METHOD, SYSTEM AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR IDENTIFYING REDUNDANT INVOICES

• US 20100250405A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sladish, Jason P., DeWitt, David V., Mazzatti, Anthony T., Reynolds, Scotty J.
• Application Number:
  US12/413,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250405A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A method, system and program product for identifying redundant invoices. The method includes providing an accounts payable system having an invoice table that contains invoice data inputted from vendor invoices, executing an algorithm with the accounts payable system for identifying one or more redundant invoices among a current group of invoices chosen from the invoices inputted into the accounts payable system, where the algorithm identifies the redundant invoices among the current group of invoices using each of six redundancy criteria analyzed by the algorithm and outputting a perceptible report containing a separate section corresponding to each of the six redundancy criteria analyzed by the algorithm for identifying redundant invoices among the current group of invoices inputted into the accounts payable system, where a redundant invoice that is reported in one section of the perceptible report is not reported in another section of the perceptible report.

Claims

1. A method of identifying redundant invoices, said method comprising:

providing an accounts payable electronic computer system comprising an invoice table that contains invoice data inputted from a plurality of invoices entered into said accounts payable electronic computer system;

executing an algorithm with said accounts payable electronic computer system for identifying one or more redundant invoices among a current group of invoices chosen from said plurality of invoices inputted into said accounts payable electronic computer system, wherein said algorithm identifies said redundant invoices among said current group of invoices chosen from said plurality of invoices using each of six redundancy criteria analyzed by said algorithm; and

outputting a perceptible report containing a separate section corresponding to each of said six redundancy criteria analyzed by said algorithm for identifying said one or more redundant invoices among said current group of invoices inputted into said accounts payable electronic computer system, wherein a redundant invoice that is reported in one section of said perceptible report is not reported in another section of said perceptible report.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said providing step further comprises:

selecting a history start date and a current start date for choosing said current group of invoices from said plurality of invoices inputted;

grouping, as a group, suppliers having a similar name; and

creating additional indexes for sorting said invoice data contained in said invoice table in said accounts payable electronic computer system.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said executing step further comprises:

loading said algorithm onto said accounts payable electronic computer system; and

executing said algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system in real time.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said executing step further comprises:

loading said algorithm onto said accounts payable electronic computer system; and

executing said algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system in batch mode.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said six redundancy criteria analyzed by said algorithm for searching said accounts payable electronic computer system comprises of:

same supplier invoice number and same amount, supplier reference numbers containing a reference number as a subset, redundant condensed supplier reference numbers, transposed supplier reference numbers and same supplier invoice number, invoice date and amount, with a different supplier number.

6. A computer system for identifying redundant invoices, comprising:

a central processing unit;

first program instructions to input a plurality of invoices into an accounts payable electronic computer system, said first program instructions including instructions to group, as a group, invoices that have a similar vendor name;

second program instructions to execute an algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system for identifying one or more redundant invoices among a current group of invoices chosen from said plurality of invoices inputted into said accounts payable electronic computer system, wherein said algorithm identifies said one or more redundant invoices among said plurality of invoices using each of six redundancy criteria searched by said algorithm; and

third program instructions to output a perceptible report containing respective separate sections corresponding to each of said six redundancy criteria analyzed by said algorithm for identifying said one or more redundant invoices among said current group of invoices inputted into said accounts payable electronic computer system, wherein an invoice reported on a respective section is not reported on another respective section of said perceptible report and wherein said first, second and third program instructions are stored on said computer system for execution by said central processing unit.

7. A computer system according to claim 6, wherein said first program instructions include instructions to load said algorithm onto said accounts payable electronic computer system, to select a history start date and a current start date for choosing said current group of invoices from said plurality of invoices inputted, to group, as a group, suppliers having a similar name and to create additional indexes for sorting said invoice data contained in said invoice table in said accounts payable electronic computer system.

8. A computer system according to claim 7, wherein said second program instructions include instructions to execute said algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system in real time.

9. A computer system according to claim 7, wherein said second program instructions include instructions to execute said algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system in batch mode.

10. A computer system according to claim 8, wherein said six redundancy criteria analyzed by said algorithm for searching said accounts payable electronic computer system comprises of:

same supplier invoice number and same amount, supplier reference numbers containing a reference number as a subset, redundant condensed supplier reference numbers, transposed supplier reference numbers and same supplier invoice number, invoice date and amount, with a different supplier number.

11. A computer program product for identifying redundant invoices, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions to input data from a plurality of invoices into an invoice table residing within an accounts payable electronic computer system;

second program instructions to execute an algorithm loaded onto said accounts payable electronic computer system for identifying one or more redundant invoices among a current group chosen from said plurality of invoices inputted into said accounts payable electronic computer system, wherein said algorithm identifies said redundant invoices among said current group of invoices chosen from said plurality of invoices using each of six redundancy criteria searched by said algorithm; and

third program instructions to output a perceptible report containing a separate section corresponding to each of said six redundancy criteria analyzed by said algorithm for identifying said one or more redundant invoices among said current group of invoices inputted into said accounts payable electronic computer system, wherein a redundant invoice that is reported in one section of said perceptible report is not reported in another section of said perceptible report and wherein said first, second and third program instructions are recorded on said computer readable medium.

12. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein said first program instructions include instructions to load said algorithm onto said accounts payable electronic computer system, to select a history start date and a current start date for choosing said current group of invoices from said plurality of invoices inputted, to group, as a group, suppliers having a similar name and to create additional indexes for sorting said invoice data contained in said invoice table in said accounts payable electronic computer system.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein said second program instructions include instructions to execute said algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system in real time.

14. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein said second program instructions include instructions to execute said algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system in batch mode.

15. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein said six redundancy criteria analyzed by said algorithm for searching said accounts payable electronic computer system comprises of:

same supplier invoice number and same amount, supplier reference numbers containing a reference number as a subset, redundant condensed supplier reference numbers, transposed supplier reference numbers and same supplier invoice number, invoice date and amount, with a different supplier number.

16. A method of identifying redundant invoices, said method comprising:

providing an accounts payable electronic computer system that comprises an invoice table for inputting invoice data obtained from a plurality of invoices;

inputting said plurality of invoices into said invoice table on said accounts payable electronic computer system;

executing an algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system for identifying one or more redundant invoices among a current group chosen from said plurality of invoices inputted into said accounts payable electronic computer system, wherein said algorithm identifies said redundant invoices among said plurality of invoices using each of six redundancy criteria searched by said algorithm; and

outputting a perceptible report containing a separate section for each of said six redundancy criteria searched by said algorithm for identifying said one or more redundant invoices among said current group of invoices inputted into said accounts payable electronic computer system, wherein a redundant invoice that is reported in one section of said perceptible report is not reported in another section of said perceptible report.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said providing step further comprises:

selecting a history start date and a current start date for choosing said current group of invoices from said plurality of invoices inputted;

grouping, in a group, suppliers having a similar name; and

creating additional indexes for sorting said invoice data contained in said invoice table in said accounts payable electronic computer system.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said executing step further comprises:

executing said algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system in real time.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein said executing step further comprises:

executing said algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system in batch mode.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein said six redundancy criteria analyzed by said algorithm for searching said accounts payable electronic computer system comprises of:

same supplier invoice number and same amount, supplier reference numbers containing a reference number as a subset, redundant condensed supplier reference numbers, transposed supplier reference numbers and same supplier invoice number, invoice date and amount, with a different supplier number.

21. A process for deploying computing infrastructure comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein said code in combination with said computing system is capable of performing a process for identifying redundant invoices, said process comprising:

providing an accounts payable electronic computer system;

inputting, invoice data obtained from a plurality of invoices, into an invoice table residing on said accounts payable electronic computer system;

executing an algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system for identifying one or more redundant invoices among a current group of invoices chosen from said plurality of invoices inputted into said accounts payable electronic computer system, wherein said algorithm identifies said redundant invoices among said current group of invoices chosen from said plurality of invoices using each of six redundancy criteria searched by said algorithm; and

outputting a perceptible report containing a separate section corresponding to each of said six redundancy criteria analyzed by said algorithm for identifying said one or more redundant invoices inputted into said accounts payable electronic computer system, wherein a redundant invoice that is reported in one section of said perceptible report is not reported in another section of said perceptible report.

22. The process according to claim 21, wherein said providing step further comprises:

selecting a history start date and a current start date for choosing said current group of invoices from said plurality of invoices inputted;

grouping, in a group, suppliers having a similar name; and

creating additional indexes for sorting said invoice data contained in said invoice table in said accounts payable electronic computer system.

23. The process according to claim 22, wherein said executing step further comprises:

loading said algorithm onto said accounts payable electronic computer system; and

executing said algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system in real time.

24. The process according to claim 22, wherein said executing step further comprises:

loading said algorithm onto said accounts payable electronic computer system; and

executing said algorithm on said accounts payable electronic computer system in batch mode.

25. The process according to claim 23, wherein said six redundancy criteria analyzed by said algorithm for searching said accounts payable electronic computer system comprises of:

same supplier invoice number and same amount, supplier reference numbers containing a reference number as a subset, redundant condensed supplier reference numbers, transposed supplier reference numbers and same supplier invoice number, invoice date and amount, with a different supplier number.