Computer system and method for facilitating and managing the project bid and requisition process

• US 20060173775A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IQNavigator Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Volt Information Sciences Incorporated
• Inventors: Cullen, Andrew A. III, Zilberman, Leonid, Danilov, Ivan
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A comprehensive, web-enabled computer system and method is provided for facilitating and managing all aspects of project work, while synchronizing communications, data and transaction processing across multiple user platforms. To implement the computer system and method, a bid item list is utilized to create configurable and scalable customized bid templates premised on the specific type of project work required. Bid requests are generated from the customized bid templates for solicitation of vendor bid responses to the selected bid items provided by the bid template. One or more bid items within the vendor bid responses can be selected for vendor grading purposes, and comparison of the vendor bid responses can be conducted using the graded bid item responses. In addition, project tracking parameters can be entered into the computer system for tracking the performance of the project.

Claims

1. A paperless web enabled electronic billing and payment method comprising:

purchase-order processing by a buyer and supplier;

voucher/payment request processing by a supplier;

voucher/payment request processing by the buyer; and

billing data extract and payment processing by the buyer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of purchase-order processing further comprises:

creating, by a buyer, of a purchase order; and

wherein the purchase order is adapted to acquire and store line item specific elements of transactable commerce data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of the buyer creating the purchase order further comprises acquiring and storing human resource labor types and associated rates, human resource expense types and associated spend threshold, materials and associated costs, fixed price deliverables and associated costs, and unit-based deliverables and associated costs.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of the buyer creating the purchase order further comprises:

the buyer designating partial or full financial data processing modes;

the buyer designating ancillary business data types and data values to be processed in conjunction with subsequent supplier voucher/payment request processing; and

the buyer specifying approval routing schemas for subsequent submitted supplier voucher/payment line items.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of the buyer creating the purchase order further comprises:

the buyer specifying an aggregate purchase order not-to-exceed spend threshold;

the buyer specifying purchase order payment terms;

the buyer specifying purchase order active start and end dates; and

the buyer specifying purchase order approval routing schema.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of purchase-order processing further comprises:

the buyer submitting a purchase order in process to a supplier;

the supplier validating the accuracy of purchase order data;

the supplier assessing and providing taxation data pertinent to purchase order line items; and

the supplier submitting a supplier approved purchase order back to the applicable buyer personnel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of purchase-order processing further comprises:

the buyer approving a supplier-validated purchase order; and

the buyer making a purchase order active for supplier voucher/payment request processing.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the supplier creating a voucher/payment request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of the supplier creating a voucher/payment request further comprises:

systematically validating supplier input against purchase order line item data;

the supplier inputting ancillary data as buyer configured;

systematically validating buyer purchase-order specifyings; and

the supplier submitting a systematic data validated voucher/payment request to a buyer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of voucher/payment request processing by the supplier further comprises systematically updating status and tracking of a submitted voucher/payment request.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein voucher/payment request processing by the buyer further comprises systematically notifying a configured buyer user of a pending voucher payment request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of voucher/payment request processing by the buyer further comprises:

the buyer approving or disapproving submitted voucher/payment request line items; and

the buyer providing commentary regarding approval/rejection disposition

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the buyer voucher/payment request disposition further comprises systematically notifying the supplier regarding buyer voucher/payment disposition

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the buyer voucher/payment request disposition further comprises:

systematically updating individual voucher/payment request line items status; and

tracking of the individual voucher/payment request line items.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the billing data extract and payment processing by the buyer further comprises the buyer configuring the approved voucher/payment request line item data extract for subsequent creation of an electronic billing/invoice file.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of the buyer configuring the data extract further comprises:

the buyer specifying data extract frequency;

the buyer specifying database fields for extract;

the buyer specifying database field extract format/layout; and

the buyer specifying data record consolidation/separation premised upon acquired and stored transactional ancillary business data.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein payment processing by the buyer further comprises specifying a financial data transfer protocol of the buyer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein payment processing by the buyer further comprises:

converting billing data file to the buyer'"'"'s specified financial data transfer protocol;

transmitting the converted billing file to buyer-specified personnel or data-processing machine;

uploading the converted billing file to a buyer financial system;

generating buyer payment; and

the buyer systematically receiving the supplier payment record file

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising systematically utilizing full life cycle throughput data to enable perpetual purchase order and voucher/payment request data validation.

