Abstract:
A risk assessment manager is an intranet-based software system that provides enterprise-wide automated risk assessment and portfolio management to help companies reduce bad debt, decrease operational expenses, and increase cash flow. System features include integrating business information associated with unique business identifiers and displaying data in multiple languages and currency.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present disclosure generally relates to automated credit decisioning and portfolio management. In particular, the present disclosure relates to managing and analyzing portfolios of accounts to help companies reduce bad debt, decrease operational expenses, and increase cash flow.  
         [0003]     2. Background of the Invention  
         [0004]     Chief financial officers (CFOs), treasurers, and controllers need to increase revenues, while minimizing overall risk, including credit risk. They need to improve cash flow (order-to-cash cycle), reduce operational expenses (do more with existing resources), and improve the efficiency and productivity of credit systems (faster turnaround time on accounts and orders). Also, they need to reduce bad debts and have better reporting. According to the Financial Executive International October 2002 Survey of Senior Finance Executives, most financial executives want more than just operational support from credit functions and accounts approved in less than one day. They are concerned about credit management staff failing to see the big picture, system shortcomings, a lack of a centralized data repository, and lack of time prohibiting prioritization. They want enhanced reporting, less administration, and exception-only analysis.  
         [0005]     Credit managers determine and extend appropriate credit terms, assess credit worthiness, find and use appropriate, accurate, and reliable data, manage bad debt, reduce days sales outstanding (DSO), and justify decisions. The Credit Research Foundation Fourth Quarter 2002 Survey of Credit Manager Challenges revealed credit mangers want to improve DSO, improve overall portfolio management, do more with existing resources, reduce bad debt, and have faster turnaround times on accounts and orders.  
         [0006]     There is a need to increase operating cash flow through a reduction in delinquency rates, increase profitability through reduction in bad debt write-downs, and increase operating margins through operational expense reductions. There is a need to decrease total risk exposure, charge-offs, problem accounts, and operational expenses for credit and collections. There is a need to increase utilization of existing information systems and assets. There is a need to decrease infrastructure costs. There is a need for consistency in risk analysis.  
         [0007]     According to Bankruptcy Data Communications, there were 176 public company bankruptcy filings in 2000, 257 in 2001, and 191 in 2002. Five of the ten largest bankruptcies in history occurred in 2002. Capital tied up in DSO is over 50% greater than most companies have available in cash and short-term investments. This is $440 billion for the S&amp;P industrials and if the average S&amp;P Co. reduced DSO by 1 day, it would free up $31 million, according to Monitor Group, September 2002.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present disclosure is directed to enterprise risk assessment manager systems and methods that satisfy these and other needs.  
         [0009]     One aspect is a system that provides an enterprise risk assessment manager service comprising a user interface, a risk assessment manager, a data integration toolkit, and a corporate linkage component. The user interface receives requests and customer account information to store in a portfolio in a first database. The risk assessment manager provides application functions and services based on the requests. The data integration toolkit component provides access to at least a second database. The corporate linkage component provides information used in determining a total risk exposure for a customer in the portfolio.  
         [0010]     In some embodiments, the risk assessment manager also includes a scoring component to provide a risk score for a customer in the portfolio and a transfer component to import and export data to and from the first database. In some embodiments, the data integration toolkit enhances the customer account information, provides entity matching for the customer account information, and provides data products.  
         [0011]     Another aspect is a system that provides an enterprise risk assessment manager service comprising a portfolio analysis component and a common decisioning component. The portfolio analysis component analyzes a portfolio of customer accounts and provides a data product containing a financial profile of a customer in the portfolio. The common decisioning component provides a credit decision for the customer in the portfolio based on user-defined rules and polices.  
