Method and system for flexible budgeting in a purchase order system

• US 20050216375A1
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Stanke, Renate, Grendel, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A system and method of budgeting in a purchase order system are disclosed. The method of budgeting includes allocating a budget according to one or more planning levels and selecting or defining one or more keys, each key corresponding to one or more planning levels.

Claims

1. A method of budgeting in a purchase order system, comprising:

a) allocating a budget according to one or more planning levels; and

b) selecting or defining one or more keys, each key corresponding to one or more planning levels.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

c) transferring the planned budget to a front-end purchasing system, the transferring including an indication of the one or more keys.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication includes a mapping of to the keys.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

d) processing a purchase order, the processing including checking of budget rules, the checking including using at least one key to determine appropriate buckets for processing of the purchase order.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the keys include one or more planning levels, each planning level being selected from the group consisting of:

a year, a season, a delivery period, an order period, a merchandise category, a buyer and a vendor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) includes selecting at least one key from a predetermined list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) includes defining at least one key by the user.

8. A program product for budgeting in a purchase order system, comprising machine-readable program code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following method steps:

a) allocating a budget according to one or more planning levels; and

b) selecting or defining one or more keys, each key corresponding to one or more planning levels.

9. The program product of claim 8, further comprising machine-readable program code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following method step:

c) transferring the planned budget to a front-end purchasing system, the transferring including an indication of the one or more keys.

10. The program product of claim 9, wherein the indication includes a mapping of to the keys.

11. The program product of claim 9, further comprising machine-readable program code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following method step:

d) processing a purchase order, the processing including checking of budget rules, the checking including using at least one key to determine appropriate buckets for processing of the purchase order.

12. The program product of claim 8, wherein the keys include one or more planning levels, each planning level being selected from the group consisting of:

a year, a season, a delivery period, an order period, a merchandise category, a buyer and a vendor.

13. The program product of claim 8, wherein step b) includes selecting at least one key from a predetermined list.

14. The program product of claim 8, wherein step b) includes defining at least one key by the user.

15. A system of budgeting for purchase orders, comprising:

means for allocating a budget according to one or more planning levels; and

means for selecting or defining one or more keys, each key corresponding to one or more planning levels.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for transferring the planned budget to a front-end purchasing system, the means for transferring including an indication of the one or more keys.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the indication includes a mapping of to the keys.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for processing a purchase order, the means for processing including means for checking of budget rules, the means for checking being adapted to use at least one key to determine appropriate buckets.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the keys include one or more planning levels, each planning level being selected from the group consisting of:

a year, a season, a delivery period, an order period, a merchandise category, a buyer and a vendor.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for selecting or defining one or more keys includes means for selecting at least one key from a predetermined list.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for selecting or defining one or more keys includes means for defining at least one key by the user.