Intercompany XML integration fails XSD validation after schema update in cloud deployment

ERP Workday
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1

Our intercompany transaction integration using XML is failing XSD validation after Workday updated the schema in R1 2024. The integration was working perfectly until last week when we received an automatic schema update notification.

Error message:


XSD Validation Failed: Element 'Transaction_Amount'
is not valid for content model
Expected: Currency_Code, Amount_Value
Found: Amount, Currency

Our XML payload structure hasn’t changed, but it seems the schema now expects different element names. The integration mapping in Workday Studio uses the old schema reference. How do we handle XSD schema updates without breaking existing integrations? Do we need to regenerate all our integration mappings?

2

Check the Workday Community release notes for R1 2024. There’s a section on web services schema changes. The Intercompany module had major changes to align with the new financial data model. You’ll find a migration guide that lists all the element name changes and structural modifications. The guide also includes example XML payloads showing the before and after structure, which will help you understand what needs to change in your integration.

3

I went through this exact migration last month. The schema update affects how financial amounts are represented across all financial objects, not just intercompany. You have two options: backward compatibility mode or full migration. For backward compatibility, you can request Workday Support to enable the legacy schema version for your tenant temporarily while you update your integrations. This gives you time to properly test the changes.

4

Before regenerating everything, check if you can modify just the XML payload to match the new schema requirements. The error shows that Transaction_Amount now expects Currency_Code and Amount_Value as child elements instead of Amount and Currency. You might be able to fix this with a simple XSLT transformation in your integration flow without touching the Studio mappings. This would be much faster than regenerating all your mappings.

5

One thing to watch out for - if you’re using version-specific WSDL references in your Studio project, make sure you update those references to the latest version. Sometimes Studio caches old schema definitions even after you import the new WSDL. Clear your Studio cache and reimport the WSDL to ensure you’re working with the current schema.

6

Your integration failure requires addressing all three focus areas systematically. Here’s the complete solution:

Understanding the XSD Schema Update (R1 2024): Workday R1 2024 introduced a standardized financial data model that changed how monetary amounts are structured across all financial web services. The key changes for Intercompany transactions:

  1. Amount Structure Change: Old schema:
<Transaction_Amount>
  <Amount>1000.00</Amount>
  <Currency>USD</Currency>
</Transaction_Amount>

New schema:

<Transaction_Amount>
  <Currency_Code>USD</Currency_Code>
  <Amount_Value>1000.00</Amount_Value>
</Transaction_Amount>
  1. Date Format Standardization: All date fields now use ISO 8601 format exclusively
  2. Company Reference Structure: Changed from simple ID to structured reference with type

XML Payload Validation Fix: To resolve your immediate validation errors, update your XML payload generation:

Step 1: Update Element Mapping In your integration code or transformation layer, map the old structure to new:

  • Amount → Amount_Value
  • Currency → Currency_Code
  • Transaction_Date → ISO 8601 format

Step 2: Add Schema Validation Implement pre-validation before sending to Workday:

<xsd:validation>
  <schema_version>v41.0</schema_version>
  <validate_before_submit>true</validate_before_submit>
</xsd:validation>

Integration Mapping Updates in Workday Studio:

Option 1: Full Regeneration (Recommended for long-term):

  1. Open your Workday Studio project
  2. Right-click on the project → Workday → Update WSDL
  3. Select “Submit_Intercompany_Transaction” web service
  4. Download version 41.0 (R1 2024) or later
  5. Accept the schema update prompt
  6. Regenerate all assembly mappings:
    • Delete existing .assembly files
    • Right-click web service → Generate Assembly
    • This creates new mappings with updated element names
  7. Update your mediation flows to use new assembly references

Option 2: Targeted Mapping Updates (Quick fix):

  1. Open existing assembly in Studio
  2. Locate Transaction_Amount mapping
  3. Update target element paths:
    • Change “Amount” to “Amount_Value”
    • Change “Currency” to “Currency_Code”
  4. Validate and deploy

This is faster but may miss other schema changes.

Critical Schema Differences to Address:

Beyond Transaction_Amount, these elements also changed:

  1. Company References:
<!-- Old -->
<Company>COMP001</Company>

<!-- New -->
<Company_Reference>
  <ID type="Company_Reference_ID">COMP001</ID>
</Company_Reference>
  1. Account References: Now require explicit type attribute
  2. Worktags: Structure changed to support multiple dimensions

Testing and Validation Strategy:

  1. Create Test Payload: Generate sample XML using new schema
  2. Validate Against Schema: Use XML validator with downloaded XSD
  3. Test in Sandbox: Submit to sandbox tenant first
  4. Compare Responses: Ensure response structure is handled correctly
  5. Performance Test: New schema may have different payload sizes

Handling Future Schema Updates:

To prevent this issue going forward:

  1. Enable Schema Notifications: Subscribe to Workday Community notifications for web service changes
  2. Version Your Integrations: Use explicit version references in WSDL URLs
  3. Implement Schema Abstraction: Create a mapping layer between your system and Workday XML format
  4. Automated Validation: Add XSD validation to your CI/CD pipeline
  5. Maintain Test Suite: Keep sample payloads for each schema version

Backward Compatibility Option:

If you need more time to update:

  • Contact Workday Support to request temporary access to legacy schema version (v40.x)
  • This is typically granted for 60-90 days
  • Use this time to properly test and migrate your integration
  • Note: This option won’t be available indefinitely

Post-Update Verification:

After updating your integration:

  1. Test all intercompany transaction types (invoice, payment, transfer)
  2. Verify amount precision (decimal places)
  3. Check currency conversion handling
  4. Validate error handling for invalid payloads
  5. Monitor integration logs for any schema-related warnings

The root cause is that Workday’s R1 2024 release restructured financial objects for better data consistency across modules. Your integration must be updated to use the new schema structure - there’s no way to continue using the old format long-term.

7

Yes, you need to update your Workday Studio project with the new schema. Download the latest WSDL from Workday, import it into Studio, and regenerate your integration mappings. The schema changes in R1 2024 are significant for financial objects.