Vendor/client information system architecture
First Claim
1. A method, in a computing system including a processor and memory, for creating a relationship between a client and a vendor within a client/vendor data store, the client/vendor data store being stored in the memory and containing vendor records for a plurality of vendors, the method comprising:
- retrieving a list of vendors for which the client/vendor data store contains vendor records wherein each vendor provides professional services to clients of the vendor;
in order to create a relationship between a distinguished client and a first vendor for which the client/vendor data store contains a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the first vendor in the client/vendor data store has not previously been created;
receiving a selection, by a client user of the distinguished client, of the first vendor in the retrieved list, andadding to a client record for the distinguished client a reference to the vendor record for the first vendor, wherein the vendor record for the first vendor includes vendor information already present in the computing system, and wherein the adding of the reference to the vendor record for the first vendor is performed by the processor;
in order to create a relationship between the distinguished client and a second vendor for which the client/vendor data store does not contain a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the second vendor has not previously been created;
receiving information from the client user of the distinguished client identifying the second vendor,creating in the client/vendor data store a vendor record for the second vendor that contains the received information, wherein the creating of the vendor record for the second vendor is performed by the processor, andadding to the client record for the distinguished client a reference to the created vendor record for the second vendor, wherein the adding of the reference to the created vendor record for the second vendor is performed by the processor; and
in response to creating a relationship between the distinguished client and any vendor,providing to one or more users of the vendor with which the relationship was created the ability to submit invoices to the distinguished client in connection with the vendor'"'"'s ongoing provision of professional services to the distinguished client by the vendor for a project.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A data network storing data relating to work done by vendors for clients is described. The network includes two or more servers, each server containing (1) an exhaustive vendor data base that contains client-independent vendor data for every vendor, and (2) one or more individual client databases, each containing client information for a single client. The exhaustive vendor data base is replicated between the servers, and the client information for each client is contained by one individual client data base on one server.
69 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A method, in a computing system including a processor and memory, for creating a relationship between a client and a vendor within a client/vendor data store, the client/vendor data store being stored in the memory and containing vendor records for a plurality of vendors, the method comprising:
-
retrieving a list of vendors for which the client/vendor data store contains vendor records wherein each vendor provides professional services to clients of the vendor; in order to create a relationship between a distinguished client and a first vendor for which the client/vendor data store contains a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the first vendor in the client/vendor data store has not previously been created; receiving a selection, by a client user of the distinguished client, of the first vendor in the retrieved list, and adding to a client record for the distinguished client a reference to the vendor record for the first vendor, wherein the vendor record for the first vendor includes vendor information already present in the computing system, and wherein the adding of the reference to the vendor record for the first vendor is performed by the processor; in order to create a relationship between the distinguished client and a second vendor for which the client/vendor data store does not contain a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the second vendor has not previously been created; receiving information from the client user of the distinguished client identifying the second vendor, creating in the client/vendor data store a vendor record for the second vendor that contains the received information, wherein the creating of the vendor record for the second vendor is performed by the processor, and adding to the client record for the distinguished client a reference to the created vendor record for the second vendor, wherein the adding of the reference to the created vendor record for the second vendor is performed by the processor; and in response to creating a relationship between the distinguished client and any vendor, providing to one or more users of the vendor with which the relationship was created the ability to submit invoices to the distinguished client in connection with the vendor'"'"'s ongoing provision of professional services to the distinguished client by the vendor for a project. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12)
-
-
11. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to perform operations for creating a relationship between a client and a vendor within a client/vendor data store, the client/vendor data store containing vendor records for a plurality of vendors, the operations comprising:
-
retrieving list of vendors for which the client/vendor data store contains vendor records; in order to create a relationship between a distinguished client and a first vendor for which the client/vendor data store contains a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the first vendor in the client/vendor data store has not previously been created; receiving a selection, by a client user of the distinguished client, of the first vendor in the retrieved list, and adding to a client record for the distinguished client a reference to the vendor record for the first vendor, wherein the vendor record for the first vendor includes vendor information already present in the computing system; in order to create a relationship between the distinguished client and a second vendor for which the client/vendor data store does not contain a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the second vendor has not previously been created; receiving information from the client user of the distinguished client identifying the second vendor, creating in the client/vendor data store a vendor record for the second vendor that contains the received information, and adding to the client record for the distinguished client a reference to the created vendor record for the second vendor; and in response to creating a relationship between the distinguished client and any vendor, providing to one or more users of the vendor with which the relationship was created the ability to submit invoices to the distinguished client in connection with the vendor'"'"'s provision of services to the distinguished client for a project. - View Dependent Claims (13)
-
-
14. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to perform operations for creating relationships clients and vendors within a client/vendor data store, the operations comprising:
-
creating a first relationship between a first client and a first vendor for which the client/vendor data store does not contain a vendor record at least in part by; receiving, from a first client user of the first client, information identifying the first vendor, creating in the client/vendor data store a vendor record for the first vendor, the created vendor record including the received information, and adding to a first client record for the first client a reference to the created vendor record; creating a second relationship between a second client and the first vendor, wherein the second relationship between the second client and the first vendor has not previously been created in the client/vendor data store, at least in part by; generating a list of vendors for which the client/vendor data store includes vendor records, the list including at least a portion of the received information identifying the first vendor, receiving, from a second client user of the second client, a selection of the of the first vendor in the generated list, and adding to a second client record for the second client a reference to the vendor record for the first vendor, wherein the vendor record for the first vendor includes the information received from the first client user of the first client; in response to creating the first relationship between the first client and the first vendor, providing, to one or more users of the first vendor, the ability to submit invoices to the first client in connection with the vendor'"'"'s provision of services to the first client for a first project; and in response to creating the second relationship between the second client and the first vendor, providing, to one or more users of the first vendor, the ability to submit invoices to the second client in connection with the vendor'"'"'s provision of services to the second client for a second project.
-
-
15. A system comprising:
-
a component configured to create, in a client/vendor data store, a vendor record for a first vendor for which the client/vendor data store does not contain a vendor record, the created vendor record including information, received from a first client user of a first client, identifying the first vendor; a component configured to add to a first client record for the first client a reference to the created vendor record to create a first relationship between the first client and the first vendor; a component configured to generate a list of vendors for which the client/vendor data store includes vendor records, the generated list including at least a portion of the received information identifying the first vendor; a component configured to receive, from a second client user of a second client, a selection of the of the first vendor in the generated list; a component configured to add to a second client record for the second client a reference to the vendor record for the first vendor to create a second relationship between the second client and the first vendor, wherein the second relationship between the second client and the first vendor has not previously been created in the client/vendor data store and wherein the vendor record for the first vendor includes the information received from the first client user of the first client; a component configured to, in response to the creation of the first relationship between the first client and the first vendor, provide, to one or more vendor users of the first vendor, the ability to submit invoices to the first client in connection with the vendor'"'"'s provision of services to the first client for a first project; and a component configured to, in response to the creation of the second relationship between the second client and the first vendor, provide, to one or more vendor users of the first vendor, the ability to submit invoices to the second client in connection with the vendor'"'"'s provision of services to the second client for a second project.
-
Specification