Patent ID: 8050975

Claim:
A system to manage a supply chain, comprising: a purchase order management module operable on a processor to electronically receive purchase orders each purchase order comprising a document received from a buyer to buy at least one of goods or services from a seller, the buyer using the purchase order to communicate with the system so that the system can manage a process that starts with receipt of a purchase order and ends with a payment to the seller to settle a payable instrument, the purchase order management module being managed by a third party entity other than the buyer or seller; an invoice and trade document management module to receive invoices or trade documents, each invoice is received from the seller and is related to each respective purchase order and required for presentment and reconciliation of each respective purchase order; an image capture and key entry module to convert non-electronic information into a predetermined electronic format for receipt and use by the invoice and trade document management module; a database associated with the purchase order management module to store and track information associated with each purchase order; and a payment construction module to create a payable instrument in response to receiving the purchase orders, wherein the payable instrument comprises an instrument that is payable upon fulfillment of payment conditions, the payment conditions being set by the buyer to be fulfilled prior to the payable instrument being payable.