# Patent

## Title
Order tracking system and method using trigger events

## Abstract

An order tracking system comprising an interface to an order tracking database for users such as sales agents and sales managers to quickly find orders and track them as they progress. The order tracking system may track merchant orders for payment processing equipment to be installed in one or more business locations and the initiation of related payment processing services using the installed equipment. Trigger events within multiple internal computerized business applications are communicated to the order tracking system where they are stored in the order tracking database. The computerized applications that are used to manage internal business may track many activities and events, some of which are trigger events, that result in updates to the order tracking database. The trigger events from the various internal business applications allow a user of the present invention to obtain a comprehensive view of the status of an order for a payment processing solution.

## Background
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
None.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to order tracking systems and methods. In particular, the present invention relates to an order tracking system and method that integrates data from multiple business applications using trigger events.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In response to consumer preferences to use payment cards such as credit and debit cards to make purchases, many merchants today are purchasing and installing in their places of business payment processing solutions that include equipment and related services. The payment processing equipment and services allow merchants to accept a variety of payment cards from their customers. Although merchants may be charged fees for accepting such types of payments, the increased spending power provided by payment cards may result in higher per visit charges that offset the costs associated with the acceptance of the cards. Consumers may be reminded of items they need while shopping or simply make additional purchases on impulse. As a result, consumers may purchase more items with payment cards than they would if paying cash.
In response to merchant demand for payment processing solutions, many payment processing vendors provide integrated solutions that include card processing equipment as well as merchant account services for payment processing. The solutions may be designed to service multiple business categories such as retail, wholesale, mail order, and e-commerce businesses and may include components that can be customized to develop a system that best meets the merchant's specific business needs. The integrated solution approach allows the merchant to work with one vendor that provides all of the necessary equipment, installation services, and finally, payment processing services that allow the merchant to accept various types of payment cards at the merchant's place or places of business.
Although an integrated payment processing solution simplifies the process of acquiring, installing, and activating card processing equipment for merchants, it actually involves many different tasks that need to be completed by many members of a vendor team. It may involve preparing and approving paperwork associated with a merchant order, underwriting a merchant account, ordering equipment from OEMs, packing equipment for shipment to merchant locations, shipping packed equipment to merchant locations, scheduling appointments to install equipment at merchant locations, installing equipment at merchant locations, certifying equipment installed at merchant locations, etc. Each of the tasks may involve multiple subtasks. In some instances, the vendor may use internal business applications to track and monitor a small group of tasks associated with one phase in the process. Team members involved in completion of one phase in the process may have the ability to track progress within their area of responsibility. The business applications, however, execute independently of one another. Information cannot be shared between the applications so it is difficult or impossible to determine the overall status of a particular order. A sales agent that has placed an order on behalf of a merchant may need to consult multiple business applications or make multiple telephone calls to different vendor team members to determine whether an order for a merchant has been completed. If the order has not been completed, identifying the phase within the process and further identifying a problem in the process can be very time consuming for the sales agent.
There is a need for a computerized order tracking system for integrated payment processing systems that allows sales agents and other users to determine the status of a merchant order for a payment processing solution. There is also a need for a computerized order tracking system for payment processing solutions that integrates information from multiple internal business applications that assist members of a vendor team in providing a merchant with a payment processing solution.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a scalable web-based application for users such as sales agents and sales managers to quickly find orders and track them as they progress. In an example embodiment of the present invention, the invention is used to track the progress of a merchant order for payment processing equipment to be installed in one or more business locations and the initiation of related payment processing services using the installed equipment. Trigger events within multiple internal computerized business applications for providing payment processing equipment and services are communicated to a computerized order tracking system stored in an order tracking database. The computerized applications that are used to manage internal business may track many activities and events, only some of which are trigger events that result in updates to the order tracking database. Information is retrieved from the order tracking database upon request and presented to users that would like to review the status of an order.
The order tracking system of the present invention comprises an order tracking database and a browser-based interface to the order tracking database. The presentation layer is called the order tracking interface. Various computerized applications that are used to manage internal business processes trigger events that update the order tracking database. The trigger events from the various internal business applications allow a user of the present invention to obtain a comprehensive view of the status of an order for a payment processing solution.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an entity relationship diagram for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an order status report display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an order status page display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a status indicator display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a step status display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an order information box display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is an order entry step page display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is an order approval step page display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 9A and 9B are an order fulfillment step page display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 10A and 10B are a shipping step page display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 11A and 11B are an installation step page for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 12 is an open pends box display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 13A and 13B are a pend history report display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 14 is a shipping information report display for an example embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 15 is an advanced search filter display for an example embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 16 is a search results page for an example embodiment of the present invention.



DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
The terms in Table 1 are used to describe the present invention.








TABLE 1





Term
Definition







Activity
A grouping of Events that occurs within a Step.


Event
User and system generated occurrences.


Pend Description
Information related to a stopped Activity from being 



completed.


Status
State or condition of a sales order or Step in account 



implementation process.


Step
A stage in the lifecycle of an order. Each Step also 



has a status which can be viewed in the order tracking 



interface. Steps are linear and consist of Activities.









Referring to FIG. 1, an entity relationship diagram for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The order tracking system of the present invention displays information about a sales order through a hierarchy of Events, Activities, and Steps as shown in FIG. 1. The order tracking system 100 displays sales orders 102 which comprise Steps 104. Steps 104, in turn, comprise Activities 108 which comprise Events 108. Events 108 are generated by internal business applications (systems) 110 and by users 112. Each Step 104 has a status indicator 114. The status indicators 116 include in process, complete, pended, or canceled. A status 114 is set when either an event or pend is triggered for any activity 106 contained within an associated step 104.
As an order goes through various internal business applications during processing, each application generates Events that trigger dates in the order tracking database. An Event is a system- or user-generated incident that occurs as an order for payment processing equipment and services is completed. In many instances, Events are one-time events in which the start and end dates are the same (e.g., paperwork received bit). However, they do not necessarily depict an exact timeline of the order or the operational process and may occur more than once for the same Activity. Events occur at both the sales order and terminal level.
Event types are the foundation of a hierarchy of information displayed by the order tracking system of the present invention. Events are generated by business applications and reported to an order tracking database. Each business application may continue to generate incidents that are recorded in other systems but not reported to the order tracking database. There are fewer Event types than there are incidents which may be recorded in business applications. Each Event type, therefore, is a significant milestone that occurs in the process of completing an order and pertains to the progression of a sales order through the order completion process. The order tracking system, therefore, collects and stores the information most likely to be of interest to the user base. The present invention provides a comprehensive view of the order status information that is most likely to be of interest to users such as sales agents or sales managers. The primary consumer of the order tracking system is the sales force. However, other vendor team members such as internal support groups may also have access to the information.
Events are triggered by either system or user-initiated actions. Event records are added to a queuing table (tbWorkQueue) in the order tracking database. These queued event records are properly processed in an automated queue processing program and stored in the OrderTracking tbOrderEvent table. An Event may be triggered by more than one business application. Each Event comprises an Event Type Identifier (ID), a start date (or first occurrence) and an end date (or last occurrence). When an Event is first established, both the start and end dates are the same. When another occurrence of the same Event takes place, the end date is updated.
Business applications use a stored procedure (uspAddEvent) to add trigger events and add them to queuing table (tbWorkQueue) where an order tracking automation or queue processor evaluates and processes the events using a stored procedure (uspQProcessEvent) and adds them to the order tracking database thus updating the progress of an order in the order tracking interface. Events triggered multiple times update the ending date of the same event within the order tracking system.
The queue processor runs as a service, reads queued records, and takes action on them using stored procedures corresponding to the type (e.g., pend, event, etc.). In a few instances, a business application calls one of the queue processor's stored procedures directly. For example, a business application may call a uspCreateOrder stored procedure bypassing the queue and creating an order in the order tracking system. Details of these stored procedures are in Appendix A.
Notes may also be passed for Events. These are stored in OrderTracking tbEventNote table and processed by the same stored procedures that handle Events.
Activities mirror some of the internal business processes and feature different start and end dates. Terminal-level Activities may be displayed multiple times depending on the number of business locations in the order that will receive equipment and services. Activities may be active in concurrent Steps, which gives multiple Steps an “in process” status at the same time. The activities original start date remains the same but the end date can change as events continue to be triggered for an activity.
A Step is a stage an order goes through during the order completion process. Steps have their own status and consist of related Activities. They may be completed when the last Activity started for a Step has an end date. Steps provide a perspective of the entire order, while Activities allow a user to drill-down and review all associated events.
A Step begins when a start date is set for it which occurs when an Event within an Activity, within that Step is triggered. Each Step comprises Activities that also begin when start dates are set. Closing Events are tied to end dates for Activities. When all of the Activities that were started have end dates, then an end date is also set for that Step. When all Activities associated with a Step are completed, the Step is completed. Some Steps may be skipped for orders such as when an existing customer does not require equipment.
Activities may be pended, which sets a Pended status icon for the effected Step. This action does not prevent other Activities from taking place either in the same step or upcoming steps, which is especially important for multiple location and terminal deals. A Pended Activity is not completed until the corresponding Pend Reason is resolved (i.e., the end date set), which means that the Steps status icon remains pended.
If an Activity has been assigned a status of Pend, a Pend icon is displayed to the right of the Activity's detail. An Activity (and the Step) is not completed until the Pended Reason is resolved by having an end date set.
Referring to FIG. 2, an order status report display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The display comprises date information relevant to the report 200, information about a relevant sales area 202, and details about each sales order, merchant store name, order entry date, order installed date, paid date, ship date, and other payment information 204. Data for multiple orders are provided 206.
An option for accessing the order tracking system may appear on a home page for a report business application or other business application. Upon selecting the access option, an advanced search page of the order tracking system appears in a new web page. The order tracking system of the present invention also may be accessed from other business applications that display a sales order number such as a report that displays orders placed by a particular sales agent as shown in FIG. 2. The sales order number may be represented as a hyperlink 208. When the hyperlink 208 is selected, an order status page in the order tracking interface for the selected order is displayed.
Referring to FIG. 3, an order status page display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The order status page retrieves information for a selected sales order, evaluates the current status of the order, and displays all of this information using graphics and text.
The order status page has the following features as described in Table 2:








