---
sourceDocument: Yokohama Finance and Supply Chain
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/yokohama/source-to-pay-operations

 Release :

    - yokohama

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Yokohama Finance and Supply Chain

ft:clusterId :

    - stpop

bundleId :

    - stpop

workflow :

    - Employee


---

# Using Supplier Collaboration Portal in APO

# Using Supplier Collaboration Portal in APO {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Yokohama
* 
* Updated January 30, 2025
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read

Summarize  
![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI  
This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.  

## Summary of Using Supplier Collaboration Portal in APO

The Supplier Collaboration Portal integrated with Accounts Payable Operations (APO) enables seamless interaction between Accounts Payable Specialists and suppliers.
It supports creating and managing invoice inquiry cases, submitting new invoices, and resolving tasks related to cases and exceptions.
The portal allows supplier contacts to manage invoices and inquiries via the portal interface, Virtual Agent, or Live Agent chat.
Show full answer Show less  
Note that APO does not handle supplier onboarding or supplier contact updates; these functions are managed by Supplier Lifecycle Operations (SLO). If SLO is not implemented, supplier and contact data should be imported from external systems like ERP.

## Supplier and Supplier Contact Management

Each supplier contact must have a linked user record with login credentials managed outside ServiceNow to access the Supplier Collaboration Portal. Importing suppliers and contacts requires creating these user records for portal access.

## Supplier Collaboration Portal Interface

The portal header, located at the top-right corner, provides quick access to:

* **My Tasks:** Lists tasks assigned to the logged-in supplier contact.
* **My Requests:** Displays all invoice inquiry requests assigned to the user.
* **Raise a Request:** Allows suppliers to submit new invoice inquiries.

Widgets within the portal include:

* **My Active Items Widget:** Displays Tasks, Requests (invoice inquiry cases), and Invoices, enabling suppliers to view and act on their assigned items.
* **My Requests Widget:** Shows a list of invoice inquiry cases submitted by the user, with options to view and manage those cases.

## Key Functionalities

* **Task and Request Management:** Suppliers can view and respond to exception tasks and invoice inquiry requests assigned to them through the portal header and widgets.
* **Universal Request (UR) Creation:** Invoice inquiries submitted via the portal are converted into Universal Requests and routed to the Source-to-Pay Workspace for processing.
* **Supplier Catalog:** Used by suppliers to submit new invoice inquiries and invoices for evaluation by APO teams.
* **Virtual Agent Support:** Suppliers can check invoice statuses, create inquiry cases, and interact with predefined chatbot topics through the portal chat feature.
* **Email Notifications:** When an AI worker agent resolves an invoice inquiry case and updates its status to awaiting acceptance, suppliers receive email notifications with resolution details and action buttons to accept or reject the resolution.

## Security and Access Control

To differentiate internal from external users and ensure security, every user must have at least one assigned role. After installing the Supplier Collaboration Portal, it is critical to approve the generated restricted caller access privileges to avoid supplier access errors.

## Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

* Use this portal to streamline supplier communication and invoice inquiry management within APO.
* Ensure supplier contacts have appropriate user records and roles for secure portal access.
* Configure email notifications and Virtual Agent flows to enhance supplier experience and reduce manual follow-ups.
* Coordinate with SLO or external systems for supplier onboarding and contact management as APO does not manage these workflows.
* Approve restricted caller access privileges post-installation to prevent supplier access issues.  
The Supplier Collaboration portal application integrated with Accounts Payable Operations provides seamless interaction between Account Payable Specialist and supplier in creating invoice inquiry case, submit new invoice, resolving case tasks and exception tasks.

## Supplier and supplier contact management {#using-supplier-collaboration-portal__section_supplier_contact_mgmt_scope}

APO grants supplier contacts access to the Supplier Collaboration Portal to manage invoices and invoice inquiries, handle tasks, and submit invoices or inquiries through the portal, Virtual Agent, or Live Agent chat.

APO does not include workflows to onboard suppliers or to add and update supplier contacts. These workflows are part of SLO. If your instance has APO without SLO, import supplier and supplier contact records into ServiceNow from your ERP or other system of record instead of using the SLO onboarding workflow. For more information, see [Manage supplier contacts from the Source-to-Pay Workspace](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/J6XliqOPhaE9eCA2VDhSeA "Add or remove contacts, elevate access or remove elevated access to contacts from the Source-to-Pay Workspace.") and [Add a supplier contact from the Source-to-Pay Workspace](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/zNaEpUjOl4ii2Rjmi~Qb~Q "Add supplier contacts so that they can access the Supplier Collaboration Portal and start working on the most important tasks.").

