---
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


---

# Understanding the end-to-end sourcing workflow in Source-to-Pay Operations

# Understanding the end-to-end sourcing workflow in Source-to-Pay Operations {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Yokohama
* 
* Updated January 30, 2025
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 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 Understanding the end-to-end sourcing workflow in Source-to-Pay Operations

This guide provides a high-level understanding of the complete sourcing workflow within the Source-to-Pay (S2P) suite, spanning the Sourcing and Procurement Operations (SPO), Supplier Lifecycle Operations (SLO), and Accounts Payable Operations (APO) products.
The sourcing process initiates when there is an active contractual price for a product or service a shopper intends to purchase.
It integrates multiple roles and application portals to streamline procurement from request to payment.
Show full answer Show less  

## Prerequisites

To enable the end-to-end sourcing workflow, customers must install and activate the necessary plugins for each product:

* SPO: Sourcing and Procurement Operations plugin
* SLO: Supplier Lifecycle Operations plugin
* APO: Accounts Payable Operations plugin

Following the recommended installation sequence ensures smooth integration across the suite.

## Workflow Steps and Roles

The sourcing workflow involves distinct user roles and applications collaborating to complete sourcing effectively:

* **Employee (snshop.shopper):** Initiates sourcing requests for products or services without contractual prices or catalog presence via Shopping Hub or Employee Center.
* **Approver (snshop.procurementspecialist):** Reviews and approves sourcing requests in Employee Center following predefined approval rules.
* **Procurement Specialist/Sourcing Manager (snshop.procurementspecialist):** Adds approved requests to sourcing/negotiation events using the Source-to-Pay Workspace; manages supplier qualification and onboarding.
* **Supplier Manager (snslm.manager):** Oversees supplier onboarding playbooks, assigns supplier tasks such as risk assessment and information collection within Source-to-Pay Workspace.
* **Supplier Contact (snslm.contact):** Completes assigned onboarding tasks and risk assessments through the Supplier Collaboration Portal.
* **Accounts Payable Specialist (snapapm.accountspayablespecialist):** Handles invoice processing, including managing exceptions and converting invoice types in Source-to-Pay Workspace.
* **Accounts Payable Agent (snapcm.agent):** Manages invoice cases, communicates with suppliers or employees for additional information, and assigns tasks.

## Key Process Highlights

* Negotiations are automatically created with qualified suppliers.
* Supplier onboarding is facilitated through automated playbooks that handle risk assessments and data collection.
* Purchase requisitions and purchase orders are auto-generated and reviewed by procurement specialists.
* Employees confirm receipt of goods or services via Shopping Hub or Employee Center.
* Invoices are auto-created; accounts payable specialists intervene for exceptions or manual invoice creation.
* All stakeholders have full visibility into the workflow status through their respective application portals.

## Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

This integrated, role-based sourcing workflow enables ServiceNow customers to streamline procurement activities, improve supplier onboarding efficiency, ensure compliance through structured approvals, and maintain transparency throughout the source-to-pay lifecycle. Customers can expect enhanced collaboration across procurement, supplier management, and accounts payable teams, resulting in faster, more accurate sourcing and payment processes.  
Gather a high-level understanding of the end-to-end sourcing workflow with the Sourcing and Procurement Operations (SPO), Supplier Lifecycle Operations (SLO), and Accounts Payable Operations (APO) products within the Source-to-Pay (S2P) suite.

The sourcing workflow is triggered when there is an active contractual price for a product or service that the shopper intends to purchase.

## Prerequisites {#s2p-solution-sr-workflow__section_lhy_5qx_zyb}

Install and activate the necessary plugins. For more information on the respective product plugins and installation sequence, see:

* SPO: [Application plugin installation sequence in Sourcing and Procurement Operations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/EPxVuNJNSOh5vL8I7nOqQA "The following table lists the Sourcing and Procurement Operations (SPO) plugins, their installation sequence, high-level descriptions, and dependencies.")
* SLO: [Application plugin installation sequence in Supplier Lifecycle Operations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/OmckyUDmiAWbyDx11lSgTg "The following table provides the list of plugins for Supplier Lifecycle Operations, a high-level description of each plugin, and the dependencies that are required before installing each plugin.")
* APO: [Application plugin installation sequence in Accounts Payable Operations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/mTqFh5tglJ3J9EWadYLB6Q "View the consolidated list of plugins, high-level description of each plugin, and the dependencies that are required before installing each plugin in Accounts Payable Operations.")
{#s2p-solution-sr-workflow__ul_y5c_kcq_hcc}

