Combined Accounts Payable Operations release notes for upgrades from Xanadu to Zurich

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 20, 2026
  • 10 minutes to read
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    Summary of Combined Accounts Payable Operations Release Notes for Upgrades from Xanadu to Zurich

    This consolidated guide provides ServiceNow customers with essential information about upgrading Accounts Payable Operations (APO) from the Xanadu release family through to Zurich. It highlights key new features, changes, and important upgrade tasks for each release, enabling customers to enhance invoice processing accuracy, compliance, and efficiency.

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    Important Upgrade Tasks

    • Xanadu and Yokohama: Configuration of the reference field in the Tax Code [snfintaxcode] table is required to enable the exception engine to validate invoices based on tax codes.
    • Zurich: No specific upgrade configuration tasks noted.

    New Features

    • Xanadu:
      • Introduction of tolerance rules and variances for tax amounts on invoices to detect discrepancies.
      • Playbook activities to update invoice primary data and add tax lines to invoice lines.
      • Invoice cost allocation across multiple cost centers with approval rules tailored for cost center owners.
      • Now Assist for APO leverages AI to generate case summaries and assist in invoice management.
    • Yokohama:
      • Supplier Collaboration Portal allows suppliers to view and manage invoice and inquiry cases.
      • Centralized APO properties page for admins to configure invoice line mapping, API ingestion, and exception management.
      • Enhanced AI capabilities in Now Assist including purchase order line mapping, invoice data extraction using GPT-4o, multi-language support, and generative AI assistance.
      • Agentic workflows automate resolution of invoice inquiries, reducing manual workload.
    • Zurich:
      • Enables manual conversion of invoice types (e.g., non-PO to PO invoices) for improved accuracy and compliance.
      • New exceptions for missing tax codes and currency mismatches enhance compliance checks.
      • Integration with IT Asset Management ensures purchase order receipts and quantities are updated automatically.
      • AI-powered recommend invoice owner agent auto-assigns business owners based on historical data to accelerate invoice processing.
      • Universal Request application provides a single portal for employees and suppliers to raise and track AP-related cases, reducing confusion.
      • Distribution sets automate splitting invoice amounts across multiple cost centers or GL accounts, reducing manual effort.
      • Introduction of a dark theme (Coral) improves user experience by reducing eye strain.

    Changes and Enhancements

    • Xanadu: Improved APO landing page with filters and widgets for more efficient task handling; updated integration framework for faster invoice processing.
    • Yokohama: Enhanced invoice line status updates and manual invoice creation option when Document Intelligence is unavailable.
    • Zurich: Enhanced invoice exception validations for goods receipt quantities and available funds at both line and header levels, especially when multiple invoices relate to the same purchase order.

    Removed and Deprecated Features

    No features or functionality were removed or deprecated between Xanadu, Yokohama, and Zurich releases.

    Activation and Installation

    Accounts Payable Operations must be installed by requesting it from the ServiceNow Store for all releases. Customers can view available apps and request installations via the ServiceNow Store website.

    Localization and Accessibility

    • APO supports multiple languages; however, the DocIntel model is only trained for English by default. Customers must train DocIntel for additional languages.
    • The Zurich release introduces a dark theme option to enhance accessibility and reduce eye strain on web and mobile interfaces.

    Key Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Improved tax compliance through configurable tax tolerance rules and enhanced exceptions for tax and currency mismatches.
    • Greater automation and accuracy in invoice processing via AI-powered features such as Now Assist and agentic workflows.
    • Streamlined supplier collaboration and case management through dedicated portals and the Universal Request application.
    • Increased financial reporting accuracy by automating invoice cost allocation and distribution across multiple cost centers.
    • Enhanced user experience with centralized configuration, intuitive task management, and accessibility improvements.

    Consolidated page of all release notes for Accounts Payable Operations from Xanadu to Zurich.

    How to use this page

    To help you prepare for your upgrade, we have combined the cross-family Accounts Payable Operations release notes onto one page. Read this summary of the new features, changes, and updated information for your product from Xanadu to Zurich.

    Tip:
    If there were no updates for a release notes section in a certain family release, we included a short note for your reference. For example, if a product did not have any updates in Tokyo, the row says "No updates for this release."

    Important information for upgrading Accounts Payable Operations to Zurich

    Before you upgrade to Zurich, review these pre- and post-upgrade tasks and complete the tasks as needed.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    If you are upgrading from a previous release, you must configure the reference field in the Tax Code [sn_fin_tax_code] table. The exception engine validates the invoice using the tax code and raises exceptions if necessary.

    Yokohama

    If you’re upgrading from a previous release, you must configure the reference field in the Tax Code [sn_fin_tax_code] table. The exception engine validates the invoice using the tax code and raises exceptions if necessary.

