Construction payment management system and method with automatic workflow management features
First Claim
1. A method of managing a construction payment process by a construction project management computer server connected to a plurality of participant devices, the method comprising the acts of:
- storing a plurality of notification workflows including a first notification workflow, wherein each notification workflow defines a sequence of automatic electronic notifications that are transmitted from a construction project management computer server to one or more participant devices in response to one or more predetermined events;
electronically receiving information related to a construction project from a first participant device associated with a first participant;
accessing one of the plurality of stored notification workflows based on the information received from the first participant device;
identifying, based on the accessed notification workflow, a second participant associated with the construction project to receive a first notification;
accessing notification preference information for the second participant, wherein the notification preference information identifies a second participant device;
automatically electronically transmitting the first notification to the second participant device based on the accessed notification workflow and the notification preference information, wherein the first notification includes a textual description of the information received from the first participant device, a textual description of an action to be performed by the second participant as a next step in the accessed notification workflow, and a selectable link to an electronic form;
electronically receiving a response related to the first notification from the second participant through the electronic form displayed on the second participant device, the response including content related to the first notification;
automatically validating the content of the response; and
automatically electronically transmitting a second notification to a third participant device based on the accessed notification workflow in response to the response received from the second participant device,wherein, according to the first notification workflow of the plurality of stored notification workflows,the act of receiving information related to a construction project from a first participant device includes receiving a date for a draw in which one or more payments will be distributed,the act of automatically electronically transmitting the first notification includes transmitting a notification to the second participant device, the notification identifying the date for the draw and requesting an invoice amount from the second participant for work performed in the construction project by the second participant,the act of electronically receiving a response related to the first notification includes receiving an invoice amount from the second participant through the electronic form displayed on the second participant device,the act of automatically validating the content of the response includes comparing the invoice amount to a stored budget for the construction project, andthe act of automatically transmitting a second notification includes transmitting a notification confirming that the invoice amount has been submitted by the second participant,wherein the first notification workflow further includes initiating a payment to the second participant for the invoice amount on the date of the draw.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for managing a construction payment process. One method embodying the invention can include storing a plurality of workflows to control automatic electronic notification sequences of the construction payment process, electronically receiving information related to a construction project from a first participant, automatically electronically transmitting a first notification to a second participant in the construction project based on the information received from the first participant, electronically requesting a response from the second participant related to the first notification, electronically receiving a response from the second participant related to the first notification, automatically validating the response, and automatically electronically transmitting a second notification to a third participant included in the construction project based on the response received from the second participant.
134 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of managing a construction payment process by a construction project management computer server connected to a plurality of participant devices, the method comprising the acts of:
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storing a plurality of notification workflows including a first notification workflow, wherein each notification workflow defines a sequence of automatic electronic notifications that are transmitted from a construction project management computer server to one or more participant devices in response to one or more predetermined events; electronically receiving information related to a construction project from a first participant device associated with a first participant; accessing one of the plurality of stored notification workflows based on the information received from the first participant device; identifying, based on the accessed notification workflow, a second participant associated with the construction project to receive a first notification; accessing notification preference information for the second participant, wherein the notification preference information identifies a second participant device; automatically electronically transmitting the first notification to the second participant device based on the accessed notification workflow and the notification preference information, wherein the first notification includes a textual description of the information received from the first participant device, a textual description of an action to be performed by the second participant as a next step in the accessed notification workflow, and a selectable link to an electronic form; electronically receiving a response related to the first notification from the second participant through the electronic form displayed on the second participant device, the response including content related to the first notification; automatically validating the content of the response; and automatically electronically transmitting a second notification to a third participant device based on the accessed notification workflow in response to the response received from the second participant device, wherein, according to the first notification workflow of the plurality of stored notification workflows, the act of receiving information related to a construction project from a first participant device includes receiving a date for a draw in which one or more payments will be distributed, the act of automatically electronically transmitting the first notification includes transmitting a notification to the second participant device, the notification identifying the date for the draw and requesting an invoice amount from the second participant for work performed in the construction project by the second participant, the act of electronically receiving a response related to the first notification includes receiving an invoice amount from the second participant through the electronic form displayed on the second participant device, the act of automatically validating the content of the response includes comparing the invoice amount to a stored budget for the construction project, and the act of automatically transmitting a second notification includes transmitting a notification confirming that the invoice amount has been submitted by the second participant, wherein the first notification workflow further includes initiating a payment to the second participant for the invoice amount on the date of the draw. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 34)
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17. A construction payment management system comprising:
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a construction project management computer server in electronic communication with a plurality of participant devices; and a computer-readable memory storing a plurality of notification workflows, including a first notification workflow, and notification preference information for each of a plurality of participants associated with a construction project, wherein each notification workflow defines a sequence of automatic electronic notifications that are transmitted from the construction project management computer to one or more of the plurality of participant devices in response to one or more predetermined events, wherein the notification preference information identifies a participant device associated with each of the plurality of participants to receive notifications according to the plurality of notification workflows, and wherein, according to the first notification workflow, the construction project management computer server receives, from a first participant through a first participant device, a date for a draw in which one or more payments will be distributed, automatically electronically transmits a first notification to a second participant device associated with a second participant, the first notification including the date for the draw, a request for an invoice amount for work performed by the second participant for the construction project, and a selectable link to an electronic form, electronically receives a response related to the first notification from the second participant through the electronic form displayed on the second participant device, the response including the invoice amount, automatically compares the invoice amount to a stored budget for the construction project, automatically electronically transmits a second notification to a third participant device in response to the response received from the second participant device, wherein the second notification confirms that the invoice amount has been submitted by the second participant, and initiates a payment to the second participant for the invoice amount on the date of the draw. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35)
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Specification