Method and system for accounts payable prioritization and management

• US 8,036,987 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Eggers, Jana Beattie, Tarapata, Tara L., Grbac, Arno
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPEN, KELLY SCAGGS
• Application Number:
  US12/361,386
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/75, 705/42, 705/30, 705/39, 705/26, 705/43, 235/380, 235/379
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A system for accounts payable management whereby vendor payment priority criteria are defined and data associated with one or more vendors and/or vendor invoices is obtained along with data indicating funds available to make vendor payments. The data: indicating vendor payment priority criteria, associated with one or more vendors and/or vendor invoices, and indicating funds available to make vendor payments is then analyzed and used to automatically generate a proposed vendor payment plan. The proposed vendor payment plan is then displayed to one or more users associated as part of a user interface display and the one or more users are provided the opportunity to edit and/or approve the proposed vendor payment plan. Once the proposed and/or edited vendor payment plan is approved, one or more payments are automatically made to one or more vendors in accordance with the approved vendor payment plan.

Claims

1. A computing system implemented process for accounts payable management comprising:

using one or more processors associated with one or more computing systems to obtain data indicating a user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria, the user being associated with a business;

using one or more processors associated with one or more computing systems to obtain data associated with one or more vendors to the business;

using one or more processors associated with one or more computing systems to obtain data associated with one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

using one or more processors associated with one or more computing systems to obtain data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

using one or more processors associated with one or more computing systems to analyze the data indicating the user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria, the data associated with one or more vendors to the business, the data associated with one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business, and the data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

using one or more processors associated with one or more computing systems to generate a proposed vendor payment plan based on the analysis of the data indicating the user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria, the data associated with one or more vendors to the business, the data associated with one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business, and the data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business, the proposed vendor payment plan including one or more proposed vendor payments prioritized to be as consistent as possible with the user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria;

using one or more processors associated with one or more computing systems to display the proposed vendor payment plan to one or more users associated with the business that have approval authority on a display device associated with one or more computing systems accessible by the one or more users;

using one or more processors associated with one or more computing systems to provide one or more of the one or more users associated with the business that have approval authority the capability to edit and/or approve at least part of the proposed vendor payment plan; and

once the proposed vendor payment plan is approved by one or more specified users of the one or more users associated with the business that have approval authority, using one or more processors associated with one or more computing systems to make one or more payments to one or more vendors to the business for one or more of the one or more invoices from the one or more vendors to the business.

2. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 1, wherein;

the user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria include at least one vendor payment priority criterion selected from the group of vendor payment priority criteria consisting of;

the criterion that invoices with the earliest due dates be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that as many invoices as possible be paid from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices having early and/or on-time payment discounts be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices having late payment penalties be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices having the largest amount are paid as late as possible, and/or last, from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that all invoices be paid as late as possible from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices having the highest interest rates on account balances be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices from specified critical vendors be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices for materials and/or services considered critical to the business be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices from specified long-time or loyal vendors be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices for amounts less than a specified percentage of funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices from vendors that the business owes the most money be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business; and

the criterion that invoices from vendors that are the most overdue be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business.

3. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 1, wherein;

the data associated with one or more vendors to the business includes one or more vendor data selected from the group of vendor data consisting of;

data indicating all materials and/or services supplied to the business by a given vendor;

data indicating how long the business has used a given vendor;

data indicating the due date of all invoices associated with a given vendor;

data indicating the terms of the contract with a given vendor including any early and/or on-time payment discounts;

data indicating the terms of the contract with a given vendor including any late payment penalties;

data indicating the terms of the contract with a given vendor including any interest rates on unpaid account balances;

data indicating the total amount the business owes a given vendor for all outstanding invoices;

data indicating the vendor'"'"'s address and/or address for making payments to the vendor; and

data indicating an account associated with a given vendor where payment funds should be transferred.

4. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 1, wherein;

data associated with one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business includes one or more invoice data selected from the group of invoice data consisting of;

data indicating the vendor associated with a given invoice;

data indicating the materials and/or services associated with a given invoice;

data indicating the due date of a given invoice;

data indicating the terms of the contract associated with a given invoice including any early and/or on-time payment discounts;

data indicating the terms of the contract associated with a given invoice including any late payment penalties; and

data indicating the terms of the contract associated with a given invoice including any interest rates on unpaid balances.

5. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 1, wherein;

the data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business is obtained from a computing system implemented data management system.

6. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 1, wherein;

the proposed vendor payment plan including one or more proposed vendor payments prioritized to be as consistent as possible with the user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria includes individual proposed vendor payment listings, further wherein;

each of the individual proposed vendor payment listings includes proposed vendor payment data selected from the group of proposed vendor payment data consisting of;

data indicating a priority of the proposed payment;

data indicating an amount of the proposed payment;

data indicating a proposed payment due date;

data indicating an account through which the proposed payment is to be made;

data indicating a proposed payment method;

data indicating a vendor name associated with the proposed payment;

data indicating the one or more user vendor payment priority criteria used to establish the priority of the proposed payment; and

data indicating the approval status of the proposed payment.

7. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 1, wherein;

using one or more processors associated with one or more computing systems to display the proposed vendor payment plan to one or more users associated with the business that have approval authority comprises displaying the proposed vendor payment plan to one or more users associated with the business that have approval authority in a user interface display screen on a display device of a computing system.

8. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 7, wherein;

the user interface display screen on the display device of the computing system also includes an available funds display that shows the data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business.

9. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 7, wherein;

the user interface display screen on the display device of the computing system also includes a vendor payment criteria display showing the one or more vendor payment priority criteria used to generate the displayed proposed vendor payment plan.

10. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 7, wherein;

the user interface display screen on the display device of the computing system also includes a calendar display for the period covered by the proposed vendor payment plan, or any other period of time desired.

11. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 7, wherein;

the user interface display screen on the display device of the computing system also includes an accounts receivable display showing expected income for the period covered by the proposed vendor payment plan, or any other period of time desired.

12. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 7, wherein;

the user interface display screen on the display device of the computing system also includes;

an available funds display that shows the data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business; and

a vendor payment criteria display showing the one or more user vendor payment priority criteria used to generate the displayed proposed vendor payment plan.

13. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 1, wherein;

the one or more payments to one or more vendors to the business for one or more of the one or more invoices from the one or more vendors to the business are automatically made via paper checks generated based, at least in part, on data from computing system implemented process for accounts payable management.

14. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 1, wherein;

the one or more payments to one or more vendors to the business for one or more of the one or more invoices from the one or more vendors to the business are automatically made via electronic funds transfers based, at least in part, on data from computing system implemented process for accounts payable management.

15. The computing system implemented process for accounts payable management of claim 1, wherein;

the one or more payments to one or more vendors to the business for one or more of the one or more invoices from the one or more vendors to the business are automatically made via an automated clearing house based, at least in part, on data from computing system implemented process for accounts payable management.

16. A system for accounts payable management comprising:

a first computing system associated with a financial institution, the first computing system including data associated with a user business'"'"' available funds;

a second computing system associated with a user business, the second computing system including data associated a user business and accounts payable by the user business, the second computing system implementing at least part of a process for accounts payable management, the process for accounts payable management including;

obtaining data indicating the user business'"'"' vendor payment priority criteria from the second computing system;

obtaining data associated with one or more vendors to the business from the second computing system;

obtaining data associated with one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business from the second computing system;

obtaining data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business from the first computing system;

analyzing the data indicating the user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria, the data associated with one or more vendors to the business, the data associated with one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business, and the data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

generating a proposed vendor payment plan based on the analysis of the data indicating the user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria, the data associated with one or more vendors to the business, the data associated with one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business, and the data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business, the proposed vendor payment plan including one or more proposed vendor payments prioritized to be as consistent as possible with the user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria;

displaying the proposed vendor payment plan to one or more users associated with the business that have approval authority on a display device associated with the second computing system;

providing one or more of the one or more users associated with the business that have approval authority the capability to edit and/or approve at least part of the proposed vendor payment plan; and

once the proposed vendor payment plan is approved by one or more specified users of the one or more users associated with the business that have approval authority, making one or more payments to one or more vendors to the business for one or more of the one or more invoices from the one or more vendors to the business.

17. The system for accounts payable management of claim 16, wherein;

the user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria include at least one vendor payment priority criterion selected from the group of vendor payment priority criteria consisting of;

the criterion that invoices with the earliest due dates be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that as many invoices as possible be paid from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices having early and/or on-time payment discounts be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices having late payment penalties be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices having the largest amount are paid as late as possible, and/or last, from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that all invoices be paid as late as possible from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices having the highest interest rates on account balances be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices from specified critical vendors be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices for materials and/or services considered critical to the business be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices from specified long-time or loyal vendors be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices for amounts less than a specified percentage of funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business;

the criterion that invoices from vendors that the business owes the most money be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business; and

the criterion that invoices from vendors that are the most overdue be paid first from the funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business.

