Leveraging procurement across companies and company groups

• US 8,990,120 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cirulli, Susan B., Evans, Robert M., Robinson, Gerald R., Wilson, Sherry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ravetti, Dante
• Application Number:
  US14/149,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/21, 705/59, 705/71, 380/44, 380/262, 380/278, 380/279
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A method and system for providing procurement services to customer companies. A user profile for each user, in a computer database, specifies: (i) each user is authorized by a first customer company of the customer companies to access procurement resources and the procurement services for purchasing items and (ii) the first customer company and a first company group of related customer companies. Access to volume discounts with respect to vendors is provided to all customer companies in the first company group. Companies are authorized to have access to and share each procurement resource, by providing a resource profile specifying for each procurement resource a set of customer companies authorized for accessing and sharing each procurement resource to be shared among the users. Access to the procurement resources is controlled resources based on: the first company group, the first customer company, and the resource profile for each procurement resource.

Claims

1. A method for providing procurement resources and procurement services to a plurality of customer companies, said customer companies being organized in a plurality of customer company groups, said method comprising:

associating, by a computer, a first customer company of the plurality of customer companies with a first company group of related customer companies of the plurality of customer companies, wherein the first company group comprises the first customer company;

authorizing, by the computer, a set of customer companies of the plurality of customer companies (i) access to procurement resources and (ii) sharing each procurement resource to be shared among a plurality of users;

creating, by the computer, a user profile for each user of a plurality of users, each user profile specifying (i) that each user is authorized by the first customer company to access procurement services and the procurement resources and (ii) the first customer company and the first company group of related customer companies;

inserting, by the computer in a computer database, the created user profile for each user;

providing, by the computer, access to volume discounts with respect to a plurality of vendors, to all customer companies in the first company group;

specifying, by the computer, the volume discounts in shared contracts for purchase of items from the vendors by said all customer companies in the first company group, wherein the volume discounts specified in the shared contracts are based on volume specific terms in the shared contracts;

providing, by the computer, a resource profile specifying for each procurement resource, the set of customer companies of the plurality of customer companies authorized for accessing and sharing each procurement resource to be shared among the plurality of users; and

controlling, by the computer, access to the procurement resources based on;

the first customer company, the first company group in the user profile for each user, and the resource profile for each procurement resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein all customer companies in the first company group are commonly owned by a same owner.

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

receiving, by the computer, a request from a first user in the first company group to enter a first requisition for purchase of a first volume of a line item from a vendor of the plurality of vendors with respect to a leveraged contract specifying a volume discount, for purchase of the line item, based on volume specific terms in the leveraged contract;

receiving, by the computer, a request from a second user in a second company group of related customer companies of the plurality of customer companies to enter a second requisition for purchase of a second volume of the line item from the vendor with respect to the leveraged contract; and

determining, by the computer, that the first and second volumes of the line item collectively satisfy the volume specific terms in the leveraged contract, and in response, said computer providing to the vendor a first and second purchase order for purchase of the line item in accordance with the first and second requisition, respectively, wherein the first and second purchase orders each include the volume discount specified in the leveraged contract.

4. The method of claim 3, said method further comprising:

receiving, by the computer, a charge for the purchase of the first volume of the line item to an account of another user in the first company group.

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

providing, by the computer, said procurement resources in a front-end catalog and requisition server;

receiving, by the computer, a user request from a first user in the first company group at a first client browser to log in to said front-end catalog and requisition server;

providing, by the computer, a user interface at said first client browser for the first user to access only procurement resources, for purchasing items, authorized by said user profile for each user of the plurality of users and said resource profile for each procurement resource for purchasing items.

6. The method of claim 5, said method further comprising:

receiving, by said front-end catalog and requisition server from a procurement services system, inputs of electronic data comprising a requisition status, a purchase order (PO) status, cost centers, currency exchange rates, general ledger (G/L) accounts, PO history invoices, and PO history receipts;

sending, by said front-end catalog and requisition server to the procurement services system, outputs of electronic data comprising requisitions and positive confirmation responses;

receiving, by said front-end catalog and requisition server from the first client browser, inputs of electronic data comprising a submit requisition;

sending, by said front-end catalog and requisition server to the first client browser, outputs of electronic data comprising notice and response data;

receiving, by said front-end catalog and requisition server, additional inputs of electronic data comprising vendor catalogs from vendors of the plurality of vendors, postal code validation data, human resource extract data, and approve/reject data with respect to customer approve.

7. The method of claim 5, said method further comprising:

including, by the computer, accounting general ledger codes with company group specific accounting rules and defaults in said procurement resources.

8. A system for providing a procurement resources and procurement services to a plurality of customer companies, said customer companies being organized in a plurality of customer company groups, said system comprising:

a computer;

a computer readable hardware storage device comprising program code which, upon being executed by the computer, provides a procurement resource and procurement services to a plurality of customer companies, said customer companies being organized in a plurality of customer company groups, comprising the steps of;

associating a first customer company of the plurality of customer companies with a first company group of related customer companies of the plurality of customer companies, wherein the first company group comprises the first customer company;

authorizing a set of customer companies of the plurality of customer companies (i) access to procurement resources and (ii) sharing each procurement resource to be shared among a plurality of users;

creating a user profile for each user of a plurality of users, each user profile specifying (i) that each user is authorized by the first customer company to access procurement services and the procurement resources and (ii) the first customer company and the first company group of related customer companies;

inserting, in a computer database, the created user profile for each user;

providing access to volume discounts with respect to a plurality of vendors, to all customer companies in the first company group;

specifying the volume discounts in shared contracts for purchase of items from the vendors by said all customer companies in the first company group, wherein the volume discounts specified in the shared contracts are based on volume specific terms in the shared contracts;