20. A web-enabled temporary-laborer risk-management documentation method, the method comprising:

configuring a temporary-laborer document library;

uploading a temporary laborer record;

accessing a temporary laborer system;

executing a temporary laborer document; and

administering a temporary laborer agreement.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of configuring the temporary-laborer document library comprises:

the buyer specifying temporary laborer documentation types;

the buyer specifying temporary laborer types; and

the buyer mapping temporary laborer types to temporary laborer documentation types.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of the buyer specifying temporary laborer documentation types comprises:

the buyer specifying temporary laborer executable agreements; and

the buyer specifying temporary laborer executable agreement content.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the buyer specifying temporary laborer executable agreements further comprises:

the buyer specifying a temporary laborer documentation provision method; and

the buyer specifying a temporary laborer documentation validation period.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of uploading a temporary laborer record comprises the buyer creating a unique temporary laborer record associated with a temporary labor resource.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of creating a unique temporary laborer record comprises the buyer systematically uploading a temporary laborer resource record responsive to a supplier resource submittal.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of creating a unique temporary laborer record comprises the buyer manually uploading a temporary labor resource record responsive to an identified temporary labor resource need.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of accessing a temporary laborer system further comprises the buyer granting a temporary labor resource access via issuance of a user name and password.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of granting a temporary labor resource access to the system further comprises the buyer activating a temporary labor resource.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of executing a temporary laborer document further comprises the buyer providing agreement and documentation requirements to a temporary laborer.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the temporary laborer executing applicably configured agreements online.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of providing agreement and documentation requirements to a temporary laborer on line comprises the buyer notifying the temporary labor resource of physical hard copy documentation submission requirements.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising the buyer removing temporary laborer resource system access for non-execution of a buyer online agreement.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising the buyer removing temporary laborer resource system access for non-provision of buyer hard copy documentation requirements.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of administering a temporary laborer agreement comprises the buyer systematically storing and tracking temporary labor resource documentation transactional data.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of storing and tracking temporary laborer resource documentation transactional data further comprises the buyer administering temporary laborer resource system access and right to work permission based on values of stored transactional data within the system.

36. A method of managing a business process work flow, the method comprising:

establishing defined functional user-role positions within a data processing environment;

enabling process specification via status code/condition management;

mapping the user-role positions to at least one process;

performing real-time process management; and

enabling specific process transaction management.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of establishing the defined functional user-role positions further comprises:

creating user role positions;

storing the user-role position records in a database;

establishing personnel qualifier criteria for user role position authority;

storing the personnel qualifier criteria in a database;

integrating personnel records into the user role system;

wherein the personnel records contain at least one the personnel qualifier criteria;

systematically mapping the personnel records to the user role positions based upon a qualifier data comparison between the user role qualifier criteria and the personnel qualifier criteria; and

storing the affiliations in a database.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

manually affiliating the personnel records to the user role positions; and

storing the affiliations in a database.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising a shared work environment profile function, the shared work environment profile function comprising a user interface adapted to permit the user to:

view a listing of all created user role positions in the environment;

select a specific user role position;

view a listing of all users authorized to function in the user role position; and

select a specific personnel record to be stored in the database as the default user role position personnel record to be used by the system while processing transactions associated with the user'"'"'s shared work environment profile.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of enabling process specification further comprises:

establishing distinct legs for at least one of the following core work flow processes;

supplier business information review;

supplier business insurance review;

supplier agreements review;

supplier provision capabilities review;

human resource work qualification review;

human resource agreements review;

RFx bid processing;

RFx bid response processing;

RFx bid response analysis/disposition;

purchase requisition processing;

purchase order processing;

work acknowledgement voucher processing;

electronic invoice file processing; and

business configuration data processing; and

storing the process legs in a database.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of:

configuring a process status code/condition for each the process leg;

configuring functional user actions that can be taken at each process leg;

wherein each configured action taken by a user results in a process status designation; and

configuring the functional user actions available for each dependent process leg while the process leg is in a particular status; and

storing all settings therein in a database.

42. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of mapping the user-role positions to at least one process further comprises specifying user-role-position access rights and action permissions at individual work flow pages.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of performing real-time process management further comprises displaying, via an administrative dashboard, a current status of a specific process, current authorized actions relative to the process, and a listing of configured users permitted to take the authorized actions.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of performing real-time process management further comprises systematically notifying personnel serving as authorized user role positions for specific process transactions of pending actions available to be taken by the user with respect to the specific process transactions.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of performing real-time process management further comprises providing to a user a chronological time review indicating total duration of the process legs of the process from start to current status and time frames to each processing leg associated with the process.

46. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of enabling specific process transaction management further comprises:

storing and tracking relationships between user role positions, personnel identity, and process transactions in the database; and

systematically displaying the relationships to users affiliated with the transactions.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the step of enabling specific process transaction management further comprises substituting the identity of specific users affiliated with specific transactions with alternate personnel meeting necessary user-role qualification parameters.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of substituting the identity of specific users further comprises performing at least one of:

substituting one personnel record for another respective to all user role positions respective to all applicable transactions;

substituting one personnel record for another respective to selected user roles in conjunction with all applicable transactions;

substituting one personnel record for another respective to selected transactions and all applicable user roles; and

substituting one personnel record for another respective to selected transactions and selected applicable user role positions affiliated with the selected transactions.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein all of the user role position personnel modifications/updates are stored in a database.

50. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

reflecting the user role position personnel modifications in the administrative dashboard; and

wherein affected user personnel records result in systematic messages to the personnel regarding their modified user role relationship to the process transactions.