    Zurich

    No updates for this release.

    New features

    Between your current release family and Zurich, new features were introduced for Accounts Payable Operations.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    Tolerance Rules and Variances for invoices
    • The tax tolerance rule, which defines the variance limit set on the tax amount variance in an invoice.
    • The under tax amount variance exception, which is raised when the supplier-provided tax amount is less than the system-calculated tax amount.
    • The over tax amount variance exception, which is raised when the supplier-provided tax amount is greater than the system-calculated tax amount.
    Playbook for updating the invoice primary data
    • Add tax lines to invoice lines through a playbook activity.
    • Apply the new tax lines to single or multiple invoice lines.
    Tax calculations
    As a tax owner or tax manager, add tax lines and tax codes.
    [Placeholder link text to key invoice-line-cost-allocation]
    The Invoice cost allocation feature allocates invoice costs across various business functions, which increases the accuracy of financial reporting, and informs strategic decision-making.
    In the cost center-based approval rule for invoices, costs can be allocated to multiple cost centers, enabling cost center owners to approve the invoice only for the amount allocated to their cost center.
    [Placeholder link text to key now-assist-apo]
    The ServiceNow® Now Assist for APO application guides APO fulfillers to generate a case summary and quickly understand the case context by using the case summarization skill.

    Yokohama

    Using Supplier Collaboration Portal in APO
    In the supplier collaboration portal home page, the supplier contact can choose to view invoice and inquiry cases associated with their account.
    Supplier contacts can be assigned with multiple suppliers.
    Set APO properties
    The one-stop property page provides great flexibility and ease of configuration to users with admin roles. AP admin and integrator use the APO properties page to set the parameters that control the invoice line mapping, invoice ingestion API, and exception management. Depending on the invoice line-mapping properties set, AP admin and integrator can choose to review and confirm the invoice line mapping results generated by rule-based engine and Now Assist.
    Using Playbook in Accounts Payable Operations
    Playbook activity card displays updated invoice statuses. AP specialist reviews and acts on the mapping recommendations by Now Assist.
    Now Assist for Accounts Payable Operations (APO)
    Activate the purchase order line-mapping skill in the Now Assist Admin console to enable automatic mapping of invoice lines with purchase order lines using Now Assist.
    Activate the invoice data extraction skill in the Now Assist Admin console to leverage GPT-4o capabilities in extracting invoice information using Document Intelligence and reducing the manual effort.
    Generate invoice case summarization in multiple languages with the multi-language support in the Now Assist console.
    With the Now Assist panel, you can get assistance from generative AI to solve invoice case-related issues faster.
    As a fulfiller, you can learn about the details of a purchase order and its associated cases from record summarization generated by Now Assist.
    Take advantage of the translation capabilities available in the Now Assist for user-generated content.
    A new requester role is added to access Now Assist Accounts Payable Operations features powered by generative AI. Customers need to explicitly grant these roles to users for access to GenAI features and capabilities.
    [Placeholder link text to key using-apo-ai-agents]
    Use agentic workflows in Accounts Payable Operations to resolve invoice inquiry cases raised by employees and suppliers. These workflows also help track associated invoice records efficiently. With an agentic workflow, you can process a high volume of invoice inquiries that come through email attachments to significantly reduce the workload of human agents.

    Zurich

    Convert invoice type
    Enable your accounts payable specialist to manually change the invoice type, which results in improved accuracy and compliance. For example, changing a non-purchase order (PO) invoice to a PO invoice type.
    Using Playbook in Accounts Payable Operations
    Process your invoices more efficiently, adhere to compliance, and provide financial accuracy across processes by using new exceptions such as the Missing tax code invoice and currency mismatch between invoices and purchase orders.
    IT Asset Management purchase order invoice processing
    Confirm that ITAM receipts are available and the received quantity is updated in the purchase orders through the integration between the IT Asset Management and Accounts Payable Operations applications.
    Set APO properties
    The recommend invoice owner AI agent auto-suggests and fills in the appropriate business owner based on historical patterns. This process sets up auto-confirmation from suppliers, resulting in shorter invoice processing cycles.
    Universal Request in Accounts Payable Operations
    Employees and suppliers can raise general case requests and track case activity updates from their respective portals by using the ServiceNowUniversal Request (UR) application. Universal requests eliminate confusion about which department to contact for assistance.
    Distribution set in Accounts Payable Operations
    Apply predefined distribution sets to split invoice amounts across multiple cost centers or GL accounts without having to do manual entry for each invoice line in PO invoices and non-PO invoices. This process helps distribute costs to multiple cost centers automatically, reducing manual work for Accounts Payable specialists.

