Abstract:
An account management methodology and system for sales representatives of an enterprise employing an e-billing system including a computer system accessible for on-line interactive communication of product and service invoices to users. The account management tool includes a database for storing customer account information including customer invoices, the customer information including information for associating a customer account with a particular sales representative; a mechanism for retrieving from the database a list of all customer accounts associated with the sales representative; and, a device for transmitting a list of customer accounts associated with the sales representative to a sales representative browser device for that sales representative&#39;s review. The account management methodology and system includes an e-mail notification feature enabling receipt of email notifying a sales representative that a customer has signed up for (or) has been deleted from e-billing. A sales representative is further provided with the ability to turn off/on this email notification.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is related to, and claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/193,298 filed Mar. 30, 2000, entitled “Account Management Tool for E-billing System,” the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention:  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to e-commerce customer-support services, and particularly, to enhanced features for a web-based electronic billing system tool that provides internal sales representatives with updated customer e-billing account activity.  
           [0004]    2. Discussion of the Background  
           [0005]    Currently, there is no telecommunications enterprise or vendor providing telecommunications services that provide a fully integrated communications offering on the Internet with comprehensive product and services information, including electronic billing analysis and interactive customer support. In the area of billing for telecommunications products and services, telecommunications service enterprises provide capabilities for “on-line” electronic funds transfer (EFT) or public switched telephone network (PSTN) dial-up credit card payment of their invoices.  
           [0006]    Existing comprehensive world-wide-web/Internet-based invoicing and payment systems (hereinafter “e-billing”) enables customers to easily receive and analyze their invoices, and, in addition, enable customers to pay their invoices, electronically via electronic flnds transfer. This “e-billing” system includes a comprehensive software and system infrastructure that provides a variety of tools for enabling customers of telecom companies to receive, analyze and pay their invoices by a variety of methods, via a single comprehensive interface.  
           [0007]    It is becoming increasingly desirable to provide an internal Sales Representative of the telecommunications enterprise sales force with access to e-billing customer accounts so as to enable the sales force to better manage/track their e-billing customers.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention addresses the above stated needs by providing an e-billing system that provides a sales representative with an account management tool that enables a company&#39;s sales force to better manage/track their e-billing customers. The account management tool permits a company&#39;s sales force to view all of their invoices and/or companies that are on ebilling.  
           [0009]    According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an account management methodology and system for sales representatives of an enterprise employing an e-billing system including a computer system accessible for on-line interactive communication of product and service invoices to users, said account management tool comprising: a database for storing customer account information including customer invoices, the customer information including information for associating a customer account with a particular sales representative; a mechanism for retrieving from the database a list of all customer accounts associated with the sales representative; and, a device for transmitting a list of customer accounts associated with the sales representative to a service representative browser device for display thereof, whereby customer account information associated with the sales representative is available for review. In a preferred embodiment, the account management methodology and system includes an e-mail notification feature enabling receipt of email notifying a sales representative that a customer has signed up for (or) has been deleted from e-billing. A sales representative is further provided with the ability to turn off/on this email notification.  
           [0010]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for providing an on-line billing system is disclosed. The method includes storing account information of a plurality of customers in a database. The account information includes information for associating each of the plurality of customers with a particular agent among a plurality of agents. The method also includes generating a list of customer accounts corresponding to the particular agent from the account information, and displaying the list via a web browser to the agent.  
           [0011]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a server apparatus for providing an on-line billing system is disclosed. The server apparatus includes a communication interface that is configured to retrieve account information of a plurality of customers in a database. The account information includes information for associating each of the plurality of customers with a particular agent among a plurality of agents. The server apparatus also includes a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to generate a list of customer accounts corresponding to the particular agent from the account information, and to instruct display of the list via a web browser to the agent.  
           [0012]    In yet another aspect of the present invention, an e-billing system is provided. The e-billing system includes a database that is configured to store account information of a plurality of customers in a database. The account information includes information for associating each of the plurality of customers with a particular agent among a plurality of agents. The system also includes a server that communicates with the database. The server is configured to generate a list of customer accounts corresponding to the particular agent from the account information, and to instruct display of the list via a web browser to the agent. Further, the system includes a client that communicates with the server. The client is configured to run the web browser to display the list.  
           [0013]    According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a server apparatus for providing an on-line billing system is disclosed. The server apparatus includes means for storing account information of a plurality of customers in a database. The account information includes information for associating each of the plurality of customers with a particular agent among a plurality of agents; means for generating a list of customer accounts corresponding to the particular agent from the account information; and means for displaying the list via a web browser to the agent.  
