WO2001020504A1 - An account system - Google Patents
An account system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2001020504A1 WO2001020504A1 PCT/AU2000/001125 AU0001125W WO0120504A1 WO 2001020504 A1 WO2001020504 A1 WO 2001020504A1 AU 0001125 W AU0001125 W AU 0001125W WO 0120504 A1 WO0120504 A1 WO 0120504A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- account
- data
- processing
- client
- customers
- Prior art date
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q40/00—Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
- G06Q40/02—Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance
Definitions
- an account processing method executed by an account system, including: receiving account data over a communications network, said account data having been extracted in a first predetermined format from an accounting software package of a remote computer system of a client; processing said account data for storage in a database system in a second predetermined format and in a predetermined form based on parameters for the client; and generating customer account information, such as statement data, from said account data in said database system for respective customers of said client.
- the present invention also provides an account system, including: means for receiving account data over a communications network, said account data having been extracted in a first predetermined format from an accounting software package of a remote computer system of a client; means for processing said account data for storage in a database system in a second predetermined format and in a predetermined form based on parameters for the client; and means for generating customer account information, such as statement data, from said account data in said database system for respective customers of said client.
- the present invention also provides account processing software, including: code for receiving account data over a communications network, said account data having been extracted in a first predetermined format from an accounting software package of a remote computer system of a client; code for processing said account data for storage in a database system in a second predetermined format and in a predetermined form based on parameters for the client; and code for generating customer account information, such as statement data, from said account data in said database system for respective customers of said client.
- account processing software including: code for receiving account data over a communications network, said account data having been extracted in a first predetermined format from an accounting software package of a remote computer system of a client; code for processing said account data for storage in a database system in a second predetermined format and in a predetermined form based on parameters for the client; and code for generating customer account information, such as statement data, from said account data in said database system for respective customers of said client.
- the present invention also provides account processing software stored on a computer readable storage medium, including: extraction code for extracting account data in a predetermined format from an accounting software package of a client system; and transport code for connecting to a remote server and transmitting the account data in an encrypted form to the server.
- Figure 1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of an account system
- Figure 2 is a flow diagram of basic account information production steps of the system
- FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of form production steps executed by the system
- Figures 4 to 6 are detailed flow diagrams of the form production steps executed by software of the system
- Figure 7 is a flow diagram of payment steps executed using the system; and Figure 8 is a flow diagram of check production steps executed using the system.
- An account system 14 includes a web server 8, a process server 9, a database system 11, a production server 13 and printing equipment 15.
- the system 14 is accessible by remote computer systems 4 of clients over a communications network 6, such as the Internet, using interfaces provided by the web server 8 and a software interface 12 stored on the client's system 4.
- a communications network 6 such as the Internet
- the client systems 4 may be standard personal computers which would execute software accounting packages 10, such as MYOBTM, QuickenTM or Microsoft MoneyTM. These accounting software packages 10 are used to produce account data in formats which are dictated by the packages.
- the software packages 10 are sophisticated enough to handle all accounting requirements and account data for a small business. This would include full details of all creditors and debtors for a business.
- Clients of the account system 14 have installed on their machines 4 a software module 12 of the system 14 that acts as an interface between the accounting software package 10 and the remaining equipment 8 to 15 of the system 14.
- the interface module
- the interface software 12 may be installed on the client's machine 4 when installing the accounting package 10, or can be downloaded from a secure web site maintained on the server 8. For instance, a new client may use their system 4 to connect the web site of the server 8 via the Internet 6 at step 30 as shown in Figure 3. After submitting forms available via the web interface during a registration process 32, the interface software 12 can be downloaded to the client's machine 4 and installed. The client then becomes an existing client, and like other existing clients, can connect to the web site maintained by the server 8 at step 38. Clients on connecting to the web site are required to enter authentication data, such as a username and password and then all further communications with the server 8 are executed using a secure protocol, such as that provided by the secure sockets layer (SSL).
- SSL secure sockets layer
- a user interface is presented to the client on their system 4 which allows the client to select from a number of account information processing procedures.
- the required data is extracted periodically by the software interface 12 from the accounting package 10 as a data bundle at step 40 and passed to the process server 9 so as to then execute a polling and verification process 42.
- the process 42 is described in more detail below with reference to Figure 4.
- the account information processing procedure may be, for example, the production of account statements 44 for a customer 16, as shown in Figure 2.
- the statements 44 may be provided in a number of forms, such as by mail in printed form 46, fax 48 or email 50, or any mode of electronic delivery as described below.
- the data bundle may be sent from the client system 4 using HTTP, FTP or another communications protocol to an appropriately configured server of the system 4.
- the client may specify precisely what times the account information or statements need to be produced and therefore the interface 12 will extract the required data at times according to the parameters set by the client. For example, the client may set parameters corresponding to "No statement if statement value is less than $x" or alternatively, "No statements to be issued to customers x, y and z", or for announcements appearing on the statements, such as, "a 1% discount for those customers paying within 14 days”. Using the interface 12 the client may also make changes to the design or style of their account information documents.
