Lesson 5 of 6
Output management and Fiori apps
8 min
The order confirmation Great Lakes Fleet Services receives, the delivery note in the truck and the invoice that triggers payment are all outputs. In ECC they ran on NAST message control: output types, access sequences and condition records decided what was sent, to whom and how. In SAP S/4HANA there is a second framework, SAP S/4HANA output management, and for some documents it is the default.
Two frameworks side by side
| Topic | NAST message control | SAP S/4HANA output management |
|---|---|---|
| Rules | Condition technique: output types, access sequences, condition records | BRF+ decision tables maintained in Output Parameter Determination (transaction OPD) |
| What the rules decide | Output type, partner, medium, timing | Output type, recipient, channel, form template, printer and email settings |
| Channels | Print, fax, EDI/IDoc, email | Print, email, EDI/IDoc (IDoc only for mapped output types), and others by application |
| Forms | SAPscript, Smart Forms, Adobe forms | Adobe forms (often the delivered form templates) |
| Where it's used | Still possible on-premise for many sales documents | Default for new documents in several areas, notably billing; only option in Public Edition |
Which framework a given document type uses depends on your release and on activation settings, and the defaults have shifted over releases. On-premise and Private Edition systems can usually keep NAST for some sales objects, while billing documents created after conversion often go through the new framework. Check your system's application object type activation settings rather than assuming.
- Document savedBilling document for 400 alternators, sales area 1710 / 10 / 00
- DeterminationBRF+ rules pick the output type, recipient, channel and form
- Output itemAn output item appears on the document with its status
- RenderingThe form is rendered (Adobe Document Services for print and PDF)
- SendEmail to the bill-to contact, print or EDI; status updates to completed or error
Why output is a big regression risk
Outputs leave the company. A wrong invoice layout, a missing tax line, an email sent to an old contact or an EDI message that never fires is seen by customers before anyone internal notices. And because a conversion may mean moving from NAST condition records to BRF+ rules and from Smart Forms to Adobe forms, the output setup is often partly rebuilt. Treat it as new functionality, not as regression.
Fiori apps alongside SAP GUI
Private Edition and on-premise users can keep using SAP GUI transactions like VA01, VL01N and VF01. SAP adds Fiori apps for many tasks: managing sales orders, monitoring sales order fulfillment and resolving issues, displaying document flow with the process overview, and analytical apps on embedded analytics. Some classic transactions and BAPIs are deprecated as simplification items, so check the catalog for any your team relies on.
| Task | Classic | Typical Fiori approach |
|---|---|---|
| Create and change orders | VA01 / VA02 | Manage Sales Orders, or the GUI transaction in the launchpad |
| Find stuck orders | Custom backlog reports, VA05 | Sales order fulfillment monitoring apps that list issues such as credit or delivery blocks |
| Follow the chain | Document flow (VBFA) | Process overview with flow and status together |
| Customer master | XD01 / VD01 | Business partner apps or transaction BP |
| Credit | FD32, VKM1 | UKM_BP, Credit Limit Utilization, documented credit decision apps |
Classic tasks and their usual S/4HANA counterparts. App names vary by release; check the SAP Fiori apps reference library.
Fiori apps are not just new screens. They depend on business roles, catalogs and authorizations. A tester who can open an app with a broad test role may see it fail for a real user with a narrower role. Role-based testing is part of sign-off.
What would you do?
In the second test cycle, invoices print correctly, but invoices for Great Lakes Fleet Services are not emailed as they were in ECC. What should Priya's team check first?
- SAP S/4HANA output management uses BRF+ rules (OPD), output items and Adobe forms; NAST may remain for some on-premise documents.
- Check activation settings per document type instead of assuming which framework is active.
- Outputs reach customers, so test them as new functionality with real evidence.
- Fiori apps depend on business roles; test with realistic roles.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Where are the rules for SAP S/4HANA output management maintained?
2. Which statement about output frameworks after conversion is most accurate?
3. Why should outputs be tested like new functionality in a conversion?
4. Why can a Fiori app work for a tester but fail for a real user?