Methods and systems for online self-service receivables management and automated online receivables dispute resolution
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented and Internet-based method of managing Accounts Receivable (AR) information, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a customer request for remote Internet access to AR information that is owned by a deploying company;
retrieving the customer'"'"'s AR information from a database and enabling the retrieved AR information to be remotely displayed for the customer;
enabling personnel at the deploying company to retrieve and display the customer'"'"'s AR information at any time, even simultaneously as the AR information is displayed for the customer.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer-implemented and Internet-based method of managing Accounts Receivable (AR) information includes steps of receiving a customer request for remote Internet access to AR information (such as pending invoices) owned by vendor; retrieving the customer'"'"'s AR information from a database and enabling the retrieved AR information to be remotely displayed for the customer and enabling the vendor'"'"'s internal personnel to retrieve and to display the customer'"'"'s AR information simultaneously as the AR information is displayed for the customer. The customer may dispute an invoice accessed from the database by accessing the vendor'"'"'s Web site and by selecting a reason code for the dispute and at least a disputed amount to create a pending Credit Memo Request, all without direct manual involvement from the vendor. The pending Credit Memo Request may then sent to and routed through a selected process for the selected reason code, a selected hierarchy of persons empowered to approve Credit Memo Request incorporating the selected reason code and/or a primary approver for the selected reason code. Upon approval of the Credit Memo Request, a Credit Memo may be automatically generated and the disputed amount may be credited to the disputed invoice. The customer may be notified of the approval or rejection of the Credit Memo Request, as may be selected personnel internal to the vendor. Real time balances may be available to the customer on a self-serve basis, as are other common AR-related services.
190 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented and Internet-based method of managing Accounts Receivable (AR) information, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a customer request for remote Internet access to AR information that is owned by a deploying company;
retrieving the customer'"'"'s AR information from a database and enabling the retrieved AR information to be remotely displayed for the customer;
enabling personnel at the deploying company to retrieve and display the customer'"'"'s AR information at any time, even simultaneously as the AR information is displayed for the customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. Computer-implemented and Internet-based method of disputing an invoice from a vendor to a customer, comprising the steps of:
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accessing a database record corresponding to the invoice to be disputed over a Web site of the vendor;
selecting a reason code for the dispute along with an identification of a disputed amount;
validating a Credit Memo Request incorporating the selected reason code and the disputed amount to create a pending Credit Memo Request;
causing the Credit Memo Request to be sent to and routed through at least one of a selected process for the selected reason code, a selected hierarchy of persons empowered to approve Credit Memo Request incorporating the selected reason code and a primary approver for the selected reason code;
receiving a notification upon approval or rejection of the pending Credit Memo Request, the disputed amount being automatically credited to the disputed invoice when the pending Credit Memo Request is approved. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An Internet-based electronic system for enabling remote access and management of Accounts Receivable (AR) information of a deploying company, the system comprising:
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a database that configured to store the AR information;
a first computer arranged to receive a customer request for remote Internet access to the AR information, to retrieve the AR information from the database upon receiving the customer request and to enable the retrieved AR information to be remotely displayed for the requesting customer;
a second computer arranged to enable personnel at the deploying company to retrieve and display the customer'"'"'s AR information simultaneously as the AR information is displayed for the customer. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. An Internet-based electronic system for disputing an invoice from a vendor to a customer, the system comprising:
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a database configured to store the invoice;
a computer adapted to connect to the Internet;
a Web site, the Web site being controlled by the vendor and accessible by the computer, the Web site being configured to allow a customer using the computer to remotely access the invoice and to dispute the invoice by;
selecting a reason code for the dispute and at least a disputed amount;
validating a Credit Memo Request incorporating the selected reason code and the disputed amount to create a pending Credit Memo Request, and causing the Credit Memo Request to be sent to be processed through a workflow engine to send and route the Credit Memo Request through at least one of a selected process for the selected reason code, a selected hierarchy of persons empowered to approve Credit Memo Request incorporating the selected reason code and a primary approver for the selected reason code. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification