Method and system for conducting a target audit in a high volume transaction environment

• US 6,959,287 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Air Lines Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Air Lines Incorporated
• Inventors: Pearlman, Alan, Rabideau, David W., Smick, Judith M., Thomas, James Gregory, Brack, Kevin D., Johnson, Sven
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEENDER, FLORIAN M
• Application Number:
  US09/892,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20020010664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 705/30, 705/34, 705/7, 714/37, 714/48, 714/49, 707/104.1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A target audit methodology to provide a transaction-based detail of errors in an environment with a high volume of transactions. The primary components comprise a distributed computer network, such as the global Internet, coupled to numerous databases and a workstation. A Random Sample Query is used to pull a statistically valid sample from a general population of transactions to identify initial transaction errors. The initial transaction errors are analyzed to determine parameters for identifying other similar errors with a high probability of occurrence within the total population of transactions. A Possible Error Query is designed to retrieve these specific error types and is processed against the population of transactions. The results of the Possible Error Query are assigned financial impact and detailed for the client by individual transaction in an invoice.

Claims

1. A process for providing an audit with a transaction-based detail of errors in an environment with a high volume of transactions, comprising:

designing a Random Sample Query to pull a random sample of transactions from a Transaction Database;

running the Random Sample Query against the Transaction Database to find the random sample of transactions;

copying the random sample of transactions from the Transaction Database to a Random Sample Database, via a distributed computer network;

checking each transaction in the Random Sample Database to identify if the transaction has an error and to determine error parameters;

discarding the transaction if there is not an error;

copying the transaction from the Random Sample Database to an Error Database, via the distributed computer network, if there is an error;

obtaining at least one parameter of a random sample transaction containing an error from the random sample of transactions stored in the Random Sample Database;

obtaining Possible Error Transactions with at least one parameter identical to the at least one parameter of the random sample transaction containing the error;

checking the Possible Error Transactions to identify actual errors; and

preparing a report detailing the actual errors in the Possible Error Transactions.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein copying the transactions from the Random Sample Database to the Error Database, via the distributed computer network, if there is an error, further comprises:

grouping the transaction having an error, in the Error Database based on the at least one identical parameter.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining Possible Error Transactions further comprises:

analyzing the at least one parameter of the random sample transaction containing the error to design a Possible Error Query for identifying the Possible Error Transactions maintained in a Transaction Database;

running the Possible Error Query against the Transaction Database to find the Possible Error Transactions; and

copying the Possible Error Transactions from the Transaction Database to a Possible Error Database, via the distributed computer network.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of checking the Possible Error Transactions to identify actual errors further comprises:

checking each Possible Error Transaction to identify if the transaction has an error;

discarding the Possible Error Transaction if there is not an error; and

copying the Possible Error Transaction from a Possible Error Database to the Error Database, via the distributed computer network, if there is an error.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein copying the Possible Error Transactions from a Possible Error Database to the Error Database, if there is an error, further comprises:

grouping the Possible Error Transactions having the at least one identical parameter in the Error Database.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of preparing a report detailing the actual errors in the Possible Error Transactions further comprises:

copying the actual errors to an Invoice Database, via the distributed computer network;

copying the errors from the Invoice Database to a report form; and

displaying the report form.

7. A process for providing an audit with a ticket-based detail of errors for a collection of passenger ticket sales issued by an airline or travel agency community, comprising:

designing a Random Sample Query to pull a random sample of tickets from a Ticket Database comprising the collection of passenger ticket sales;

running the Random Sample Query against the Ticket Database to find the random sample of tickets;

copying the random sample of tickets from the Ticket Database to a Random Sample Database, via a distributed computer network;

checking each ticket in the Random Sample Database to identify if the ticket has an error and to determine error parameters;

discarding the ticket if there is not an error;

copying the ticket from the Random Sample Database to an Error Database, via the distributed computer network, if there is an error;

obtaining at least one parameter of a random sample ticket containing an error from the random sample of tickets;

obtaining from the collection of passenger ticket sales Possible Error Tickets with at least one parameter identical to the at least one parameter of at least one random sample ticket containing error information;

checking the Possible Error Tickets to identify actual errors; and

preparing a report detailing the actual errors in the Possible Error Tickets.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein copying the ticket from the Random Sample Database to the Error Database, via the distributed computer network, if there is an error, further comprises:

grouping the tickets having at least one identical parameter, in the Error Database.

9. The process of claim 7, wherein the step of obtaining Possible Error Tickets further comprises:

analyzing the at least one parameter of the random sample ticket containing the error to design a Possible Error Query for identifying the Possible Error Tickets maintained in a Ticket Database comprising the collection of passenger ticket sales;

running the Possible Error Query against the Ticket Database to find the Possible Error Tickets; and

copying the Possible Error Tickets from the Ticket Database to a Possible Error Database, via the distributed computer network.

10. The process of claim 7, wherein the step of checking the Possible Error Tickets to identify actual errors further comprises:

checking each Possible Error Ticket to identify if the Ticket has an error; and

discarding the Possible Error Ticket if there is not an error; and

copying the Possible Error Tickets from a Possible Error Database to the Error Database, via the distributed computer network, if there is an error.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein copying the Possible Error Tickets from the Possible Error Database to the Error Database, if there is an error, further comprises:

grouping the Possible Error Tickets having an error in the Error Database based on the at least one identical parameter.

12. The process of claim 7, wherein the step of preparing a report detailing the actual errors in the Possible Error Tickets comprises:

copying the actual errors to an Invoice Database, via the distributed computer network;

copying the actual errors from the Invoice Database to a report form; and

displaying the report form.