Patent ID: 7346527

Claim:
A method for facilitating supplier auditing functions in a communications network environment, comprising: receiving a request from a user system of an enterprise system to initiate an activity, said activity including scheduling an audit for performing an initial or ongoing qualification of an existing or prospective trading partner of the enterprise system; assigning an access level to a requester at the user system with respect to at least one database; said enterprise system retrieving data from the at least one database, said data corresponding to said request activity selected; and transmitting said data to said user system based upon the access level; wherein said scheduling said audit includes: entering supplier data relating to the trading partner into a schedule form; entering requester information into said schedule form; selecting an auditor to perform said audit; entering a purpose for said audit; entering a time frame for performing said audit; and distributing a completed schedule form to at least one entity; wherein further said enterprise system includes a quality information network application for executing activity options that include the activity requested by the user system.