           [0014]    In yet another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for providing an on-line billing system is disclosed. The one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of storing account information of a plurality of customers in a database. The account information includes information for associating each of the plurality of customers with a particular agent among a plurality of agents. Other steps include generating a list of customer accounts corresponding to the particular agent from the account information, and displaying the list via a web browser to the agent.  
           [0015]    Advantageously, the account management tool of the invention provides timely updated information relating to the customer base of a sales representative, thus stimulating the use of more e-billing and EFT payments, and consequently reducing a company&#39;s outstanding accounts receivables. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a diagram of an e-billing system architecture employing an account management tool to provide sales representative with enhancement features, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a diagram of an e-billing software architecture incorporating an account management tool, according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]    FIGS.  3 ( a ) and  3 ( b ) are diagrams of exemplary web-based display screens associated with the account management tool functionality, according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]    FIGS.  4 ( a ) and  4 ( b ) are diagrams of exemplary e-mail notification messages communicated to a sales representative when a new customer has enrolled for e-billing, and when a customer has been deleted from the e-billing system, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a diagram of a computer system that performs in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are depicted in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention.  
         [0023]    Although the present invention is discussed with respect to an Internet-based billing system, it is recognized that the present invention has applicability to any packet switched network.  
         [0024]    As shown in FIG. 1, there is depicted a physical hardware architecture of an exemplary e-billing system  10  (e.g., the MCIWorldcom Interact system). As shown in FIG. 1, there is provided a billing system represented as cloud  11 . Relating specifically to e-billing, a link via a double firewall  25   a  is provided to interface the billing system  10  with a third-party vendor electronic bill statement and presentment system  20  that finctions to generate and present on-line billing invoices for customers of the telecommunications enterprise over the Internet via double firewall  25   b.  In operation, a file including a customer&#39;s billing/invoice data is provided by the billing system (e.g., accounts receivable department) to the third-party system  20  where webpages including corresponding versions of the customer invoices are generated and posted online. Customers initially do not have access to the web based invoices. Instead, the on-line invoices are available to the enterprise audit department which checks the invoices for format compliance and billing total amount accuracy. As soon as the on-line versions of the invoices are approved by the audit department, they are flagged as available on-line and the third party system  20  notifies the customer and posts the invoices on-line for the customer access. Via public Internet  12  access through the MCI “Interact” web server portal to the suite of web-based applications including the e-billing application (not shown), the customer&#39;s may pay their invoices.  
         [0025]    Further, the e-billing system  10  includes an Internal Administration Tool (IAT) (not shown) which enables internal users (internal to the enterprise) to enable internal users to search for, add, view, modify, and delete users for various customer accounts. The IAT enables any enterprise personnel to view invoices by logging on as a particular external user or by specifying account invoice criteria. The user types include: Administrators, i.e., users with full functionality to the IAT, with the ability to maintain all levels of access, e.g., usually those personnel of high level authority or personnel responsible for e-billing system maintenance; and, Customer Service Representative (CSR), i.e., users with access to the IAT, but may be restricted from making certain changes, e.g. Order Entry, Customer Service, or Customer Center personnel.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 illustrates conceptually the e-billing software architecture  100  incorporating the internal account management tool providing the sales representative enhancement feature of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the system is divided into two functional areas: a first customer application  102  for providing customers  98  with access to the e-billing system; and a second application  104  for providing internal users  99  with access to the e-billing system. Particularly, for each application  102 ,  104 , the software enables the generation of a “Splash Screen”  110 , which is the initial screen that is displayed upon entering the system. Via the “Splash Screen”  110 , a customer  98  first enters a password and/or UserID (user identification) to log on to the Interact System. In an exemplary embodiment, a universal authentication process is initiated for authorizing the customer access to the e-billing system.  
         [0027]    After the authentication process, the customer is provided with a display  120  that enables the customer to select the e-billing system option. Likewise, via the “Splash Screen”  110 , an internal user, such as a sales representative  99  may enter a password and/or UserID in order to log on to the Interact System. After the internal user id is verified and access is authorized, the internal user is provided with a display  120  that enables the user to select the e-billing system option. For each of the customer and internal user applications  102 ,  104  respectively, there is implemented respective “interface wrappers”  152 ,  154 , which provide a common “look and feel” regardless if the user is a customer or a user. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, depending upon who the customer is and his/her access privileges, the interface wrapper  152  will enable those customer accounts to be listed for the customer via a web-based e-billing main menu display and make those accounts available for access by the customer via a web-browser or other suitable web-based interface device. Likewise, depending upon the access privileges of the internal user, the interface wrapper  154  will enable those accounts to be listed for the internal user via a web-based e-billing main menu display and, further make those accounts available for access by the user via a web-browser or other suitable web-based interface device.  
