Integrated database for tracking shipping information

• US 20080283586A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lynch Marks LLC
• Original Assignee: Lynch Marks LLC
• Inventors: Marks, Peter, Gibby, Roger
• Granted Patent: US 7,938,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods of the present invention for using an integrated database for shipping information are provided. Information gathered or entered during shipping label generation may be stored in a database. The label information may concern shipping labels associated with multiple shipping vendors. Information concerning shipping invoices may be received from the multiple shipping vendors are received, and a report may be generated based on the stored label information and the invoice information. The invoice information may also be stored in the database. Further, the invoice information may include electronic data interchange files received through vendor-specific interfaces.

Claims

1. A method for using an integrated database for tracking shipping information comprising:

generating a plurality of shipping labels, each of the shipping labels being associated with one of a plurality of shipping vendors and non-invoiced shipments;

storing label information concerning the shipping labels in a database;

receiving one or more shipping invoices from the plurality of shipping vendors and cost data concerning the plurality of non-invoiced shipments; and

generating a report based on at least the stored label information and the received shipping invoices and cost data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing invoice information concerning the received shipping invoices and the received cost data in the database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the label information is designated during label generation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the shipping invoices further comprises receiving invoice information through vendor-specific communications interfaces.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the shipping invoices from the plurality of shipping vendors further comprises receiving electronic billing information associated with one or more of the plurality of shipping vendors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the report further comprises associating the shipping invoices and cost data with the label information stored in the database, wherein each shipping invoice and cost data comprises one or more entries, and each entry concerning a shipment is associated with the label information concerning the shipment.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising assigning a tracking number to each of the shipping labels, wherein associating the shipping invoices and cost data with the label information is further based on tracking numbers.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the report further comprises providing information concerning the shipping invoices, cost data, and the associated label information to an accounting system.

9. A method for using an integrated database for tracking shipping information comprising:

receiving label information associated with one of a plurality of shipping vendors and plurality of non-invoiced shipments;

storing the label information in a database;

receiving one or more shipping invoices from the plurality of shipping vendors and cost data concerning the plurality of non-invoiced shipments; and

generating a report based on at least the stored label information and the received shipping invoices and the received cost data.

10. A system for using an integrated database for tracking shipping information comprising:

a label generator configured to generate a plurality of shipping labels associated with one of a plurality of shipping vendors and a plurality of non-invoiced shipments;

a database configured to store label information concerning each of the shipping labels generated by the label generator;

a report generator configured to generate a report based on at least the stored label information from the database and invoice information associated with one or more shipping invoices received from the plurality of shipping vendors or cost data associated with the plurality of non-invoiced shipments.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a communications interface configured to receive the shipping invoices from the plurality of shipping vendors.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the communications interface comprises vendor-specific interfaces associated with each of the plurality of shipping vendors.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive electronic billing information associated with each of the one or more shipping vendors.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive manually entered invoice information and to provide the manually entered invoice information to the report generator.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the database is further configured to store the invoice information associated with one or more vendor-specific shipping invoices and cost data concerning the plurality of non-invoiced shipments.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the report generator is further configured to associate the shipping invoices and the cost data with the label information stored in the database, wherein each shipping invoice and cost data comprises one or more entries, each entry concerning a shipment and associated with the label information concerning the shipment.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the report generator is further configured to allocate each entry to a user account based on the associated label information.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the report generator is further configured to provide information concerning the shipping invoices and the associated label information to an accounting system.

19. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereupon executable computing instructions for performing a method comprising:

generating a plurality of shipping labels, each of the labels being associated with one of a plurality of shipping vendors and a plurality of non-invoiced shipments;

storing label information concerning the shipping labels in a database;

receiving one or more shipping invoices from the plurality of shipping vendors and cost data concerning the plurality of non-invoiced shipments; and

generating a report based on at least the stored label information and the received shipping invoices and cost data.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the executable instructions further provide for providing information concerning the shipping invoices, cost data, and associated label information to an accounting system.