System and method of purchase request management using plain text messages

Abstract

The systems and methods may identify order requests from internal messaging or collaboration systems. Once order requests are identified, the systems and methods determine purchase orders based on the requests, and generate tokens (e.g., virtual credit cards) specific to a purchase order, to be used by the requestor to complete the purchase of requested items or services. Once the tokens are used, the systems and methods may then track the purchases in various databases, providing the organization with various views or insights into their employee's expenditures.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer system for purchase management for an organization, the computer system comprising at least one processor, at least one memory, and computer-executable instructions stored in the at least one memory, the instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
 access, via an electronic communication session, an electronic message associated with an employee or authorized representative of the organization,
 wherein operations to access the electronic message include operations to access one or more messages within a conversation supported by a collaboration tool or within a messaging system, and 
 wherein the electronic message is one of a text-based message or a voice message; 
   parse an item from the electronic message, wherein the item relates to a purchase request;   based on the parsed item, generate a payment method object unique to the purchase request,
 wherein the payment method object comprises metadata indicative of a restriction on use of the payment method object based on at least one payment rule, and 
 wherein the at least one payment rule relates to one or more of: a level of authorization assigned to the employee or authorized representative of the organization, a purchase type, or a budget; and 
   transmit the generated payment method object to a user computing device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , the instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receive an indication of a purchase transaction associated with the payment method object;   retrievably store the indication of the purchase transaction relationally to the payment method object; and   generate a graphical user interface comprising at least six different data elements associated with the transaction, the at least six data elements comprising: a date, the payment method object, a vendor name, a product category, a transaction amount, a purchase type, a contact for the transaction or an item description.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , the instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 transmit the payment object to an approver;   generate a notification that identifies the approver; and   provide the notification via the electronic communication session, wherein the approver is identified via a navigable hyperlink.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , the instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 automatically transmitting the generated payment method object to the user computing device via a chat message.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , the instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 generate and display, via the communication session, an electronic hyperlink identifying an authorized approver of the purchase request,
 wherein the authorized approver is determined based on at least four of: a time of day, day of week, a category associated with the purchase request, a job title, a department, a purchase request history associated with the employee or authorized representative, or a vendor associated with the purchase request. 
   
     
     
         6 . The system  claim 1 , wherein the payment method object is a first payment method object associated with a first cost center or account, the instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 cause a second payment method object to be generated, the second payment method object associated with the purchase request; and   associate the second payment method object with a second cost center or account different from the first cost center or account.   
     
     
         7 . The system  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the generated payment method object includes providing a virtual credit card via the collaboration tool or the messaging system. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the payment method object is provided in a same communication session as an unstructured purchase request. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the payment method object comprises at least one of: a virtual credit card, a virtual currency, or a contract code. 
     
     
         10 . One or more computer-readable media excluding transitory signals and having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions configured to cause one or more processors to perform operations for purchase management for an organization, the operations comprising:
 accessing, at a purchasing system via an electronic communication session, an electronic message associated with an employee or authorized representative of the organization,
 wherein the electronic message is a text-based message or a voice message; 
   parsing, by the purchasing system, an item from the electronic message, wherein the item relates to a purchase request;   based on the parsed item, causing, by the purchasing system, a payment method object unique to the purchase request to be generated,
 wherein the payment method object is structured to indicate a restriction on use of the payment method object based on at least one payment rule; and 
   transmitting, by the purchasing system, the generated payment method object to a user computing device.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving, at the purchasing system, an indication of a purchase transaction associated with the payment method object;   retrievably storing, by the purchasing system, the indication of the purchase transaction relationally to the payment method object; and   generating, by the purchasing system, a graphical user interface comprising at least six different data elements associated with the transaction, the at least six data elements comprising: a date, the payment method object, a vendor name, a product category, a transaction amount, a purchase type, a contact for the transaction or an item description.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one payment rule relates to at least two of: a level of authorization assigned to the employee or authorized representative of the organization, a purchase type, or a budget. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 routing the payment object to an authorized approver;   generating a notification that identifies the authorized approver; and   providing the notification via the electronic communication session.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , the operations further comprising transmitting, by the purchasing system, the generated payment method object to the user computing device via the communication session, whereby the payment method object is provided to user in a same communication session as an unstructured purchase request. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , the operations further comprising automatically transmitting, by the purchasing system, the generated payment method object to the user computing device via a chat message. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , the operations further comprising generating and displaying, via the communication session, an electronic hyperlink identifying an authorized approver of the purchase request,
 wherein the authorized approver is determined based on at least four of: a time of day, day of week, a category associated with the purchase request, a job title, a department, a purchase request history associated with the employee or authorized representative, or a vendor associated with the purchase request.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the payment method object is a first payment method object associated with a first cost center or account, the operations further comprising:
 causing, by the purchasing system, a second payment method object to be generated, the second payment method object associated with the purchase request; and   associating, at the purchasing system, the second payment method object with a second cost center or account different from the first cost center or account.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein accessing the electronic message includes accessing one or more messages within a conversation supported by a collaboration tool or within a messaging system, and wherein transmitting the generated payment method object includes providing a virtual credit card via the collaboration tool or the messaging system. 
     
     
         19 . One or more computer-readable media excluding transitory signals and having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions configured to cause one or more processors to perform operations for purchase management for an organization, the operations comprising:
 initiating, at a user device, an electronic communication session between the user device and a remote computer system;   transmitting, by the user device to the remote computer system, a natural-language purchase order input as part of the electronic communication session;   receiving, at the user device from the remote computer system, a payment method object associated with the transmitted natural-language purchase order,
 wherein the payment method object is structured to indicate a restriction on use of the payment method object based on at least one payment rule and 
 wherein the at least one payment rule relates to one or more of: a level of authorization assigned a user, a purchase type, or a budget; and 
   providing the payment method object via the electronic communication session.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable media of  claim 19 , wherein the natural-language purchase order comprises at least one of text input or audio input.