Transaction allocation

• US 7,856,383 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Solberg, Eric L., Avital, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert; Ella
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson; John A
• Application Number:
  US10/691,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,617 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Systems and methods of allocating transactions among business objects are described. Allocation is accomplished using a multi-phase process. In a first phase, allocation of the transactions among a set of business objects is attempted. In a subsequent phase, allocation of transactions that were either unallocated, under-allocated, or over-allocated in the first phase is determined. The second phase includes using a set of allocation rules to identify business objects configured to manually determine allocation of the unallocated, under-allocated, or over-allocated transactions. The invention is applicable to a variety of business objects including people, organizations, accounts, tasks, or the like.

Claims

1. A transaction filtering system for allocating transactions among a plurality of business objects, the system comprising:

storage configured to store generated allocation rules and to store transaction data associated with a plurality of transactions, each generated allocation rule being associated with at least one of the plurality of business objects, each generated allocation rule being generated by combining a first predefined rule of a node of a hierarchical data structure with a second predefined rule inherited from a parent node, the first predefined rule characterizing a member of the at least one of the plurality of business objects;

a query engine configured to query the transaction data using the generated allocation rules; and

an allocation manager configured to make one or more attempts to allocate a member of the plurality of transactions among the plurality of business objects, wherein each generated allocation rule determines if a business object is entitled to an allocation from a particular transaction.

2. The transaction filtering system of claim 1, wherein a member of the plurality of transactions is a sale and the query engine is configured to determine commission allocation.

3. The transaction filtering system of claim 1, wherein a member of the plurality of transactions is a purchase and the query engine is configured to determine cost allocation.

4. The transaction filtering system of claim 1, wherein a member of the plurality of transactions is unallocated after a first attempt at allocation.

5. The transaction filtering system of claim 1, wherein a member of the plurality of transactions is under-allocated after a first attempt at allocation.

6. The transaction filtering system of claim 1, wherein a member of the plurality of transactions is over-allocated after a first attempt at allocation.

7. The transaction filtering system of claim 1, wherein a second attempt at allocating the member of the plurality of transactions includes identifying a business object configured to manually determine the allocation.

8. A computing system for hierarchical transaction filtering, the computing system comprising:

storage configured to store a hierarchical data structure, a first generated allocation rule associated with a first business object, a second generated allocation rule associated with a second business object, and transaction data;

an allocation manager configured to track allocations of transactions represented by the transaction data and track whether the business objects are entitled to an allocation from a particular transaction; and

a query engine configured to execute a first query on the transaction data using the first generated allocation rule and, responsive to the first query, to execute a second query on the transaction data using the second generated allocation rule, wherein the first generated allocation rule includes a predefined rule inherited from a parent node.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the hierarchical data structure is configured to represent relationships between business objects in a sales organization.

10. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the first generated allocation rule is produced by traversing the hierarchical data structure.

11. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the second query is configured to identify a business object having a management role with respect to a node of the hierarchical data structure.

12. The computing system of claim 8, further including a transaction source configured to generate the transaction data.

13. A computer program product embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium for allocating transactions among a plurality of business objects, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

store generated allocation rules and transaction data associated with a plurality of transactions, each generated allocation rule being associated with at least one of the plurality of business objects, each generated allocation rule being generated by combining a first predefined rule of a node of a hierarchical data structure with a second predefined rule inherited from a parent node, the first predefined rule characterizing a member of the at least one of the plurality of business objects;

query the transaction data using the generated allocation rules; and

make at least one attempt to allocate a member of the plurality of transactions among the plurality of business objects,

wherein each generated allocation rule determines if a business object is entitled to an allocation from a particular transaction.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein a member of the plurality of transactions is a sale and the query step includes determining commission allocation.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein a member of the plurality of transactions is a purchase and the query is configured to determine cost allocation.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein a member of the plurality of transactions is unallocated after a first attempt at allocation.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein a member of the plurality of transactions is under-allocated after a first attempt at allocation.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein a member of the plurality of transactions is over-allocated after a first attempt at allocation.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein a second attempt at allocating the member of the plurality of transactions includes identifying a business object configured to manually determine the allocation.

20. A computer program product embedded in a computer readable medium for hierarchical transaction filtering, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

store a hierarchical data structure, a first generated allocation rule associated with a first business object, a second generated allocation rule associated with a second business object, and transaction data;

track allocations of transactions represented by the transaction data and track whether the business objects are entitled to an allocation from a particular transaction; and

execute a first query on the transaction data using the first generated allocation rule and, responsive to the first query, execute a second query on the transaction data using the second generated allocation rule,

wherein the first generated allocation rule includes a predefined rule inherited from a parent node.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the hierarchical data structure is configured to represent relationships between business objects in a sales organization.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the first generated allocation rule is produced by traversing the hierarchical data structure.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the second query is configured to identify a business object having a management role with respect to a node of the hierarchical data structure.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, further including a transaction source configured to generate the transaction data.