyone) or role-speci�c views (for people in one or more
business roles).

There is no need to change permissions – all of the users you are impacting already have access
to the app.
So this type of key user change c a n b e m a d e d i re c t l y i n a p ro d u c t i o n e n v i ro n m e n t , if you
wish.

H i n t : Remember that if you create the view in production environment it will only be available in
your production environment.  This means you cannot use it for testing or training scenarios in
your testing/training environments. However, if you create the view in your development
environment, you can transport the view to your testing/training environments as well as your
production environment. So then your view is available in all environments.

To �nd out what’s possible for views, read SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – New options for
managing Views for �lters tables and charts

How to decide which key user changes to make in your development

environment
Essentially many key user extensions are analogous to con�guration changes.

Applying the change impacts multiple people depending on their participation in your business
processes.

Where changes only impact the designated team and do not require further coordination with
your administrators, you can consider making the changes in production. For example: public or
role-speci�c views; creating new �exible work�ows from exisiting templates; adjusting the
noti�cation text of a situation.

It’s worth keeping in mind, that you may also want to create changes in the development
environment to make user testing easier. That is, you want the changes available in your quality
assurance / testing system as well as your production environment.

Some changes require coordination between you and your administrators, especially where
authorizations need to be adjusted to match your changes. That coordination almost always
needs to happen in the development environment.  You will need everything to be correctly
aligned and tested before it impacts your business users. For example: app variants; changes to
launchpad layouts; custom �elds; and custom logic.

Understanding the high level process for making a key user change
With most key user changes you will follow a process:

1. Apply the key user extension

2. Coordinate with your administrators, e.g. to adjust any settings for the impacted business
roles
3. Deploy the extension to your testing/training environment
4. Test it to make sure it does what you need
5. Deploy the extension to your production environment

This means you will capture the changes against a transportable request in your development
environment.  Not something your business users are comfortable doing? Don’t worry!

Key user extensibility includes the A d a p t a t i o n Tr a n s p o r t O r ga n i ze r , which is a mechanism

that ensures:
 • Your business creates changes and controls when changes are published, i.e. marked as ready
for transport
• Your IT technical team controls the transport process itself, i.e. assigning objects against
software packages and transport requests, and exporting/importing the transports to your
other systems.

There are even companion SAP Fiori apps provided for your IT team to help them manage key
user transports such as F1590 Con�gure Software Packages, F1589 Register Extensions for
Transport, and F2587 Extensibility Inventory.

Key User Extensibility FAQ

1. Can we just ignore key user extensibility for now?
2. What if we aren’t ready to give business users access to our development environment?
3. What are the most common key user extensions?
4. How do I get started with key user extensions?

Q1. Can we just ignore key user extensibility for now?

Sometimes customers come to the SAP S/4HANA RIG team and say “Key users are new to us.
We are taking a Technical Upgrade approach to our move to SAP S/4HANA. Can we just ignore
key user extensibility for now?”

This is how we usually respond:

• Key User Extensibility covers the m o s t c o m m o n t y p e s o f c h a n g e s m o s t c u s t o m e r s

need.
• T h a t m e a n s e v e n o n a “ t e c h n i c a l u p g r a d e ” p ro j e c t yo u w i l l probably need to u s e a t
l e a s t s o m e key u s e r ex t e n s i o n s .  
• For organizations moving to SAP S/4HANA, usually the �rst key user extensions you will need
are:
◦ Custom Fields to add additional �elds
◦ Adapt UI to make adjustments to user interfaces
◦ Public/Role-Speci�c Views to preset optimal defaults for apps
◦ Manage KPIs and Reports to preset optimal settings for SAP-delivered analytics
◦ Custom Analytical Queries to add your own custom analytics

Q2. What if we aren’t ready to give business users access

to our development environment?
Sometimes when we talk to customers about key users the �rst reaction is… oh we can’t do that
because we’ve never done that before. We’ve never given business users access to the
development environment. That’s ok… !

You can always make your IT team and your project team – e.g. your functional team leads – your
pilot key users. That gives you a chance to build your skills.
Just don’t forget that changes can come at any time… so make sure you nominate someone to
take on this role post your �rst SAP S/4HANA go-live.

Q3. What are the most common key user extensions?

The most common key user extensions are:

• Custom Fields to add customer-speci�c �elds to processes

• Adapt UI to change the visibility of �elds and features
• Views for �lters, tables, and charts
• Manage KPIs and Reports to adjust settings for SAP-delivered analytics
• Custom Analytical Queries to create additional reports

Q4. How do I get started with key user extensions?

The important �rst steps are:

• Try out some of the key user extensions to build your skills and understanding
◦ The most popular tools for new customers are SAP Fiori apps F1481 Custom Fields,
F2814 Manage KPIs and Reports, and F1572 Custom Analytical Queries
◦ A d a p t U I and V i e w s are delivered built into many SAP Fiori apps so you need to make
sure you have authorized key users

• Decide who will be responsible for key user extensions and who will make them
◦ A simple RACI matrix can help here

• Start including key user extensibility into your governance and transport processes.

