System for processing a purchase request for goods or services

US8229814B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Carl S. Baumann · Vestal, US
• Michael Randy May · Johnson City, US
• John I. Munson · Binghamton, US
• William Montgomery Sjostrom · Rome, US
• Sherry L. Wilson · Conklin, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 5, 2011
• Grant date: Jul 24, 2012
• Expiry date: Aug 5, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/0613
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An invoice processing system includes a requisition and catalog server (referred to as a Req/Cat Web, or RCW, server), a procurement services system (SAP), and a requester terminal (browser). ReqCat Web allows requesters to input requirements (requisitions) which ReqCat then passes to SAP, which creates purchase orders, sends them to vendors for fulfillment, receives the vendors invoices, and prepares the payments. Commodities may be designated as either receivable or non-receivable, and this designation is stored in ReqCat web and passed to SAP on inbound requisitions. Payments on invoices received for non-receivable items are approved via a positive confirmation process, and payments on invoices received for receivable items are approved via a negative confirmation process. Positive acceptance of an invoice by a requester of commodities triggers automatic generation of a goods received (move) ticket.