## Workflow of the sourcing process {#s2p-solution-sr-workflow__section_cbx_r4x_zyb}

The following figure shows how different personas use the various applications withing the SPO, SLO, and APO products to complete the end-to-end sourcing process within the Source-to-Pay (S2P) suite.
Figure 1. Workflow of the sourcing process  
In this workflow:

1. An employee creates a sourcing request for a product or service that doesn't have a contractual price, or isn't available in the catalog. For more information, see [Complete sourcing checkout](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/dX3cDunV7m5fKhGhyS8ZEg "As a shopper, you can request pricing or more information about a product or service in the Shopping Hub catalog that doesn’t have contractual pricing.") and [Requesting for products or services that you don't see on ShoppingHub](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/mlENjCybqk6v8dVDqyMRLA "As an employee, shopper, or business owner, you can place requests for one or more products or services that are currently not listed on the ShoppingHub portal. You can do this from ShoppingHub Home or directly from Employee Center."), respectively.

   Role: sn_shop.shopper.

   Application portal: Shopping Hub and Employee Center respectively.
2. Approval rules route the sourcing request to one or more assigned approvers.
3. An approver reviews the sourcing request and approves it. For more information, see [Approve a request from Employee Center](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/aRnxuaQKCo~Wekrfv6o7JQ "Approve, reject, or request clarification on open purchase requisition lines and sourcing requests that are assigned to you, directly from Employee Center.").

   Role: sn_shop.procurement_specialist.

   Application portal: Employee Center.
4. Work assignment rules route the sourcing request to an assigned procurement specialist.
5. The procurement specialist, with the contained role of a sourcing manager, adds the sourcing request to a negotiation event. For more information, see [Add a sourcing request to a sourcing event](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/wuIRnnzSLTXmpiuAbiE1ig "You can manage multi-supplier and multi-product negotiations by mapping similar sourcing requests and related negotiations to a sourcing event.").

   Role: sn_shop.procurement_specialist.

   Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
6. Negotiations are auto-created with qualified suppliers. For more information, see [Sourcing intake guided experience with playbooks](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/Kx9uK2YRu71ahrOZwPYzoA "As sourcing managers, you can use the sourcing intake and negotiation setup playbooks to guide you through the complex request intake process so that you can focus on actual productive work such as negotiating savings from suppliers.").

   If sourcing with a new supplier, see [Improve sourcing experience when working with new suppliers](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/x5~tFaT_PeQx1fFBjEJyCA "With Sourcing and Procurement Operations and Supplier Lifecycle Operations together, provide complete visibility to all the stakeholders involved in the sourcing process, along with improved supplier onboarding experience.").

   Role: sn_shop.procurement_specialist.

   Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
7. Begin the qualification process to onboard the new supplier. For more information, see [Supplier qualification](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/5IP8ZbMTDtWBdbpQfcbNRg "As a procurement specialist or Procurement Case Management (PCM) agent, you would want to engage with suppliers who are qualified to fulfill your organization's purchasing needs.").

   Role: sn_shop.procurement_specialist.

   Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
8. Review the supplier onboarding case and start the supplier onboarding using playbooks. For more information, see [Use the supplier onboarding playbook to onboard suppliers](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/DOrPjhdXgSR5XG2uJ9BliQ#use-playbooks-onboard-supp "Supplier owners and supplier managers can use the supplier onboarding playbook to complete the tasks and activities that are needed to onboard new suppliers.").

   The playbook automatically creates supplier tasks to conduct risk assessment and to collect supplier information, such as banking information and location
   details.

   Role: sn_slm.manager.

   Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
9. The supplier manager assigns the supplier tasks to the supplier contact.Role: sn_slm.manager.

   Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
10. The supplier contact completes the following tasks:
    * Assigned tasks. For more information, see [Viewing supplier contact tasks from the Supplier Collaboration Portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/bLBMd~czWqMa7s5DYtS8CQ "View the tasks that are assigned to you and other supplier contacts.").
    * Risk assessment questionnaire. For more information, see [Complete a risk assessment from the Supplier Collaboration Portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/Fl3poiYBs1m9Sg6m5q5SIw "As a supplier contact, you can view and complete your assigned risk assessments to help the supplier manager in evaluating a supplier before onboarding them.").

