Construction payment management system and method with document tracking features

Abstract

A computer-based method of managing documents. A list of documents is defined including a plurality of required documents that must be provided by a first participant and stored to a memory of the document management system. A first enforcement action is assigned to a first required document of the plurality of required documents. The document management system monitors a status of the first required document and automatically effects the first enforcement action when the first required document is not provided by the first participant.

1 . A computer-based method of managing documents, the method comprising:
 defining a list of a plurality of required documents that must be provided by a first participant and stored to a memory of a document management system,   assigning, by a computer system, a first enforcement action to a first required document of the plurality of required documents,   monitoring, by the computer system, a status of the first required document, and   automatically effecting, by the computer system, the first enforcement action when the first required document is not provided by the first participant.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act of assigning the first enforcement action to the first required document includes automatically assigning the first enforcement action to the first required document. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising determining a document type of the first required document, and wherein the first enforcement action is assigned to the first required document based at least in part on the document type. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving a default enforcement action selection from a second participant for a specific document type; and   when the first required document is associated with the second participant and is of the specific document type, the act of assigning the first enforcement action to the first required document includes automatically assigning the default enforcement action selected by the second participant to the first required document.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving a second default enforcement action selection from a third participant for the specific document type; and   when the first required document is associated with the third participant and is of the specific document type, the act of assigning the first enforcement action to the first required document includes automatically assigning the second default enforcement action selected by the third participant to the first required document.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising
 receiving, from a second participant, a selection of a second enforcement action;   assigning, by the computer system, the second enforcement action to the first required document; and   automatically effecting the second enforcement action when the at least one required document is not provided by the first participant and the selection of the second enforcement action has been received.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second enforcement action is automatically effected instead of the first enforcement action when the at least one required document is not provided by the first participant and the selection of the second enforcement action has been received. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first enforcement action includes a notification action, and wherein automatically effecting the first enforcement action includes automatically transmitting an electronic notification to at least one participant if the first required document is not provided by the first participant by a defined date. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 electronically receiving the first required document from the first participant; and   automatically electronically notifying at least one other participant that the first required document has been received.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the acts of:
 displaying on a participant device the list of the plurality of required documents that must be provided by the first participant;   receiving, from a second participant through the participant device, a selection of the first required document from the list of the plurality of required documents; and   receiving, from the second participant through the participant device, a selection of an enforcement action from a list of enforcement actions,   wherein assigning, by the computer system, the first enforcement action to the first required document includes assigning the selected enforcement action to the first required document.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising automatically electronically notifying the first participant and the second participant of the selected enforcement action assigned to the first required document. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 electronically receiving the first required document from the first participant;   automatically electronically transmitting the first required document to a second participant.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising automatically electronically notifying a third participant that the first required document has been received from the first participant and transmitted to the second participant.