         [0028]    As shown in FIG. 2, all customer account information is stored in one or more databases  160   a , . . . ,  160   n  depending upon factors including who the customer is, the type of networks the customer is using/managing, the account type, etc. For purposes of explanation, these databases  160   a , . . . ,  160   n  may be lumped into one database, and may centrally located or distributed. However implemented, all account information stored in the database is filtered, by the interface wrappers  152 ,  154  in order to provide the appropriate account information to the authorized requestor (customer/user). Regardless of who is accessing the e-billing system, a main menu option page  175  is displayed for the customer/user to invoke the e-billing system functions including the enhanced Sales Representative functionality. As further shown in FIG. 2, however, the internal user application  104  is provided with the e-billing system Internal Administration Tool  300 , which includes an account and user maintenance engines for enabling internal users to add, view, and modify User and Account information for all of their accounts. [ 27 ] With respect to the internal Sales Representative (hereinafter “SR”), the IAT  300  preferably enables specialized functionality for enabling the viewing of associated accounts, searching for accounts, viewing of account invoices, and receiving/setting various E-mail notifications, as will be explained in greater detail.  
         [0029]    As part of this functionality, upon log on and authentication as an agent (i.e., Sales Representative (SR)), a Sales Representative Home Page  50  is generated for download to the SR user browser as shown in the example home page depicted in FIG. 3( a ). As depicted in FIG. 3( a ), the SR home page  50  is provided with main menu option choices including: a first link  52  to an account list for providing the SR with the ability to view all accounts to which that SR is associated; a second link  54  for providing the SR with the ability to access a specific account invoice or view a specific account invoice through the SR view account list; and, a third link  56  for providing the SR with the ability to set provisions within the e-billing system enabling the SR to receive an e-mail notification each time an e-billing account is associated to that SR&#39;s user id, and enabling the SR to receive an e-mail notification each time an account that is associated to that SR&#39;s user id becomes deleted. It is understood that the SR home page  50  includes a task bar  51  from which an SR may select to link to the various IAT functions. One of these functions include the search link  58  which enables the SR to search by account name or account number for different types of accounts and, additionally providing the ability to access those account invoices that resulted from the search.  
         [0030]    As shown in FIG. 3( a ), when the SR selects view account list link  52 , the internal SR user is presented with a web based display screen  60 , an example of which is depicted in FIG. 3( b ), having a frame  62  automatically populated with all of the accounts  66  associated with that SR. The internal SR user will thus be able to view all of the account list results  66  for that SR. Account information provided in the list results include Account name, number, account address, account type, level, environment number and account alias. From this web page display  60 , a further link  68  is provided for enabling a user to conduct a further search for other accounts not listed.  
         [0031]    Referring back to FIG. 3( a ), when the SR selects view account invoice link  54 , the internal SR user is presented with a web based display screen  70 , an example of which is depicted in FIG. 3( c ), having a frame  72  providing entry fields for entering account invoice search criteria, it should be understood that a similar web based display screen as shown in FIG. 3( c ) is presented to the SR user upon selection of the search button  58  shown in the home page display of FIG. 3( a ). Returning to FIG. 3( c ), for example, there is provided in frame  72  entry fields  74 ,  75  and  76  for enabling the SR to enter an account name and account number or an account alias, respectively, according to the desired account invoice, which the SR desires for viewing. A further entry field  77  is provided for enabling entry of an environment number and further radio buttons  78  and  79  are provided for enabling the SR user to select account invoice type, e.g., VLI, and the account level, e.g., corporate. In response to selection of the continue button  71 , a search is conducted for the SR entered criteria, and a view account invoice search results list similar to the list such as depicted in the example of FIG. 3( b ) is presented to the SR. From this list, a user may click on the desired account id from the list  68  to enable viewing of those account invoice ( 5 ) for that account which resulted from the search. Thus, the SR account invoice information may be retrieved by entering an account name, account number or account alias. If the SR is within an account and then chooses to view invoices, they are taken directly into that account&#39;s invoice. As shown in FIG. 3( a ), when the SR selects the e-mail notification link  56 , the internal SR user is presented with a web based display screen  80 , an example of which is depicted in FIG. 3( d ), having a frame  82  with a check box  84  enabling the SR to specify whether the SR would like to receive an e-mail notification from the e-billing system  10  (FIG. 1) each time an e-billing account associated to that SR&#39;s user id is assigned; and, a check box  86  enabling the SR to specify whether the SR would like to receive an e-mail notification from the e-billing system each time an e-billing account associated to that SR&#39;s user id is deleted. After making the various selection, the SR clicks the Submit button  87  to effectuate the e-mail notification.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4( a ) illustrates an example e-mail message  90  automatically generated by the e-billing system and transmitted for receipt by the SR when that SR&#39;s status indicates e-mail notification from the e-billing system  10  for newly enrolled e-Billing account customers associated to that SR&#39;s user id. As shown in FIG. 4( a ), the example e-mail message is automatically populated with the new customer account information  90 , i.e., customer account name, address, and the like, for the associated SR.