    {#s2p-solution-sr-workflow__ul_gnk_gsx_zyb}

    Role: sn_slm.contact.

    Application portal: Supplier Collaboration Portal.
11. After the supplier manager reviews the supplier risk score and completes the different activities in each stage of the playbook, the supplier is successfully onboarded.Role: sn_slm.manager.

    Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
12. On reaching supplier responses close date, the sourcing manager awards one or more suppliers. For more information, see [Award multiple suppliers from a sourcing event](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/CaAGge2sdttw7~CjfvzSaQ "When negotiations are complete for a sourcing event, you can award one or multiple suppliers from the sourcing event, or reject all bids, as required. Awarding suppliers create purchase requisitions for the selected suppliers and items.").

    Role: sn_shop.procurement_specialist.

    Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
13. Purchase requisitions are auto-created. The procurement specialist reviews the purchase requisitions and its associated purchase lines, and creates purchase orders. For more information, see [SPO list page](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/DvCM4r8L913D4EUmUXsiTg "As a Procurement Case Management (PCM) Agent, view and work with your procurement cases, and view the knowledge base. When logged in as a Procurement Specialist however, you can also view and work with the various case types, knowledge base, orders, receipt acknowledgments, interactions, and primary data.").

    Role: sn_shop.procurement_specialist.

    Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
14. On fulfillment, the employee confirms receipt of the requested product. For more information, see [Confirm receipt of your order from Shopping Hub Home](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/pd~YVBZhLLXrgozl8CgAjw "Provide confirmation of receipt of the items you ordered that are in pending receipt state from Shopping Hub Home, so that payment is processed to the supplier accordingly. If you have not received the complete order, you can confirm receipt of a part of your order as well with the date when you received them.") and [Confirm receipt of your order from Employee Center](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/u3T9g96IcprcI~BuWrHEmg "Provide confirmation of receipt of the items that you ordered that are in pending receipt state from Employee Center, so that payment is processed to the supplier accordingly. If you have not received the complete order, you can confirm receipt of a part of your order as well with the date when you received them.").

    Role: sn_shop.shopper.

    Application portal: Shopping Hub or Employee Center.
15. Invoices are auto-created. When invoices aren't auto-submitted or don't match the purchase orders, or when invoice exceptions must be resolved, an accounts payable specialist gets involved. For more information, see [Accounts Payable Invoice Processing](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/4M9DzAwOgNa9BmBmNshnCw "Accounts Payable Invoice Processing (com.sn_ap_apm) enables Accounts Payable Specialists to ingest invoice documents and extract invoice data using ServiceNow Document Intelligence.").

    Alternatively, the accounts payable specialist manually creates invoices. For more information, see [Accounts Payable Specialist manual tasks](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/oXoylI11xtT~es9e7ozEYA "Accounts Payable Operations performs invoice processing using automated workflows, with minimal manual intervention. In some situations, however, the Accounts Payable Specialist is required to perform a few manual tasks to move the invoice to the next stage of processing.").

    Role: sn_ap_apm.accounts_payable_specialist.

    Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
16. The accounts payable specialist converts invoices of purchase order type to invoice types such as non-purchase order, credit memo, and debit memo, based on their interactions with shoppers and suppliers of business services. For more information, see [Accounts Payable Specialist manual tasks](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/oXoylI11xtT~es9e7ozEYA "Accounts Payable Operations performs invoice processing using automated workflows, with minimal manual intervention. In some situations, however, the Accounts Payable Specialist is required to perform a few manual tasks to move the invoice to the next stage of processing.").

    Role: sn_ap_apm.accounts_payable_specialist.

    Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
17. An accounts payable agent manages and works on assigned invoice cases, requests more information from suppliers or employees if necessary, and creates and assigns tasks to the users. For more information, see [Invoice Case Management](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/uRofl5rX5AruEAXd_GnmiA "With Invoice Case Management, agents can manage and work on their assigned invoice cases, request more information from suppliers or employees, and create and assign tasks to users using the Accounts Payable workspace.").

    Role: sn_ap_cm.agent.

    Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace.
18. The employee, approver, sourcing manager, procurement specialist, supplier manager, accounts payable specialist, and accounts payable agent have complete visibility into the status of the workflow through process completion, from their respective portals.
{#s2p-solution-sr-workflow__ol_z5x_pqx_zyb}