--- sourceDocument: Australia Finance and Supply Chain sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/source-to-pay-operations Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Finance and Supply Chain ft:clusterId : - stpop bundleId : - stpop workflow : - Employee --- # End-to-end purchasing workflow # End-to-end purchasing workflow in Source-to-Pay Operations {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 2026 ![](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 End-to-end purchasing workflow in Source-to-Pay Operations This workflow outlines the complete purchasing process within ServiceNow's Source-to-Pay (S2P) suite, specifically using the Sourcing and Procurement Operations (SPO) and Accounts Payable Operations (APO) products. The process begins when a shopper initiates a purchase of a product or service that has an active contractual price, ensuring compliance and streamlined procurement. Show full answer Show less To implement this workflow, customers must first install and activate the necessary SPO and APO plugins following the prescribed installation sequences. ## Purchasing Process Workflow The workflow involves multiple roles interacting through designated ServiceNow portals to complete purchasing from requisition to invoice processing: * **Shopper:** Initiates the purchase by performing either a quick or full checkout of contract-priced products/services via the **Shopping Hub**. This action generates a purchase requisition. * **Approver:** Reviews and approves the purchase requisition through the **Employee Center**. Approval routes are configured by rules to assign approvers appropriately. * **Procurement Specialist:** Once approved, creates the purchase order and fulfills it from the supplier using the **Source-to-Pay Workspace**. After delivery, the shopper confirms receipt via Shopping Hub or Employee Center. * **Accounts Payable Specialist:** Handles invoice processing in Source-to-Pay Workspace. Invoices are auto-created when possible; otherwise, specialists manually create or adjust invoices (including credit/debit memos) and resolve exceptions. * **Accounts Payable Agent:** Manages invoice cases, requests additional information from suppliers or employees, and creates tasks to ensure resolution and workflow completion. ## Key Outcomes * Streamlined purchase requisition to payment process with role-specific applications and portals. * Full visibility and tracking of purchase and invoice statuses for employees, approvers, procurement specialists, and accounts payable personnel. * Improved compliance by enforcing contractual pricing and approval workflows. * Efficient invoice handling with automated creation and manual exception management to reduce payment delays. By leveraging these integrated SPO and APO capabilities, ServiceNow customers can efficiently manage their entire end-to-end purchasing lifecycle within a unified platform, ensuring transparency, control, and operational efficiency. Gather a high-level understanding of the end-to-end purchasing workflow with the Sourcing and Procurement Operations (SPO) and Accounts Payable Operations (APO) products within the Source-to-Pay (S2P) suite. The purchasing workflow is triggered when an active contractual price is available for a product or service the shopper intends to purchase. ## Prerequisites {#s2p-solution-pr-workflow__section_lhy_5qx_zyb} Install and activate the necessary plugins. For information on the respective product plugins and installation sequence, see: * SPO: [Install Sourcing and Procurement Operations](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/0vdLvl1qhnbuZvMyuoKt5g "Install Sourcing and Procurement Operations (SPO) on your instance from the Product Hub.") * APO: [Application plugin installation sequence in Accounts Payable Operations](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/A_WgRwoXcOY7EhGxatvpHw "Plugin names, descriptions, and dependencies required to install Accounts Payable Operations.") {#s2p-solution-pr-workflow__ul_y5c_kcq_hcc} ## Workflow of the purchasing process {#s2p-solution-pr-workflow__section_cbx_r4x_zyb} The following figure shows how different personas use the various applications withing the SPO and APO products to complete the end-to-end purchasing process within the Source-to-Pay (S2P) suite. Figure 1. Workflow of the purchasing process In this workflow: 1. An employee performs a quick checkout with a product or service that has a contractual price. A purchase requisition is created. For more information, see [Order a product with quick checkout](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Hz0OXNo_sTF_SEEVxI3EVA "Order a product or service that you want to purchase from the product catalog available on Shopping Hub Home."). Alternatively, an employee performs a full checkout with products or services that have contractual prices. For more information, see [Complete your checkout](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zilEb3uqgPpB82gb8Nh4wQ "Proceed to checkout when you’ve completed your shopping and have reviewed your shopping cart."). Role: sn_shop.shopper. Application portal: Shopping Hub. 2. Approval rules route the purchase request to one or more assigned approvers. 3. An approver reviews the purchase request and approves it. A purchase order is created. For more information, see [Approve a request from Employee Center](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/NYJoj1LO0iNbV2q~icEIeA "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. A procurement specialist fulfills the purchase order from the associated supplier.Role: sn_shop.procurement_specialist. Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace. 5. On fulfillment, the employee confirms receipt of the requested product. For more information, see [Confirm receipt of your order from Shopping Hub Home](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/vv_9Ub3gwDjhhNcuwTWsrg "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://www.servicenow.com/docs/RISNeHWebzq4guBL9i9mng "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. 6. 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://www.servicenow.com/docs/M2mBd8Vjd~ADcpD5Z5pmXQ "Accounts Payable Invoice Processing automates invoice document ingestion and data extraction using ServiceNow Document Intelligence and supports the complete invoice life cycle from capture through approval."). Alternatively, the accounts payable specialist manually creates invoices. For more information, see [Accounts Payable Specialist manual tasks](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/vU_90ucNdxxhlCJaIxlyxg "Manual tasks in Accounts Payable Operations are actions specialists complete when automated invoice workflows require human review."). Role: sn_ap_apm.accounts_payable_specialist. Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace. 7. 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://www.servicenow.com/docs/vU_90ucNdxxhlCJaIxlyxg "Manual tasks in Accounts Payable Operations are actions specialists complete when automated invoice workflows require human review."). Role: sn_ap_apm.accounts_payable_specialist. Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace. 8. 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://www.servicenow.com/docs/Du1s6E4TXcIOLJaEQE2S7Q "Invoice case management enables agents to resolve invoice discrepancies and exceptions in the Source-to-Pay Workspace through structured workflows."). Role: sn_ap_cm.agent. Application portal: Source-to-Pay Workspace. 9. The employee, approver, procurement specialist, 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-pr-workflow__ol_z5x_pqx_zyb}