TABLE 2





Feature
Business Rules/Notes







Sales Order 
Sales order number as specified by the user or a 


Number 300
hyperlink into the order tracking system that 



matches the SO_Number field in the tbOrder table


Order Status 302
Order tracking system evaluates Steps and presents 



correct description and current time stamp


Steps Status Icons 304
Order tracking system evaluates Step end dates, 



open pends and other specific events and displays



appropriate status icons for each Step. Steps



are “order entry,” “order approval,” “order 



fulfillment,” “shipping,” and “installation.”


Order information 306
Populates fields from tbOrder and tbLocation 



tables


Open Pends Box 308
Lists Pend Descriptions that do not have end dates 



for the sales order


Pend History 
Option that opens the Pend History report when 


Option 310
selected


View Sales Order 
Option that opens the Sales Order Documents 


Documents Option 312
page when selected


Make this a RUSH 
Option that opens the Rush Order page when 


Order Option 314
selected


Shipping Information 
Option that opens the Shipping Information 


Options 316
report when selected


Status Legend 318
Identifies icons associated with each status type


Advanced Search 
Link to the Advanced Search report filter


Option 320









The overall status of the order appears at the top of the page 302. Referring to FIG. 4, a status indicator display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The top of the display provides the overall status 400. The list provides details about each status type and icon that may be associated with an order 402.
Referring to FIG. 5, a step status display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The step status display may appear on other pages such as an order status page display as shown in FIG. 3. Each step has its own status icon and unique image (as explained in FIG. 4) to help quickly distinguish it 500. An explanation of the step statuses is shown in Table 3.









TABLE 3





Step Status
What it means
System Notes







Empty - No
There hasn't been any
There are no start dates for the 


Activity
activity for the step; 
Step or any Activities



an upcoming step.
associated with the Step.


In Process
Step and associated 
Start date for the Step exists and 



activities
some Activities may have 



are in process.
start and end dates, but at least one




Activity has only a start date.


Pended
Step has been 
Start date for the Step exists and 



stopped due to
at least one Activity



a pended activity.
with a start date has an associated 




Pended Reason without an end date.




Pended status may be cleared when 




the end date for all




Pended Reasons for that Step are 




established.


Completed
Step and all 
End date for the step has been 



associated activities 
established and all activities that 



are completed.
were started, including any pended




reasons, also have end dates.


Canceled
Order is no longer 
Review Steps to see the last step 



being processed.
in the order before it was 




withdrawn or canceled.









Referring to FIG. 6, an order information box display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The order information box display 600 may appear on an order status page display as shown in FIG. 3. It may appear under the steps icons on the order status page and it may be displayed at the top of each step page. If information is not currently available, the box may be empty. It may further comprise an expand and collapse feature 602 in which the order information box is, by default, expanded on the order status page and collapsed on each step page.
Selection of a hyperlinked lead number 604 in an order information box opens a lead information page comprising the details as shown in Table 4 from the order tracking database.









TABLE 4





Field Name
Description
Table.Column







Order
Date Order 
tbOrder.SubmitDate


Submitted
was submitted




by OLA to AIM.



Sales
Sales Channel 
Display the Sales Channel Description 


Channel
Name
field from the Sales Channel table by 




using the value in tbOrder.SalesChannel


District
District Office 
Use tbOrder.DistrictID to get 



Name
description from SalesApp


Territory
Territory Office 
Use tbOrder.TerritoryID to get 



Name
description from SalesApp


Sales Agent
Sales Agent 
Use tbOrder.SalesAgent to get the sales 



Name
agent's name from SalesApp


Lead
Number assigned 
Derive lead number values from the 


Number
to the lead when 
SalesApp based on SO_Number for 



it is approved.
hyperlink use in the




order tracking interface.


Locations
Total number of 
Sum of number of locations, for 



locations on order.
SO_Number, stored in




tbOrderLocation


Terminals
Total number of 
tbOrder.TerminalCnt



terminals on order.



Customer
Customer Number 
Concatenate tbOrder.CustomerNbr 



and Legal Name
and tbOrder.CustName



of customer
(separate with hyphen)


Merchant
Merchant Number 
Concatenate tbLocation.MerchantNbr 



(if available) and
and tbLocation.MerchantName 



DBA/Store Name.
(separate with hypen and list singly).









Referring again to FIG. 3, selecting an activities option on the order status page opens a step page for the selected step. Steps for an example embodiment of the present invention include Order Entry, Order Approval, Order Fulfillment, Shipping, and Installation. Each step page shows a collapsible order information box and a listing of activities and events for the selected step as shown in Table 5.









TABLE 5





Field
Table Column
Business Rules/Notes







Activity
tbOrderActivity.-
Where StepTypeID = selected Step page; 



ActivityTypeID
display the description from 




tbOrdersActivityDefinition.Description 




for the ActivityTypeID


Store
tbOrderActivity.Lo-
Display the Merchant Name where


Name
cationNum
tbOrderActivity.LocationNum =




tbOrderLocation.LocationNum


Terminal
tbOrderActivity.Ter-
Display if available


ID
minalID



Tracking
tbOrderEvent.Track-
Field is valid for Shipping Step page


Number
ingNbr



Event
tbOrderEvent.Event
Display the description from 



TypeID
tbOrderEventDefinition for




EventTypeID.


Start Date
tbOrderActiv-
Display appropriate start date for 



ity.StartDate
activities and events



tbOrderE-




vent.StartDate



End Date
tbOrderActiv-
Display appropriate end date for 



ity.EndDate tbOrder-
activities and events



Event.EndDate



Notes
tbEventNote.Note-
Display Note icon for any Event row that 



Text
has an Event Note in tbEventNote. When 




selected, display NoteText in pop-up




window.