Where to �nd out more about Key users

Fo r B u s i n e s s U s e r s :

• Find example videos and description of features in the SAP Help Portal for SAP S/4HANA in
the SAP Fiori launchpad User Guide section Adapting SAP Fiori UIs at Runtime – Key User
Adaptation
• You will also �nd some Task Tutorials in your SAP S/4HANA User Assistant

Fo r S o l u t i o n A rc h i t e c t s , A d m i n i s t r a t o r s , a n d yo u r Te c h n i c a l Te a m :

You will �nd a slide deck summary of the concept at Key User Extensibility Overview for the
ABAP Platform.

Further references:

• Find out about Key users and UI5 Flexibility as a cloud-centric approach in the SAP Help
Portal in What is UI5 Flexibility for Key Users
• Understand the concept of Key User Extensibility vs other extensibility types in the ABAP
Platform help in the SAP Help Portal: Key User Extensibility
 • Find out which Extensibility option suits your needs in the ABAP Platform help in the SAP
Help Portal section Extensibility
• Find more FAQs for using Key User Extensibility in SAP S/4HANA on-premise and SAP
S/4HANA Cloud, private edition in SAP Note 3077994 – Frequently asked questions about
Extensibility in SAP S/4 HANA On Premise
• Yes you can u s e Ke y U s e r e x t e n s i b i l i t y w i t h t h e S A P L a u n c h p a d S e r v i c e as explained in
Key User Adaptation in SAP Launchpad service is available out-of-the-box
• For more on the A d a p t a t i o n Tr a n s p o r t O r ga n i ze r refer to: SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA –
Adaptation Transport Organizer
• Find out how to con�gure the Adaptation Transport Organizer in the ABAP Platform help on
SAP Help Portal – section Con�guration Information: Adaptation Transport Organizer

Fo r D e ve l o p e r s looking to include SAPUI5 Flexibility Services in custom apps refer to the

following blog posts:

• UI5 �exibility for key users – Always at your service

• SAPUI5 Flexibility – The Journey Continues
• Easily manage your key user adaptations with SAPUI5 �exibility
• UI5ers Buzz #55: Adaptation Project – your one stop tool for extending SAPUI5 Applications

Customer blogs about key user extensibility:

• Quick tip: How to check if the changes from the adaptation project are active?

Worth Knowing for your Solution Architects

and Technical Team
Key user extensibility is sometimes referred to as in-app extensibility.

Ke y u s e r e x t e n s i b i l i t y i s p a r t o f S A P ’s C l e a n C o re p a r a d i g m as explained in  Custom
Extensions in SAP S/4HANA Implementations – A Practical Guide for Senior IT Leadership.

You can also �nd a one level deeper overview in the new guide Extend SAP S/4HANA in the cloud
and on premise with ABAP based extensions as explained in New Extensibility Guide for
S/4HANA is available. This new guide explains some of the technical background and
considerations and is recommended for your solution architects and technical team.

T i p : Some more complex extension approaches that support the Clean Core principle are also
considered upgrade-stable, such as those included in the on-stack developer extensibility model.
So, if you �nd that key user extensions are not su�cient for your particular use case, you should
consider using an upgrade-stable alternative.

Fo r yo u r d e v e l o p e r s : If you are creating custom apps, or using 3rd party apps from a partner,
you can apply key user extensibility in your own custom apps via SAPUI5 Flexibility Services.
 Becoming a SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA
guru
You’ll �nd much more on the community topic page for SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA

Other helpful links in the SAP Community:

• Follow our tag SAP S/4HANA RIG for more from the SAP S/4HANA Customer Care and RIG
• See all questions and answers about SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA
• Follow SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANAfor more blogs and updates
• Ask a Question about SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA

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5 Comments

You must be Logged on to comment or reply to a post.

Thomas Schneider
November 4, 2022 at 8:53 am

Hi Jocelyn,

a very nice blog, I like it a lot! Here is also a presentation on the di�erent key user tools in the ABAP platform: Extensibility
– ABAP Platform

Best regards, Thomas

Like 3 | Share

Jocelyn Dart | Blog Post Author

November 4, 2022 at 8:55 am

Thanks Thomas! I've also linked that into the references section. Much appreciated!

Like 1 | Share

Shavneet Singh
November 7, 2022 at 4:21 am
Hello Jocelyn,

Very Nice Summarized blog, thanks for this.

Oliver Grae�
November 7, 2022 at 5:40 am
I was using this Adaption technique for one of the standard Fiori App delivered by SAP , and the app is Fiori element based
Hello Shavneet Singh.
app , Record defect app.

background is SAPUI5 Flexibility: Enable Your App for UI Adaptation. Could you kindly check for the Record defect
SAP Fiori Apps Reference Library (ondemand.com)
app and get it �xed in that app, e.g. via an incident to SAP?

While , when i click on Adapt UI, i get a pop up : "App is not enabled for Adaption":
Thanks a lot,
Oliver
Could you please help here , what is missing here ?

Like 0 | Share
Thanks and Best Regards ,

Shavneet Singh

Like 1 | Share
Savan Kharod
November 30, 2022 at 7:37 am

Hey Jocelyn,

Loved the article. Vey well summarized.

Savan

Like 1 | Share

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