SAP Fiori · UX Modernization · Public Sector
Public Sector and Education SAP Fiori SAP WebDynpro SAPUI5
Modernizing a U.S. Army application from WebDynpro to SAP Fiori for a defense research laboratory
A University-Affiliated Defense Research Laboratory Delivered 2020
Mindset redesigned a U.S. Army field application from a WebDynpro interface the Army itself called a UX nightmare into a modern SAP Fiori solution, delivered under a defense subcontract.
By the numbers
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1 application
Legacy WebDynpro interface replaced with SAP Fiori
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On time
Milestone 1 delivered on schedule and on budget
Before
A WebDynpro application the Army called a UX nightmare
- A field application built on SAP WebDynpro with a user experience the Army openly flagged as a serious problem.
- No modern Fiori interface for field users.
- The modernization effort requiring specialist SAP UX capability not available in-house.
After
A modern SAP Fiori field application
- Legacy WebDynpro interface replaced with a purpose-built SAP Fiori application.
- Delivery structured and tracked under formal defense subcontract milestones.
- A UX designed around how field users actually work, not around system structure.
Why this matters
A defense research lab tasked with modernizing a U.S. Army application that had failed its users. Mindset came in as the SAP UX subcontractor and rebuilt it on Fiori.
The challenge
A U.S. Army field application had been built on SAP WebDynpro, and the Army openly acknowledged the user experience was a serious problem. The application was functional but difficult to use, and the Army wanted it rebuilt on a modern SAP Fiori foundation. A university-affiliated defense research laboratory, operating as the Army's technology partner, was tasked with leading the modernization effort. That lab brought in Mindset as the SAP UX subcontractor to design and build the new interface.
What we did
Mindset served as the SAP UX subcontractor under a cost-plus-fixed-fee defense subcontract. The work was structured into milestones, starting with project kickoff, stakeholder alignment, and delivery planning, then moving into design and development of the modern Fiori interface. Mindset's architect led the UX work, replacing the legacy WebDynpro screens with a Fiori-based application designed around how field users actually work. The engagement followed the milestone structure defined in the subcontract, with formal status reporting at each stage.
The outcomes
Milestone 1 was completed on schedule with no technical problems and spending on track. Delivery proceeded against the full milestone plan, replacing the legacy WebDynpro interface with a modern SAP Fiori application. The Army moved from an interface its own team had flagged as a usability problem to a purpose-built Fiori experience designed for field use.
If we built this today
Concept · not delivered scopeRebuild the field experience, with Joule inside.
This is a forward-looking concept, not the scope we delivered on this engagement. It is the build we would reach for now, grounded in SAP that ships today.
A U.S. Army field application ran on SAP WebDynpro and the Army flagged the user experience as a real problem, so this was a ground-up move to a modern, usable interface.
The data product
Cloud ERP Intelligence
Grounds the assistant in governed business semantics from the underlying ERP through the SAP Knowledge Graph, so its suggestions match how the field process actually runs. Custom logic stays scoped through MCP and runs on the customer system, with no data copy.
Intelligent Application on SAP Business Data Cloud
The Joule agent
Field Tech Co-pilot
Reads the user's open field tasks, master data, and prior actions, then proposes the next step and pre-fills the form so a field user confirms instead of hunting through screens. It walks people through complex transactions in plain language rather than making them learn the layout.
SAP Fiori, SAPUI5, SAP S/4HANA · PROPOSE · Task completion time and error or rework rate per transaction
The Fiori app
Fiori app with embedded Joule (in-app assistant)
A modern Fiori app for the field workflow with Joule sitting in the launchpad, so users ask in their own words and get guided to the right action instead of decoding a legacy WebDynpro screen. The assistant explains fields, surfaces the next task, and drafts the entry for approval.
Embedded in the Fiori launchpad
If we did this today we'd mine the real process in SAP Signavio first, map the WebDynpro-to-Fiori transition in SAP LeanIX, and let MIND accelerators carry the old screens and logic across to the new build.
What we built
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WebDynpro interface replaced with Fiori
SAP Fiori application design
Replaced a legacy WebDynpro interface with a modern SAP Fiori UX, designed around field user workflows and the Army's operational requirements.
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Milestone 1 completed on schedule and on budget
Milestone-based delivery structure
Engagement organized into formal milestones under the defense subcontract, with kickoff, stakeholder alignment, design, and build phases tracked and reported.
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Full stakeholder alignment before build began
Stakeholder and requirements workshops
Project kickoff and planning sessions with Army and research laboratory stakeholders to align on requirements and structure the delivery phases.
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Formal status reporting completed; work on track
Defense subcontract delivery
Mindset delivered as the SAP UX subcontractor to the research laboratory under a CPFF defense subcontract, meeting the formal reporting and milestone requirements of the engagement.