Order and payment visibility process

• US 20030158791A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gittings, Dave, Gilberto, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

The present invention discloses systems and methods for facilitating order entry, fulfillment, shipment and payment in a networked environment. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention describes a system for communicating order entries from a seller to a supplier, while providing order status information to the buyer. Also, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for electronic invoice presentment, dispute resolution and payment in a networked environment is described.

Claims

1. A method of product order receipt and processing in a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a buyer, via a communications device having communications network access, a product order from an order entry and visibility system that is implemented on said communications network;

fulfilling at least a portion of said product order;

shipping said at least a portion of said product order;

tracking a shipping status of said at least a portion of said product order via said order entry and visibility system; and

invoicing said buyer via said order entry and visibility system upon delivery of said shipment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing said buyer with an opportunity to dispute said invoice; and

resolving disputes related to said invoice via said order entry and visibility system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising triggering automatic payment to a vendor upon buyer approval of said invoice.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting, via said order entry and visibility system, a purchase order acknowledgment from a vendor.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising generating said purchase order acknowledgment via said order entry and visibility system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing said purchase order acknowledgment to said buyer.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing said purchase order acknowledgment to said buyer via email.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing said purchase order acknowledgement to said buyer via at least one of a facsimile, the United States Postal Service, a commercial carrier and a telephone call.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving from said buyer a change to said product order in response to said purchase order acknowledgment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising notifying a vendor of said change to said product order.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating shipping labels for said at least a portion of said product order via said order entry and visibility system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking said shipping status includes tracking at least one of delivery confirmation and signature scans.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoicing said buyer via said order entry and visibility system upon delivery of said shipment includes the step of submitting invoice information for said product order to an electronic invoice presentment system.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing said shipping status to at least one of a vendor and said buyer via said order entry and Visibility system.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising triggering an electronic request for payment upon buyer approval of said invoice.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said electronic request for payment is in the form of an automated clearing house request to a bank associated with said buyer.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing product order status, via the order entry and visibility system, to intended network recipients.

18. A method for product order entry, product order visibility and product order processing in a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

submitting, via a first communications device having communications network access, a product order to an order entry and visibility system that is implemented on said communications network;

communicating said product order to a supplier via said communications network;

receiving via a second communications device having communications network access, said product order from said order entry and visibility system;

fulfilling at least a portion of said product order;

providing product order fulfillment information to said order entry and visibility system; and

shipping said at least a portion of said product order;

tracking a shipping status of said at least a portion of said product order via said order entry and visibility system; and

generating an invoice via said order entry and visibility system upon delivery of said shipment.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating product order status information, via said communications network, to the entity that submitted said product order.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating product order status information, via said order entry and visibility system, to an entity that submitted said product order.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating said shipping status, via said order entry and visibility system, to an entity that submitted said product order.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating said shipping status, via said order entry and visibility system, to said supplier.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein submitting, via a first communications device having communications network access, a product order to an order entry and visibility system that is implemented on said communications network further comprises entering manually on said first communications device a product order to said order entry and visibility systems.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein submitting, via a first communications device having communications network access, a product order to an order entry and visibility system that is implemented on said communications network further comprises transferring, electronically, a product order from a preexisting order entry system to said order entry and visibility system that is implemented on said first communications device having communications network access.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing said invoice to an entity that submitted said product order.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

providing said entity with an opportunity to dispute said invoice; and

resolving disputes related to said invoice via said order entry and visibility system.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising triggering an electronic request for payment upon approval of said invoice.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said electronic request for payment is generated via said order entry and visibility system.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said electronic request for payment is in the form of an automated clearing house request to a bank associated with an entity that submitted said product order.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising requesting, via said order entry and visibility system, a purchase order acknowledgment from said supplier.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising generating said purchase order acknowledgment via said order entry and visibility system.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing said purchase order acknowledgment to an entity that submitted said product order.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said purchase order acknowledgment is provided via email.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said purchase order acknowledgment is provided via at least one of facsimile, the United States Postal Service, a commercial carrier and a telephone call.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising receiving from said entity a change to said product order in response to said purchase order acknowledgment.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising notifying said supplier of said change to said product order.

37. The method of claim 18, further comprising generating shipping labels for said at least a portion of said product order via said order entry and visibility system.

38. The method of claim 18, wherein tracking said shipping status includes tracking at least one of delivery confirmation and signature scans.

39. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of invoicing said buyer via said order entry and visibility system upon delivery of said shipment includes the step of submitting invoice information for said product order to an electronic invoice presentment system.

40. An order entry and visibility system for communicating product orders and order information in a communications network, the system comprising:

a first communications device having communications network access, said first communications device configured to receive a product order and transmit said product order via said communication network;

a second communications device having communications network access, said second communications device configured to receive said product order and generate a shipping label for at least a portion of said product order, said second communications device further configured to generate an invoice associated with said at least a portion of said product order; and

a communications network database configured to store information associated with said product order, and to provide a user of said first communications device and a user of said second communications device with access to said product order information.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein said first communications device is further configured to retrieve said product order information from said communications network database.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein said first communications device is further configured to receive said product order information from said communications network database.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein the second communications device is further configured to transmit a status of said product order to said first communications device upon generation of said shipping label.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein said second communications device is further configured to transmit said invoice to said first communications device.

45. The system of claim 40, wherein said first communications device is configured to receive said invoice and to respond with at least one of an approval of or objection to said invoice.

46. The system of claim 40, wherein said second communications device is further configured to process disputes associated with said invoice.

47. The system of claim 40, wherein said first communications device is further configured to initiate payment for said product order upon approval of said invoice.

48. The system of claim 40, wherein said first communications device is further configured to transmit a purchase order acknowledgment to said second communications device.

49. The system of claim 40, wherein said second communications device is further configured to generate a purchase order acknowledgment and to transmit said acknowledgment to said first communications device.

50. The system of claim 40, wherein said second communications device is further configured to receive payment for fulfillment of at least a portion of said product order.