         [0012]     In some embodiments, the common decisioning component includes a setup component to receive the user-defined rules and policies. In some embodiments, the system includes a configuration console component to provide administrative functions and security. The administrative functions includes an import function, an export function, and a calculate scores function. In some embodiments, the system includes a country logic component to determine a base language and a base currency for the customer in the portfolio. In some embodiments, the system also includes a database access component to retrieve country-specific data from a plurality of systems, such as European Office System, Canada Bilingual Office System, United States Advanced Office Systems, Nordic, Asian Pacific Latin America, and others.  
         [0013]     Another aspect is a machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein for performing a method of providing an enterprise risk assessment manager service. The machine-readable medium is any software delivery mechanism, such as a website, a CD, or a floppy disk. Customer account information is received. A portfolio is created based on the customer account information by applying entity matching, applying unique corporate identifiers, applying corporate linkage information, and applying predictive indicators. A customer base analysis of the portfolio is provided. A risk score is provided for at least one customer in the portfolio. An account profile is provided for the customer. In some embodiments, financial data about the portfolio is provided in a selected currency. In some embodiments, days sales outstanding (DSO) information is provided for the customer in the portfolio. In some embodiments, the account profile includes a financial statement.  
         [0014]     Another aspect is a method of providing an enterprise risk assessment manager service. Data in a portfolio of customer accounts is enhanced by a quality assurance process. At least one user-defined policy is received and enforced. Automated credit decisioning is provided for the customer based on at least one user-defined rule and the user-defined policy. Days sales outstanding (DSO) information is provided for the customer in the portfolio. Risk information is provided for the customer in the portfolio.  
         [0015]     In some embodiments, the portfolio is segmented by a selected variable to uncover risks and opportunities in the portfolio. In some embodiments, the risk information includes a total risk exposure within a corporate entity associated with the customer. In some embodiments, the quality assurance process includes entity matching, applying unique corporate identifiers, applying corporate linkage information, and applying predictive indicators. In some embodiments, a financial profile of a customer in the portfolio is provided. The financial profile includes how the customer pays other companies and a financial statement for the customer.  
         [0016]     In some embodiments, a change in a financial statement is received for the customer. A risk change is assessed in the portfolio based on the change in the financial policy according to the at least one user-defined rule and at least one user-defined policy. In some embodiments, the policy is selected from the group consisting of: a credit limit policy, a score policy, an exception policy, a collection policy, a selling term policy, and a financial selection policy. In some embodiments, a currency conversion feature is provided. A local currency is provided for each customer in the portfolio and a default currency is assigned for each customer in the portfolio. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and drawings where:  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example system architecture for an enterprise risk assessment manger (eRAM) system;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an example system architecture for components in an eRAM system;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an example system architecture for an application server in an eRAM system;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an example system architecture for a data access layer in an eRAM system;  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is a screenshot of an example user interface for an eRAM system;  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a screenshot of an example user interface for providing risk score information;  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is a screenshot of another example user interface for providing risk score information;  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  is a screenshot of an example user interface for days sales outstanding (DSO) information;  
         [0026]      FIG. 9  is a screenshot of an example user interface for customer base analysis;  
         [0027]      FIG. 10  is a screenshot of an example user interface for ordering a small business risk score;  
         [0028]      FIG. 11  is a screenshot of an example user interface for providing corporate risk exposure information;  
         [0029]      FIG. 12  is a block diagram of an example system architecture for an import feature;  
         [0030]      FIG. 13  is a block diagram of an example system architecture for an export feature;  
         [0031]      FIGS. 14-17  are screenshots of example user interfaces for configuring currency conversion; and  
