Automated back office transaction method and system

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for digital automation of supply chains in a vertical marketplace, comprising:

(a) generating, in a computerized system, at least one non-ratified contract for a transaction in one supply chain of the supply chains, wherein the non-ratified contract has a plurality of terms;

(b) ratifying the contract and storing the contract as a ratified contract in a database in the computerized system, said contract identifying the contracting parties, the goods or services, and the payment details;

(c) checking, in the computerized system, whether at least one term of the plurality of terms in the ratified contract indicates that at least one next contract is necessary for a next transaction in the supply chain, and if so, automatically performing steps (a) and (b) and (c) for the at least one next contract;

(d) storing, in the database, links between each ratified contract and at least one next contract that relates to the same goods or services and that relates to parties vertically linked in the distribution chain for goods and services;

(e) in response to marketplace events relating to sales of, deliveries of, or payments for goods and services, triggering the calculation, based upon the payment details specified in the related contracts, of the payable due to and from each of the parties; and

(f) following such an event, and in accordance with the contracts, executing payments directly between the parties of the net amount due to and from each party such that gross payments need not pass through one party to the next.

2. The method of claim 1, where step (f) is delayed when one of the terms in the ratified contract or non-ratified contract indicates a delay before the execution of payments.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first performance of step (a) is initiated by transmitting a request for a product from a customer to a seller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the terms requires delivery of a product from a first entity to a second entity, further comprising the step of creating and storing a record, when the product is provided, with information that the product is delivered.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a digital template of the contract prior to step (a).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step further comprises forwarding the non-ratified contract from a first entity to a second entity specified in the non-ratified contract, and the ratifying step includes digital acceptance by the second entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a unique identifier for the supply chain is associated with each contract and each transaction.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving, in the computerized system, a request to view a portion of the database, via a communication link.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the terms include any required time for performance, instructions for electronic banking, instructions for communications, and any transactional calculations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratifying step is via a digital signature.

11. A method for digital automation of supply chains in a vertical marketplace, comprising:

(a) providing a digital template of a non-ratified contract;

(b) generating, in a computerized system, at least one non-ratified contract for a transaction in one supply chain of the supply chains, wherein the non-ratified contract has a plurality of terms, and automatically forwarding the non-ratified contract from a first entity to a second entity specified in the non-ratified contract;

(c) ratifying the contract by digital acceptance by the second entity and storing the contract as a ratified contract in a database in the computerized system, said contract identifying the contracting parties, the goods or services, and the payment details;

(d) checking, in the computerized system, whether at least one term of the plurality of terms in the ratified contract indicates that at least one next contract is necessary for a next transaction in the supply chain, and if so, automatically performing steps (b) and (c) and (d) for the at least one next contract that relates to the same goods or services and that relates to parties vertically linked in the distribution chain for goods and services;

(e) in response to marketplace events relating to sales of, deliveries of, or payments for goods and services, triggering the calculation, based upon the payment details specified in the related contracts, of the payable due to and from each of the parties; and

(f) following such an event, and in accordance with the contracts, executing payments directly between the parties of the net amount due to and from each party such that gross payments need not pass through one party to the next;

(g) storing, in the database, links between each ratified contract and at least one next contract;

(h) associating a unique identifier for the supply chain with each contract and each transaction;

(i) wherein a first performance of step (b) is initiated by transmitting a request for a product from a customer to a seller;

(j) wherein one of the terms requires delivery of a product from one entity to an other entity, further comprising the steps of creating and storing a record, when the product has been provided, with information that the product is delivered; and calculating payables and transferring payment from each second entity to each first entity; and

(k) wherein the database stores information on amounts due and payable by a plurality of entities including the first entity and the second entity, and wherein the calculating step includes offsetting amounts due between the plurality of entities.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the terms include any required time for performance, instructions for electronic banking, instructions for communications, and any transactional calculations.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the ratifying step is via a digital signature.

14. A system for digital automation of supply chains in a vertical marketplace, each of the supply chains having a plurality of transactions between a plurality of parties including a buyer, a seller and a supplier, including at least one transaction between the buyer and the seller, and a transaction between the seller and the supplier, comprising:

(a) storage in a database for at least one non-ratified contract corresponding to each transaction of the plurality of transactions in one of the supply chains, wherein each non-ratified contract has a plurality of terms, and wherein each non-ratified contract is approved by one of the parties;

(b) storage in the database for at least one ratified contract corresponding to each of the non-ratified contracts, wherein the ratified contract is approved by an other one of the parties, said contract identifying the contracting parties, the goods or services, and the payment details;

(c) a plurality of stored links between ratified contracts, including at least one link between the ratified contracts for the transaction in the supply chain between the buyer and the seller and the ratified contract for the transaction in the supply chain between the seller and the supplier that relate to the same goods or services in the distribution chain;

(d) a computer implemented calculation mechanism which, in response to triggering marketplace events relating to sales of, deliveries of, or payments for goods and services, calculates, based upon the payment details specified in the related contracts, the payable due to and from each of the parties; and

(e) a computer-implemented payment mechanism which, following such an event, and in accordance with the contracts, executes payments directly between the parties of the net amount due to and from each party such that gross payments need not pass through one party to the next.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the terms in the ratified contract or non-ratified contract indicates a delay before the execution of payments.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a digital template of the non-ratified contract.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein a unique identifier for the supply chain is associated with each contract.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the computerized system includes links between ratified and non-ratified contracts in the specified portion, and the links are traversable responsive to a received request to view a specified portion of the database.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the terms include any of required time for performance, instructions for electronic banking, instructions for communications, and any transactional calculations.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the terms indicates delivery of a product from a first entity to a second entity is required, and wherein the database includes storage for records with information that the product is delivered, when the product is delivered.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the database includes storage for records of calculated payables for payment from the second entity to the first entity.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the database includes storage for records of information on amounts due and amounts payable by a plurality of entities including the first entity and the second entity, and amounts due between the plurality of entities are offset in the stored calculated payables.

23. A method for using an electronic data processing system to manage the accounting of parties carrying out common transactions in a vertical marketplace, said method including the following steps:

establishing on the system digital representations of contracts between the parties, each contract identifying the contracting parties, the goods or services, and the payment details;

within the system, establishing digital linkages between contracts that relate to the same goods or services and that relate to parties vertically linked in the distribution chain for those goods and services;

in response to marketplace events relating to sales of, deliveries of, or payments for goods and services, triggering the calculation, based upon the payment details specified in the related contracts, of the payable due to and from each of the parties; and

following such an event, and in accordance with the contracts, executing payments directly between the parties of the net amount due to and from each party such that gross payments need not pass through one party to the next.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23 wherein at least one of the contracts contains a term that calls for a delay between a marketplace event and the execution of payments.

25. A method in accordance with claim 23 wherein one of said marketplace events is the receipt of a request for a product transmitted from a customer to a seller.

26. A method in accordance with claim 23 wherein one of said marketplace events is the delivery of a product, and wherein a permissible contract term is product delivery.

27. A method in accordance with claim 23 wherein a digital template for a contract is provided.

28. A method in accordance with claim 23 wherein both ratified and non-ratified contracts can be created and which method includes the steps of transmitting a non-ratified contract from a first entity to a second entity specified in the non-ratified contract, and thereafter receiving digital acceptance and ratification of the contract from the second party.

29. A method in accordance with claim 23 and further comprising the step of receiving, in the computerized system, a request to view a portion of the database, via a communication link.