Method and system for tracking and verifying repair estimates, invoices, and billing exceptions

• US 20060287954A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TTX Company
• Original Assignee: TTX Company
• Inventors: Flanagan, James E., Lannie, Nadia Hermiz, DeWitt, Richard R., Prozes, Mary Ann
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method and system for tracking and verifying estimates, invoices, and billing exceptions for charges billed to a customer by a vendor is disclosed. The vendor submits an estimate via a billing verification system. The system generates an estimate record and facilitates customer review of the estimate. The system also receives an invoice for the completed repair from the vendor and generates an invoice record. Based on the estimate record and the invoice record, the system can perform an audit to compare the invoice to the estimate. The system also enables the customer to review the invoice via the billing verification system to identify billing exceptions associated with any disputed charges. A billing exception record is generated in the billing verification system for each of the billing exceptions. The vendor is then notified of the billing exceptions. The vendor reviews and responds to the billing exception records via the billing verification system. A billing exception response record is generated for each vendor response. The customer is then notified of the reviewed billing exception response records.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and verifying charges billed to a railcar owner by a plurality of railcar repair facilities, including a plurality of railroad-owned railcar repair facilities and a plurality of independent railcar repair facilities, comprising:

a server configured to receive billing data received from the plurality of railcar repair facilities;

a database in communication with the server and configured to store the billing data;

a railroad-owned repair facility interface configured to provide communication between the server and the plurality of railroad-owned repair facilities;

an independent repair facility interface configured to provide communication between the server and the plurality of independent repair facilities; and

a railcar owner interface configured to provide communication between the server and a plurality of railcar owners;

wherein the railcar owner interface is further configured to provide railcar owners with access to billing data received both from at least one of the railroad-owned repair facilities and from at least one of the independent repair facilities.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the billing data includes:

estimate data, invoice data, and billing exception data related to independent repair facilities; and

invoice data and billing exception data related to railroad-owned repair facilities.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface to an early warning system, wherein the interface is configured to notify one or more of the railcar repair facilities of a repair required by the early warning system.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface to a railcar tracking system, wherein the interface is configured to provide the railcar owners with information concerning the location of their railcars.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface to a customer accounts payable system, wherein the interface is configured to schedule payment of an invoice after the customer approves the invoice.

6. A method of tracking and verifying estimates and invoices for repairs performed by a vendor for a customer, comprising:

receiving a set of estimate data related to a proposed repair from the vendor via a billing verification system;

generating an estimate record based on the estimate data;

receiving a set of invoice data related to a completed repair from the vendor via the billing verification system;

generating an invoice record based on the invoice data;

auditing the invoice record with respect to the estimate record via the billing verification system; and

notifying the customer if the invoice record does not match the estimate record.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the auditing further comprises:

comparing the invoice record to the estimate record on a line-item basis.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

auditing the estimate data before generating the estimate record.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

auditing the invoice data before generating the invoice record.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing the customer with access to review the estimate record via the billing verification system;

receiving an approval of the proposed repair from the customer via the billing verification system; and

notifying the vendor that the customer has authorized the proposed repair.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing the customer with access to review the estimate record via the billing verification system;

receiving a rejection of the proposed repair from the customer via the billing verification system; and

facilitating a negotiation regarding the proposed repair between the customer and the vendor via the billing verification system.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing the customer with access to review the invoice record via the billing verification system; and

receiving an approval of the invoice record from the customer via the billing verification system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

scheduling the invoice for payment.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing the customer with access to review the invoice record via the billing verification system; and

receiving a rejection of the invoice record from the customer via the billing verification system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a set of billing exception data related to the rejected invoice record from the customer via the billing verification system;

generating one or more billing exception records based on the billing exception data; and

notifying the vendor of the billing exception records.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing the vendor with access to the billing exception records via the billing verification system;

receiving one or more billing exception responses from the vendor via the billing verification system;

generating billing exception response records based on the billing exception responses; and

notifying the customer of the billing exception response records.