providing a resource profile specifying for each procurement resource, the set of customer companies of the plurality of customer companies authorized for accessing and sharing each procurement resource to be shared among the plurality of users; and

controlling access to the procurement resources based on;

the first customer company, the first company group in the user profile for each user, and the resource profile for each procurement resource.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein all customer companies in the first company group are commonly owned by a same owner.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a first user in the first company group to enter a first requisition for purchase of a first volume of a line item from a vendor of the plurality of vendors with respect to a leveraged contract specifying a volume discount, for purchase of the line item, based on volume specific terms in the leveraged contract;

receiving a request from a second user in a second company group of related customer companies of the plurality of customer companies to enter a second requisition for purchase of a second volume of the line item from the vendor with respect to the leveraged contract; and

determining that the first and second volumes of the line item collectively satisfy the volume specific terms in the leveraged contract, and in response, said computer providing to the vendor a first and second purchase order for purchase of the line item in accordance with the first and second requisition, respectively, wherein the first and second purchase orders each include the volume discount specified in the leveraged contract.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

receiving a charge for the purchase of the first volume of the line item to an account of another user in the first company group.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

providing said procurement resources in a front-end catalog and requisition server;

receiving a user request from a first user in the first company group at a first client browser to log in to said front-end catalog and requisition server;

providing a user interface at said first client browser for the first user to access only procurement resources, for purchasing items, authorized by said user profile for each user of the plurality of users and said resource profile for each procurement resource for purchasing items.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by said front-end catalog and requisition server from a procurement services system, inputs of electronic data comprising a requisition status, a purchase order (PO) status, cost centers, currency exchange rates, general ledger (G/L) accounts, PO history invoices, and PO history receipts;

sending, by said front-end catalog and requisition server to the procurement services system, outputs of electronic data comprising requisitions and positive confirmation responses;

receiving, by said front-end catalog and requisition server from the first client browser, inputs of electronic data comprising a submit requisition;

sending, by said front-end catalog and requisition server to the first client browser, outputs of electronic data comprising notice and response data;

receiving, by said front-end catalog and requisition server, additional inputs of electronic data comprising vendor catalogs from vendors of the plurality of vendors, postal code validation data, human resource extract data, and approve/reject data with respect to customer approve.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

including accounting general ledger codes with company group specific accounting rules and defaults in said procurement resources.

15. A computer readable hardware storage device comprising program code which, upon being executed by a computer, provides a procurement resources and procurement services to a plurality of customer companies, said customer companies being organized in a plurality of customer company groups, comprising the steps of:

associating a first customer company of the plurality of customer companies with a first company group of related customer companies of the plurality of customer companies, wherein the first company group comprises the first customer company;

authorizing a set of customer companies of the plurality of customer companies (i) access to procurement resources and (ii) sharing each procurement resource to be shared among a plurality of users;

creating a user profile for each user of a plurality of users, each user profile specifying (i) that each user is authorized by the first customer company to access procurement services and the procurement resources and (ii) the first customer company and the first company group of related customer companies;

inserting, in a computer database, the created user profile for each user;

providing access to volume discounts with respect to a plurality of vendors, to all customer companies in the first company group;

specifying the volume discounts in shared contracts for purchase of items from the vendors by said all customer companies in the first company group, wherein the volume discounts specified in the shared contracts are based on volume specific terms in the shared contracts;

providing a resource profile specifying for each procurement resource, the set of customer companies of the plurality of customer companies authorized for accessing and sharing each procurement resource to be shared among the plurality of users; and

controlling access to the procurement resources based on;

the first customer company, the first company group in the user profile for each user, and the resource profile for each procurement resource.

16. The computer readable hardware storage device of claim 15, wherein all customer companies in the first company group are commonly owned by a same owner.

17. The computer readable hardware storage device of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, a request from a first user in the first company group to enter a first requisition for purchase of a first volume of a line item from a vendor of the plurality of vendors with respect to a leveraged contract specifying a volume discount, for purchase of the line item, based on volume specific terms in the leveraged contract;

receiving a request from a second user in a second company group of related customer companies of the plurality of customer companies to enter a second requisition for purchase of a second volume of the line item from the vendor with respect to the leveraged contract; and

determining that the first and second volumes of the line item collectively satisfy the volume specific terms in the leveraged contract, and in response, said computer providing to the vendor a first and second purchase order for purchase of the line item in accordance with the first and second requisition, respectively, wherein the first and second purchase orders each include the volume discount specified in the leveraged contract.

18. The computer readable hardware storage device of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

receiving a charge for the purchase of the first volume of the line item to an account of another user in the first company group.

19. The computer readable hardware storage device of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

providing said procurement resources in a front-end catalog and requisition server;

receiving a user request from a first user in the first company group at a first client browser to log in to said front-end catalog and requisition server;

providing, by the computer, a user interface at said first client browser for the first user to access only procurement resources, for purchasing items, authorized by said user profile for each user of the plurality of users and said resource profile for each procurement resource for purchasing items.

20. The computer readable hardware storage device of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by said front-end catalog and requisition server from a procurement services system, inputs of electronic data comprising a requisition status, a purchase order (PO) status, cost centers, currency exchange rates, general ledger (G/L) accounts, PO history invoices, and PO history receipts;

sending, by said front-end catalog and requisition server to the procurement services system, outputs of electronic data comprising requisitions and positive confirmation responses;

receiving, by said front-end catalog and requisition server from the first client browser, inputs of electronic data comprising a submit requisition;

sending, by said front-end catalog and requisition server to the first client browser, outputs of electronic data comprising notice and response data;

receiving, by said front-end catalog and requisition server, additional inputs of electronic data comprising vendor catalogs from vendors of the plurality of vendors, postal code validation data, human resource extract data, and approve/reject data with respect to customer approve.