- the software interface 12 can be used to extract the required data from the accounting software package 10 at step 52.
- the client can use the accounting software package 10 and the interface module 12 to issue instructions for the download of the required data, and the module 12 will simply contact the server 8 to connect to the server and execute the authentication procedure after having extracted the required data at step 52.
- the required data includes client company and branch addressing information, customer names and address information, debit and credit details for the customers, account totals, and current and overdue balances for the extracted data period.
- the required data is placed in a tagged file, similar to an XML file.
- the required data is encrypted to produce an encrypted data bundle at step 56 which is sent using HTTP or FTP to the web server 8, which forwards the encrypted data bundle on to a data directory of the process server 9.
- the server 9 executes a file filter application module which detects the arrival of data in the data directory by polling it regularly. When received the data bundle is unzipped and decrypted and placed in a registered directory for the client on the server 9, at step 58. Also at step 58, the file filter application module updates a job queue and passes this information onto a verification process module to initiate verification processing of the newly arrived data file.
- the server 9 then executes a verification process module at step 60 using the data in the registered client's directory to determine whether the data received is now in the correct export format, being ASCII text. If the data is considered to be in the correct format at step 62, then the data 64 is accessed at step 66 by a main processing module 68 of the process server 9 as shown in Figure 5. If the verification process establishes that the received data is not in the correct export format, then the data file is deleted at step 70 and the client is sent an email to advise of the problem at step 72.
- the main processing module 68 involves operating on the data bundle in the ASCII text format 64 or other web based data 74 using a set of process routines, at step 78, stored on the process server 9.
- the process routines execute a number of business rules on the data and delete data records that are not required to be passed on to customers 16.
- the business rules executed define the account information processing procedure to be executed that has been determined by the client.
- the process routines execute store procedures to place the parsed data into the relevant live tables of the database 11 according to the client business rules and variables. For example, the received data is selectively forwarded to header tables, logo tables and transaction tables for respective header, logo and transaction data to be accessed by the print processing module 94 described below.
- DPID processing and OMR processing is also executed on the data.
- DPID processing validates each customer address against a master file of addresses, such as that provided by Australia Post, and when a match is found a barcode is generated that can be scanned by a postal authority, such as Australia Post, to expedite mail.
- OMR processing adjusts the data to ensure the documents to be printed include preferentially located lines on the edge of the page for optical reading by an envelope inserter of the printing equipment 15. The printed lines designate to the inserter whether to insert multiple pages and/or other inserts into a single envelope.
- the customer data is then sorted by country, state and postcode for delivery. The sorting by postcode is important to ensure the statements or account information to be sent to a variety of locations can be bundled in postcodes or adjoining postcode areas to take advantage of any discounts available for postal services.
- the process server 9 monitors the cutoff times, at step 90, and if a cutoff time for processing is reached, a signal is generated for an operator, otherwise operation returns to step 42. Once the signal is generated for the operator, which may be a visual alert generated on the screen of the process server 9, the operator can then send a signal at step 92 to the production server 13 to trigger execution of a print processing module 94 on the server 13.
- the production server 13 uses the printing equipment 15 to print and mail out the account information at step 96, and then email the client at step 98 to advise that this occurred.
- the print processing module 94 operates according to the procedure shown in
- FIG. 6 which as discussed above, can be manually triggered at step 92 so to invoke a sort process 100.
- the sort process operates on the OMRs and DPIDs so as to sort the customer account data for a client by country and other criteria. Processing for a country is then executed and details for a printing job to be run accessed from the job queue or entered at step 101.
- the module 94 generates a Jetform file from the data in the invoicing table of the database 11.
- the Jetform file can then be sent directly to the printing equipment 15, as it specifies all parameters associated with a printing run, including the type of paper stock to be used.
- PDF files for the invoice data in the data tables are generated at step 103 for those customers that have requested PDF files of the invoices, and these are emailed to the customers at step 109.
- the client is emailed with the billing details and estimated time of mailing at step 98.
- an EXP-124 run sheet specifying the number of pages and envelopes to be processed and a sorted postcode list are generated for each country of origin and forwarded to the printing equipment 15 to print envelopes for delivery of the printed account statements, at step 102.
- the tables used for the processes 100 and 102 are then archived and deleted from the live data table of the database 11, at step 104.
- the schedule for printing is then updated at step 108, and all statements and envelopes are printed according to the updated schedule at step 110 using the queued files created at steps 100 and 102. Statements are then inserted in the envelopes at step 112 and mailed at step 114. After mailing, execution then returns to step 101 for another country.
- invoicing data to bill the clients of the system 14 is written into a separate accounting system (although it can alternatively be written into the database system 11) for processing in a batch, at step 105. The batch incorporates invoice data for all of the clients that are part of the printing run of the job. Batch processing is closed at step 107.
