Method and system for purchase order data entry

• US 7,983,962 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Freitag, Andreas, Haase, Michael, Wittmer, Holger, Biwer, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): MISIASZEK, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/074,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,325 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method of entering purchase order data includes receiving first data associated with an item. The first data comprises data entered by a user using a graphical user interface associated with a computerized purchasing system for at least one of products and services. The method also includes transferring the first data to a purchase order list in response to a single user input command facilitated by the graphical user interface, and displaying the first data and second data associated with the item as a purchase order list line item in the purchase order list using the graphical user interface in response to the single user input command. The second data includes at least one of data stored in the computerized purchasing system and data generated by the computerized purchasing system based on the first data.

Claims

1. A method of entering purchase order data, comprising:

determining one or more predetermined lists of items satisfying a selection criteria entered by the user using a graphical user interface associated with a computerized purchasing system;

displaying hierarchically the one or more predetermined lists of items;

receiving a selection by the user of a first predetermined list of items from the one or more predetermined lists of items;

displaying one or more items associated with the first predetermined list of items including a set of data for each item previously entered into the computerized purchasing system;

receiving first data associated with an item selected by the user from the first predetermined list of items, wherein the first data comprises data entered by a user using the graphical user interface associated with the computerized purchasing system;

transferring the first data to a purchase order list in response to a single user input command facilitated by the graphical user interface; and

displaying the first data as a purchase order list line item in the purchase order list in response to the single user input command;

determining whether a material, a material description, and a UPC code are available for the item based on the first data;

displaying the material in the purchase order list line item based on a material availability, the material previously entered into the purchasing system;

determining a material description display decision which is that a material description should be displayed;

displaying the material description in the purchase order list line item based on the material description display decision, the material description previously entered into the purchasing system;

displaying the UPC code in the purchase order list line item based on a UPC code availability, the UPC code previously entered into the purchasing system;

generating a net order price for the item based on the first data;

displaying the net order price for the item;

wherein a processor is configured to display the purchase order list line item in at least one of a first position ahead of a previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list, a second position below the previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list, a third position ahead of and to the left of the previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list, and a fourth position ahead of and to the right of the previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a first screen area configured to facilitate receiving the first data, and a second screen area configured to facilitate displaying the first data and data relating to a vendor, a delivery date, and a purchase order date;

and

wherein the first screen area comprises data entry fields and a cursor configured to allow the user to navigate among the data entry fields in order to enter the first data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising returning the cursor to a predetermined first one of the data entry fields in response to the single user input command.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the first data comprises receiving data entered by a user using the graphical user interface and one of a keyboard and a mouse;

and

wherein transferring the first data to the purchase order list in response to the single user input command comprises transferring the first data in response to receiving the single user input command from the one of the keyboard and the mouse.

5. A purchasing system, comprising:

means for determining one or more predetermined lists of items satisfying a selection criteria entered by the user using a graphical user interface associated with a computerized purchasing system;

means for displaying hierarchically the one or more predetermined lists of items;

means for receiving a selection by the user of a first predetermined list of items from the one or more predetermined lists of items;

means for displaying one or more items associated with the first predetermined list of items including a set of data for each item previously entered into the computerized purchasing system;

means for receiving first data associated with an item selected by the user from the first predetermined list of items, wherein the first data comprises data entered by a user using the graphical user interface associated with the computerized purchasing system;

means for transferring the first data to a purchase order list in response to a single user input command facilitated by the graphical user interface; and

means for displaying the first data as a purchase order list line item in the purchase order list in response to the single user input command;

means for determining whether a material, a material description, and a UPC code are available for the item based on the first data;

means for displaying the material based on a material availability;

means for determining a material description display decision which is that a material description should be displayed;

means for displaying the material description in the purchase order list line item based on the material description display decision, the material description previously entered into the purchasing system;

means for displaying the UPC code in the purchase order list line item based on a UPC code availability, the UPC code previously entered into the purchasing system;

means for generating a net order price for the item based on the first data;

means for displaying the net order price for the item;

wherein a processor is configured to display the purchase order list line item in at least one of a first position ahead of a previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list, a second position below the previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list, a third position ahead of and to the left of the previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list, and a fourth position ahead of and to the right of the previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a first screen area configured to facilitate receiving the first data, and a second screen area configured to facilitate displaying the first data and data relating to a vendor, a delivery date, and a purchase order date;

and

wherein the first screen area comprises data entry fields and a cursor configured to allow the user to navigate among the data entry fields in order to enter the first data.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising means for returning the cursor to a predetermined first one of the data entry fields in response to the single user input command.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the means for receiving the first data is configured to receive data entered by a user using the graphical user interface and one of a keyboard and a mouse;

and

wherein the means for transferring the first data to the purchase order list in response to the single user input command is configured to transfer the first data in response to receiving the single user input command from the one of the keyboard and the mouse.

9. A program product for facilitating purchase order data entry, the program product comprising machine-readable program code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following method steps:

determining one or more predetermined lists of items satisfying a selection criteria entered by the user using a graphical user interface associated with a computerized purchasing system;

displaying hierarchically the one or more predetermined lists of items;

receiving a selection by the user of a first predetermined list of items from the one or more predetermined lists of items;

displaying one or more items associated with the first predetermined list of items including a set of data for each item previously entered into the computerized purchasing system;

receiving first data associated with an item selected by the user from the first predetermined list of items, wherein the first data comprises data entered by a user using the graphical user interface associated with the computerized purchasing system;

transferring the first data to a purchase order list in response to a single user input command facilitated by the graphical user interface; and

displaying the first data as a purchase order list line item in the purchase order list in response to the single user input command;

determining whether a material, a material description, and a UPC code are available for the item based on the first data;

displaying the material in the purchase order list line item based on a material availability, the material previously entered into the purchasing system;

determining a material description display decision which is that a material description should be displayed;

displaying the material description in the purchase order list line item based on the material description display decision, the material description previously entered into the purchasing system;

displaying the UPC code in the purchase order list line item based on a UPC code availability, the UPC code previously entered into the purchasing system;

generating a net order price for the item based on the first data;

displaying the net order price for the item;

wherein a processor is configured to display the purchase order list line item in at least one of a first position ahead of a previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list, a second position below the previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list, a third position ahead of and to the left of the previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list, and a fourth position ahead of and to the right of the previously transferred purchase order list line item in the purchase order list.

10. The program product of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a first screen area configured to facilitate receiving the first data, and a second screen area configured to facilitate displaying the first data and data relating to a vendor, a delivery date, and a purchase order date;

and

wherein the first screen area comprises data entry fields and a cursor configured to allow the user to navigate among the data entry fields in order to enter the first data.

11. The program product of claim 10, wherein the machine-readable program code is further configured to cause, when executed, the one or more machines to perform the following method step:

returning the cursor to a predetermined first one of the data entry fields in response to the single user input command.

12. The program product of claim 10, wherein receiving the first data comprises receiving data entered by a user using the graphical user interface and one of a keyboard and a mouse;

and

wherein transferring the first data to the purchase order list in response to the single user input command comprises transferring the first data in response to receiving the single user input command from the one of the keyboard and the mouse.