Method and apparatus for determining commission

Abstract

The invention provides for a method and apparatus for determining the commission to be paid to a sales representative or sales team. Whenever a sale occurs, a Transaction describing the sale is created and inputted into the Commission system of one embodiment of the invention. Based on a set of Allocation Rules that specify the credit an individual is to receive from a Transaction, the Transactions are converted into several Allocations for individual Sales Representatives or Sales Teams. One or more Quotas specify a target or goal that must be reached to earn commission for each Sales Team. A Quota State indicates the current performance of a Sales Representative with respect to a particular Quota wihtin a particular time frame. The Quotas are used to convert the Allocations/Transactions into Quota Details that specify how to increment or decrement the Quota State. A Promotion specifies the reward or commission that is received upon attaining a desired level of performance. Once a Quota State reaches a level necessary to receive a Commission or reward as set by a specific Promotion, a ledger item indicating the amount to be paid to particular Sales Team is created. A user interface may be used to create Allocation Rules, Quotas, and Promotions that are awarded for performance over a specified time period. In this manner, a business may set up incentive plans and determine commissions easily and accurately.

1 . A method for determining commission using a computer system comprising: 
 obtaining one or more transactions;    obtaining one or more quotas that specify one or more levels;    obtaining one or more promotions that specify a reward for one or more of said levels;    calculating a performance of a recipient based on said transactions;    determining if said recipient's performance qualifies for said promotion; and    determining compensation for said recipient using said promotion if said recipient's performance qualifies.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said obtaining one or more transactions step comprises inputting one or more transactions into said computer system.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein one of said quotas further specifies: 
 a time period;  
 a set of one or more eligibility rules; and  
 a performance measure.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said performance measure provides the ability to quantify said transaction.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein one or more of said eligibility rules determines whether one of said transactions applies to said quota.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said time period determines whether one of said transactions applies to said quota.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said reward comprises a mathematical formula.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of calculating a performance comprises: 
 obtaining one or more allocations for said transactions; and  
 adding an eligible allocation to a performance total.  
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said adding an eligible allocation step comprises: 
 obtaining a change in performance based on said allocation; and  
 adding said change in performance to a performance total.  
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  implemented in an object oriented environment.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising defining a property that may be used in said calculating step or determining steps.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said calculating performance step is executed using parallel processing on one or more of said computer systems.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said parallel processing comprises: 
 accumulating one or more packages containing details regarding said recipient's performance using multiple processors;  
 unpacking said packages into objects containing said details;  
 saving said objects containing details; and  
 aggregating said saved objects into one or more tables.  
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said obtaining an allocation step comprises processing an allocation rule that is based on one or more properties of a business.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising displaying a report of said recipient's performance.  
     
     
         16 . A system comprising 
 a processor;    a memory coupled to said processor;    object code executed by said processor for providing at least one method for determining a commission;    said object code comprising: 
 a method obtaining one or more transactions;  
 a method obtaining one or more quotas that specify one or more levels;  
 a method obtaining one or more promotions that specify a reward for one or more of said levels;  
 a method calculating a performance of a recipient based on said transactions;  
 a method determining if said recipient's performance qualifies for said promotion; and  
 a method determining compensation for said recipient using said promotion if said recipient's performance qualifies.  
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein said method obtaining one or more transactions comprises object code comprising a method for inputting one or more transactions into said system.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein one of said quotas further specifies: 
 a time period;  
 a set of one or more eligibility rules; and  
 a performance measure.  
 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein said performance measure provides the ability to quantify said transaction.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18  wherein one or more of said eligibility rules determines whether one of said transactions applies to said quota.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18  wherein said time period determines whether one of said transactions applies to said quota.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 16  wherein said reward comprises a mathematical formula.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16  wherein said method calculating a performance comprises object code comprising: 
 a method obtaining one or more allocations for said transactions; and  
 a method adding an eligible allocation to a performance total.  
 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein said object code for adding an eligible allocation comprises: 
 a method obtaining a change in performance based on said allocation; and  
 a method adding said change in performance to a performance total.  
 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 16  further comprising object code for defining a property that may be used in said calculating method or determining method.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 16  wherein said method calculating performance is executed using parallel processing on one or more of said systems.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein said parallel processing comprises object code comprising: 
 a method accumulating one or more packages containing details regarding said recipient's performance using multiple processors;  
 a method unpacking said packages into objects containing said details;  
 a method saving said objects containing details; and  
 a method aggregating said saved objects into one or more tables.  
 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23  wherein said method obtaining an allocation comprises object code processing an allocation rule that is based on one or more properties of a business.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 16  further comprising object code displaying a report of said recipient's performance.  
     