         [0032]      FIG. 18  is a screenshot of an example user interface for creating rules.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0033]      FIG. 1  shows an example user interface for one embodiment of an eRAM system. The eRAM system includes an applet  100 , a server  102 , an application server  104 , and a customer account database  106 . In this example, the eRAM system is Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) compatible, cross-platform, cross-database, internationalized, and supports hundreds of concurrent users accessing databases containing millions of accounts. Other embodiments are implemented using various platforms, processors, servers, operating systems, database systems, and other technologies. Applet  100  is a Java applet that sends and receives extensible markup language (XML) and hypertext markup language (HTML) data to and from server  102 . Server  102  sends and receives XML and HTML data to and from application server  104 . Application server  104  has a java database connectivity (JDBC) interface with customer account database  106 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 2  shows an example system architecture for components in one embodiment of the eRAM system. In this example, java risk assessment manager (JRAM)  200  provides application functions and services for the eRAM system. Inputs to JRAM are customer information, which resides on a customer account database  202 , information from a data integration toolkit  204  and a DUNSLink™  206 , information input by a user interface  208 . Data integration toolkit  204  provides the eRAM system with the following functionality: database access, matching, and data products. User requests for functions come through user interface  208  and are fielded by a request broker  210 . Request handlers  212  handle various types of requests and use shared services. Shared services include scoring  214 , job scheduling  216 , and data access layer  218 . Scoring  214  provides various business scores. Job scheduling  216  manages batch functions. Data access layer  218  provides access to data integration toolkit  204  and DUNSLink™  206 . Users use data import and export templates  220  to import and export data from their own applications to and from the risk assessment management system. Configuration and administration  222  is a shared service used by administrators to define configurations and users and their entitlements. Java database connectivity (JDBC)  224  is an application program interface (API) for connecting JRAM  200  to customer account database  202 . JDBC  224  includes access to Oracle  226  and Microsoft SQL servers  228 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 3  shows more detail for the data access layer  218  shown in  FIG. 2 . This illustrates how a customer enhances customer information in customer account database  202  by, for example, retrieving more current information. To retrieve a packet needed by a data transformation and mapping component  302  for a particular account in a product order request  301  that is not resident on customer accounts  202 , access is through either a packet ordering component  303  from a DUNSLink™ adaptor  304 , if it is United States information, or a data integration toolkit (DIT) adaptor  306 , if it is international information. A product order request is for a data product, such as a business information report or scoring information. The packet is retrieved from a central location and then transferred back to the customer&#39;s location. Before the packet is transferred and stored in the customer&#39;s database, certain elements in the packet are transformed according to the product desired by data transformation and mapping component  302 , which may access import templates  308 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 4  shows an example system architecture for the application server. A global configuration console  400  includes a number of configuration files. When a risk assessment management system is installed and initialized, various administrative  402 , security  404 , and global or domestic  406  features are configured. A country logic component  408  determines the nationality of the customer, U.S., Europe, Canada, and other nationalities and then determines the base language and currency for displays. For example, a baseline currency in a database for a customer in England is pounds or for a customer in France is francs or Euros. Presentation layer  410  uses language files  412  to convert data to the baseline currency and language before presenting it to the customer. Access level protocol  414  interfaces with data integration toolkit  204 , which interfaces with global data access  416 . Global data access  416  retrieves country-specific data from various systems, such as European Office System (EOS)  418 , Canada Bilingual Office System (BOS)  420 , US Advanced Office System (AOS)  422 , Nordic  424 , Asian Pacific Latin America (APLA)  426 , and others. Other systems include D&amp;B&#39;s worldwide information sources and third-party data providers available through the data integration toolkit service, such as Fair Isaac &amp; Co.  
         [0037]     In this example, the eRAM system includes portfolio analysis  428  and common decisioning  430 . Portfolio analysis  428  includes customer-based analysis (CBA)  432  and reporting  434  of CBA. Portfolio analysis  428  examines a number of accounts and assess a risk level based on policies or rules. Rules are based on predictive scores from statistical models. A policy is established by customers to adjust the rules for certain cases. For example, rules about slow payment are interpreted differently for small businesses and large multinational businesses under a policy for determining credit risk. Portfolio analysis  428  is performed in conjunction with common decisioning  430 . Common decisioning  430  includes rules setup  436  and get decision  438 . A user uses rules setup  436  to establish individual one-off rules for a particular account. For example, a user squares an account with the rules established by rules setup  436  and decides whether to extend credit with get decision  438 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 5  shows a screenshot of an example user interface for one embodiment of the eRAM system. In this example, the main functions are account information  500 , all notes and to do&#39;s  502 , alert items  504 , customer base analysis  506 , RAM score thresholds  508 , account profiles  510 , days sales outstanding (DSO)  512 , filters  514 , and administrative functions  516 . Account information  500  includes D&amp;B data  518 , customer data  520 , credit analysis  522 , financial statements  524 , documents  526 , and note to do&#39;s  528 .  