Referring to FIG. 7, an order entry step page display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The top of the display comprises the sales order number 700, an identifier for the step (Order Entry) 702, a table with the fields identified in Table 5 (Activity, Store Name, Terminal ID, Tracking Number, Event, Start Date, End Date, and Notes) 704, and applicable data for each of the fields. As shown in FIG. 7, activities that occur during the order entry step include data entry 706 and quality control 708. Data entry 706 events include order received, applications for new account, and new account activations. Quality control 708 events include review of customer processing agreement (CPA) data (paperwork for products and services signed by merchant), pictures received, financials received, lease received, statements received, CPA pages received, and lease check received.
Referring to FIG. 8, an order approval step page display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The top of the display comprises the sales order number 800, an identifier for the step (Order Approval) 802, a table with the fields identified in Table 5 (Activity, Store Name, Terminal ID, Tracking Number, Event, Start Date, End Date, and Notes) 804, and applicable data for each of the fields. As shown in FIG. 8, activities that occur during the order approval step include pricing 804, underwriting 808, merchant verification 810, and funds processed 812. As shown in FIG. 8, each of the activities comprises a plurality of events.
Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, an order fulfillment step page display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. Referring to FIG. 9A, the top of the display comprises the sales order number 900, an identifier for the step (Order Fulfillment) 902, a table with the fields identified in Table 5 (Activity, Store Name, Terminal ID, Tracking Number, Event, Start Date, End Date, and Notes) 904, and applicable data for each of the fields. As shown in FIG. 9A, activities that occur during the order fulfillment step include terminal setup for multiple terminals 906, 908 on different days and referring to FIG. 9B, deployment of the terminals 910, 912 on different days. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, each of the activities comprises a plurality of events.
Referring to FIGS. 10A and 10B, a shipping step page display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. Referring to FIG. 10A, the top of the display comprises the sales order number 1000, an identifier for the step (Shipping) 1002, a table with the fields identified in Table 5 (Activity, Store Name, Terminal ID, Tracking Number, Event, Start Date, End Date, and Notes) 1004, and applicable data for each of the fields 1006, 1008 (FIG. 10B). As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, activities that occur during the shipping step include shipping of multiple terminals on different days. As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, each of the activities comprises a plurality of events.
Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, an installation steps page for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. Referring to FIG. 11A, the top of the display comprises the sales order number 1100, an identifier for the step (Installation) 1102, a table with the fields identified in Table 5 (Activity, Store Name, Terminal ID, Tracking Number, Event, Start Date, End Date, and Notes) 1104, and applicable data for each of the fields. As shown in FIG. 11, activities that occur during the installation step include installation on different days of vendor equipment for payment processing 1106, 1108 (FIG. 11B) and training 1110, 1112 (FIG. 11B) on different days. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, each of the activities comprises one or more events.
The features and functionality of the present invention are accomplished by communications between various computer applications. As indicated previously, multiple internal business applications transmit data to the order tracking database where it is recorded for later retrieval. Business applications are modified to provide data according to the following implementation details.
When an order is suspended, by either a system-generated or user-initiated action, a business application establishes a Pend Type ID, for a specified activity, placing an event record in the queuing table (OrderTracking.tbWorkQueue) using a stored procedure that initiates the suspension (uspStartPend). The queue processor interrupts the requested suspension and places a record into the pend table (OrderTracking.tbPend). Pends are related to activities, which relate to internal business processes. An indicator of “Pend” means the activity is suspended. Multiple activities may be suspended at the same time; conversely, a single activity may be pended multiple times.
Users may exercise their discretion in selecting Pend types. Business rules are established for each business application to determine which Pends types to make available to the user. Business applications may choose to automate specific Pend Types based on the individual system's business rules.
Pends are generic in nature. Therefore, an Activity type ID is identified for the order tracking system to suspend the correct activity. When a business application sets a Pend Type ID for an order, the order is displayed as Pended in the order tracking system, but events may continue to occur. These events do not have a relationship with the Pend Type ID. Each business application also decides when to clear Pends.
Pend notes are stored in the OrderTracking.tbPendNote table. Notes may be updated without having to establish a new Pend Type or adding an end date.
To create a Pend, business applications establish a Pend Type ID, for a specified activity, placing a record in the queuing table (OrderTracking.tbWorkQueue) using a stored procedure that initiates the suspension (uspStartPend). The queue processor interrupts the requested suspension and places a record into the pend table (OrderTracking.tbPend). To clear a Pend, one of two stored procedures (uspEndPend, or uspEndPendByID) is called. These stored procedures place an ending pend action record into the queuing table for action by the order tracking automation processor. These records command the processor to place an ending date for the pend, either by an identifier or other identifying pieces of information, into the tbPend table for the appropriate pend thereby clearing it.
Referring to FIG. 12, an open pends box display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The open pends box may be accessed from an order status page open pends box option as shown in FIG. 3. The open pends box (308 of FIG. 3) provides a quick way for users to view all of the open pends that are suspending the order from progressing through the order completion process. Selecting any of the hyperlink open pend descriptions in the box opens the pend history report with the pend note expanded for the selected pend. The pend history report (310 of FIG. 3) is a cumulative list of all pended reasons for an order and the start and end dates. If a pended description does not have an end date, it is an open pended reason item. It tracks the history of open and closed pends for a sales order. It is accessed from an open pends list or a pend icon on a Steps page. Open pends do not have end dates while closed or “cleared” pends do.
Referring to FIGS. 13A and 13B, a pend history report display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. Referring to FIG. 13A, the top of the display comprises the sales order number 1300 and an identifier for the page 1302. A table comprising the following fields is displayed 1304: step, activity, pend reason, store name, terminal ID, start date, end date, status, and note. Data for each of the fields is then displayed 1306. Details related to a particular pend's history appear at the bottom of the display 1308 as shown in FIG. 13B.
Referring to FIG. 14, a shipping information report display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The shipping information in the report shows all shipping incidents related to a sales order. The sales order is identified at the top of the display 1400 along with an identifier for the page 1402. Data for fields location, ship date/time, tracking number, equipment, and serial number 1404 are also displayed.
Referring to FIG. 15, an advanced search filter display for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The advanced search filter allows users to search for multiple sales orders. Features and functionality provided in the advanced search filter are outlined in Table 6.








TABLE 6





Criteria
Business Rules







Report
A selection is required, but defaults to the highest possible level.


Level 
Order tracking system uses the same security as the Sales 


1500
Reports and limits access to various levels of reporting Regions,



Districts, Territories, and Agents based on User ID.


Filters 
User selects the checkbox to enable a filter, and then selects a 


1502
value from the corresponding drop-down list.



Users may combine filters to narrow a search.



Submit Date



By default, START and END dates are populated with current 



date in both fields.



User specifies a START and END date to create a date range filter.



If this filter is selected, the result set is limited to orders submitted 



within the specified date range for the selected Report Level. A



valid date is selected. The system does not allow the user to select 



a date from the calendar tool that is greater than the current date.



Order Status



User may choose to select an order-level status to filter the 



result set.



If this filter is selected, return only orders that currently 



match the selected status for the selected Report Level and date 



range (if selected). The available Order Status values are:



  Canceled



  Complete



  In Process



  Pended



If this filter is not selected, the system returns Orders with 



ANY status for the selected Report Level, 



date range, and Key Value (if selected).



Key Value



A “Key Value” is a general category that includes 



identification numbers or descriptions.



“Key” narrows search results to records matching the 



information provided by the user.



Key Values include:










Key Value
Validation Rules



Customer (or Legal) Name
Alphanumeric; allow special 




characters.



Customer Number
Numeric; 10 digits.



Group Name
Alphanumeric; allow special 




characters.



Group Number
Numeric.



Lead Number
Numeric.



Merchant (or Store) Name
Alphanumeric; allow special 




characters.



Merchant Number
Numeric; 15 digits.



Sales Order Number
Numeric.




Return record(s) that match specified 




sales order (regardless of status 




and/or date range).




If sales order is not assigned to that 




Sales Agent 1, Sales Agent 2 or Sales 




Agent 3, display an error message.




If the sales order is not assigned to 




that District or Territory, display an 




error message.



Terminal ID
Alphanumeric.









If this flter is selected, return orders matching the specified Key 



Value for the selected Report Level, Date Range, and Order 



Status (if selected). If this filter is not selected, return all orders 



for that Report Level, Date Range (if selected), and Order Status 



(if selected).









Referring to FIG. 16, a search results page for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. Order information is returned in a search results page. Identifying information is displayed at the top of the page 1600. The specified search criteria used to perform the search is displayed on the results page. Users may choose to revise the search or generate a new one. Descriptions of the fields 1602 are provided in Table 7. Search result data is displayed for the various fields 1604.