- credit card processing is executed at step 111 to obtain payment for the amounts specified during batch invoice processing, and when complete an update last process date flag is set in the database system 11, at step 113, to indicate that payment has been successful. Similar steps for the print processing can be executed for delivery of the statements via fax, at step 48 of Figure 2.
- the customers 16 can use one of a variety of payment interfaces 20 to execute a payment 18 for the statement.
- the payment may be via normal methods to a bank in order to transfer funds into the client's account 24, or payment to the bank may be executed using a web based secure interface 22.
- the web based payment interface used may be one provided by the web server 8 for customers 16 to execute payments on the statements 44. Regardless of the manner in which the payment is executed, a transaction receipt is generated once payment has been made by the interface 20 and this is passed to the system 14.
- the system 14 then uses the web server 8 to send, which may be by email, reconciled statement and payment data for use in the accounting package 10 of the client's machine.
- Clients are also able to use the accounting package 10 and the software module 12 to instruct the creation and dispatch of cheques.
- the interface module 12 will use a secure interface, such as SSL, to contact the client's bank so as to transfer the requisite funds from the client's account 24.
- SSL secure interface
- the system 14 via the web server 8 is sent an encrypted data bundle 56 which includes instructions for the generation of cheques.
- the cheques are then printed and mailed, at step 120, using a process similar to that described previously with reference to Figures 3 to 6. Once mailed, the cheques attend to the payment 122 of creditors 124, as shown in Figure 8.
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- Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
- Finance (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Development Economics (AREA)
- Economics (AREA)
- Marketing (AREA)
- Strategic Management (AREA)
- Technology Law (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
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Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
NZ517860A NZ517860A (en) | 1999-09-15 | 2000-09-15 | Account system processing for a remote computer by a seperate database system using different format |
AU76304/00A AU781623B2 (en) | 1999-09-15 | 2000-09-15 | An account system |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AUPQ2835A AUPQ283599A0 (en) | 1999-09-15 | 1999-09-15 | Account services system and process |
AUPQ2835 | 1999-09-15 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2001020504A1 true WO2001020504A1 (en) | 2001-03-22 |
Family
ID=3817002
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/AU2000/001125 WO2001020504A1 (en) | 1999-09-15 | 2000-09-15 | An account system |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AUPQ283599A0 (en) |
NZ (1) | NZ517860A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2001020504A1 (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7539701B2 (en) | 2006-11-20 | 2009-05-26 | Microsoft Corporation | Generic infrastructure for migrating data between applications |
US7974993B2 (en) | 2006-12-04 | 2011-07-05 | Microsoft Corporation | Application loader for support of version management |
US8049921B2 (en) * | 2007-04-16 | 2011-11-01 | Bottomline Technologies (De) Inc. | System and method for transferring invoice data output of a print job source to an automated data processing system |
US8255790B2 (en) | 2006-09-08 | 2012-08-28 | Microsoft Corporation | XML based form modification with import/export capability |
CN105243515A (en) * | 2015-11-09 | 2016-01-13 | 浙江中之杰软件技术有限公司 | Enterprise condition management system |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5694551A (en) * | 1993-05-20 | 1997-12-02 | Moore Business Forms, Inc. | Computer integration network for channeling customer orders through a centralized computer to various suppliers |
US5875435A (en) * | 1994-09-28 | 1999-02-23 | Brown; Gordon T. | Automated accounting system |
US5956698A (en) * | 1997-07-31 | 1999-09-21 | Xerox Corporation | Information broker for printing system |
-
1999
- 1999-09-15 AU AUPQ2835A patent/AUPQ283599A0/en not_active Abandoned
-
2000
- 2000-09-15 WO PCT/AU2000/001125 patent/WO2001020504A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2000-09-15 NZ NZ517860A patent/NZ517860A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5694551A (en) * | 1993-05-20 | 1997-12-02 | Moore Business Forms, Inc. | Computer integration network for channeling customer orders through a centralized computer to various suppliers |
US5875435A (en) * | 1994-09-28 | 1999-02-23 | Brown; Gordon T. | Automated accounting system |
US5956698A (en) * | 1997-07-31 | 1999-09-21 | Xerox Corporation | Information broker for printing system |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8255790B2 (en) | 2006-09-08 | 2012-08-28 | Microsoft Corporation | XML based form modification with import/export capability |
US7539701B2 (en) | 2006-11-20 | 2009-05-26 | Microsoft Corporation | Generic infrastructure for migrating data between applications |
US7974993B2 (en) | 2006-12-04 | 2011-07-05 | Microsoft Corporation | Application loader for support of version management |
US8049921B2 (en) * | 2007-04-16 | 2011-11-01 | Bottomline Technologies (De) Inc. | System and method for transferring invoice data output of a print job source to an automated data processing system |
CN105243515A (en) * | 2015-11-09 | 2016-01-13 | 浙江中之杰软件技术有限公司 | Enterprise condition management system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AUPQ283599A0 (en) | 1999-10-07 |
NZ517860A (en) | 2003-09-26 |
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