System and method for purchase order creation, procurement, and controlling

• US 8,046,273 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Welter, Markus, Freitag, Andreas, Abo-Hasna, Ziad, Wittmer, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): MISIASZEK, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/075,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20050203813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,422 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 30/0633 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 computer-implemented system for managing purchasing orders for a plurality of items to be purchased is shown. The system includes a computer implemented purchase order management interface, the purchase order management interface configured to display data associated with a plurality of purchase orders, a purchase order generation application configured to allow a user to generate a new purchase order or modify an existing purchase order, a purchase order procurement application configured to allow a user to obtain financing for purchase order that has failed a budget check, and an event-driven purchase order controlling application configured to allow a user to review existing purchase orders for event-driven information related to the purchase order.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for managing a purchasing order for an item to be purchased, the system comprising:

a plurality of applications stored in computer-readable media and one or more processors that execute the applications, the applications including

a purchase order management interface application, the purchase order management interface configured to display data associated with the purchase order;

a purchase order generation application configured to generate a purchase order list for a store, the purchase order list includes the item, the purchase order generation application configured to generate the purchase order for the store based on the purchase order list, the purchase order list being based on event-driven information including a stock transfer order, a return order, an open allocation table, a returns allocation table, transfer data, and a planned turnover, the purchase order list being further based on a minimum product value for the store, a maximum product value for the store, a minimum variance for the product value, and a maximum variance for the product value, the purchase order generation application configured to allow a user to modify an existing purchase order;

a purchase order procurement application, the purchase order procurement application configured to compare a cost of the purchase order to a budget, the purchase order procurement application configured to determine that the cost of the purchase order exceeds the budget, the purchase order procurement application configured to transmit a request for an approval signal based on the cost of the purchase order exceeding the budget, the purchase order procurement application configured to receive the approval signal, and the purchase order procurement application configured to transmit the purchase order based on the approval signal, the purchase order procurement application configured to transfer the item to a procurement document based on the purchase order being transmitted and to transmit a confirmation based on the purchase order being transmitted, the purchase order procurement application being further configured to remove the item from the purchase order list based on the confirmation; and

an event-driven purchase order controlling application configured to allow the user to review existing purchase orders for the event-driven information related to the purchase order;

wherein the approval signal comprises instructions for approving the purchase order when the cost of the purchase order exceeds the budget.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein modification of any information associated with the purchase order in the purchase order management interface causes a correlating change in the data associated with the purchase order in each application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the purchase order management interface is configured to display purchase order information sorted according to different types of purchasing data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the purchase order information is configured to be sorted using a graphical user interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each application may be actuated using the purchase order management interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each application is automatically provided with input data for that application when actuated from the purchase order management interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the purchase order is a purchase order for retail sales articles.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the purchase order includes planned purchasing quantities for selected planning levels.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each planned purchasing quantity in the purchasing list is specific to a store delivery date and assortment.

10. The system of claim 9, further including multiplying each planned purchasing quantity in the purchasing list by a number of stores in the assortment to obtain a corresponding total purchasing quantity for an assortment purchase order list.

11. A computer-implemented system for managing a purchasing order for an item to be purchased, the system comprising:

a plurality of applications stored in computer-readable media and one or more processors that execute the applications, the applications including

a purchase order management interface means for displaying data associated with the purchase order;

a purchase order generation means for generating a purchase order list for a store, the purchase order list includes the item, the purchase order generation means generating the purchase order for the store based on the purchase order list, the purchase order list being based on event-driven information including a stock transfer order, a return order, an open allocation table, a returns allocation table, transfer data, and a planned turnover, the purchase order list being further based on a minimum product value for the store, a maximum product value for the store, a minimum variance for the product value, and a maximum variance for the product value, the purchase order generation means allowing a user to modify an existing purchase order;

a purchase order procurement means for comparing a cost of a purchase order to a budget, the purchase order procurement means configured to determine that the cost of the purchase order exceeds the budget, the purchase order procurement means configured to transmit a request for an approval signal based on the cost of the purchase order exceeding the budget, the purchase order procurement means configured to receive the approval signal, and the purchase order procurement means configured to transmit the purchase order based on the approval signal, the purchase order procurement means configured to transfer the item to a procurement document based on the purchase order being transmitted and transmitting a confirmation based on the purchase order being transmitted, the purchase order procurement means configured to remove the item from the purchase order list based on the confirmation; and

an event-driven purchase order controlling means for allowing the user to review existing purchase orders for the event-driven information related to the purchase order;

wherein the approval signal comprises instructions for approving the purchase order when the cost of the purchase order exceeds the budget.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the displayed data includes at least one of an item identifier, a quantity, a price, an order date, a delivery date, and a delivery location.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein modification of any information associated with a purchase order in the purchase order management interface means causes a correlating change in the data associated with the purchase order in each of the purchase order generation means, the purchase order procurement means, and the event-driven purchase order controlling means.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the purchase order management interface means is configured to display purchase order information sorted according to different types of purchasing data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the purchase order information is configured to be sorted using a graphical user interface.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the purchase order generation means, the purchase order procurement means, and the event-driven purchase order controlling means may be actuated using the purchase order management interface means.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the purchase order generation means, the purchase order procurement means, and the event-driven purchase order controlling means is automatically provided with input data when actuated from the purchase order management interface means.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the purchase order is a purchase order for retail sales articles.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the purchase order includes planned purchasing quantities for selected planning levels.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each planned purchasing quantity in the purchasing list is specific to a store delivery date and assortment.