TABLE 7





Column

Business



Name
Description
Rules/Notes
Example







Status
Icon that depicts 
Display appropriate 
 



the current status 
graphic for the 




of an order
SO_Numbers 





StatusTypeID in 





tbOrder.



Submit
Date OLA 

Mar. 14, 2005


Date
submitted to 





and received by





company.




Sales
Sales Order 
Display value for Order-
798654


Order
Number
Tracking.tbOr-





der.SO_Number for 





records that match 





inquiry.



Customer
10-digit external
Display value from 
1000896321


Nbr
Customer Number
tbOrder.CustomerNbr.



Customer
Principal or Legal
Display text from 
Donuts, Inc.


Name
Name of the
tbOrder.CustName.




Customer




Merchant
15-digit external
Display value from
5429290090-


Nbr
Merchant
tbOrderLocation.Mer-
93584



Number
chantNbr if available.



Store
Merchant or 
Create new row for each 
Matt's Donuts


Name
“DBA”
Location. Always 




Description
display Store





Name on same 





row as corresponding 





Merchant Nbr.



Sales
Sales Agent ID 
Use Order-
17270


Agent
of the agent 
Tracking.tbOrder.Sales-




who sold the deal
AgentID



Email
Icon used by
Emails Sales Support 
 



Sales agent to 
with Subject line




send an email 
populated with the




message to
SO_Number. Use




company support
current email support




representatives
functionality in 





SalesApp.









Details of the order tracking database are described in the tables 8-16. Table 8 provides a list of tables for an example embodiment of the present invention.








TABLE 8





Table Name
Description







tbAction
Stores a list of actions that correlate to 



actions available in the order tracking



automation processor.


tbOrder
Stores Sales Order Number, Order-level 



status, Customer and Sales Agent info.


tbOrderLocation
Stores Location Number and Merchant info.


tbOrderEquipment
Stores Location Number, Equipment Number 



and Terminal ID.


tbStatusDefinition
Lookup table for status descriptions.


tbSystemDefinition
Lookup table for external system descriptions.


tbOrderStep
Stores Step-level start and end dates for an 



order.


tbOrderStepDefinition
Lookup table for Step descriptions.


tbOrderActivity
Stores Activity-level Start and End dates.


tbOrderActivityDefinition
Lookup table for Activity descriptions; relates 



Activities to Steps.


tbOrderEvent
Stores business application Events, including 



start and end dates.


tbOrderEventDefinition
Lookup table for Event descriptions; relates 



Events to Activities.


tbEventNote
Stores Note Text for an Event record.


tbPend
Stores any Pend Reasons for an order.


tbPendDefinition
Lookup table for Pend descriptions; relates 



Pends to Activities.


tbPendNote
Stores Note Text for a Pend record.


tbWorkQueue
Table that contains records of all actions to be 



performed on the order tracking system



as requested by other business applications.


tpCarrier
Stores a carrier ID, description and correlating 



URL to a shipping carrier's website.









The following values are added to the lookup table tbStatusDefinition.








TABLE 9





StatusTypeID
Description







1
In Process


2
Complete


3
Cancelled


4
Pended









The following values are added to the lookup table tbSystemDefinition. These are the System IDs that are passed with trigger events by business applications.









TABLE 10





SystemID
Description








 1
AIM
Account Implementation Management—system 




for providing internal employees information to 




setup a customer with new products or services


 2
AUS
Automated Underwriting System—system for 




determining the level of risk for a new merchant


 3
CMS
Company Merchant Services—sales and 




employee tracking utility for the purposes of 




determining employee compensation


 4
Shipping
System for managing and tracking shipments of 




products and equipment to merchants


 5
Sales 
System for managing sales of products 



System
and services to new merchants


 6
OLA
Online Application—application for providing 




sales force with information on new merchants


 7
DIFT
Document Image Filing Tool—application for 




use by internal employees to store images of 




sales documents provided to merchants


 8
CIS/STAR
Customer Information System/Service Tracking 




and Reporting—merchant information and




support systems applications


 9
GC Admin
GiftCard Administration—application for 




initiating acceptance of gift cards by merchants


10
RC Admin
RewardsCard Administration—application for 




initiating acceptance of reward cards by 




merchants









The following values are added to the lookup table tbOrderStepDefinition.









TABLE 11





StepTypeID
Description
Ordinal







1
Order Entry
1


2
Order Approval
2


3
Order Fulfillment
3


4
Shipping
4


5
Installation
5









The following values are added to the lookup table tbOrderActivityDefinition.











TABLE 12





Activity






TypeID
Description
StepTypeID
DisplayLevel
OrderLevel







 1
Order Submitted
1
1
1


 2
Quality Control
1
2
1


 3
Pricing
2
1
1


 4
Underwriting
2
2
1


 5
Merchant Verifi-
2
3
1



cation





 6
Funding and 
2
4
1



Paperwork





 7
Terminal Setup
3
1
0


 8
Deployment
3
2
0


 9
Shipping
4
1
0


10
Installation
5
1
0


11
Training
5
2
0









Order Level:
0=Not Sales Order Level (i.e., Terminal or Location)
1=Sales Order Level
The following values are added to the lookup table tbOrderEventDefinition.