         [0039]     The eRAM system is an automated credit decisioning and portfolio management system that allows customers to decide with confidence. Globally, eRAM enables users to efficiently manage and analyze their entire portfolio of accounts, identify risks and uncover opportunities to grow the bottom line. It provides the flexibility to customize and automate decision-making rules across an entire enterprise. The eRAM system helps turn quality information into actionable decisions. Users can quickly process new customer applications and proactively manage exiting customer relationships.  
         [0040]     The eRAM decisioning and portfolio management features allow users to strategically analyze their portfolio, gain access to information, establish consistent decisioning, automate credit decisions, and gain a macro picture. The eRAM system helps users: (1) improve cash flow; (2) manage total risk exposure; (3) decrease operating expenses; (4) enhance corporate governance; and (5) increase revenue.  
         [0041]     A user&#39;s data is enhanced by additional data through a quality assurance process, called the DUNSRight™ process, which is available from Dun &amp; Bradstreet Inc., Short Hills, N.J. Starting with a global data collection process, DUNSRight™ enhances the user&#39;s data through the application of an entity matching process, a unique corporate identifier called a DUNS Number, corporate linkage information, analytics and predictive indicators, and a global database, resulting in a comprehensive view of a user&#39;s financial profile, including how their customers pay other companies. With a consolidated database of enriched data, the user is able to automate credit decisions and segment the portfolio by any variable to uncover risks and opportunities within the user&#39;s customer base.  
         [0042]     The eRAM system provides enabled processes and actionable information. Enabled processes include improved credit operations, consistent decisioning, and compliance with credit policies. The actionable information includes risk exposure, targeted collections, shifting risk, and hidden corporate links. Risk exposure is segmentable by variables, such as country. Targeted collections provide a better understanding of accounts receivable and improve DSO. Corporate linkage reveals the total risk exposure within a corporate entity. The results is better informed decisions and the ability to manage risk with confidence.  
         [0043]      FIG. 6  shows an example user interface for providing risk score information. In this example, the user views risk score details from a tab on a credit analysis screen.  FIG. 6  shows the result of automated analysis by the eRAM system. A resulting score  600  provides an overall calculation based on a current scoring model defined by user-defined score policies. A decision selection  602  allows the user to make a credit decision, such as accepted, declined, or pending.  
         [0044]      FIG. 7  shows another example user interface with more information about the risk score details. In this example, current and past scores  700  and a graph  702  of historical performance of the account are shown. Graph  702  includes accept and reject score thresholds.  
         [0045]      FIG. 8  shows an example user interface for days sales outstanding (DSO) information. In this example, the DSO number for customer accounts is displayed. An average number of days to collect outstanding debt from customers is calculated when a sales period  800  is selected, a sales  FIG. 802  is entered and the user clicks on compute  804 . Daily sales projection—period sales projection/days in period, where days in period is 30 for monthly, 91 for quarterly, 182 for semi-annually, and 365 for annually. Days sales outstanding=total amount owning/daily sales projection. There are options to calculate DSO relative to an applied filter, and other features.  
         [0046]      FIG. 9  shows an example user interface for customer base analysis. In this example, a user requests an analysis of customer accounts, such as a paydex by risk assessment manager (RAM) score  900  that analyzes current Paydex rows  902  for the RAM score of account column  904 . After a user creates a customer base analysis, it is executed. There are options for printing, charting, editing, and filtering account data and other features.  