    Changes

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some changes were made to existing Accounts Payable Operations features.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    APO landing page
    Task owners can view and handle invoice tasks more efficiently using task filters, widgets and bar charts in the Accounts Payable Operations workspace.
    Accounts Payable Operations integration framework
    Updated invoice integration using tax fields enables you to process invoices more quickly.

    Yokohama

    Work with invoices
    • Invoice line statuses are updated as:
      • PO matching error to Mapping error
      • PO matching completed to Mapping complete
      • Matching error to Mapping error
      • Review mapping
    Invoice ingestion process when Document Intelligence is unavailable
    Accounts Payable Operations integration with Document Intelligence enables AP admin to create invoice manually when DocIntel is down. The capture invoice details activity card displays the Create invoice option.

    Zurich

    Invoice exceptions
    The Insufficient goods receipt exception has been enhanced to validate line-level quantities accurately when multiple invoices are submitted against a single purchase order even if a sufficient goods receipt exist.
    The Insufficient Funds (Line Amount) functionality has been enhanced to perform validation of available funds at the invoice line level, matching each invoice line against its respective purchase order line when multiple invoices are generated for the same purchase order line.
    The Insufficient Funds (Header Amount) logic has been enhanced to validate available funds at the invoice header level against the corresponding purchase order when multiple invoices are created for the same purchase order.

    Removed

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some Accounts Payable Operations features or functionality were removed.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    No updates for this release.

    Deprecations

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some Accounts Payable Operations features or functionality were deprecated.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    No updates for this release.

    Activation information

    Review information on how to activate Accounts Payable Operations.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    Install Accounts Payable Operations by requesting it from the ServiceNow Store. Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

    Yokohama

    Install Accounts Payable Operations by requesting it from the ServiceNow Store. Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

    Zurich

    Install Accounts Payable Operations by requesting it from the ServiceNow Store. Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

    Additional requirements

    If any additional requirements were introduced or changed for Accounts Payable Operations we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    No updates for this release.

    Browser requirements

    If any specific browser requirements were introduced or changed for Accounts Payable Operations we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    No updates for this release.

    Accessibility information

    Review details on accessibility information for Accounts Payable Operations, such as specific requirements or compliance levels.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    Dark theme
    The new Coral theme includes a dark theme option for web and mobile experiences. This option is commonly used to alleviate eye strain and improve readability.

    Localization information

    If there are specific localization considerations for Accounts Payable Operations we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    Accounts Payable Operations supports multiple languages. The current DocIntel model is trained to extract invoices in the English language only. If you want to process an invoice in the multiple languages supported by DocIntel, you must train the DocIntel model.

    Yokohama

    Accounts Payable Operations supports multiple languages. The current DocIntel model is trained to extract invoices in the English language only. If you want to process an invoice in the multiple languages supported by DocIntel, you must train the DocIntel model.

    Zurich

    Accounts Payable Operations supports multiple languages. However, the current DocIntel model is trained to extract invoices in the English language only. If you want to process an invoice in the multiple languages supported by DocIntel, you must train the DocIntel model.

    Highlight information

    If there are specific highlight considerations for Accounts Payable Operations we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    • Provides support for tax compliance.
    • Enables tax managers or tax specialists to create, edit, and update tax types and tax codes.
    • Validate supplier taxes and ensure tax regulatory compliance with added tax-related exceptions.
    • Check for invoices configured with Tax variance tolerance rules through the exception engine.
    • Allocate invoice cost across various business functions using the invoice cost allocation feature, which increases the accuracy of financial reporting and informs strategic decision-making.

    Yokohama

    • Introduced Agentic workflow in Accounts Payable Operations to resolve invoice inquiry cases raised by employees and suppliers thereby significantly reducing the involvement of human agents.
    • The ServiceNow® Now Assist offers generative AI purchase order line-mapping to improve accuracy and reduce manual work.
    • Experience the new generative AI skill for invoice data extraction, designed to enhance accuracy and reduce manual effort.
    • Leverage AI-powered GPT-4o-driven invoice data extraction with Document Intelligence for improved accuracy and reduced manual effort.
    • Get instant, real-time assistance from generative AI to summarize invoice case details through the Now Assist panel.
    • Use the Accounts Payable Operations properties page to control the configuration of APO properties.

    Zurich

    • Process your invoice more effectively and accurately with the new missing tax code invoice exception and currency mismatch.
    • Handle various AP related inquiries and tasks through a single entry point by using the Universal Request (UR) as a multi-purpose request form.
    • Leverage AI-powered agentic workflow to recommend the appropriate business owner for non-PO invoices based on historical patterns.
    • Automate cost allocations in the invoice lines using distribution sets.

    See Accounts Payable Operations for more information.