System and method for management and verification of invoices

• US 20060095373A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kagermann, Heinz, Babu, Suresh, Farrenkopf, Eckhard, Vogler, Hartmut K., Schlank, Hila, Venkatasubramanian, Ramshankar, Roggenkemper, Heinz U.
• Application Number:
  US11/201,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20060095373A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include architectures and methods for automated management of invoices. Embodiments of the present invention may include techniques for receiving and unifying invoice data, retrieving information about each invoice, verifying each invoice and resolving invoice exceptions. The present invention includes software components for efficiently processing invoices. In other embodiments, the present invention includes methods of processing an invoice.

Claims

1. An invoice management system comprising:

an invoice processor for receiving a plurality of invoices and automatically verifying each invoice according to a plurality of rules; and

an exception manager for processing invoices that fail verification.

2. The invoice management system of claim 1 further comprising an exception repository.

3. The invoice management system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of work flows.

4. The invoice management system of claim 3 wherein the plurality of work flows include at least one of a duplicate invoice handler, a missing data handler, an invalid data handler, an authorization handler, a line item mismatch handler, a price variance handler, a quantity variance handler, a template exception handler, or a customized work flow.

5. The invoice management system of claim 1 wherein the exception manager includes an integrated communication system.

6. The invoice management system of claim 1 further comprising a search engine coupled to the exception manager.

7. A computer implemented method of processing invoices comprising:

automatically verifying invoices according to a plurality of rules;

generating an invoice exception when an invoice is not verified;

associating data with the invoice exception; and

storing the invoice exception in an exception repository.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein invoice data and context information are stored in the exception repository.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising accessing context information through a reference to another repository.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising initiating one of a plurality of exception work flows to resolve the exception.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein different work flows are automatically initiated based on the type of error that triggered the exception.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the work flows are customized by a user.

13. A method of processing invoices comprising:

automatically verifying an invoice according to a plurality of rules;

generating an invoice exception if the invoice is not verified;

retrieving data associated with the invoice exception; and

displaying the retrieved data to a user.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the data associated with the invoice exception is displayed to a user in an exception inbox.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the exception inbox includes one or more rows corresponding to invoice exceptions, and wherein invoice data is displayed as columns.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein if the invoice exception is a duplicate invoice exception, then the method further comprises retrieving and displaying data corresponding to an original invoice and a duplicate invoice.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising retrieving and displaying images of the original invoice and duplicate invoice.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying invoice data and context data for an invoice in a detailed invoice view.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising sending an electronic notification of the invoice exception to one or more users.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the electronic notification includes at least a portion of associated invoice data or context information.

21. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method of processing invoices comprising:

automatically verifying an invoice according to a plurality of rules;

generating an invoice exception if the invoice is not verified;

retrieving data associated with the invoice exception; and

displaying the retrieved data to a user.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the data associated with the invoice exception is stored in an exception repository.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein if the invoice is not verified, the data associated with the invoice exception is processed according to at least one exception work flow.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the data associated with the invoice exception is displayed to a user in an exception inbox.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein the exception inbox includes one or more rows corresponding to invoice exceptions, and wherein invoice data is displayed as columns.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein if the invoice exception is a duplicate invoice exception, then the method further comprises retrieving and displaying data corresponding to an original invoice and a duplicate invoice.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 further comprising retrieving and displaying images of the original invoice and duplicate invoice.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 further comprising displaying invoice data and context data for an invoice in a detailed invoice view.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 further comprising sending an electronic notification of the invoice exception to one or more users.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 wherein the electronic notification includes at least a portion of associated invoice data or context information.