System and method for automating invoice processing with positive confirmation

• US 8,027,892 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edison Vault, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baumann, Carl Steven, Munson, John Irving, Wilson, Sherry Lee, Sjostrom, William Montgomery, May, Michael Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): MILEF, ELDA G
• Application Number:
  US09/819,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,835 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/35, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted

Abstract

An invoice processing system includes a requisition and catalog server (referred to as a Req/Cat Web, or RCW, server), a procurement services system (SAP), and a requester terminal (browser). ReqCat Web allows requesters to input requirements (requisitions) which ReqCat then passes to SAP, which creates purchase orders, sends them to vendors for fulfillment, receives the vendors invoices, and prepares the payments. Commodities may be designated as either receivable or non-receivable, and this designation is stored in ReqCat web and passed to SAP on inbound requisitions. Payments on invoices received for non-receivable items are approved via a positive confirmation process, and payments on invoices received for receivable items are approved via a negative confirmation process. Positive acceptance of an invoice by a requester of commodities triggers automatic generation of a goods received (move) ticket.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating a goods receipt for approving and paying an invoice for commodities triggered by a three way match whereby said invoice must match terms and conditions of a purchase order, and goods received must match those stated in quality and quantity against said purchase order, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a front end server from a requestor, a purchase request for goods, said goods having a designation denoting that the goods are receivable which requires a positive confirmation from the requestor to provide authorization to pay for the goods, said designation being stored in the front end server, an invoice processing system comprising the front end server, an application server and a back end server, said back end server coupled to the front end server via the application server, said front end server comprising a positive confirmation application and a database, said application server comprising a positive confirmation bridge;

sending, by the front end server to the back end server, a requisition comprising requirements relating to the received purchase request and including the designation;

generating, by the back end server in response to receiving the requisition sent by the front end server, said purchase order based on the requisition;

said back end server transmitting or delivering the purchase order to a vendor that can provide the requested goods;

after said transmitting or delivering the purchase order to the vendor, said application server receiving an invoice from the vendor, said invoice referencing the purchase order and requesting payment for the goods;

after said application server receiving the invoice from the vendor, said positive confirmation bridge marking the invoice to indicate that said positive confirmation is required;

after said positive confirmation bridge marking the invoice, said back end server receiving the invoice from the application server;

responsive to said back end server receiving the invoice from the positive confirmation bridge, said back end server communicating transaction information pertaining to the invoice to the front end server;

after said communicating transaction information, said positive confirmation application providing notice to the requestor that the invoice has been received and that the invoice includes the required positive confirmation;

after said providing notice to the requestor, said front end server receiving a response from the requestor for authorizing or rejecting payment for the goods;

if the received response is for authorizing payment, then creating an automated receipt transaction file including a goods receipt and entering said transaction file into an enterprise resource planning system for payment; and

if the received response is for rejecting payment, then creating an e-mail notification to an accounts payable system for returning said invoice to said vendor.

2. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

after said front end server receiving the response, said front end server recording the response in the database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received response is for authorizing payment for the goods.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the application server further comprises a requisition bridge, wherein the method further comprises:

after said receiving the response, said application server notifying the back end server via the requisition bridge that payment for the goods has been authorized.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received response is for rejecting payment for the goods.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the notice directs the requestor to a location where the positive confirmation can be performed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application server further comprises a confirmation interface to the database, wherein the confirmation interface is configured to be executed by the positive confirmation application, and wherein the method further comprises after said providing notice and before said receiving the response:

providing the confirmation interface to the requester to enable the requestor to both enter an identifier of the invoice and obtain access to data comprised by the invoice.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said receiving the response is performed via the confirmation interface.

9. A computer implemented method for processing a purchase request for goods or services, said method comprising:

receiving, by a front end server from a requestor, the purchase request for goods or services, said goods or services having a designation denoting that the goods or services are receivable which requires a positive confirmation from the requestor to provide authorization to pay for the goods and services, said designation being stored in the front end server, an invoice processing system comprising the front end server, an application server and a back end server, said back end server coupled to the front end server via the application server, said front end server comprising a positive confirmation application and a database, said application server comprising a positive confirmation bridge;

sending, by the front end server to the back end server, a requisition comprising requirements relating to the received purchase request and including the designation;

generating, by the back end server in response to receiving the requisition sent by the front end server, a purchase order based on the requisition;

said back end server transmitting or delivering the purchase order to a vendor that can provide the requested goods or services;

after said transmitting or delivering the purchase order to the vendor, said application server receiving an invoice from the vendor, said invoice referencing the purchase order and requesting payment for the goods or services;

after said application server receiving the invoice from the vendor, said positive confirmation bridge marking the invoice to indicate that said positive confirmation is required;

after said positive confirmation bridge marking the invoice, said back end server receiving the invoice from the application server;

responsive to said back end server receiving the invoice from the positive confirmation bridge, said back end server communicating transaction information pertaining to the invoice to the front end server;

after said communicating transaction information, said positive confirmation application providing notice to the requestor that the invoice has been received and that the invoice includes the required positive confirmation, said notice directing the requestor to a location where the positive confirmation can be performed;

after said providing notice to the requestor, said front end server receiving a response from the requestor for authorizing or rejecting payment for the goods or services; and

after said front end server receiving the response, said front end server recording the response in the database.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the received response is for authorizing payment for the goods.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the application server further comprises a requisition bridge, wherein the method further comprises:

after said receiving the response, said application server notifying the back end server via the requisition bridge that payment for the goods has been authorized.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the received response is for rejecting payment for the goods.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the notice directs the requestor to a location where the positive confirmation can be performed.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the application server further comprises a confirmation interface to the database, wherein the confirmation interface is configured to be executed by the positive confirmation application, and wherein the method further comprises after said providing notice and before said receiving the response:

providing the confirmation interface to the requester to enable the requestor to both enter an identifier of the invoice and obtain access to data comprised by the invoice.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said receiving the response is performed via the confirmation interface.