     
         30 . A computer program product comprising: 
 a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for determining a commission, said computer program product comprising:    computer readable code configured to cause a computer to obtain one or more transactions;    computer readable code configured to cause a computer to obtain one or more quotas that specify one or more levels;    computer readable code configured to cause a computer to obtain one or more promotions that specify a reward for one or more of said levels;    computer readable code configured to cause a computer to calculate a performance of a recipient based on said transactions;    computer readable code configured to cause a computer to determine if said recipient's performance qualifies for said promotion; and    computer readable code configured to cause a computer to determine compensation for said recipient using said promotion if said recipient's performance qualifies.    
     
     
         31 . The computer program product of  claim 30  wherein said computer code configured to cause a computer to obtain one or more transactions comprises computer readable code configured to cause a computer to input one or more transactions into said system.  
     
     
         32 . The computer program product of  claim 30  wherein one of said quotas further specifies: 
 a time period;  
 a set of one or more eligibility rules; and  
 a performance measure.  
 
     
     
         33 . The computer program product of  claim 32  wherein said performance measure provides the ability to quantify said transaction.  
     
     
         34 . The computer program product of  claim 32  wherein one or more of said eligibility rules determines whether one of said transactions applies to said quota.  
     
     
         35 . The computer program product of  claim 32  wherein said time period determines whether one of said transactions applies to said quota.  
     
     
         36 . The computer program product of  claim 30  wherein said reward comprises a mathematical formula.  
     
     
         37 . The computer program product of  claim 30  wherein said computer code configured to cause a computer to calculate a performance comprises: 
 computer readable code configured to cause a computer to obtain one or more allocations for said transactions; and  
 computer readable code configured to cause a computer to add an eligible allocation to a performance total.  
 
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 37  wherein said computer code configured to cause a computer to add an eligible allocation comprises: 
 computer readable code configured to cause a computer to obtain a change in performance based on said allocation; and  
 computer readable code configured to cause a computer to add said change in performance to a performance total.  
 
     
     
         39 . The computer program product of  claim 30  implemented in an object oriented environment.  
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 30  further comprising computer readable code configured to cause a computer to define a property that may be referenced by said computer readable code configured to cause a computer to calculate or computer readable code configured to cause a computer to determine.  
     
     
         41 . The computer program product of  claim 30  wherein said computer readable code configured to cause a computer to calculate performance is executed using parallel processing on one or more of said computer program products.  
     
     
         42 . The computer program product of  claim 41  wherein said parallel processing comprises: 
 computer readable code configured to cause a computer to accumulate one or more packages containing details regarding said recipient's performance using multiple processors;  
 computer readable code configured to cause a computer to unpack said packages into objects containing said details;  
 computer readable code configured to cause a computer to save said objects containing details; and  
 computer readable code configured to cause a computer to aggregate said saved objects into one or more tables.  
 
     
     
         43 . The computer program product of  claim 37  wherein said computer readable code configured to cause a computer to obtain an allocation comprises computer readable code configured to cause a computer to process an allocation rule that is based on one or more properties of a business.  
     
     
         44 . The computer program product of  claim 30  further comprising computer readable code configured to cause a computer to display a report of said recipient's performance.