Agreement management system and method

• US 7,155,419 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agreenet
• Original Assignee: Agreenet
• Inventors: Blackman, Robert Sage, Weinstein, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US09/839,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 4, 707/102, 707/201, 707/8, 707/9, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/101, 705/26, 705/30, 705/40, 705/51, 705/54, 705/80, 705/64, 705/1, 705/37, 705/38, 705/39, 709/217, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/229, 709/208, 709/222, 709/227, 709203-232, 710/15, 713/156, 713/166, 713/167, 713/168, 713/201
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

An agreement management system for organizing information around agreements and chains of agreements. The system includes an agreement database and notes database for storing agreements and information directly related to those agreements. The system further includes a set of forms for use in negotiating an agreement, modifying an existing agreement and managing the performance of an existing agreement. The system supports agreement chains which permit the linking of pairs of agreements such that the customer of one of the linked agreements is a supplier to a customer of another of the linked agreements. Templates that permit the simple reuse of agreement chains are also supported by the system. A number of ancillary databases, such as a contacts database, a correspondence database, a folders database, a reminders database and a notebook database give the system the flexibility to record additional information both related to the agreements and unrelated to the agreements.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements, comprising:

formulating a request by a first party using a first client computer system for an agreement with a second party using a second client computer system, the request containing an agreement ID that uniquely identifies the request and any agreement formed therefrom;

sending the request over a computer network to the second party;

receiving correspondence at the first party over the computer network from the second party regarding the request or any agreement formed therefrom, wherein said correspondence comprises information relating to a counter offer, a request for clarification, an acceptance of the request, a rejection of the request or a notification that the correspondence from the second party will be delayed; and

saving the correspondence from the second party according to the unique agreement ID.

2. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 1,

wherein the first client computer system of the first party has an independent agreement database;

further including the step of storing the request in the agreement database in a record that includes or is linked to the agreement ID, after formulating the request; and

wherein the step of saving the correspondence from the second party includes storing the second party correspondence in the agreement database of the first party in a record that includes or is linked to the agreement ID.

3. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 1, wherein the correspondence from the second party is encapsulated in an electronic mail message that contains the agreement ID.

4. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 1,

wherein the correspondence from the second party includes a main body of information and an attachment to the main body;

and

wherein the attachment is according to the agreement ID.

5. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 1, wherein the correspondence from the second party includes information unrelated to the formation or modification of the agreement, yet still related to the agreement.

6. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 5, wherein the correspondence from the second party is taken from the group consisting of:

a facsimile transmission, an electronic mail message, a letter sent by post, or an HTML document.

7. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 5,

wherein the correspondence from the second party includes a main body of information and an attachment to the main body;

and

wherein the attachment is saved according to the agreement ID.

8. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 5, wherein the correspondence from the second party is encapsulated in an electronic mail message that contains the agreement ID.

9. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 1, further including the steps of:

sending correspondence from the first client computer system of the first party to the second client computer system of the second party relating to the request or any agreement derived therefrom; and

saving the correspondence from the first party relating to the request according to the unique agreement ID given the request.

10. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 9,

wherein the first client computer system of the first party has an independent agreement database;

and

wherein the step of saving the correspondence from the first party relating to the request includes storing the first party correspondence in the agreement database of the first party in a record that includes or is linked to the agreement ID.

11. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 9, wherein the correspondence from the first party is responsive to correspondence from the second party and includes a counter offer, a request for clarification, an acceptance or a rejection of a counter offer from the second party or a notification that the correspondence from the first party will be delayed.

12. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 11, wherein the correspondence from the first party is encapsulated in an electronic mail message that contains the agreement ID.

13. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 11,

wherein the correspondence from the first party includes a main body of information and an attachment to the main body;

and

wherein the attachment is saved according to the agreement ID.

14. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 9, wherein the correspondence from the first party includes information unrelated to the formation or modification of the agreement, yet still related to the agreement.

15. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 14, wherein the correspondence from the first party is taken from the group consisting of a facsimile transmission, an electronic mail message, a letter sent by post, or an HTML document.

16. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 14,

wherein the correspondence from the first party includes a main body of information and an attachment to the main body;

and

wherein the attachment is saved according to the agreement ID.

17. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 14, wherein the correspondence from the first party is encapsulated in an electronic mail message that includes the agreement ID.

18. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 9,

wherein the second client computer system of the second party has an independent agreement database;

and

further comprising the step of storing the request sent to the second party in the database of the second party in a record that includes or is linked to the agreement ID.

19. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 9,

wherein the second client computer system of the second party has an independent agreement database;

and

further comprising the step of storing the correspondence sent from the first party to the second party in the database of the second party in a record that includes or is linked to the agreement ID.

20. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving correspondence by the first party from a third party using a third client computer system who is not a party to the agreement between the first and second party;

determining an agreement ID of the first party to which the third party correspondence is related; and

storing the correspondence according to the determined agreement ID.

21. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 20, wherein the correspondence from the third party is taken from a group consisting of:

a facsimile transmission, an electronic email message, a letter sent by post or an HTML document.

22. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 20,

wherein the correspondence from the third party includes a main body of information and an attachment to the main body;

and

wherein the attachment is saved according to the determined agreement ID.

23. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 1,

wherein a server computer system is configured to manage an agreement database that is accessible by the computer systems of the first and second parties;

further comprising the step of storing the request in the server'"'"'s agreement database in a record that includes or is linked to the agreement ID, after formulating the request; and

wherein the step of saving the correspondence from the second party includes storing the second party correspondence in the server'"'"'s agreement database in a record that includes or is linked to the agreement ID.

24. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 23, wherein the correspondence from the second party includes information relating to a counter offer, a request for clarification, an acceptance or a rejection of the request or a notification that the correspondence from the second party will be delayed.

25. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 24,

wherein the correspondence from the second party includes a main body of information and an attachment to the main body;

and

wherein the attachment is saved according to the agreement ID.

26. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 23, wherein the correspondence from the second party includes information unrelated to the formation or modification of the agreement, yet still related to the agreement.

27. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 26, wherein the correspondence from the second party is taken from the group consisting of:

a facsimile transmission, an electronic mail message, a letter sent by post or an HTML document.

28. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 26, wherein the correspondence from the second party includes a main body of information and an attachment to the main body;

and

wherein the attachment is saved according to the agreement ID.

29. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 23, further including the steps of:

sending correspondence from the first client computer system of the first party to the second client computer system of the second party relating to the request; and

saving the correspondence from the first party relating to the request in the server'"'"'s agreement database in a record that includes or is linked to the agreement ID.

30. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 29, wherein the correspondence from the first party is responsive to correspondence from the second party and includes a counter offer, a request for clarification, an acceptance or a rejection of a counter offer from the second party or a notification that the correspondence from the first party will be delayed.

31. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 30, wherein the correspondence from the first party includes a main body of information and an attachment to the main body;

and

wherein the attachment is saved according to the agreement ID.

32. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 29, wherein the correspondence from the first party includes information unrelated to the formation or modification of the agreement, yet still related to the agreement.

33. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 32, wherein the correspondence from the first party is taken from the group consisting of:

a facsimile transmission, an electronic mail message, a letter sent by post, or an HTML document.

34. The computer implemented method of organizing information around agreements as recited in claim 32,

wherein the correspondence from the first party includes a main body of information and an attachment to the main body;

and

wherein the attachment is saved according to the agreement ID.

35. A computer implemented method of managing agreements to form a supply chain, comprising:

formulating and sending over a computer network a first request by a first party using a first client computer system and receiving a first acceptance over the computer network from a second party using a second client computer system to form a first agreement between the first party and the second party, the first agreement having a unique first agreement ID and specifying a first deliverable to be received by the first party;

formulating and sending over the computer network a second request by the second party using a second client computer system and receiving a second acceptance over the computer network from a third party using a third client computer system to form a second agreement between the third party and the second party, the second request including a field for identifying a downstream agreement and specifying a second deliverable and a date for the second deliverable; and

linking the second agreement to the first agreement by including the first agreement ID in the field identifying a downstream agreement to form a supply chain among the first, second and third parties.

36. The computer implemented method of managing agreements to form a supply chain as recited in claim 35, wherein the step of linking includes:

specifying the first deliverable in the second request based on the deliverables of a list of customers, each having a deliverable due from the second party; and

obtaining the first agreement ID based on the deliverable specified.

37. The computer implemented method of managing agreements to form a supply chain as recited in claim 36, wherein the linking includes:

specifying the first deliverable in the second request based on the deliverables of a list of customers, each having a deliverable due from the second party with a due date and time subsequent to the date and time of the second deliverable; and

obtaining the first agreement ID based on the deliverable specified.

38. The computer implemented method of managing agreements to form a supply chain as recited in claim 35,

wherein the step of formulating the second request includes specifying a customer and a second deliverable;

and

wherein the step of linking includes;

specifying the first deliverable in the second request based on the deliverables of the specified customer; and

obtaining the first agreement ID based on the deliverable specified.

39. The computer implemented method of managing agreements to form a supply chain as recited in claim 35, wherein the step of formulating the second request includes specifying a customer, a second deliverable and a date and time for the second deliverable;

and wherein the step of linking includes;

specifying the first deliverable in the second request based on the deliverables of the specified customer with a due date and time subsequent to the second deliverable; and

obtaining the first agreement ID based on the deliverable specified.

40. The computer implemented method of managing agreements to form a supply chain as recited in claim 35, wherein the step of formulating the second request includes specifying a folder and a second deliverable;

and

wherein the step of linking includes;

specifying the first deliverable in the second request based on the deliverables of a list of customers included in the specified folder; and

obtaining the first agreement ID based on the deliverable specified.

41. The computer implemented method of managing agreements to form a supply chain as recited in claim 35,

wherein the step of formulating the second request includes specifying a folder, a second deliverable and a date and time for the second deliverable;

and

wherein the step of linking includes;

specifying the first deliverable in the second request based on the deliverables of a list of customers included in the specified folder with a due date and time subsequent to the second deliverable; and

obtaining the first agreement ID based on the deliverable specified.