Each supplier contact record requires a linked user record. When you import a supplier contact, create a corresponding user record that stores the contact's user ID and password so the contact can log in to the Supplier Collaboration Portal with credentials set up outside ServiceNow.

## Supplier Portal Collaboration header {#using-supplier-collaboration-portal__section_ght_slv_zxb}

The portal header is located at the top-right corner of the home page contains the following options.
{#using-supplier-collaboration-portal__table_yvm_mvm_1yb__entry__2}

| Option | Description |
|-|-|
| My Tasks | Lists all the tasks that are assigned to the logged-in user. For more information on tasks, see [Working with tasks in Supplier Collaboration Portal header](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/tgq4EJk89kyhQYmM4JQi7g "Use the portal header located at the top-right corner of the Supplier Collaboration Portal home page to open exception tasks, invoice inquiry requests assigned to the logged-in supplier."). |
| My Requests | Opens the My Requests page, which lists all the requests assigned to you. |
| Raise a request | Supplier raises invoice requests. |
[ ]

{#using-supplier-collaboration-portal__table_yvm_mvm_1yb}

For more information regarding the Supplier Portal Collaboration header options, see [Working with tasks in Supplier Collaboration Portal header](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/tgq4EJk89kyhQYmM4JQi7g "Use the portal header located at the top-right corner of the Supplier Collaboration Portal home page to open exception tasks, invoice inquiry requests assigned to the logged-in supplier.").

## Supplier Collaboration Portal widgets {#using-supplier-collaboration-portal__section_vmx_tqy_zxb}

The Supplier Collaboration Portal integrated with Accounts Payable Operations consists of the following widgets. For more information on Supplier Collaboration Portal widgets, see [Supplier Collaboration Portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ts4yF4o0FqdaWuv9iXhhZA "The ServiceNow Supplier Collaboration Portal application provides a seamless unified employee portal experience for supplier contacts.").

## My active items widget {#using-supplier-collaboration-portal__section_gdk_cbr_2yb}

As a supplier contact, you can view specific items from the following tiles in the My active items widget:
{#using-supplier-collaboration-portal__table_pbp_yqy_zxb__entry__2}

| Item | Description |
|-|-|
| Tasks | Opens the My Tasks list page, which lists all the tasks that are assigned to the supplier. For more information on tasks, see [Working with tasks in Supplier Collaboration Portal header](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/tgq4EJk89kyhQYmM4JQi7g "Use the portal header located at the top-right corner of the Supplier Collaboration Portal home page to open exception tasks, invoice inquiry requests assigned to the logged-in supplier."). |
| Requests | Lists all the invoice inquiry cases for the supplier. For more information on inquiry requests, see [Working with My Requests](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/40b4BJm1DOZmbQ_KxZnedw "View and respond to invoice inquiries."). |
| Invoices | Lists the invoices for supplier to view the invoice details and raise invoice related inquiry case. For more information on invoice inquiry see [Submit Invoice Inquiry](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/PakyEztv7_~~MChrwJCgOA "Supplier uses the Supplier Collaboration Portal to create an inquiry related to an invoice and submits it to the Accounts Payable Operations team to evaluate and resolve the inquiry."). Note: From the invoice form, you can submit an inquiry case. For more details on inquiry case, see [Submit Invoice Inquiry](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/PakyEztv7_~~MChrwJCgOA "Supplier uses the Supplier Collaboration Portal to create an inquiry related to an invoice and submits it to the Accounts Payable Operations team to evaluate and resolve the inquiry."). |
[ ]

{#using-supplier-collaboration-portal__table_pbp_yqy_zxb}

## My Requests widget {#using-supplier-collaboration-portal__section_ctx_mwm_1yb}

Displays a list of invoice inquiry cases that you have submitted. Selecting a case directly opens the My Requests page so that you can work on that inquiry case. Select View All to view
the list of all inquiry cases that you have submitted. For more information on My Requests widget, see [Working with My Requests](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/40b4BJm1DOZmbQ_KxZnedw "View and respond to invoice inquiries.").

