Patent ID: 8108428

Claim:
A method, in a computing system including a processor and memory, for creating a relationship between a client and a vendor within a client/vendor data store, the client/vendor data store being stored in the memory and containing vendor records for a plurality of vendors, the method comprising: retrieving a list of vendors for which the client/vendor data store contains vendor records wherein each vendor provides professional services to clients of the vendor; in order to create a relationship between a distinguished client and a first vendor for which the client/vendor data store contains a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the first vendor in the client/vendor data store has not previously been created: receiving a selection, by a client user of the distinguished client, of the first vendor in the retrieved list, and adding to a client record for the distinguished client a reference to the vendor record for the first vendor, wherein the vendor record for the first vendor includes vendor information already present in the computing system, and wherein the adding of the reference to the vendor record for the first vendor is performed by the processor; in order to create a relationship between the distinguished client and a second vendor for which the client/vendor data store does not contain a vendor record, wherein the relationship between the distinguished client and the second vendor has not previously been created: receiving information from the client user of the distinguished client identifying the second vendor, creating in the client/vendor data store a vendor record for the second vendor that contains the received information, wherein the creating of the vendor record for the second vendor is performed by the processor, and adding to the client record for the distinguished client a reference to the created vendor record for the second vendor, wherein the adding of the reference to the created vendor record for the second vendor is performed by the processor; and in response to creating a relationship between the distinguished client and any vendor, providing to one or more users of the vendor with which the relationship was created the ability to submit invoices to the distinguished client in connection with the vendor's ongoing provision of professional services to the distinguished client by the vendor for a project.