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4( b ) illustrates an example e-mail message  95  automatically generated by the e-billing system and transmitted for receipt by the SR when that SR&#39;s status indicates e-mail notification from the e-billing system  10  for e-billing account customers who have terminated their accounts or whose accounts have been terminated. As shown in FIG. 4( b ), the example email message is automatically populated with the canceled customer account information  97 , i.e., account name, address, and the like, for the associated SR.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5 illustrates a computer system upon which an embodiment according to the present invention may be implemented. Computer system  501  includes a bus  503  or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor  505  coupled with bus  503  for processing the information. Computer system  501  also includes a main memory  507 , such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to bus  503  for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor  505 . In addition, main memory  507  may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor  505 . Computer system  501  further includes a read only memory (ROM)  509  or other static storage device coupled to bus  503  for storing static information and instructions for processor  505 . A storage device  511 , such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to bus  503  for storing information and instructions.  
         [0035]    Computer system  501  may be coupled via bus  503  to a display  513 , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying information to a computer user. An input device  515 , including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to bus  503  for communicating information and command selections to processor  505 . Another type of user input device is cursor control  517 , such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to processor  505  and for controlling cursor movement on display  513 .  
         [0036]    According to one embodiment, the e-billing functions are provided by computer system  501  in response to processor  505  executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in main memory  507 . Such instructions may be read into main memory  507  from another computer-readable medium, such as storage device  511 . Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in main memory  507  causes processor  505  to perform the process steps described herein. One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement may also be employed to execute the sequences of instructions contained in main memory  507 . In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions. Thus, embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.  
         [0037]    Further, the finctions of the e-billing system may reside on a computer-readable medium. The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to processor  505  for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Nonvolatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device  511 . Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory  507 . Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus  503 . Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communication.  
         [0038]    Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read.  
         [0039]    Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to processor  505  for execution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions relating to e-billing functions remotely into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system  501  can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infrared transmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal. An infrared detector coupled to bus  503  can receive the data carried in the infrared signal and place the data on bus  503 . Bus  503  carries the data to main memory  507 , from which processor  505  retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by main memory  507  may optionally be stored on storage device  511  either before or after execution by processor  505 .  
         [0040]    Computer system  501  also includes a communication interface  519  coupled to bus  503 . Communication interface  519  provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link  521  that is connected to a local network  523 . For example, communication interface  519  may be a network interface card to attach to any packet switched local area network (LAN). As another example, communication interface  519  may be an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) card, an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, communication interface  519  sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.  
         [0041]    Network link  521  typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For example, network link  521  may provide a connection through local network  523  to a host computer  525  or to data equipment operated by a service provider, which provides data communication services through a communication network  527  (e.g., the Internet). LAN  523  and network  527  both use electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams. The signals through the various networks and the signals on network link  521  and through communication interface  519 , which carry the digital data to and from computer system  501 , are exemplary forms of carrier waves transporting the information. Computer system  501  can transmit notifications and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), network link  521  and communication interface  519 .  
         [0042]    The techniques described herein provide several advantages over prior approaches to executing payment of bills over an on-line system. The e-mail-related functionality and the ability for the agent (e.g., Sales Representative) to control the receipt of the email as afforded by the invention is particularly valuable to the sales force of any service enterprise employing e-billing systems to help them better manage/track their e-billing customers. The present invention advantageously equips the Sales Representative with greater access to account information and more timely information related to the customer base of the Sales Representative, thus fostering more e-billing to provide timely and efficient processing of bills.  
         [0043]    While the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. More specifically, the system administrative and early payment discount system described may apply to any generic applications available via the Web and is not limited to the telecommunications industry.