For more information on installing Supplier Collaboration Portal, see [Configuring Supplier Lifecycle Operations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/Trs5uShsQreWU95_L3Mjmg "Plan and configure your implementation for Supplier Lifecycle Operations.").  
Important:  
After you install Supplier Collaboration Portal, approve the restricted caller access privileges that installation generates. If these privileges remain unapproved, suppliers encounter errors when they use the portal. For more information, see [Restricted caller access approvals for Supplier Collaboration Portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/31mGtiK1sMnhsDjq1biIIg "After you install the Supplier Collaboration Portal application from ServiceNow Store, you might encounter Restricted Caller Access (RCA) approval messages requesting for an update in the access request. You can approve the RCA privileges either manually or by running the fix script.").
* **[Explicit roles plugin](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/Ic9Ko1unVtI2BRBn0OXfsA)**   
  You can give both internal users and external users access to your instance. However, you might not want both types of users to have the same level of access. To provide added security, every user must have at least one role so that the instance can distinguish between internal and external users.
* **[Working with tasks in Supplier Collaboration Portal header](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/tgq4EJk89kyhQYmM4JQi7g)**   
  Use the portal header located at the top-right corner of the Supplier Collaboration Portal home page to open exception tasks, invoice inquiry requests assigned to the logged-in supplier.
* **[Working with My Requests](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/40b4BJm1DOZmbQ_KxZnedw)**   
  View and respond to invoice inquiries.
* **[Create Universal Request from Supplier portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/oza705UAfMTdCukyI7JpQw)**   
  Suppliers submit their invoice inquiries through Request help, which transfers to a Universal Request (UR). Requests are sent directly to the Source-to-Pay Workspace for further processing.
* **[Working with Supplier Catalog](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/nw1dmaygdRhCB80uE8XyrA)**   
  Supplier uses the Supplier Catalog to submit new invoice inquiry and invoice to the Accounts Payable Operations team to evaluate and resolve the cases.
* **[Virtual agent flows](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/0yDTZHBJ_BtBE6wwa6olPg)**   
  Suppliers can check the invoice and inquiry statuses, create inquiry cases in the supplier portal using the chat channel. Suppliers can also use the virtual agent to view predefined chatbot topics.
* **[Email resolution notifications for APO](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/4hd83IcTNsKy1l838CpHOQ)**   
  When the AI worker agent provides a resolution to your invoice inquiry case and moves the case status to awaiting acceptance. An email notification is sent with resolution details and action buttons to accept or reject the resolution.

**Related concepts**   

* [Invoice case categories and subcategories](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/n7zeI9j5cz5DSAL0NINP~w "An agent and Accounts Payable Specialist can access and work on the invoice cases in the Accounts Payable workspace.")
* [Using Invoice Case Management](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/F2To1EesNPWzTAdSlkAxxw "Agents can use Invoice Case Management to manage and work on invoice inquiry cases raised by employees and suppliers to resolve issues related to invoices.")
* [Using Accounts Payable Invoice Processing](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/j7fXn5ce4LaeLlLo8d1KOw "Accounts Payable Specialists can use the Accounts Payable Invoice Processing application to manage and work on invoice processing cases to perform end-to-end invoice processing, from invoice ingestion to approval.")
* [Advanced Work Assignment in Accounts Payable Operations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/lhR8yPdETF~ii3Ov_vkGDQ "Advanced Work Assignment (AWA) automatically assigns work items to Accounts Payable Operations agents based on their availability, capacity and skills. AWA pushes work to qualified agents using work item queues, routing conditions, and assignment criteria that you define. The work items are available in Agent workspace inbox.")
* [Using Advanced Work Assignment for Accounts Payable Operations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/50n~uU9BLIAbbFi~zPjz7g "AWA enables suppliers to interact with Accounts Payable Operations agents inquire or resolve invoice-related queries.")
* [Interaction management in Accounts Payable Operations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/bH~NSUo9inlbOJRl2VcxkA "Any request for assistance made to an Accounts Payable specialist via email, chat, phone is logged in an auto-generated interaction record. Agents can choose to create a case from the interaction record, create a request, and associate an interaction record with an existing invoice case record.")
* [Composing emails with predefined content from the Source-to-Pay Workspace](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/VYy_aifSV8ndHbwur5XCSQ "Insert predefined content into the message body of emails that you send from the email client in the Source-to-Pay Workspace.")
* [Universal Request in Accounts Payable Operations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/UzMv9rhcIiOoPScJLLHcXA "The ServiceNow Universal Request (UR) feature transforms fragmented service intake into a centralized, intelligent, and scalable experience for invoice case management.")
* [Playbook for updating the invoice primary data](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/5m7~hBfZdOLHaMjxeD3bLQ "Playbooks provide Accounts Payable admins or specialists to visualize invoice processing workflows in a simplified, task-oriented, actionable view.")  
**Related tasks**   

* [Create a knowledge base article about invoice](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/iLTT0HUTfRaNggoixzVtog "Create a knowledge base article to share invoice information and policies with your employees and suppliers.")
* [Configure Advanced Work Assignment for Accounts Payable Operations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/NQ4kEp815L0WME0Q69NpgA "Configure AWA for APO to ensure that requests or queries received via email, chat, messenger are routed to the respective APO agents belonging to defined groups.")
* [Working with Advanced Work Assignment](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/Rs4VroKmQ6Xe4IZdwKvTng "Suppliers interact with APO agents for invoice inquiry cases using the live chat.")