Patent ID: 8032432

Claim:
A method for tracking a plurality of billing cycle events in a given billing cycle, the method comprising: a tangible data tracking and notification system executing computer-readable code to process a bill according to a billing schedule defined for a billing cycle, the code being executed to perform acts comprising: identifying one of a plurality of billing cycle events set to occur before reaching a milestone during the billing cycle as provided by the billing schedule, wherein: the milestone marks completion of a billing process for which the plurality of billing cycle events are defined; and the billing cycle event has an expected value and a time value associated therewith: the expected value specifying a desired value for the billing cycle event and the time value specifying a time at which the billing cycle event is to have the expected value; determining an actual value for the billing cycle event; comparing the expected value to the actual value at the time specified in the time value to determine whether the expected value has been reached; if the expected value has been reached, marking successful completion of the billing cycle event; and if the expected value has not been reached, issuing a notification to alert a predetermined entity that the expected value has not been reached.