Abstract:
The present invention is a system and computer-implemented method for automatically enrolling and upgrading a buyer into a pre-existing network in order to conduct business with one or more sellers with minimum efforts and consistent quality. The method includes providing to the buyer, via a programmable computer, multiple business models for selection. The method also includes retrieving and sending to the buyer a set of pre-configured business processes to select based on the model chosen by the buyer. The method further includes generating required test cases to validate the selected best business process and tracking and certifying the test cases followed by deploying a live version of the selected best business process.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of software and computer network systems. In particular, the invention relates to automatic enrollment of buyers into the network systems configured to conduct business transaction with one or more sellers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Currently there exists a traditional method of integrating customers into the existing network architectures. This traditional process includes manually collecting data related to the accounting information required from each of the customers, using the data to create a business process model that is custom designed for the customer, configure and provide training to the customers on the business process model, testing and certifying the model and finally migrating and deploying the buyer into the existing network. This process takes about six to nine months of time from the initial stage to the final step of integration and includes high operating and labor costs. 
     Thus, there is a need to streamline the traditional processing by providing a solution which includes an automated process of providing for an efficient and accelerated integration of the buyers into the network. This automated process can be configured and deployed quickly, inexpensively and with minimal IT resources. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is a computer-implemented system and a method for automatic enrollment of a buyer into a network configured for conducting a business transaction with a supplier. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the method includes providing to a buyer, via a programmable computer, at least one selectable business model, presenting to the buyer, via the programmable computer, a set of pre-configured business processes based on the selected model and receiving from the buyer, via the programmable computer, a selection of at least one of the pre-configured business processes. The method also includes presenting, via the programmable computer, a list of functional parameters associated with the selected business process, wherein the functional parameters are tasks requiring additional configuration to enable enrollment of the buyer and generating, via the programmable computer, one or more required test cases based on one or more functional parameters of the selected business process. A test case is a series of business procedures used to validate the selected business process. The method further includes tracking and certifying, via the programmable computer, test cases that have been successfully completed and deploying on behalf of the buyer, via the programmable computer, a live version of the selected best business process. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of a system for automatic enrollment of the buyers into the network according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a flow diagram for automatically enrolling buyers into the network according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows an example of a graphical representation of a business process in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  of the present application, there is illustrated a block diagram illustrating a system  100  for automatic enrollment of the buyers into a pre-existing network according to an embodiment of the invention. The system  100  includes a business network module  102  coupled to at least one buyer module  101  and at least one seller or supplier module  103 . The business module  102  includes several components that essentially function to provide to the buyer of the buyer module  101 , an option to select from at least one business model and to then to select from the pre-configured business processes based on the selected business model and further render functional parameters associated with the selected business process. The business network module  102  also functions to generate test cases for the selected business process, tracks and certifies the completion of the test cases and further functions to deploy a live version of the selected business by the buyer of the buyer module  101  into the business network module  102  in order to conduct business transaction with one more suppliers of the supplier module  103 . 
     The business network module includes the following set of components, a business processes models database  104 , a configuration module  106 , a test scenario module  108 , a certification module  110  and a deployment/production module  112 . The configuration module  106  is coupled to the business processes models database  104  to retrieve and present to the buyer module  101  a list of functional parameters associated with the selected pre-configured business process. The test scenario module  108  is coupled to the configuration module  106  to generate required test cases based on the functional parameters of the selected business process. The certification module  110  is coupled to the test scenario module  108  to track and certify that the test cases have been successfully completed. The deployment/production module  112  is coupled to the certification module  110  to deploy a live version of the selected business process upon completion of the certification of the selected process. The details of the function of each of the components will be described in greater detail herein below. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  of the present application, there is illustrated a flow diagram illustrating a method for automatically enrolling the buyers into the network utilizing the components of the system  100 . Initially in step  202 , upon request from the buyer, the business network module  102  retrieves multiple pre-configured business models from the business processes models database  104 . In a preferred embodiment, some of these business models include payment type (PT) (Total Settlement) process model and payment type plus (PTP) (OTP) process models. The payment type (Total Settlement) business model includes at least several types of electronic payment methods and requirements to approve the payments. The payment type plus business model includes the features/functions of payment type process model and additional functions required for a complete electronic service for business to business commerce. Some of those additional functions preferably include but are not limited to ability to issue purchase orders, process invoices, capture discounts, making payments within the Unites States and/or process orders and invoices, but not make payments, throughout North America. Upon selection of one of the business models by the buyer, at step  204 , the business module  102  retrieves a set of pre-configured business processes from the business processes models database  104  and present this set of the business processes to the buyer&#39;s module  101 . The pre-configured business processes are created based on several returns on investment (ROI) factors. One of the factors preferably includes process such as days to post, days to approve, on time payment etc. Another factor includes discounts such as discount capture rate, supplier penetration, invoice penetration, spend penetration, discount rate, discount annual percentage rate (APR), days payable outstanding (DPO). Another factor includes enforce audit approval, invoice quality assurance (QA) sampling. These ROI factors are applied with the industry standards which result in creation of business processes. Each of the pre-configured business processes comprise at least of a nickname of the business process, the name and description of the business process. 
     Table 1 below provides a list of names and descriptions of some of the pre-configured business processes provided to the buyer for selection if the buyer chose to select the payment type business model. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Process 
                   
