Accounts Payable Operations integration framework

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Accounts Payable Operations integration framework

    The Accounts Payable Operations integration framework in ServiceNow Yokohama release enables seamless inbound and outbound invoice data exchange between ServiceNow and external systems, such as ERP applications. It supports the transfer and synchronization of invoice, invoice line, and payment details to automate and streamline accounts payable processes.

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    Key Features

    • Inbound Integration: Extracts invoice data from external ERP sources into ServiceNow inbound staging tables, enabling efficient data ingestion.
    • Outbound Integration: Transfers approved invoice and invoice line data from ServiceNow outbound tables to external ERP systems, tracking integration status from New to Processed.
    • Invoice Payment Updates: Updates invoice payment status based on ERP payment information, allowing suppliers to select payment methods and mark invoices as Paid.
    • Automated Scheduled Jobs: Runs every 30 minutes to bulk import, verify, and process invoices automatically, increasing operational efficiency.

    Key Outcomes

    • Accelerates integration of accounts payable operations with third-party systems, reducing manual invoice verification time.
    • Improves invoice processing efficiency via bulk data imports and automated scheduled jobs.
    • Enhances payment processing and supplier experience through real-time status updates and seamless data exchange.
    • Provides a structured framework that manages invoice lifecycle stages from data ingestion to payment confirmation, ensuring accurate synchronization with external ERP systems.

    Invoice integration facilitates inbound and outbound integration with third party applications or any external systems into the ServiceNow® application.

    The integration framework consists of inbound invoice and outbound invoice interface tables. Invoice integration involves the transfer of invoice and invoice line data by running transform maps through various sources or external systems. For more information on integration, see Integration Hub.

    The integration framework enables the following use cases:
    • Ingest invoices from external sources - The invoice data is extracted from ERP sources into ServiceNow® inbound staging tables and is referred as inbound integration.
    • Post invoices into ERP- The invoice and invoice line data with Approved status is synchronized with ServiceNow® outbound invoice and invoice line tables. The integration status is set to New and is referred as outbound integration.
    • Ingest invoice payment details from ERP- The ERP number received from the third party application is updated in the invoice table with payment status as Pending Payment. The supplier selects the payment method, proceeds with the payment and sets the payment status as Paid.

    For example, You’re receiving invoice data from various sources. The invoice data is transferred to inbound invoice and invoice lines if the required fields are set on the invoice. For more information on the required fields, see Inbound Invoice Fields and Inbound invoice line fields. The invoice status changes to Approved and the invoice data is transferred to outbound invoice tables. The outbound invoice displays the integration status as New. The ERP integrator fetches the outbound invoices with status as New, creates a record in the third party application and sets the integration status to In progress. After the outbound data is successfully processed by the third party application, the system auto updates the ERP number in the outbound invoice tables and sets the integration status to Processed. The ERP number is updated in the invoice table with payment status set to Pending Payment.The supplier verifies the invoice payment details, proceeds with the payment and the payment status is set to Paid. For more information on payment fields, see Inbound invoice payment fields.

    The advantages of integration framework are:
    • Expedites the integration of the Accounts Payable Operations application with external systems and reduces the time to verify invoices. Integration framework enables bulk import of invoice and invoice line data through scheduled jobs. A scheduled job runs every 30 minutes, verifies, and auto process the invoices. Scheduled jobs result in increased efficiency of creating invoices.
    • Expedite the payment processing process and enhance the user experience by seamlessly exchanging data with external systems.