Timecard processing in a procurement management system

• US 7,729,962 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Prakash, Shailesh, Viswanath, Sridatta, Shuder, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Worjloh; Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US09/953,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,182 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50, 705/1, 705 32- 34
• US Class Current: 705/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

The present invention provides timecard processing in a procurement management system. A service provider creates and submits an on-line timecard, the timecard is approved by an approver, and the billing information is forwarded to a payment processing function. An embodiment comprises the steps of: providing a user interface for entry, modification and approval of timecard data; reading a timecard projects table to add data to the timecard data; comparing the received timecard data to the timecard projects table to determine if the received timecard data is valid: reading a contractor profile table to add data to the timecard data; reading timecard business rules; applying the timecard business rules, reading an approval matrix; notifying at least one approver to the existence of the received timecard data; computing billing amounts; accepting changes to the timecard data; receiving approval for payment of the billing amounts; and transmitting payment data.

Claims

1. In a computing system, a method of processing timecards in a procurement system, comprising:

A) providing a first user interface for entry of timecard data, and receiving timecard data entered via the first user interface;

B) computing billing amounts using said entered timecard data;

C) providing a second user interface displaying data, said displayed data comprising said timecard data and said billing amounts;

D) accepting changes to said displayed data;

E) receiving approval for payment of said billing amounts; and

F) transmitting said approved billing amounts to a payment processing function;

wherein said first user interface and said second user interface are a single user interface, wherein said single user interface behaves as said first interface and said second user interface depending on who logs into said single user interface;

wherein A-F are performed by an electronic procurement management system configured to provide for the electronic procurement of goods, wherein said approval for payment is provided through a same approval process of the electronic procurement management system that is used for approving purchase requisitions for goods.

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said entered timecard data comprises:

i) a labor provider identifier corresponding to a labor provider;

ii) one or more project identifiers; and

iii) for each said project identifier, one or more quantities of labor.

3. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said displayed data further comprises:

i) a labor provider identifier corresponding to a labor provider;

ii) one or more project identifiers; and

iii) for each said project identifier, one or more quantities of labor;

iv) one or more accounting codes; and

v) one or more billing rates.

4. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

G) reading a timecard projects table; and

H) comparing said entered timecard data to said timecard projects table to determine if said entered timecard data is valid.

5. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

I) reading a contractor profile table to add data to said timecard data, said contractor profile table comprising;

i) employer; and

ii) billing rates.

6. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

J) reading timecard business rules; and

K) determining whether said timecard data conforms to said timecard business rules.

7. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

L) reading an approval matrix, said approval matrix comprising a list of approvers, each said approver having an indication of which of said projects said each approver can approve; and

M) notifying at least one said approver to existence of said entered timecard data.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, that when executed on a computer implement:

A) providing a first user interface for entry of timecard data, and receiving timecard data entered via the first user interface;

B) reading a contractor profile table to add data to said timecard data, said contractor profile table comprising;

i) employer; and

ii) billing rates;

C) computing billing amounts using said entered timecard data;

D) providing a second user interface displaying data, said displayed data comprising said timecard data and said billing amounts;

E) accepting changes to said displayed data;

F) receiving approval for payment of said billing amounts; and

G) transmitting said approved billing amounts to a payment processing function;

wherein A-G are performed by an electronic procurement management system configured to provide for the electronic procurement of goods, wherein said approval for payment is provided through a same approval process of the electronic procurement management system that is used for approving purchase requisitions for goods.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

i) a labor provider identifier corresponding to a labor provider;

ii) one or more project identifiers; and

iii) for each said project identifier, one or more quantities of labor.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

i) a labor provider identifier corresponding to a labor provider;

ii) one or more project identifiers; and

iii) for each said project identifier, one or more quantities of labor;

iv) one or more accounting codes; and

v) one or more billing rates.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

wherein said first user interface and said second user interface are a single user interface, wherein said single user interface behaves as said first interface and said second user interface depending on who logs into said single user interface.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

H) reading a timecard projects table; and

I) comparing said entered timecard data to said timecard projects table to determine if said entered timecard data is valid.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

J) reading timecard business rules; and

K) determining whether said timecard data conforms to said timecard business rules.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

L) reading an approval matrix, said approval matrix comprising a list of approvers, each said approver having an indication of which of said projects said each approver can approve; and

M) notifying at least one said approver to existence of said entered timecard data.

15. In a computing system, a method of processing timecards in a procurement system comprising:

A) providing a first user interface for entry of timecard data, said timecard data comprising;

i) labor provider identifier corresponding to a labor provider;

ii) one or more project identifiers; and

iii) for each said project identifier, one or more quantities of labor;

B) receiving said timecard data;

C) reading a timecard projects table, said timecard projects table comprising;

i) one or more project identifiers each corresponding to a project; and

ii) types of labor that can be applied to each of said projects;

D) comparing said received timecard data to said timecard projects table to determine if said received timecard data is valid;

E) computing billing amounts using said billing rates and said quantities of labor;

F) providing a second user interface displaying data comprising;

i) said labor provider identifier;

ii) said one or more project identifiers;

iii) said one or more quantities of labor;

iv) one or more accounting codes;

v) one or more billing rates, said billing rates not viewable by said labor provider; and

vi) said computed billing amounts;

G) accepting changes to said displayed data;

H) receiving approval for payment of said billing amounts from said approver; and

I) transmitting payment data, said payment data comprising said billing amounts;

wherein A-I are performed by an electronic procurement management system configured to provide for the electronic procurement of goods, wherein said approval for payment is provided through a same approval process of the electronic procurement management system that is used for approving purchase requisitions for goods.

16. A method as described in claim 15, further comprising:

J) reading timecard business rules, said timecard business rules table comprising;

i) availability of said processing of timecards to said user; and

ii) type of approval process; and

K) applying said timecard business rules to determine if said timecard data conforms to said timecard business rules.

17. A method as described in claim 15, further comprising:

L) reading an approval matrix, said approval matrix comprising a list of approvers, each said approver having an indication of which of said projects said each approver can approve; and

M) notifying at least one said approver to existence of said received timecard data.

18. An electronic procurement management system, comprising:

an approval processing mechanism configured to process approval of purchase requisitions for goods and to process approval of timecards, wherein to process approval of timecards comprises reading an approval matrix, said approval matrix comprising a list of approvers, each said approver having an indication of which projects said each approver can approve, and notifying at least one said approver to existence of said timecards; and

a payment processing mechanism configured to process payment for purchase orders corresponding to approved ones of said purchase requisitions and to process payment for approved ones of said timecards.

19. The electronic procurement management system as recited in claim 18, further comprising a tracking process for tracking status of said purchase requisitions and said purchase orders, wherein the same tracking process is also configured for tracking status of said timecards.