METHOD, SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR CONDUCTING A CROSS-ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSACTION AUDIT

• US 20070271271A1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chalasani, Nanchariah R., Rajlich, Luke T., Gordon, Josephine R., Eisinger, Jacob D., Chen, Jiayue, McNeil, Eric J., Keuhr-McLaren, David G.
• Application Number:
  US11/419,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271271A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The invention provides a method, system, and program product for conducting a cross-organizational transaction audit. In one embodiment, the invention includes a first entity requesting that a second entity perform a task; a third entity creating a log of information related to the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task and verifying to the first entity that the task was performed; the first entity examining the log to determine at least one of the following: whether the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task was satisfactory and how the second entity used information provided by the first entity in performing the task; and the first entity verifying that the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task was satisfactory.

Claims

1. A method for auditing a transaction between a plurality of entities, the method comprising:

a first entity requesting that a second entity perform a task;

creating a log of information related to the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task;

verifying to the first entity that the task was performed; and

examining the log to determine at least one of the following;

whether the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task was satisfactory and how the second entity used information provided by the first entity in performing the task.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first entity verifying that the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task was satisfactory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting includes communicating to the second entity a unique identifier associated with the task.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the log includes the unique identifier associated with the task and at least one additional identifier associated with the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting includes providing the second entity with the information used by the second entity in performing the task.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the log includes information used by the second entity in performing the task.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein examining the log includes determining whether the second entity disclosed the information to a third entity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein creating and verifying are performed by a third entity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein creating, verifying, and examining are performed according to a protocol agreed upon by the first entity and the second entity.

10. A system for auditing a transaction between a plurality of entities, the system comprising:

a system for permitting a first entity to request that a second entity perform a task;

a system for creating a log of information related to the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task;

a system for verifying to the first entity that the task was performed; and

a system for examining the log to determine at least one of the following;

whether the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task was satisfactory and how the second entity used information provided by the first entity in performing the task.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a system for verifying that the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task was satisfactory.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the log includes at least one of the following:

a unique identifier associated with the task and an additional identifier associated with the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein a third entity creates the log of information related to the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task and verifies to the first entity that the task was performed.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the log includes information used by the second entity in performing the task.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the system for examining includes a system for determining whether the second entity disclosed the information to a third entity.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein creating and verifying are performed by a third entity.

17. A program product stored on a computer-readable medium, which, when executed conducts an audit of a transaction between a plurality of entities, the program product comprising:

program code for permitting a first entity to request that a second entity perform a task;

program code for creating a log of information related to the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task;

program code for verifying to the first entity that the task was performed; and

program code for examining the log to determine at least one of the following;

whether the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task was satisfactory and how the second entity used information provided by the first entity in performing the task.

18. The program product of claim 17, further comprising:

program code for verifying that the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task was satisfactory.

19. The program product of claim 17, wherein the program code for examining includes program code for determining whether the second entity disclosed the information to a third entity.

20. A method for deploying an application for auditing a transaction between a plurality of entities, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

permit a first entity to request that a second entity perform a task;

create a log of information related to the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task;

verify to the first entity that the task was performed; and

examine the log to determine at least one of the following;

whether the second entity'"'"'s performance of the task was satisfactory and how the second entity used information provided by the first entity in performing the task.