18. The system for accounts payable management of claim 16, wherein;

the data associated with one or more vendors to the business includes one or more vendor data selected from the group of vendor data consisting of;

data indicating all materials and/or services supplied to the business by a given vendor;

data indicating how long the business has used a given vendor;

data indicating the due date of all invoices associated with a given vendor;

data indicating the terms of the contract with a given vendor including any early and/or on-time payment discounts;

data indicating the terms of the contract with a given vendor including any late payment penalties;

data indicating the terms of the contract with a given vendor including any interest rates on unpaid account balances;

data indicating the total amount the business owes a given vendor for all outstanding invoices;

data indicating the vendor'"'"'s address and/or address for making payments to the vendor; and

data indicating an account associated with a given vendor where payment funds should be transferred.

19. The system for accounts payable management of claim 16, wherein;

data associated with one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business includes one or more invoice data selected from the group of invoice data consisting of;

data indicating the vendor associated with a given invoice;

data indicating the materials and/or services associated with a given invoice;

data indicating the due date of a given invoice;

data indicating the terms of the contract associated with a given invoice including any early and/or on-time payment discounts;

data indicating the terms of the contract associated with a given invoice including any late payment penalties; and

data indicating the terms of the contract associated with a given invoice including any interest rates on unpaid balances.

20. The system for accounts payable management of claim 16, wherein;

the data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business is obtained from a computing system implemented data management system.

21. The system for accounts payable management of claim 16, wherein;

the proposed vendor payment plan including one or more proposed vendor payments prioritized to be as consistent as possible with the user'"'"'s vendor payment priority criteria includes individual proposed vendor payment listings, further wherein;

each of the individual proposed vendor payment listings includes proposed vendor payment data selected from the group of proposed vendor payment data consisting of;

data indicating a priority of the proposed payment;

data indicating an amount of the proposed payment;

data indicating a proposed payment due date;

data indicating an account through which the proposed payment is to be made;

data indicating a proposed payment method;

data indicating a vendor name associated with the proposed payment;

data indicating the one or more user vendor payment priority criteria used to establish the priority of the proposed payment; and

data indicating the approval status of the proposed payment.

22. The system for accounts payable management of claim 16, wherein;

displaying the proposed vendor payment plan to one or more users associated with the business that have approval authority comprises displaying the proposed vendor payment plan to one or more users associated with the business that have approval authority in a user interface display screen on a display device of the second computing system.

23. The system for accounts payable management of claim 22, wherein;

the user interface display screen on the display device of the second computing system also includes an available funds display that shows the data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business.

24. The system for accounts payable management of claim 22, wherein;

the user interface display screen on the display device of the second computing system also includes a vendor payment criteria display showing the one or more vendor payment priority criteria used to generate the displayed proposed vendor payment plan.

25. The system for accounts payable management of claim 22, wherein;

the user interface display screen on the display device of the second computing system also includes a calendar display for the period covered by the proposed vendor payment plan, or any other period of time desired.

26. The system for accounts payable management of claim 22, wherein;

the user interface display screen on the display device of the second computing system also includes an accounts receivable display showing expected income for the period covered by the proposed vendor payment plan, or any other period of time desired.

27. The system for accounts payable management of claim 22, wherein;

the user interface display screen on the display device of the second computing system also includes;

an available funds display that shows the data indicating funds available to the business to pay at least part of the one or more invoices from one or more of the one or more vendors to the business; and

a vendor payment criteria display showing the one or more user vendor payment priority criteria used to generate the displayed proposed vendor payment plan.

28. The system for accounts payable management of claim 16, wherein;

the one or more payments to one or more vendors to the business for one or more of the one or more invoices from the one or more vendors to the business are automatically made via paper checks generated based, at least in part, on data from computing system implemented process for accounts payable management implemented, at least in part, on the second computing system.

29. The system for accounts payable management for accounts payable management of claim 16, wherein;

the one or more payments to one or more vendors to the business for one or more of the one or more invoices from the one or more vendors to the business are automatically made via electronic funds transfers based, at least in part, on data from computing system implemented process for accounts payable management.

30. The system for accounts payable management of claim 16, wherein;

the one or more payments to one or more vendors to the business for one or more of the one or more invoices from the one or more vendors to the business are automatically made via an automated clearing house based, at least in part, on data from computing system implemented process for accounts payable management.