TABLE 13










Is 






Is
Rein-


Event
Activity

Is
Cancel-
state-


Type
Type

Closing
lation
ment


ID
ID
Description
Event
Event
Event







 1
 1
Online Application 
1
0
0




Submitted





 2
 1
Applied for New Vendor 1
0
0
0


 3
 1
Applied for New Vendor 1 
0
0
0




REV PIP





 4
 1
Applied for New Vendor 2
0
0
0


 5
 1
Registered for Existing 
0
0
0




Vendor 1





 6
 1
Registered for Existing 
0
0
0




Vendor 1 REV PIP





 7
 1
Registered for Existing 
0
0
0




Vendor 2





 8
 1
New Account Activated by 
1
0
0




Vendor 1





 9
 1
New Account Activated by 
1
0
0




Vendor 2





 10
 1
Existing Account Regis-
1
0
0




tered by Vendor 1





 11
 1
Existing Account Regis-
1
0
0




tered by Vendor 2





 12
 1
Application Declined by 
1
0
0




Vendor 1





 13
 1
Application Declined by 
1
0
0




Vendor 2





 14
 1
GiftCard Order Placed
0
0
0


 15
 1
GiftCard Order Sent to 
0
0
0




Manufacturer





 16
 1
GiftCard Order Canceled
1
0
0


 17
 1
RewardsCard Order Placed
0
0
0


 18
 1
RewardsCard Order Sent 
0
0
0




to Manufacturer





 19
 1
RewardsCard Order 
1
0
0




Canceled





 20
 2
Order reviewed by Quality 
1
0
0




Control





 21
 6
Additional Services Form 
0
0
0




Received





 22
 6
Business License Received
0
0
0


 23
 6
CPA Pages 1 and 2 
0
0
0




Received





 24
 6
Financials Received
0
0
0


 25
 6
Funding Received
0
0
0


 26
 6
Lease Received
0
0
0


 27
 6
Check Addendum Received
0
0
0


 28
 6
Petroleum Addendum 
0
0
0




Received





 29
 6
External Pictures Received
0
0
0


 30
 6
Previous Processor 
0
0
0




Statements Received





 31
 6
Rental Agreement Received
0
0
0


 32
 6
SSN Documentation 
0
0
0




Received





 33
 6
WEX Application Received
0
0
0


 34
 6
3 Tier Cost Plus Addendum 
0
0
0




Received





 35
 6
Required Document 
0
0
0




Waived





 36
 6
Additional Paperwork 
0
0
0




Required





 37
 3
Rates/Fees Incorrect
0
0
0


 38
 2
Withdrawn by Quality 
1
1
0




Control





 39
 3
Rates Approved by Pricing 
1
0
0




Committee





 40
 3
Rates Declined by Pricing 
1
0
0




Committee





 41
 3
Withdrawn by Pricing 
1
1
0




Committee





 42
 4
Sent to Underwriters
0
0
0


 43
 4
MATCH Information 
0
0
0




Requested





 44
 4
Credit Score Requested
0
0
0


 45
 4
OFAC Information 
0
0
0




Requested





 46
 3
Rates/Fees Correct
1
0
0


 47
 4
Approved by Underwriting
1
0
0


 48
 4
Declined by Underwriting
1
0
0


 49
 4
Withdrawn by Under-
1
1
0




writing





 50
 5
Called Merchant
0
0
0


 51
 5
Scheduled Appointment
0
0
0


 52
 5
Verified Merchant
1
0
0


 53
 9
Withdrawn by Shipping
1
1
0


 54
 6
Internal Pictures Received
0
0
0


 55
 7
REMOVED: Merchant 
0
0
0




Number Assigned





 56
 7
Terminal ID Assigned
0
0
0


 57
 7
Packing Slip Sent to 
1
0
0




Distribution Center





 58
 7
Terminal Profile Built
0
0
0


 59
 7
REMOVED: Terminal 
0
0
0




Profile Updated





 60
 7
REMOVED: Check Digit 
0
0
0




Generated





 61
 7
Sent to Order Fulfillment
1
0
0


 62
 7
Withdrawn by Contracts 
1
1
0




Processing





 63
 8
Sent to Deployment
0
0
0


 64
 5
Sent to Verification
0
0
0


 65
 8
Packing Slip Printed in 
0
0
0




Deployment





 66
 8
Download Notice 
0
0
0




Generated





 67
 8
Equipment Pulled from 
0
0
0




Inventory





 68
 8
Reviewed by Deployment 
1
0
0




QC





 69
 8
Withdrawn by Deployment
1
1
0


 70
 9
Order Ready for Shipment
0
0
0


 71
 9
Order Packed
0
0
0


 72
 9
Tracking Number Assigned
0
0
0


 73
 9
Waiting for Carrier Pickup
0
0
0


 74
 9
GiftCard Order Shipped By 
0
0
0




Manufacturer





 75
 9
RewardsCard Order 
0
0
0




Shipped By







Manufacturer





 76
 9
Order Picked up by Carrier
1
0
0


 77
10
Card Processing 
0
0
0




Installation Ready





 78
10
Onsite Installation Ready
0
0
0


 79
10
MSP Installation Ready
0
0
0


 80
10
VAR Installation Ready
0
0
0


 81
10
Called Merchant
0
0
0


 82
10
Scheduled Appointment
0
0
0


 83
10
Merchant Installed
1
0
0


 84
10
Lease Sent to Golden Eagle
0
0
0


 85
10
AE Certified Installation
0
0
0


 86
11
Merchant Trained by CI
1
0
0


 87
11
Merchant Trained by Agent
1
0
0


 88
10
Withdrawn by Installation
1
1
0


 89
 2
Order Ready for Quality 
0
0
0




Control





 90
 2
Order Ready for ISG 
0
0
0




Quality Control





 91
 2
Note from Quality Control
0
0
0


 92
 2
Note from ISG
0
0
0


 93
 3
Note from Pricing 
0
0
0




Committee





 94
 5
Note from Verification
0
0
0


 95
 7
Note from Contracts 
0
0
0




Processing





 96
 8
Note from Distribution 
0
0
0




Center





 97
 9
Note from Distribution 
0
0
0




Center





 98
10
Note from Central 
0
0
0




Installations





 99
 6
All Required Docs 
1
0
0




Received





100
 2
Reinstated by Quality 
0
0
1




Control





101
 3
Reinstated by Pricing 
0
0
1




Committee





102
 4
Reinstated by Underwriting
0
0
1


103
 9
Reinstated by Shipping
0
0
1


104
 7
Reinstated by Contracts 
0
0
1




Processing





105
 8
Reinstated by Deployment
0
0
1


106
10
Reinstated by Installation
0
0
1









The following values are added to the lookup table tbPendDefinition. Any of these pend descriptions may be selected by an end user to pend or hold an order during the order completion process. Business applications specify the ActivityTypeID based on trigger events when creating a pend record in tbPend.








TABLE 14





PendTypeID
Description







 1
Documents Unreadable:Business License


 2
Documents Unreadable:CPA Pages 1 & 2


 3
Documents Unreadable:Financials


 4
Documents Unreadable:Lease


 5
Documents Unreadable:Check Addendum


 6
Documents Unreadable:Internal Pictures


 7 
Documents Unreadable:External Pictures


 8
Documents Unreadable:Previous Processor Statements


 9
Documents Unreadable:Rental Agreement


10
Documents Unreadable:SSN Documents


11
Documents Unreadable:WEX Application


12
Documents Unreadable:Additional Services Form


13
Documents Unreadable:3 Tier - Cost Plus Addendum


14
Paperwork Missing:Business License


15
Paperwork Missing:CPA Pages 1 & 2


16
Paperwork Missing:Financials


17
Paperwork Missing:Lease


18
Paperwork Missing:Check Addendum


19
Paperwork Missing:Internal Pictures


20
Paperwork Missing:External Pictures


21
Paperwork Missing:Previous Processor Statements


22
Paperwork Missing:Rental Agreement


23
Paperwork Missing:SSN Documents


24
Paperwork Missing:WEX Application


25
Paperwork Missing:Additional Services Form


26
Paperwork Missing:3 Tier - Cost Plus Addendum


27
Funding Missing


28
Funding Incorrect


29
Data Issue


30
Contract Not Signed


31
Equipment/Software Issue


32
Sent to Pricing Committee


33
Unable to Verify Merchant


34
Sales Agent Must Contact Merchant


35
Unable to Contact Merchant


36
Incorrect Banking Information


37
Issues with Packing Slip


38
Card Type Not Active


39
Equipment Research


40
Check Service Configuration Issues


41
Invalid Shipping Address


42
Hold for Future Shipment


43
Underwriting:Financial Statements


44
Underwriting:Internal Pictures


45
Underwriting:External Pictures


46
Underwriting:Processor Statements


47
Underwriting:Business License


48
Underwriting:SSN Documents


49
Underwriting:Website Address


50
Underwriting:Product Sample/Brochure


51
Underwriting:Tax Filings


52
Underwriting:ID Verification


53
Underwriting:Merchant Interview


54
Underwriting:Management Review


55
Underwriting:Other


56
Awaiting AE Onsite Install


57
Awaiting AE Install


58
Rate Verification Error


61
Lead with No Lead Number


62
Underwriting:CPA Missing


63
Underwriting:Principal Title


64
Underwriting:Credit Risk


65
Underwriting:Detailed Business Description


66
Underwriting:Bankruptcy/Equipment Ownership


67
Underwriting:Parameters









Information that defines an order is populated in OrderTracking.tbOrder by an order tracking system process when EventTypeID 1 is triggered for a sales order number (SO_Number).
Activities and steps are also created when this first event is established.
Additionally, the order tracking system process populates tbOrderLocation.LocationNumber table with location data for each location number identified in the OLA system for the same SO_Number.
When event ID 1 is triggered through the order tracking queue, the queue processor calls the create order stored procedure (uspCreateOrder) upon determining that the order does not exist in the table tbOrder.








TABLE 15





Column



Name
Specifications







SO_Number
Specified sales order number for Event ID 1


StatusTypeID
Insert “1”


CustomerID
Customer ID retrieved from the online application 



(OLA).


CustomerNbr
Customer number retrieved from the OLA.


CustName
If the OLA system indicates this is a new customer 



and the customer's name and address information for 



address type 11 is available then retrieve it, otherwise, 



use the description of the customer from OLA's 



corporate data.


DistrictID
Identifying district number from OLA's sales agent 



data.


TerritoryID
Identifying territory number from OLA's sales agent 



data.


SalesAgentID
From OLA's sales agent data.


SalesChannel
Sales channel id from the OLA's sales agent data.


TerminalCnt
Store total number of unique Equipment IDs from the 



OLA.Equipment table.


Submit Date
Completed Time for SO_Number as retrieved from OLA.


LastStatus
A description of the last triggered event, or pended action.









Additional Location information is populated in OrderTracking.tbOrderLocation by an order tracking system process when EventTypeID 1 is created in tbOrderEvent for a SO_Number.
Data is collected according to the specifications below.









TABLE 16





Column Name
Specifications
Notes







LocationNumber
For the specified SO_Number retrieve 




location number from the OLA system 




when event ID 1 is triggered.



SO_Number
Specified by the system triggering event 




ID 1.



MerchantName
Retrieved with the location data from the 
Same as the



OLA system for the specified SO_Number.
Store Name.


