Strategy for the implementation of a “Fluid User Interface”

For users who are used to a web 2.0 interface, the classic ERP ergonomics may seem old-fashioned and unsuitable today.
It is this observation, added to the need to develop an interface adapted to use via mobile phones, that led Oracle to introduce a user interface in its PeopleSoft solutions that complements the so-called classic interface: the Fluid User Interface.
Launched in 2014, with PeopleTools 8.54, the Fluid UI has been progressively extended, with the arrival of each new 9.2 image, and now covers as standard a large part of the application’s functionality.

The Fluid User Interface is first and foremost a new way of using the system. It is robust and intuitive, easier and simpler to use, and includes a new navigation mode and real-time analysis (embedded BI). Focused on simplifying the input and output of information, it is particularly well suited to user self-service functionality.
It is the interface automatically proposed when connecting to the application with a tablet or a smartphone, but it is also the interface to be privileged for beginners and all occasional users; the screens of the classic interface remain dedicated to expert users, likely to use all the functionalities and options of the solution.

In order to effectively implement the Fluid UI, the first step is to conduct a business analysis to determine the business processes for which the expected benefits in terms of user comfort and productivity are greatest. Examples include expense reports, time recording, approvals and project management.
Once the business priorities have been set, the next step is to retrieve the most up-to-date standard functionality (via CFO tooling and Selective Integration) and then, if necessary, to make the necessary customisations to these components.
It is also possible to convert existing specific developments to the Fluid UI, introducing a logic of simplification and addition of real-time analyses.                                                                                                                                                                                                             In all cases, PeopleSoft developers will need to be trained in Fluid UI development techniques.
It should be noted that companies using versions prior to 9.2 can also benefit from the advantages of the Fluid UI, provided they are at least at the level of PeopleTools 8.54
If the application is to be deployed via mobile access, the company’s strategy on this subject must be taken into account and possibly supplemented. A final point of attention, in addition to the classic phases of testing, training and support for users, concerns the verification of the minimum versions of the Internet browser.