51. A human resource time keeping, expense management, and work acknowledgement method comprising:

creating and storing by a buyer of a purchase order record;

validating, by a supplier, of data of the purchase order record;

enabling, by the buyer, of supplier human resource access to the voucher system;

enabling supplier human resource data input into a time keeping/work acknowledgement voucher tracking and submittal system;

enabling buyer review and disposition of a submitted supplier work acknowledgement voucher; and

enabling an automated bill/pay function.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising associating a human resource labor assignment record with a supplier/contractor purchase order.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising configurably specifying human resource labor assignment attributes stored in the system in the form of at least one of purchase order line items and purchase order sub-line items.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising configurably specifying:

authorized human resource work assignment time related labor types;

authorized human resource labor work assignment time related labor units;

authorized human resource labor cost rates applicable to authorized time related labor types; and

whether the authorized time related labor type and cost record is billable or non-billable.

55. The method of claim 53, further comprising configurably specifying:

authorized human resource work assignment non-time related labor types;

authorized human resource labor work assignment non-time related labor units;

authorized human resource labor cost rates applicable to authorized non-time related labor types; and

whether the authorized non-time related labor type and cost record is billable or non-billable.

56. The method of claim 53, further comprising configurably specifying:

authorized human resource work assignment expense types;

configurable specification of authorized human resource maximum expense per occurrence applicable to authorized work assignment expense types; and

authorized human resource aggregate maximum expense applicable to authorized work assignment expense types.

57. The method of claim 53, further comprising specifying ancillary data fields affiliated with at least one of purchase order line items and purchase order sub-line items to be completed by the human resource laborer upon submission of a work acknowledgement voucher.

58. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

associating a human resource labor record with a skill profile; and

wherein the resource skill profile attributes are selected from hierarchical pre-established lists of resource types and skills to classify the resource profiles in a non-prose fashion.

59. The method of claim 52, further comprising configurably specifying purchase order attributes stored in the system.

60. The method of claim 58, further comprising specifying:

a purchase order not to exceed currency threshold amount;

purchase order activation start and end dates; and

purchase order work acknowledgement voucher submittal frequency.

61. The method of claim 51, further comprising submitting, by a buyer/administrator, the purchase order record to the supplier/contractor for data validation and acceptance.

62. The method of claim 61, further comprising submitting, by a supplier/contractor, the validated purchase order record back to the buyer/administrator for purchase order activation.

63. The method of claim 62, further comprising activating, by a buyer/administrator, the validated purchase order.

64. The method of claim 51, wherein the step of enabling further comprises assigning system access credentials for the supplier human resource laborer(s) affiliated with the validated and active purchase order.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the step of enabling further comprises transmitting the system access credentials to the human resource laborer(s).

66. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

a supplier/contractor accessing the work acknowledgement voucher system;

the supplier/contractor selecting from available active and authorized purchase orders a specific record for data processing; and

the supplier/contractor performing at least one of;

selecting from authorized time related labor types a specific time related labor type record for data processing;

selecting from authorized non-time related labor types a specific non-time related labor type record for data processing; and

selecting from authorized expense types a specific expense type record for data processing.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprising:

supplier/contractor inputting work acknowledgement details applicable to at least one of;

time;

deliverable completion;

unit completion; and

expense incursion as configured applicable to the purchase order assignment attributes; and

storing the settings in a database.

68. The method of claim 66, further comprising supplier/contractor submitting the work acknowledgement voucher to the buyer/administrator for the purpose of processing the work acknowledgement voucher.

69. The method of claim 59, further comprising systematically validating data pertaining to configured purchase order attributes.

70. The method of claim 69, further comprising a step whereby a failure of the system to validate the purchase order attributes respective of supplier/contractor data processing results in a negative submittal to the buyer/administrator wherein the supplier/contractor is notified of the validation failure.

71. The method of claim 70, further comprising modifying, by the supplier/contractor upon notification of the system to validate and submit the work acknowledgement voucher, data input to reconcile the data validation failure.

72. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

reviewing, by a buyer/administrator, a submitted work acknowledgement voucher; and

performing, by the buyer/administrator, a step selected from the group consisting of;

approving the submitted work acknowledgement voucher; and

declining the submitted work acknowledgement voucher.

73. The method of claim 72, further comprising buyer/administrator approval/declination disposition enablement for individual work acknowledgement voucher line item entries and specification of partial credit/acceptance for individual work acknowledgement voucher line item entries.

74. The method of claim 73, further comprising buyer/administrator systematic notification to the supplier/contractor regarding work acknowledgement line item disposition.

75. The method of claim 72, further comprising buyer/administrator systematic routing for additional approvals as business rule configured.

76. The method of claim 51, further comprising systematically extracting the approved work acknowledgment voucher line items on a configured/scheduled basis for the purposes of enabling a paperless bill/pay process.

77. The method of claim 76, further comprising:

systematically generating a billing/invoice file in a data format configured by the buyer/administrator;

systematically transmitting the billing/invoice file in a specified format/protocol to a specified authorized Buyer financial data processor; and

receiving from the buyer financial data processor a cash payment file in a pre-configured format so as to systematically apply the cash payments to the work acknowledgement voucher and respective line items.

78. The method of claim 77, further comprising systematically utilizing full life cycle throughput data to enable perpetual work assignment and purchase order attribute data validation.