MerchantNbr
Retrieved with the location data from the 




OLA system for the specified SO_Number.









Additional implementation details for an example embodiment of the present invention are provided in Appendices A-D. Appendix A includes a description of procedures for an example embodiment of the present invention. Appendix B is a list of system trigger events for an example embodiment of the present invention. Appendix C is a list of pend types for an example embodiment of the present invention. Appendix D is a list of activity type definitions for an example embodiment of the present invention. The present invention provides sales agents and managers with a comprehensive view of an order's progression based on trigger events initiated by a plurality of business applications that support different phases of the order completion process.
While example embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, various modifications and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Different trigger events as well as steps, activities, and events may be defined and fall within the scope of the present invention. Different views to data in the order tracking database may be developed and fall within the scope of the present invention. Modifications, combinations, and equivalents to the system and method of the present invention are intended to be covered and claimed.








APPENDIX A







Stored Procedure Name
uspAddEvent


Description
Adds valid event information to the OrderTracking queuing table



(tbWorkQueue) for processing by the OrderTracker queue processor, and



storage with OrderTracker's event information in the tbOrderEvent table.


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int,



@ LocationNum int,



@ EquipmentNum int,



@ EventTypeID int,



@ EventDate datetime,



@ User varchar(50),



@ System ID int,



@ Note varchar(255) = null,



@ TrackingNbr varchar(50) = NULL,



@ CarrierID int = NULL


Output (if any)
none


Return
none


Function
Adds the passed event information to the queuing table for processing into



the OrderTracking system by the OrderTracker queue processor.


Stored Procedure Name
uspStartActivity


Description
Assigns the start date, system and user that started the activity.


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int,



@ LocationNum int,



@ EquipmentNum int,



@ ActivityTypeID int,



@ SystemID int,



@ User varchar(50),



@ StartDate datetime


Output (if any)
none


Return
none


Function
Starts the activity based on SONumber, LocationNum, EquipmentNum,



ActivityTypeID. If the associated step has not been started, the start date is



assigned to the step for this activity.


Stored Procedure Name
uspEndActivity


Description
Assigns the end date, system and user that ended the activity.


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int,



@ LocationNum int,



@ EquipmentNum int,



@ ActivityTypeID int,



@ SystemID int,



@ User varchar(50),



@ EndDate datetime


Output (if any)
none


Return
none


Function
Ends the activity based on SONumber, LocationNum, EquipmentNum,



ActivityTypeID. If this is the last activity in a step, the end date is assigned



to the step for this activity.


Stored Procedure Name
uspStartStep


Description
Assigns the start date to the step.


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int,



@ StepTypeID int,



@ EndDate datetime


Output (if any)
none


Return
none


Function
Assigns the end date to the step for the specified SONumber.


Stored Procedure Name
uspEndStep


Description
Assigns the end date to the step.


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int,



@ StepTypeID int,



@ StartDate datetime


Output (if any)
none


Return
none


Function
Assigns the start date to the step for the specified SONumber. If this is the



last step in the order, the order is marked as completed.


Stored Procedure Name
uspCreateOrder


Description
Creates the shell of the order as well as populates order data


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int


Output (if any)
none


Return
none


Function
Creates the order by retrieving order information and builds the shell of 



the order by calling other stored procedures.


Stored Procedure Name
uspCreateSteps


Description
Creates the empty steps for an order.


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int


Output (if any)
none


Return
none


Function
Creates the steps for an order and then calls the uspCreateActivities stored



procedure.


Stored Procedure Name
uspCreateActivities


Description
Creates the empty activities for each step in the order.


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int


Output (if any)
none


Return
none


Function
Creates the activities for an order for all steps.


Stored Procedure Name
uspStartPend


Description
Adds valid pend information to the OrderTracking queuing table



(tbWorkQueue) for processing by the OrderTracker queue processor, and



storage with OrderTracker's pend information in the tbPend table.


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int,



@ LocationNum int,



@ EquipmentNum int,



@ ActivityTypeID int,



@ PendTypeID int,



@ User varchar(50),



@ SystemID int,



@ StartDate datetime,



@ Note varchar(255)


Output (if any)
None


Return
None


Function
Adds the passed pend information to the queuing table for processing into



the OrderTracking system by the OrderTracker queue processor.


Stored Procedure Name
uspEndPend


Description
Adds pend clearing information to the OrderTracking queuing table



(tbWorkQueue) for processing by the OrderTracker queue processor for



purposes of clearing an open pend.


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int,



@ LocationNum int,



@ EquipmentNum int,



@ ActivityTypeID int,



@ PendTypeID int,



@ User varchar(50)



@ SystemID int,



@ EndDate datetime,



@ Note varchar(1000)


Output (if any)
None


Return
None


Function



Stored Procedure Name
uspEndPendByID


Description
Adds valid pend information to the OrderTracking queuing table



(tbWorkQueue) for processing by the OrderTracker queue processor for



purposes of clearing an open pend. This information contains the ID of a



specific system-generated pend.


Method
<Insert method for calling this stored procedure>


Input Parameters
@ SONumber int,



@ PendID int,



@ User varchar(50),



@ SystemID int,



@ EndDate datetime,



@ Note varchar(1000)


Output (if any)
None


Return
None


Function
















APPENDIX B







System Triggered Events










Event

Business



Type ID
Description
Applications
Trigger













1
Online Application Submitted
OLA
Item is submitted to AIM


2
Applied for New Vendor 1
AIM
IMPEX applies for NEW Vendor 1;





after CIS and LMS Exports


3
Applied for New Vendor 1 REV
AIM
IMPEX applies for NEW Vendor 1



PIP

Rev PIP; after CIS and CMS Exports


4
Applied for New Vendor 2
AIM
IMPEX applies for New Vendor 2;





after CIS and CMS Exports


5
Registered for Existing Vendor
AIM
IMPEX applies for Existing Vendor 1;



1

after CIS and CMS Exports


6
Registered for Existing Vendor
AIM
IMPEX applies for Existing Vendor 1



1 REV PIP

Rev PIP; after CIS and CMS Exports


7
Registered for Existing Vendor
AIM
IMPEX applies for Existing Vendor 2;



2

after CIS and CMS Exports


8
New Account Activated by
AIM
IMPEX returns activation notice from



Vendor 1

STAR


9
New Account Activated by
AIM
IMPEX returns activation notice from



Vendor 2

STAR


10
Existing Account Registered by
AIM
IMPEX returns activation notice from



Vendor 1

STAR


11
Existing Account Registered by
AIM
IMPEX returns activation notice from



Vendor 2

STAR


12
Application Declined by Vendor
AIM
IMPEX returns activation notice from



1

STAR


13
Application Declined by Vendor
AIM
IMPEX returns activation notice from



2

STAR


14
GiftCard Order Placed
GC Admin
similar to STAR incident


15
GiftCard Order Sent to
GC Admin
similar to STAR incident



Manufacturer




16
GiftCard Order Canceled
GC Admin
similar to STAR incident


17
RewardsCard Order Placed
RC Admin
similar to STAR incident


18
RewardsCard Order Sent to
RC Admin
similar to STAR incident



Manufacturer




19
RewardsCard Order Canceled
RC Admin
similar to STAR incident


20
Order reviewed by Quality
AIM
Item is progressed out of any of the



Control

QC queues


21
Additional Services Form
DIFT
Received date is established in



Received

AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


22
Business License Received
DIFT
Received date is established in





AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


23
CPA Pages 1 and 2 Received
DIFT
Received date is established in





AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


24
Financials Received
DIFT
Received date is established in





AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


25
Funding Received
DIFT
Received date is established in





AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


26
Lease Received
DIFT
Received date is established in





AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


27
Check Addendum Received
DIFT
Received date is established in





AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


28
Petroleum Addendum
DIFT
Received date is established in



Received

AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


29
External Pictures Received
DIFT
Received date is established in





AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


30
Previous Processor Statements
DIFT
Received date is established in



Received

AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


31
Rental Agreement Received
DIFT
Received date is established in





AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


32
SSN Documentation Received
DIFT
Received date is established in





AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


33
WEX Application Received
DIFT
Received date is established in





AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


34
3 Tier—Cost Plus Addendum
DIFT
Received date is established in



Received

AIM.tbDocumentsReceived


35
Required Document Waived
AIM, AUS
Item is “unchecked” in smart





checkboxes


36
Additional Paperwork
AIM, AUS
Item is “checked” in smart



Requested

checkboxes


37
Rates/Fees Incorrect
AIM
Item fails Rate Verification; identify





where the rates failed in Notes (QC,





Underwriting, Merchant Verification)


