Patent ID: 8010452

Claim:
An invoice routing apparatus comprising: an invoice receiver for receiving data corresponding to a plurality of invoices from a plurality of sources; a database for storing input invoice mapping definitions; an input processor device for processing the data corresponding to the plurality of received invoices within said invoice routing apparatus, the data for each invoice being converted by said input processor into an intermediate invoice in a standard intermediate form having predetermined characteristics and to provide the intermediate invoice in a data warehouse; the input processor configured to select an invoice mapping definition from the database in dependence on the sender of each received invoice and using the selected input invoice mapping definition when converting said data for the received invoice into said intermediate invoice; an output processor device configured to convert each of said intermediate form invoices obtained from the data warehouse into a final invoice in a form selected in dependence on an identity of a party being invoiced, the output processor obtaining an invoice destination identification from each intermediate invoice and selecting an output invoice mapping definition in dependence on the invoice destination identification; and an invoice transmitter device for transmitting each of the final invoices from said invoice routing apparatus to the party being invoiced; said input processor device further being configured to: add static data to the data corresponding to the received invoices when processed into said standard intermediate form, the static data added in dependence on the identity of the sender and the party being invoiced; add dynamic data to the data corresponding to the received invoices when processed into the standard intermediate form, the dynamic data added in dependence on the identity of the sender and of the party being invoiced; and, validate the data corresponding to the received invoices when processed into the standard intermediate form before transmission by said transmitter to the party being invoiced to ensure that the party being invoiced receives the data necessary for processing the invoice.