Computer program product for purchase order processing

• US 7,962,377 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Welter, Markus, Grendel, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVINE, ADAM L
• Application Number:
  US11/047,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,325 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/37, 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/26.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals

Abstract

A method of processing a purchase order is disclosed. The method includes receiving an electronic purchase order in a current one of a plurality of order periods for a designated delivery period, accessing a budget allocation corresponding to said delivery period, and providing an acceptance or a rejection of the electronic purchase order based at least partially on a budget portion of the current order period. The budget allocation includes a budget portion corresponding to each of the plurality of order periods.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage media having stored therein a set of instructions that when executed by a computer system cause the computer system to perform a method of processing a purchase order, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic purchase order from an inventory management system in a current order period of a plurality of order periods, the plurality of order periods corresponding to a delivery period;

allocating a delivery period budget for the delivery period;

allocating a plurality of bucket budgets that combined equal the delivery period budget, each bucket budget corresponding to an order period in the plurality of order periods; and

evaluating the electronic purchase order based at least partially on a bucket budget in the plurality of bucket budgets corresponding to the current order period.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the step of evaluating the electronic purchase order includes:

calculating a cost of the electronic purchase order; and

determining whether the cost is greater than or less than a sum of the bucket budget of the current order period and any remaining budget from prior order periods of the plurality of order periods.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the instructions further implement providing an acceptance when the step of determining determines the cost of the electronic purchase order is less than the sum of the bucket budget of the current order period and any remaining budget from prior order periods of the plurality of order periods.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the instructions further implement providing a rejection when the step of determining determines the cost of the electronic purchase order is greater than the sum of the bucket budget of the current order period and any remaining budget from prior order periods of the plurality of order periods.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 4, wherein the step of providing a rejection includes providing one or more options to a user.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the options include an option to cancel the electronic purchase order.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the options include an option to modify said electronic purchase order to maximize a size of said purchase order while reducing the cost of the electronic purchase order below said sum.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the options include an option to modify the electronic purchase order to minimize a size of the purchase order while ensuring a desired delivery schedule.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 5, wherein the options include an option to modify said delivery period budget allocation.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the option to modify the budget allocation includes modifying the bucket budget allocation to accommodate the electronic purchase order.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the option to modify the budget allocation includes modifying the bucket budget allocation to ensure a desired delivery schedule.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 11, further comprising an option to modify the electronic purchase order.

13. A program product embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media for purchase order processing, comprising machine-readable program code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following method steps

receiving an electronic purchase order in a current one of a plurality of order periods for a product category, the plurality of order periods corresponding to a delivery period;

allocating a delivery period budget for the delivery period, the delivery period budget corresponding to the product category;

allocating a plurality of bucket budgets that combined equal the delivery period budget, each bucket budget corresponding to an order period in the plurality of order periods; and

evaluating the electronic purchase order based at least partially on a bucket budget in the plurality of bucket budgets corresponding to the current order period.

14. The program product of claim 13, wherein the step of evaluating the electronic purchase order includes:

calculating a cost of the electronic purchase order; and

determining whether the cost is greater than or less than a sum of the bucket budget of the current order period and any remaining budget from prior order periods of the plurality of order periods.

15. The program product of claim 14, wherein machine-readable program code further causes one or more machines to perform a step of providing an acceptance when the step of determining determines the cost of the electronic purchase order is less than the sum of the bucket budget of the current order period and any remaining budget from prior order periods of the plurality of order periods.

16. The program product of claim 14, wherein machine-readable program code further causes one or more machines to perform a step of providing a rejection when the step of determining determines the cost of the electronic purchase order is greater than the sum of the bucket budget of the current order period and any remaining budget from prior order periods of the plurality of order periods.

17. The program product of claim 16, when the step of determining determines the cost is greater than the sum, the step of providing a rejection includes providing one or more options to a user.

18. The program product of claim 17, wherein the options include an option to cancel the electronic purchase order.

19. The program product of claim 17, wherein the options include an option to modify the electronic purchase order to maximize a size of the purchase order while reducing the cost of the purchase order below the sum.

20. The program product of claim 17, wherein the options include an option to modify the electronic purchase order to minimize a size of the purchase order while ensuring a desired delivery schedule.

21. The program product of claim 17, wherein the options include an option to modify the delivery period budget allocation.

22. The program product of claim 21, wherein the option to modify the budget allocation includes modifying the bucket budget allocation to accommodate the electronic purchase order.

23. The program product of claim 21, wherein the option to modify the budget allocation includes modifying the bucket budget allocation to ensure a desired delivery schedule.

24. The program product of claim 23, further comprising an option to modify the electronic purchase order.