                   
               
               
                 Nickname 
                 Process Name 
                 Process Description 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 PT Process1 
                 Automated Clearing  
                 Buyer makes payments from bank account via 
               
               
                   
                 House (ACH) 
                 ACH transfer. 
               
               
                   
                 Payments with No 
                 Payments do not need to be manually 
               
               
                   
                 Approval 
                 approved before being issued. 
               
               
                 PT Process2 
                 Card Payments with  
                 Buyer makes payments using a payment card 
               
               
                   
                 No Approval 
                 account. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Payments do not need to be manually 
               
               
                   
                   
                 approved before being issued. 
               
               
                 PT Process3 
                 ACH and Card 
                 Buyer makes payments from bank account via 
               
               
                   
                 payments with No 
                 ACH transfer or using a payment card account. 
               
               
                   
                 Approval 
                 Payments do not need to be manually 
               
               
                   
                   
                 approved before being issued. 
               
               
                 PT Process4 
                 ACH, and Check 
                 Buyer makes payments from bank account via 
               
               
                   
                 Payments with No 
                 ACH transfer or via paper check. 
               
               
                   
                 Approval 
                 Payments do not need to be manually 
               
               
                   
                   
                 approved before being issued. 
               
               
                 PT Process5 
                 ACH, Check and Card 
                 Buyer makes payments from bank account via 
               
               
                   
                 Payments with No 
                 ACH transfer or paper check, or using a 
               
               
                   
                 Approval 
                 payment card account. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Payments do not need to be manually 
               
               
                   
                   
                 approved before being issued. 
               
               
                 PT Process6 
                 ACH, Check and Wire 
                 Buyer makes payments from bank account via 
               
               
                   
                 Payments with No 
                 ACH transfer, paper check, or wire transfer. 
               
               
                   
                 Approval 
                 Payments do not need to be manually . 
               
               
                   
                   
                 approved before being issued. 
               
               
                 PT Process7 
                 ACH, Check, and 
                 Buyer makes payments from bank account via 
               
               
                   
                 Wire Payments with 
                 ACH transfer, paper check, or wire transfer. 
               
               
                   
                 Approval 
                 Payments must be manually approved 
               
               
                   
                   
                 before being issued. 
               
               
                 PT Process8 
                 ACH, Check, Wire, 
                 Buyer makes payments from bank account via 
               
               
                   
                 and Card Payments 
                 ACH transfer, paper check, or wire transfer, or 
               
               
                   
                 with No Approval 
                 using a payment card account. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Payments do not need to be manually 
               
               
                   
                   
                 approved before being issued. 
               
               
                 PT Process9 
                 ACH, Check, Wire, 
                 Buyer makes payments from bank account via 
               
               
                   
                 and Card Payments 
                 ACH transfer, paper check, or wire transfer, or 
               
               
                   
                 with Approval 
                 using a payment card account. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Payments must be manually approved 
               
               
                   
                   
                 before being issued. 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Table 2 below provides a list of names and descriptions of some of the pre-configured business processes provided to the buyer for selection if the buyer chose to select the payment type plus business model. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Process 
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Nickname 
                 Process Name 
                 Process Description 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 PTP  
                 Total Invoice  
                 Buyer processes paper 
               
               
                   
                 Process1 
                 Outsourcing (US) 
                 invoices in house. 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Buyer places orders and 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 makes payments within 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the United States. 
               
