Managing consistent interfaces for financial business objects across heterogeneous systems

• US 8,571,961 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Scheerer, Dieter, Comes, Jochen, Lotz, Marcus, Doenig, Susanne, Hissler, Christian, Dvorak, Dalibor, El Rhazi, Abdelmorhit, Bur, Joerg, Rauh, Barbara, Moghaddam, Masoumeh
• Primary Examiner(s): AMELUNXEN, BARBARA J
• Application Number:
  US11/864,832
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/3, 705/4, 705/7.27, 705/16, 705/31, 705/32, 705/34, 705/36.R, 705/37, 709/204, 715/733
• US Class Current: 705/36.R
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. Specifically, example business objects include FundsManagementFund and Merchandise Category Hierarchy.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enabling an employee to request the creation of a funds management fund, the method steps performed by a processor and comprising:

generating a first message by a first application, the first application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, wherein the first message comprises a request for the creation of a funds management fund and includes a first message package hierarchically organized in memory as;

a funds management fund message entity; and

a funds management fund package, wherein the funds management fund package includes a funds management fund entity;

processing a second message received from a heterogeneous second application in response to the second application'"'"'s processing of the first message according to the hierarchical organization of the first message package, the second application executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, wherein the second message is a confirmation concerning the request for the creation of the funds management fund and includes a second message package hierarchically organized in memory as;

a funds management fund message entity; and

a log package comprising a log entity;

generating a third message by the first application, wherein the third message comprises a request to change a funds management fund and includes a third message package hierarchically organized in memory as;

a funds management fund message entity; and

a funds management fund package, where the funds management fund package includes a funds management fund entity, and further wherein the funds management fund entity comprises at least one of a funds management area ID, an ID, a name, a description, a type code, a system administrative data, a balance carry forward indicator, an authorization group code, and a validity period;

processing a fourth message received from the second application in response to the second application'"'"'s processing of the third message according to the hierarchical organization of the third message package, wherein the fourth message comprises a confirmation concerning the request to change the funds management fund and includes a fourth message package hierarchically organized in memory as;

a funds management fund message entity; and

a log package comprising a log entity;

generating a fifth message by the first application, wherein the fifth message comprises an inquiry to accounting to list all fund identifiers that satisfy the selection criteria specified by the elements of the inquiry and includes a fifth message package hierarchically organized in memory as;

a funds management fund by simple selection by elements query message entity; and

a selection package comprising a funds management fund simple selection by elements entity, where the funds management fund simple selection by elements entity includes a funds management area ID;

processing a sixth message received from the second application in response to the second application'"'"'s processing of the fifth message according to the fifth message'"'"'s hierarchical organization, wherein the sixth message comprises a response concerning the inquiry to accounting to list all fund identifiers that satisfy the selection criteria specified by the elements of the inquiry and includes a sixth message package hierarchically organized in memory as;

a funds management fund message entity; and

a funds management fund package comprising a funds management fund entity;

generating a seventh message by the first application, wherein the seventh message comprises an inquiry to accounting for a funds management fund by ID and includes a message package hierarchically organized in memory as;

a funds management fund by ID query message entity; and

a selection package comprising a funds management fund selection by ID entity, where the funds management fund selection by ID entity includes a funds management area ID and a funds management fund ID; and

processing an eighth message received from the second application in response to the second application'"'"'s processing of the seventh message according to the seventh message'"'"'s hierarchical organization, wherein the eighth message comprises a response concerning the inquiry to accounting for the funds management fund by ID and includes an eighth message package hierarchically organized in memory as;

a funds management fund message entity; and

a funds management fund package, where the funds management fund package includes a funds management fund entity.

2. A computer-implemented method for grouping products having common attributes from a consumer perspective, the method steps performed by a processor and comprising:

generating a first message by a first application, the first application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, wherein the first message comprises an inquiry for identifying elements of merchandise categories and includes a message package hierarchically organized in memory as;

a merchandise category simple by ID and description query message entity; and

a selection package comprising a merchandise category by ID and description entity; and

processing a second message received from a heterogeneous second application in response to the second application'"'"'s processing of the first message according to hierarchical organization of the first message package, the second application executing in the environment of computer systems providing message-based services, wherein the second message comprises a response to the inquiry for identifying elements of merchandise categories and includes a second message package hierarchically organized as;

a merchandise category simple by ID and description response message entity; and

a merchandise category simple by ID and description package comprising a merchandise category package, where the merchandise category package includes a merchandise category entity, where the merchandise category entity further includes an ID and at least one description.