Method and apparatus for automating multi-national insurance information requests

• US 20040186748A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Brocci, Caroldean
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and computer program product for maintaining data regarding the compliance of vendors with insurance requirements of a number of nations.

Claims

1. An apparatus for maintaining insurance compliance information, comprising

a vendor list maintaining means for maintaining a list of vendors, each entry in said list comprising at least one characteristic of a vendor;

a product list maintaining means for maintaining a list of products, each entry in said list comprising a list of countries in which said product is sold;

a country list maintaining means for maintaining a list of countries, each entry in said list comprising information regarding insurance law and custom in said country;

a determining means for determining whether each vendor in said list of vendors carries insurance required by a manufacturer for each country in said list of countries in which the products said vendor'"'"'s goods or services are used in producing are sold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising

a vendor list updating means for updating said list of vendors;

a product list updating means for updating said list of products; and

a country list updating means for updating said list of countries.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one characteristic of the vendor includes the nature of a thing provided by the vendor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said at least one characteristic of the vendor further includes the products in which said thing provided by the vendor is used in producing.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said nature of the thing provided by the vendor includes a choice between a service, a part, and a manufacturing implement.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said nature of the thing provided by the vendor further includes a choice of land.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each entry in said list of vendors includes a list of countries in which said vendor is located.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a means for determining whether each vendor in said list of vendors carries the insurance required by said manufacturer for each country in which said vendor is located.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one characteristic of the vendor includes at least one characteristic of an insurance policy held by the vendor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said at least one characteristic of the insurance policy includes the type of insurance, the coverage amount, the dates during which the policy is effective, and the nations in which the policy is effective.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a means for displaying the results of said means for determining whether each vendor in said list of vendors is carrying the insurance appropriate for the countries in which the products said vendor'"'"'s goods or services are used in producing are sold.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a means for transmitting data for said display over a distributed network.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for updating said lists of vendors, products, and countries from remote locations along said distributed network.

14. A method for maintaining insurance compliance information, comprising

maintaining a list of vendors, each entry in said list comprising at least one characteristic of the vendor;

maintaining a list of products, each entry in said list comprising a list of countries in which said product is sold;

maintaining a list of countries, each entry in said list comprising information regarding insurance law and custom in said country;

determining whether each vendor in said list of vendors carries insurance required by a manufacturer for each country in said list of countries in which the products said vendor'"'"'s goods or services are used in producing are sold.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of

updating said list of vendors;

updating said list of products; and

updating said list of countries.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said at least one characteristic of the vendor comprise the nature of a thing provided by the vendor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said at least one characteristic of the vendor further includes the products in which said thing provided by the vendor is used in producing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said nature of the thing provided by the vendor includes a choice between a service, a part, and a manufacturing implement.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said nature of the thing provided by the vendor further includes a choice of land.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein each entry in said list of vendors includes a list of countries where said vendor is located.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of determining whether each vendor in said list of vendors carries the insurance required by said manufacturer for each country in which said vendor is located.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein said characteristics of the vendor includes at least one characteristic of an insurance policy held by the vendor.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one characteristic of the insurance policy includes the type of insurance, the coverage amount, the dates during which the policy is effective, and the nations in which the policy is effective.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of displaying the results of said step of determining whether each vendor in said list of vendors is carrying the insurance appropriate for the countries in which the products said vendor'"'"'s goods or services are used in producing are sold.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step transmitting data for said display over a distributed network.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of updating said lists of vendors, products, and countries from remote locations along said distributed network.

27. A computer program product in a computer readable media for use in a data processing system, for maintaining insurance compliance information, said computer program product comprising:

a readable media

a program of instructions stored on said readable media that is executable by the data processing system to perform steps comprising;

maintaining a list of vendors, each entry in said list comprising at least one characteristic of a vendor;

maintaining a list of products, each entry in said list comprising a list of countries in which said product is sold;

maintaining a list of countries, each entry in said list comprising information regarding insurance law and custom in said country;

determining whether each vendor in said list of vendors carries insurance appropriate for each country in said list of countries in which the products said vendor'"'"'s goods or services are used in producing are sold.

28. The program product of claim 27, wherein said program of instructions further comprises the steps of

updating said list of vendors;

updating said list of products; and

updating said list of countries.

29. The program product of claim 27, wherein said at least one characteristic of the vendor includes the nature of a thing provided by the vendor.

30. The program product of claim 29, wherein said at least one characteristic of the vendor further includes the products in which said thing provided by the vendor is used in producing.

31. The program product of claim 29 said nature of the thing provided by the vendor includes a choice between a service, a part, and a manufacturing implement.

32. The program product of claim 31 wherein each entry in said nature of vendor'"'"'s goods or services further includes a choice of land.

33. The program product of claim 27, wherein each entry in said list of vendors includes a list of countries where said vendor is located.

34. The program product of claim 33 wherein said program of instructions further comprises the step of determining whether each vendor in said list of vendors carries the insurance appropriate for each country in which said vendor is located.

35. The program product of claim 27, wherein said at least one characteristic of the vendor includes at least one characteristic of an insurance policy held by the vendor.

36. The program product of claim 35, wherein said at least one characteristics of the insurance policy includes the type of insurance, the coverage amount, the dates during which the policy is effective, and the nations in which the policy is effective.

37. The program product of claim 27, wherein said program of instructions further comprises the step of displaying the results of said step of determining whether each vendor in said list of vendors is carrying the insurance appropriate for the countries in which the products said vendor'"'"'s goods or services are used in producing are sold.

38. The program product of claim 37, wherein said program of instructions further comprises the step of transmitting said display over a distributed network.

39. The program product of claim 38, wherein said program of instructions further comprises the step of updating said lists of vendors, products, and countries from remote locations along said distributed network.