38
Withdrawn by Quality Control
AIM
Item is Withdrawn in QC Group


39
Rates Approved by Pricing
AIM
Rates are forced in any Pricing



Committee

Committee Queue


40
Rates Declined by Pricing
AIM
Rates are declined in any Pricing



Committee

Committee Queue


41
Withdrawn by Pricing
AIM
Item is manually or automatically



Committee

withdrawn in Pricing Committee





Queues


42
Sent to Underwriters
AIM
Item is progressed to Underwriting





Queue


43
MATCH Information Requested
OLA, AUS
Established by any system that





requests MATCH


44
Credit Score Requested
OLA, AUS
Established by any system that





requests Credit Score


45
OFAC Information Requested
OLA, AUS
TBD


46
Rates/Fees Correct
AIM
Item passes Rate Verification


47
Approved by Underwriting
AIM
IMPEX receives disposition from AUS





for item


48
Declined by Underwriting
AIM
IMPEX receives disposition from AUS





for item


49
Withdrawn by Underwriting
AIM
IMPEX receives disposition from AUS





for item; automatically withdraws item


50
Called Merchant
AIM
User generated event; similar to





STAR incident called “AIM Note”


51
Scheduled Appointment
AIM
Verification appointment is scheduled


52
Verified Merchant
AIM
Item is progressed out of any





Verification queu


53
Withdrawn by Shipping
AIM
Item is withdrawn in any Shipping





queue


54
Internal Pictures Received
AIM
Required document was fulfilled;





pictures are often required for new





customers who fall into certain risk





categories.


55
REMOVED/Not Used




56
Terminal ID Assigned
CIS
TID is returned from send to Stratus


57
Packing Slip Sent to
AIM
Packing Slip is generated; item is in



Deployment

Packing Slip queue


58
Terminal Profile Built
AIM
Terminal programming information is





sent to TPI


59
REMOVED: Terminal Profile





Updated




60
REMOVED: Check Digit





Generated




61
Sent to Order Fulfillment
AIM
Item progressed to Order Fulfillment


62
Withdrawn by Contracts
AIM
Item is withdrawn in Data Check,



Processing

Install Support or Packing Slips





queues


63
Sent to Deployment
AIM
Item is progressed to Deployment





Queue (not Order Fulfillment)


64
Sent to Verification
AIM
Item is progressed to a Verification





Queue


65
Packing Slip Printed in
AIM
similar to STAR incident



Deployment




66
Download Notice Generated
AIM
similar to STAR incident


67
Equipment Pulled from
AIM
Equipment is scanned in AIM via



Inventory

Inventory; create note with Serial





Numbers


68
Reviewed by Deployment QC
AIM
Item leaves Deployment QC queue


69
Withdrawn by Deployment
AIM
Item is withdrawn in any Deployment





queue


70
Order Ready for Shipment
AIM
Item enters Shipping Queue


71
Order Packed
AIM
Item leaves Order Fulfillment Queue


72
Tracking Number Assigned
AutoShip/Sales
Auto Ship returns the FED Ex




App
tracking number; store number in





tbOrderEvent


73
Waiting for Carrier Pickup
AIM
Item leaves Shipping Queue


74
GiftCard Order Shipped By
GC Admin
similar to STAR incident



Manufacturer




75
RewardsCard Order Shipped
RC Admin
similar to STAR incident



By Manufacturer




76
Order Picked up by Carrier
AIM
Shipping department is done with the





order and it is now in transit to the





customer


77
Company Installation Ready
AIM
Item enters any CI Installation queue


78
Onsite Installation Ready
AIM
Item enters Onsite Installation queue


79
MSP Installation Ready
AIM
Item enters MSP Installation Queue


80
VAR Installation Ready
AIM
Item enters VAR Installation Queue


81
Called Merchant
AIM
User generated event; similar to





STAR incident called “AIM Note”


82
Scheduled Appointment
AIM
Item is scheduled in Installation


83
Merchant Installed
AIM
Item leaves Installation queue


84
Lease Sent to Golden Eagle
CMS
Agent needs to know this separate





contract has been sent


85
AE Certified Installation
AIM
User generated event; similar to





STAR incident called “AIM Note”


86
Merchant Trained by CI
AIM
User generated event; similar to





STAR incident called “AIM Note”


87
Merchant Trained by Agent
AIM
User generated event; similar to





STAR incident called “AIM Note”