               
                   
                 PTP  
                 Electronic Invoice  
                 Business Module system 
               
               
                   
                 Process2 
                 Management (US) 
                 processes paper invoices for 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 buyer. 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Buyer places orders and 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 makes payments within 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the United States. 
               
               
                   
                 PTP  
                 Total Invoice  
                 Buyer processes paper 
               
               
                   
                 Process3 
                 Outsourcing  
                 invoices in house. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 (North America) 
                 Buyer places orders, but 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 does not make payments, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 throughout North America. 
               
               
                   
                 PTP  
                 Electronic Invoice  
                 Business Module system 
               
               
                   
                 Process4 
                 Management 
                 processes paper invoices for 
               
               
                   
                   
                 (North America) 
                 buyer. 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Buyer places orders, but 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 does not make payments, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 throughout North America. 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Although not shown in the tables above, each of the business processes also defines functional parameters, a set of roles for the parameters and related users for those roles. Furthermore, each of the business process also includes pre-configured sets of test cases that are created based on the businesses processes, the functional parameters associated with these processes and the user roles, as will be described in greater detail below. 
     The buyer&#39;s module  101  receives this set of pre-configured business processes and selects one of the business processes. This selection of the business processes triggers the configuration module  106  to present to the buyer module  101  a configuration page listing functional parameters defined/designed for the pre-configured selected business process at step  206 . This listing provides the buyer module  104  with functional parameters associated with the selected business process which includes a brief description of the function to be performed by the buyer along with preferably a graphical representation of the selected business process. An example of the graphical representation of the selected business process is shown in  FIG. 3 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the selected business model is the PTP business model and the corresponding PTP Process is the PTP Process 1  which is the Total Invoicing Outsourcing (US). As shown in  FIG. 3 , some high level examples of the parameters include users, orders, invoices, discounts, and payments. More specifically, the functional parameters include payment account management information, integration file information, purchase order invoice information, non-purchase order invoice information, buyer-side invoices, request for checks, automatic paper invoice processing, disburse company&#39;s invoice format and discount programs, management information for bank and card payment accounts, file transmission, users roles information and other system integration parameters. The buyer performs the functions of the associated parameters by providing some input data which in turn results in setting of the parameters on the selected business process for the buyer. For example, a parameter of the selected business process as shown in  FIG. 3  includes purchase order invoice and the function or task for that parameter includes the buyer to select one of the goods/products purchase order type, service purchase order type or blanket purchase order type and upon selection of one the types of purchase order, the next task for the buyer is to provide additional information related to the type of purchase order selected by the buyer which may result in on ore more additional tasks. This example enables the buyer to configure the parameters of the PTP Process 1  for processing purchase order invoices. So, the buyers can modify and customize the functional parameters in the selected business process including the assigned user roles based on the buyer&#39;s actual business process. 
     Furthermore, based on the business process selected, the Configuration Module  106  in step  206  also assigns the user roles to one or many these tasks associated with the selected pre-configured business process. Some of these roles include and are not limited to administrator, payable/operations user, technical administrator, payment signer etc. Similar to the functional parameters, the assigned user roles are also modified in the selected business process based on the input data and the functional parameters performed by the buyer. Based on the business process selected, the configuration module  104  will have user roles configured. For example, if the user chooses to allow the buyer to void purchase orders and fix purchases orders in exception state, the application will create a procurement/sourcing user role (Pos) and any user that will have this role will be able to able to fix and manage Pos in exception state. In another example, if the buyer wants the invoices to go through financial approval, then the configuration module  106  will create a role of invoice approvers and the users assigned to this role will be able to approve the invoices. 
     In the next step  208 , the module  108  computes conditions based on the functional parameters selected/modified by the buyer of the selected business process such that when a user chooses and/or configures a specific parameter/feature, the module identifies that the associated conditions are now testable. Thus, the conditions trigger the test cases. For example if the user chooses to have invoices greater than $1,000 routed for approval, the application will require the user to create a invoice over $1,000 and make sure the invoice is approved by the user who has the right role and approval limit to approve such a invoice. These conditions are a block of code, SQL, XML, etc that can be evaluated to have either succeeded or failed, a meta definition of the data set that they require in order to be evaluated, and optionally the events that should trigger the evaluation of the condition. 
