Method and apparatus for creating and exposing order status within a supply chain having disparate systems
First Claim
1. A method for exposing transaction status in a supply chain having disparate systems, comprising:
- a trading partner exchange electronically receiving an order notification corresponding to an order created by a first trading partner system, said received order notification being associated with a first trading partner system identifier, said created order defining a transaction between a customer and a first trading partner;
responsive to receiving the order notification, the trading partner exchange automatically assigning a unique transaction identifier to the transaction;
the trading partner exchange electronically receiving at least one activity notification of an activity performed by at least a second trading partner system, the at least one activity notification describing an action of a second trading partner corresponding to the transaction and being associated with a second trading partner system identifier, wherein said first trading partner system and said at least second trading partner system are disparate systems that jointly define a transaction processing chain;
responsive to receiving the activity notification, the trading partner exchange automatically associating said unique transaction identifier to said second trading partner system identifier;
the trading partner exchange linking said unique transaction identifier to said order notification and said at least one activity notification and, wherein cross referencing the first and second trading partner system identifiers using the unique transaction identifier provides a status of the transaction at a point in the transaction processing chain;
the trading partner exchange electronically reporting status of the transaction via an integrated access interface;
providing the first, the second, or another trading partner access to transaction analysis information electronically generated by the trading partner exchange based upon said unique transaction identifier, said order notification, and said at least one activity notification;
providing access to transaction tracking information to a customer who initiated the order while denying the customer access to the transaction analysis information, said transaction tracking information electronically generated by the trading partner exchange based upon said unique transaction identifier, said order notification, and said at least one activity notification;
formatting at least one of said transaction analysis information and said transaction tracking information in response to selecting one of a plurality of communication channels for conveying information, said formatting corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of communication channels selected.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention describes a method and system for creating and exposing order status within a supply chain of trading partners having disparate systems. A trading partner exchange (TPE) interfaces with each of the disparate systems and gathers information pertaining to a particular transaction. The information can be made available to an access platform through an access platform interface. Initially, a transaction is reported to the TPE where it is assigned a unique identifier. Subsequent activities pertaining to the transaction which are reported to the TPE by the trading partners can be linked to the unique identifier. By using the access platform, a customer or any trading partner can acquire the status of a particular order from the TPE.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for exposing transaction status in a supply chain having disparate systems, comprising:
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a trading partner exchange electronically receiving an order notification corresponding to an order created by a first trading partner system, said received order notification being associated with a first trading partner system identifier, said created order defining a transaction between a customer and a first trading partner; responsive to receiving the order notification, the trading partner exchange automatically assigning a unique transaction identifier to the transaction; the trading partner exchange electronically receiving at least one activity notification of an activity performed by at least a second trading partner system, the at least one activity notification describing an action of a second trading partner corresponding to the transaction and being associated with a second trading partner system identifier, wherein said first trading partner system and said at least second trading partner system are disparate systems that jointly define a transaction processing chain; responsive to receiving the activity notification, the trading partner exchange automatically associating said unique transaction identifier to said second trading partner system identifier; the trading partner exchange linking said unique transaction identifier to said order notification and said at least one activity notification and, wherein cross referencing the first and second trading partner system identifiers using the unique transaction identifier provides a status of the transaction at a point in the transaction processing chain; the trading partner exchange electronically reporting status of the transaction via an integrated access interface; providing the first, the second, or another trading partner access to transaction analysis information electronically generated by the trading partner exchange based upon said unique transaction identifier, said order notification, and said at least one activity notification; providing access to transaction tracking information to a customer who initiated the order while denying the customer access to the transaction analysis information, said transaction tracking information electronically generated by the trading partner exchange based upon said unique transaction identifier, said order notification, and said at least one activity notification; formatting at least one of said transaction analysis information and said transaction tracking information in response to selecting one of a plurality of communication channels for conveying information, said formatting corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of communication channels selected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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4. A method for exposing order status in a supply chain having disparate systems, comprising:
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receiving at a central exchange, an order notification for an initiated transaction from one of a plurality of trading partners in a transaction processing chain having disparate systems and assigning a unique identifier for said initiated transaction, wherein an identifier associated with said order notification is linked with said unique identifier; receiving at a central exchange, an activity notification associated with said initiated transaction from at least another of said plurality of trading partners and linking an identifier associated with said activity notification to said unique identifier, wherein cross referencing said identifier associated with said order notification and said identifier associated with said activity notification using the unique transaction identifier provides a status of the transaction at a point in the transaction processing chain; and responsive to a request for status information, providing said requested status information to a requester based on said linked identifier and said unique identifier via an access platform, said requested information formatted for a selected channel, wherein the central exchange has an integrated access interface communicatively linked to the access platform, the access platform having a plurality of layers though which access to the central exchange is provided, said layers including an access layer, a display layer, and an analytical layer, wherein the access layer provides access through a plurality of different communication channels, and wherein the display layer provides different views for different types of trading partners; and
wherein the analytical layer provides reports, wherein trading partners using disparate computing systems are able to access reports of the analytical layer through views of the display layer via communication channels of the access layer;wherein, if said requester is a trading partner, providing said requested status information comprises providing transaction analysis information electronically generated by said central exchange based upon said unique transaction identifier, said order notification, and said at least one activity notification; wherein, if said requester is a customer who initiated the transaction, providing said requested status information comprises providing access to transaction tracking information to said requester while also denying the customer access to the transaction analysis information, said transaction tracking information electronically generated by said central exchange based upon said unique transaction identifier, said order notification, and said at least one activity notification. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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Specification