         [0047]      FIG. 10  shows an example user interface for ordering a small business risk score. In this example, the eRAM system provides a risk score for small businesses based on D&amp;B data, consumer data from Fair, Isaac, and data about the principal owners of the business from consumer credit reporting agencies.  
         [0048]      FIG. 11  shows an example user interface for providing corporate risk exposure information. In this example, the eRAM system helps a user to link accounts together and shows a total investment in accounts receivable with a company and its related companies.  
         [0049]     An example eRAM system, includes a transfer utility for importing and exporting data, currency globalization, financial statement features, and interfaces to various tools.  
         [0050]      FIG. 12  shows an example system architecture for an import feature. An import utility  1200  takes as input an import file  1202  or data packets  1204  from DUNSLink™  1206  or Global Access™  1208  and an import template file  1210 . Then, imported data is stored in a database  1212 . DUNSLink™ and Global Access™ are available from Dun &amp; Bradstreet Inc., Short Hills, N.J.  
         [0051]      FIG. 13  shows an example system architecture for an export feature. A user extracts selected data  1304  in a pre-defined format from database  1212  through an export utility  1300 . A user sets up templates  1302  that define various data sets to export.  
         [0052]      FIGS. 14-17  show example user interfaces for configuring currency conversion. In this example, the eRAM system has users at companies with operations in several countries, including multiple operations per company. To meet the needs of these users, currency globalization features are provided. Monetary values are stored in local currency for each account based on a default currency for the country. An administrator chooses a conversion rate for selected currencies. A data product is provided with a default currency. In  FIG. 15 , conversion rates are updated by an administrator. In  FIG. 16 , an administrator chooses a base currency  1600 . All the conversion rates are then figured relative to the base currency. In  FIG. 17 , historical rates are set, which are used for audit and other purposes. In this example, currency rates are stored for the matrix for each conversion rate period.  
         [0053]     In this example, each account has a defined currency code, which is used as the currency type for data associated with the account, including financial statements. New accounts are associated with a country and a currency. Each user is associated with a normal working currency and a user sets a preference whether to work in account-local or user-base currency where choices are offered. For example, a user chooses between account-local and user-base on user interface displays, such as financial statements.  
         [0054]      FIG. 18  shows an example user interface for creating rules. Users define policies, rules, criteria, filters, and expressions related to a portfolio of accounts. In  FIG. 18 , a user defines a criteria  1800  where ratings similar to ‘% A1’ are given a rating of AO  1802  for accounts having a currency of Euro  1804 . Criteria are used for filters, credit limit rules, score policy rules, exception policies, collection policy rules, and other features. Some examples of policies include a credit limit policy, a score policy, an exception policy, a collection policy, a selling term policy, and a financial selection policy.  
         [0055]     An example embodiment of the risk assessment manager system provides many advantages. There is real-time decisioning, including integration of accounts receivable data into the decision-making process and order amount consolidation. There is an option of small business or traditional commercial decisioning. There is flexible integration with customer applications, including the ability to pull additional data products from a risk assessment manager system into a customer application. The risk assessment manager system incorporates information from decisioning and portfolio management systems. The system saves time to market and development costs. The system increases efficiency and productivity by moving data directly into workflow and systems. The system is flexible by controlling the data being imported. The system provides consistent data and decisions both locally and world-wide.  
         [0056]     In addition, the example embodiment of the risk assessment manager system exports information for sharing with other applications. The system receives information from the user to use as part of the decision process. Business analysts are empowered to make quick decisions based on global risk policy that a user determines centrally. The system works together with other applications used by the user. The user automates its systems to enable its customers that are ordering online to obtain their own credit or risk approvals. The system includes code and transactions to build web-based interfaces to other applications.  
         [0057]     It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description, such as adaptations of the present disclosure to integrate additional business systems, or other kinds of business information services. Various designs using hardware, software, and firmware are contemplated by the present disclosure, even though some minor elements would need to change to better support the environments common to such systems and methods. The present disclosure has applicability to various services, computer systems, and user interfaces beyond the example embodiments described. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.