System and method for management and verification of invoices

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include architectures and methods for automated management of invoices. Embodiments of the present invention may include techniques for receiving and unifying invoice data, retrieving information about each invoice, verifying each invoice and resolving invoice exceptions. The present invention includes software components for efficiently processing invoices. In other embodiments, the present invention includes methods of processing an invoice.

1 . An invoice management system comprising: 
 a unification software component for receiving invoice data from a plurality of different sources in a plurality of different formats and transforming the invoice data into a common format;    an invoice data repository for storing the transformed invoice data;    a context builder for automatically retrieving additional information corresponding to the invoice data;    an invoice processor for verifying each invoice according to a plurality of rules; and    an exception manager for processing each unsuccessfully verified invoice.    
     
     
         2 . The invoice management system of  claim 1  wherein the unification software component includes a transformation engine.  
     
     
         3 . The invoice management system of  claim 1  wherein the unification software component includes a plurality of receiver modules for receiving invoice data from a plurality of sources.  
     
     
         4 . The invoice management system of  claim 1  further comprising an index database.  
     
     
         5 . The invoice management system of  claim 1  wherein the exception manager controls a work flow for resolving exceptions.  
     
     
         6 . The invoice management system of  claim 1  further comprising an exception repository for storing information corresponding to exceptions.  
     
     
         7 . A method of processing invoices comprising: 
 receiving invoice data from a plurality of different sources in a plurality of different formats;    transforming the invoice data into a common format;    storing the transformed invoice data in a repository as an invoice;    automatically retrieving additional information corresponding to the invoice; and    automatically verifying the invoice using a plurality of rules,    wherein if the invoice is verified the invoice is automatically posted, and if the invoice data is not verified an electronic exception case is created.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising automatically populating the invoice with the retrieved information corresponding to the invoice data.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the repository is a temporary storage area for queuing invoice data prior to verification in the invoice processor.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the information corresponding to each invoice includes document context, organizational context or people context.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the plurality of rules are user specified rules.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising processing the exception case in accordance with one of a plurality of exception handling procedures.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein one of the exception handling procedures includes displaying invoice data corresponding to at least one invoice in an exception Inbox.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the one of exception handling procedures includes transmitting an interactive form to a first user.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein one of the exception handling procedures includes transmitting invoice data to a user and receiving a digital signature.  
     
     
         16 . A method of processing invoices comprising: 
 storing invoice data corresponding to a plurality of invoices in a repository;    automatically searching a plurality of systems for information corresponding to each invoice; and    automatically performing a plurality of verification checks on each invoice.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the repository is a temporary storage area for queuing invoice data prior to verification in the invoice processor.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising automatically populating the invoice with the information corresponding to each invoice.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the information corresponding to each invoice includes document context, organizational context or people context.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the information corresponding to each invoice includes a purchase order number, a purchase order, a purchase order history, a goods receipt, a service confirmation, a requisition, a shipping notice, a delivery notice, a contract, business partner information, contact information or vendor data.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the verification checks are user specified rules.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the verification checks comprise: 
 storing predefined values; and    comparing the predefined values to corresponding invoice data.    
     
     
         23 . A method of processing invoices comprising: 
 storing invoice data corresponding to a plurality of invoices in a repository;    automatically performing a plurality of verification checks on each invoice;    creating an exception when at least one of the invoices fails at least one of the verification checks; and    processing the exception in accordance with one of a plurality of exception handling procedures.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the verification checks include comparing the invoice against a template.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the verification checks include a missing data check, an invalid data check, a duplicate invoice check, a non-purchase order check, a line item mismatch check, a price variance check, a quantity variance check, an authorization check, a missing goods received check or a missing services check.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein at least one of the exception handling procedures is specified by a user.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the one of a plurality of exception handling procedures is initiated based on the at least one verification check that the invoice failed.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the exception handling procedures are role based.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23  wherein processing the exception includes displaying invoice data corresponding to at least one invoice in an exception Inbox.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23  wherein processing the exception includes transmitting an interactive form to a first user.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23  wherein processing the exception includes transmitting invoice data to a user and receiving a digital signature.