88
Withdrawn by Installation
AIM
Item is withdrawn in any Installation





queue


89
Order Ready for Quality Control
AIM
Order progressed into Quality Control


90
Order Ready for ISG Quality
AIM
Order progressed into ISG Quality



Control

Control


91
Note from Quality Control
AIM
User added notes for Quality Control


92
Note from ISG
AIM
User added notes for ISG


93
Note from Pricing Committee
AIM
User added notes for Pricing





Committee


94
Note from Verification
AIM
User added notes for Verification


95
Note from Contracts
AIM
User added notes for Contracts



Processing

Processing


96
Note from Distribution Center
AIM
User added notes for Distribution





Center


97
Note from Distribution Center
AIM
User added notes for Distribution





Center


98
Note from Central Installations
AIM
User added notes for Central





Installations


99
All Required Docs Received

All required documents have been





received


100
Reinstated by Quality Control

Manually triggered event; current





business applications do not support


101
Reinstated by Pricing

Manually triggered event; current



Committee

business applications do not support


102
Reinstated by Underwriting

Manually triggered event; current





business applications do not support


103
Reinstated by Shipping

Manually triggered event; current





business applications do not support


104
Reinstated by Contracts

Manually triggered event; current



Processing

business applications do not support


105
Reinstated by Deployment

Manually triggered event; current





business applications do not support


106
Reinstated by Installation

Manually triggered event; current





business applications do not support
















APPENDIX C







Pend Types










Pend





Type

Business



ID
Description
Applications
Trigger













1
Documents Unreadable: Business License
AIM, AUS
User initiated


2
Documents Unreadable: CPA Pages 1 & 2
AIM, AUS
User initiated


3
Documents Unreadable: Financials
AIM, AUS
User initiated


4
Documents Unreadable: Lease
AIM, AUS
User initiated


5
Documents Unreadable: Check Addendum
AIM, AUS
User initiated


6
Documents Unreadable: Internal Pictures
AIM, AUS
User initiated


7
Documents Unreadable: External Pictures
AIM, AUS
User initiated


8
Documents Unreadable: Previous Processor
AIM, AUS
User initiated



Statements




9
Documents Unreadable: Rental Agreement
AIM, AUS
User initiated


10
Documents Unreadable: SSN Documents
AIM, AUS
User initiated


11
Documents Unreadable: WEX Application
AIM, AUS
User initiated


12
Documents Unreadable: Additional Services
AIM, AUS
User initiated



Form




13
Documents Unreadable: 3 Tier—Cost Plus
AIM, AUS
User initiated



Addendum




14
Paperwork Missing: Business License
AIM, AUS
User initiated


15
Paperwork Missing: CPA Pages 1 & 2
AIM, AUS
User initiated


16
Paperwork Missing: Financials
AIM, AUS
User initiated


17
Paperwork Missing: Lease
AIM, AUS
User initiated


18
Paperwork Missing: Check Addendum
AIM, AUS
User initiated


19
Paperwork Missing: Internal Pictures
AIM, AUS
User initiated


20
Paperwork Missing: External Pictures
AIM, AUS
User initiated


21
Paperwork Missing: Previous Processor
AIM, AUS
User initiated



Statements




22
Paperwork Missing: Rental Agreement
AIM, AUS
User initiated


23
Paperwork Missing: SSN Documents
AIM, AUS
User initiated


24
Paperwork Missing: WEX Application
AIM, AUS
User initiated


25
Paperwork Missing: Additional Services Form
AIM, AUS
User initiated


26
Paperwork Missing: 3 Tier—Cost Plus
AIM, AUS
User initiated



Addendum




27
Funding Missing
AIM
User initiated


28
Funding Incorrect
AIM
User initiated


29
Data Issue
AIM
User initiated


30
Contract Not Signed
AIM
User initiated


31
Equipment/Software Issue
AIM
User initiated


32
Sent to Pricing Committee
AIM
System generated when





item is progressed to





Pricing Committee Queue


33
Unable to Verify Merchant
AIM
User initiated


34
Sales Agent Must Contact Merchant
AIM
User initiated


35
Unable to Contact Merchant
AIM
User initiated


36
Incorrect Banking Information
AIM
User initiated


37
Issues with Packing Slip
AIM
User initiated


38
Card Type Not Active
AIM
User initiated


39
Equipment Research
AIM
User initiated


40
Check Service Configuration Issues
AIM
User initiated


41
Invalid Shipping Address
AIM
User initiated


42
Hold for Future Shipment
AIM
User initiated


43
Underwriting: Financial Statements
AUS
User initiated


44
Underwriting: Internal Pictures
AUS
User initiated


45
Underwriting: External Pictures
AUS
User initiated


46
Underwriting: Processor Statements
AUS
User initiated


47
Underwriting: Business License
AUS
User initiated


48
Underwriting: SSN Documents
AUS
User initiated


49
Underwriting: Website Address
AUS
User initiated


50
Underwriting: Product Sample/Brochure
AUS
User initiated


51
Underwriting: Tax Filings
AUS
User initiated


52
Underwriting: ID Verification
AUS
User initiated


53
Underwriting: Merchant Interview
AUS
User initiated


54
Underwriting: Management Review
AUS
User initiated


55
Underwriting: Other
AUS
User initiated


56
Awaiting AE Onsite Install
AIM
Pend automatically





generated based on





installation type


57
Awaiting AE Install
AIM
Pend automatically





generated based on





installation type


58
Rate Verification Error
AIM, AUS
Someone changed the





rates on the order and it





failed verification; this





typically involves moving





the order to Pricing





Committee or an





Exceptions Handling





group to try and correct





the problem


59
Lead with No Lead Number
OLA
Pend automatically





generated when order





comes into the Awaiting





Lead Number queue;





order requires a lead





number generated and





attached by internal





support group.


60
Underwriting: CPA Missing
AUS
The CPA document has





not been scanned in





Docupact


61
Underwriting: Principal Title
AUS
Principal's title is missing





or incorrect on the CPA


62
Underwriting: Credit Risk
AUS
Underwriter/Analyst is





concerned with





information found on the





principal's credit report,





financials, etc. and is





requesting more





information


63
Underwriting: Detailed Business Description
AUS
The business description





provided is too vague or





questionable according to





underwriting guidelines.


64
Underwriting: Bankruptcy/Equipment
AUS
Bankruptcy has been



Ownership

located on the principal's





credit report. According





to Underwriting guidelines





the equipment that the





merchant uses for





processing cannot be





leased.


65
Underwriting: Parameters
AUS
There may be a





discrepancy between the





OLA and AUS in the





parameters (volume and





ticket sizes) requested.





The statements provided





may not show a





processing history similar





to the parameters





requested. There could





also be a large difference





between average and





high volumes or tickets.





Any question regarding





parameters will use this





pend reason.
















APPENDIX D







Activity Type Definitions








Activity Type ID
Description











1
Order Submitted


2
Quality Control


3
Pricing


4
Underwriting


5
Merchant Verification


6
Paperwork and Funding


7
Terminal Setup


8
Deployment


9
Shipping


10
Installation


11
Training

## Claims

1. A computerized method for providing status information for an order for a product or service comprising:
developing a plurality of computerized business applications, each of said computerized business applications comprising functionality for recording data related to a plurality of order completion activities for an order for a product or service;
modifying each of said plurality of computerized business applications to execute a stored procedure upon suspension of one of said plurality of activities for said order for said product or service recorded by said computerized business application;
communicating data related to suspension of one of said plurality of activities to an order tracking database;
adding to said order tracking database a suspend event record for said activity, said suspend event record comprising:
(1) an activity identifier identifying said activity related to said order;
(2) a suspended activity identifier providing a description of a suspended activity related to said order; and
(3) a suspended reason identifier for recording a resolution to said suspended activity; and providing an interface to said order tracking database to obtain suspension status data for said order for said product or service according to said suspended activity; and
displaying for a user of said interface:
(1) suspension status data comprising suspended activities for said order for said product or service from said order tracking database; and
(2) for each suspended activity, said description and said resolution for said suspended activity.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein communicating data related to said suspension comprises communicating data in response to a system generated action.

3. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein communicating data related to said suspension comprises communicating data in response to a user generated action.

4. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein displaying for a user of said interface suspension status data for said order for said product or service comprises organizing said status data in steps for said order.

5. The computerized method of claim 4 wherein said steps for said order comprise an order entry step, an order approval step, an order fulfillment step, a shipping step, and an installation step.

6. The computerized method for claim 4 further comprising associating a status indicator with each of said steps.

7. The computerized method of claim 6 wherein said status indicator is selected from the group consisting of “in process,” “complete,” “pend,” and “cancel.”

8. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein said product or service is a payment processing system.

9. A computerized system for providing status information for an order for a product or service comprising:
an order tracking database for storing trigger event data related to order completion activities for said product or service;
a queue processor for evaluating and adding trigger event data to said order tracking database;
at least one computer executing a plurality of computerized business applications, each of said computerized business applications comprising functionality for recording order completion activity data for an order for a product or service;
at least one stored procedure for use by each of said plurality of computerized business applications to transmit suspend trigger event data to said queue processor, said suspend trigger event data related to a suspension of said order completion activity data for said order for said product or service recorded by said computerized business applications and comprising:
(1) an activity identifier identifying said activity related to said order;
(2) a suspended activity identifier providing a description of a suspended activity related to said order; and
(3) a suspended reason identifier for recording a resolution to said suspended activity; and
an interface to said order tracking database for presenting to a user suspension status data for said order for said product or service, said suspension status data related to said trigger event data in said order tracking database and comprising:
(1) suspension status data comprising suspended activities for said order for said product or service from said order tracking database; and
(2) for each suspended activity, said description and said resolution for said suspended activity.

10. The computerized system of claim 9 wherein said trigger event data comprises data related to a system generated action.

11. The computerized system of claim 9 wherein trigger event data comprises data related to a user generated action.

12. The computerized system of claim 9 wherein said interface for presenting to a user suspension status data for said order organizes said status data in steps for said order.

13. The computerized system of claim 12 wherein said steps for said order comprise an order entry step, an order approval step, an order fulfillment step, a shipping step, and an installation step.

14. The computerized system of claim 9 further comprising associating a status indicator with each of said steps.

15. The computerized system of claim 14 wherein said status indicator is selected from the group consisting of “in process,” “complete,” “pend,” and “cancel.”

16. The computerized system of claim 9 wherein said product or service is a payment processing system.

17. A computerized method for displaying order status information for an order comprising:
(a) storing in an order tracking database order data for said order, said order data comprising:
(i) an order identifier;
(ii) step data for a plurality of steps to be completed to process said order;
(iii) activity data for a plurality of activities to be completed for each step wherein each activity comprises a plurality of events to be completed;

(b) receiving at computer server in a queue processor executing at said server at least one suspend trigger from a business application for processing said order, said suspend event comprising:
(i) an activity identifier identifying an activity within a step for said order; and
(ii) a suspended activity identifier identifying a suspended activity related to said activity;

(c) storing in said order tracking database for said order a suspend event record comprising said activity identifier and said suspended activity identifier; and
(d) receiving at said computer server a user request to access status data for said order;
(e) in response to receiving said request to access status data for said order, providing to said user status data comprising:
(i) said order identifier; and
(ii) a suspended activity indicator related to said suspend event record for said order.

18. The computerized method of claim 17 further comprising receiving at said computer server a user request to view details of said suspend event record, said details comprising:
(1) said activity identifier identifying an activity within a step for said order; and
(2) said suspended activity identifier identifying a suspended activity related to said activity.

19. The computerized method of claim 18 wherein said suspended activity identifier comprises a reason for suspending said step within said order.

20. The computerized method of claim 17 wherein status data for said order comprises said suspended activity indicator until status data is updated with a resolution for said suspended activity.