     In step  210 , the test scenario module  108  generates the required test cases to be evaluated and the assigned user roles for these test cases based on the conditions described above. A test case is defined as a series of business procedures including the input data and the output data of these business procedures that are required and relevant which can be further processed and/or tested. These test cases are preferably tested by the user assigned to the roles associated with the procedures. Some of these business procedures include but are not limited to approval, edits, escalation, exception, campaign, discount and tax. The module  108  generates these test cases based at least on the configuration parameters selected and/or modified by the buyer. According to an embodiment of the invention, the test cases to be evaluated are automatically generated by the test scenario module  108  upon triggering of pre-defined conditions/events. The condition modification is thus dynamic. The test case scenario module  108  will determine the conditions that are applicable and then based on the user parameter selection of the selected business process, the module  108  will present the user with appropriate test case. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the test cases may preferably be also requested by a buyer for evaluation. In such case scenario, the buyer will identify one or more business tasks of the parameter and the data required for evaluating the test cases for such tasks to the test scenario module  108 . The module  108  in turn obtains the required data from an external source, preferably the supplier module  103  and populates such a data in the business task in order for the test case to be eligible for evaluation. For example, a buyer may have an attribute requiring for the supplier to provide comments on the invoice and that the buyer can preferably request for test cases to ensure that the supplier provides such comments. 
     The buyer module  101  in turn performs testing of the test cases by reviewing and validating the customized functionalities of the selected business process based on the corresponding high level parameters such as users, orders, invoices and payments as discussed above. The buyer module  101  further validates the integration of the RD module  102  with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) of the buyer&#39;s module  101  for payment and invoice processing etc. 
     In the next step  212 , the certification module  110  functions to automatically track and certify test cases to make sure all the required test cases are successfully completed and the buyer configured module is ready for deployment (go-live). Specifically, the module  110  manages and tracks the results/successes of the test cases in step  212 . The three main criterion used by the certification module  110  to track the results are functional results, integration results and performance results. The module  110  manages tracks and certifies the functionalities of the test cases being performed by the buyer&#39;s module. Each of the functional parameters assigned to the selected business process is tested to make certain that it successfully performs the required task(s). For example if a buyer is using systems applications and products (SAP) as their ERP system, the certification module will make sure all the test cases for SAP data exchange integration format for Pos, Invoices, Payments are valid and successfully been tested with the client ERP system. Another example is the scenario where the buyer has configured to have financial approval, the application will make sure the test case of invoice financial approval is executed i.e. there is a invoice with certain dollar limit is created and the appropriate users with the correct approval limit have approved the invoice. 
     The certification module  110  also manages and tracks successful integration of the buyer&#39;s module  101  with the RD module  102  prior to deployment. The module  110  will confirm that the transactions are created in the appropriate format that is accepted by the buyer&#39;s ERP system and the application will track that documents can be posted to the ERP system. For example if the user has SAP system the application will post an invoice IDOC to ERP system and only if the application receives a invoice status update the application will treat this integration to be successful. 
     The certification module  110  further monitors the testing and the performance based on the buyer&#39;s profile. For example the buyer chooses to be a mid size company, the test case scenario module  108  will create a test case of uploading  5000  purchase orders and the certification module  110  will track to make sure  5000  purchase orders are successfully uploaded in the approved SLA (service level agreement) and in order to allow the buyer to be certified prior to deployment. 
     Upon receiving completion of the required test cases, at step  214 , it is determined whether the test cases have been successfully completed yield positive results. If the test cases are completed successfully and yield positive results, then the deployment module  112  deploys the live version of the selected best business process at step  216 . However, if it is determined that the required test cases were not successfully completed and do not yield positive results, then at step  218 , the buyer is informed of the process results including the details of the results and requested to further modify the selected business process. The buyer can preferably modify both business process and parameters to make sure that the rapid deployment application instance can appropriately work in production. Specifically, the buyer revisits the tasks of the functional parameters of the selected business process that yield negative results which results in the repeating the flow method at step  208  of further editing the selected business process 
     The description provided herein discloses principles of the present invention, which are presented for purposes of illustration and not by way of limitation. Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described herein.