HK1197768A - Modular web-based asp application for multiple products - Google Patents

Description

Modular Web-based ASP application for multiple products

The present application is a divisional application of the chinese patent application No. 200680045533.5, "modular Web-based ASP applications for multiple products" (application date 10/5 2006).

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system for delivering business information and services, and more particularly, to a system for consolidating various business information products and services in a single platform.

Background

Conventional data integration systems typically update and validate data from numerous sources to ensure that business information data is accurate, complete, timely, and globally accurate to enable customers to have confidence in their important business decisions.

Data integration systems incorporate processes that include collecting, aggregating, editing, and validating data from thousands of sources per day to enable customers to use this information to make beneficial decisions for their businesses. An exemplary data integration system is described in pending U.S. patent application No. 10/368,072, filed on 18/2/2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Another example of a data integration system and process is described by Dunbach (D)&B) DUNSRight provided by the company^TM. The basis for such data integration is quality assurance, which involves thousands of individual automatic checks, plus many manual checks, to ensure that the data meets quality standards. In addition, as shown in fig. 1, five mass drivers operate continuously to collect and add data. Global data collection 1 collects data from various sources throughout the world. The data is integrated into the global database 6 by entity matching 2, which entity matching 2 produces a single, more accurate depiction of each business. In step 3, a unique company identifier, e.g. ofNumbers, are used as a unique way to globally identify and track businesses through each step in their lives and activities. Corporate linkage step 4 enables customers to view their overall risk or opportunity in related businesses. Finally, prediction index 5 was evaluated using statistical analysisPricing the past performance of a business and indicating how likely the business is to perform in the same manner in the future. Data integration information refers to data, including business information data, that has undergone at least one or more of the process steps described above.

Companies develop various risk management solutions to help customers improve profitability through efficient risk management using business information collected and validated through a data integration process. Such a solution enables customers to improve cash flow by quickly identifying accounts that may pay slowly or are about to bankrupt, manage total risk exposure by consolidating accounts receivable worldwide into a single database, increase operational profit margins by making more use of existing personnel resources, such as through automated decision solutions, establish decisions that meet all internal audit and external management regulations, and increase revenue by quickly identifying low-risk customers with credit balances.

As shown in FIG. 2, a customer may access various products and services to optimize the use of their business information, including risk management solutions, i.e., solutions. The Customized Marketing Solution (CMS) uses data integration information through batch processing. The user may subscribe to various reports over the link, such as to order business information reports and alert services. Users may also access toolboxes (Toolkits), including risk assessment managers (RAM, edram) and Global Decision Makers (GDM).

There are currently many obstacles to customers that prevent them from experiencing all the benefits of available data integration through existing solutions.

Such barriers include obfuscation of product messages, features and benefits, overlapping performance, no logical or physical migration paths between different solutions, disparate technology platforms that are difficult to upgrade and maintain, and data inconsistencies between different products. These obstacles have limited the realization and adoption of the highest value solutions, thereby having prevented the customer from gaining the full benefit provided by these solutions.

There is a need for a system and method that allows for the use of a variety of products and/or services on a single technology platform, that can create services for a particular customer segment using a subscription pricing model, that makes the products easy to understand and use, and that allows unlimited, flexible access to real-time data.

Disclosure of Invention

A modular, preferably Web-based, ASP (application service provider) application is provided that provides a single platform for a variety or plurality of products and services. Such products and services include risk management solutions, selected applications provided by the user, and various services.

DNBi is an interactive, customizable Web application that provides the most complete and up-to-date DUNSRight to users^TMAvailable information, and comprehensive monitoring and portfolio analysis, all for a specified price. By providing pairs D&B online access to the most complete and up-to-date information in the global database of over 100 million companies, DNBi enables users to make more informed, efficient and informed credit decisions.

DNBi provides two optional additional modules: DNBi decider and DNBi customer (account) manager.

The DNBi decider is a Web-based automated credit decision and workflow solution. Which provides instant, automatic credit decisions and lines of credit to credit professionals and members of a sales team according to a credit policy set by the user. The DNBi decision maker has all the main features of DNBi, including accessing the most complete and up-to-date DUNSRight^TMAnd (4) information.

The decisioner generates an instant credit decision about the new applicant by applying the latest and most complete D & B information to the credit policy of the user. The decider transforms the credit decision process by providing:

decision scorecard: the user is allowed to establish rules for evaluating credit applications based on the latest D & B business information. The decision maker automatically applies the rules to all new applicants.

Automatic credit decision: for new credit applicants, the decider generates immediate decisions and credit limits, or escalates applications requiring further review, bringing speed and consistency to the credit process.

Comprehensive audit trail: leveraging the automatic time-stamped files of critical events ensures that each decision is backed up and recorded throughout the credit decision process.

User approval quota: each user is assigned an approval limit and the decision maker automatically transmits the application to the appropriate team member for review.

The DNBi customer manager is an automated customer management solution that reduces credit risk by identifying changes in customer risk, recommending actions to be taken based on the user's credit policy, and focusing the credit professional's attention on the customers who need it most. The DNBi customer manager has all of the main features of DNBi, including accessing the most complete and up-to-date DUNSRight^TMAnd (4) information.

The customer manager allows the user to manage the risk of their entire customer base by incorporating the user's credit policy, the user's receivables data, and the latest and most complete D & B information to tell the user when action needs to be taken with the existing customer.

The customer manager transforms the customer review process by providing:

decision scorecard: the user is allowed to establish customized rules for evaluating existing customers based on the latest D & B information and the user's accounts receivable.

Automated daily customer review: the customer manager reviews each customer in the user's portfolio and notifies the user when a change in credit status may occur.

Centralized electronic credit archive: view the account age of each customer, the latest D & B business information, and a complete description of all actions taken by that customer.

Audit trail: each decision is recorded in the customer manager.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a data integration quality assurance process;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of various solutions available to a customer;

FIG. 3 is another block diagram of various solutions available to a customer;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the modules of the system of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is another block diagram showing the modules of the system of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a screen shot of a Web page according to a Web-based embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a screen shot of another Web page in accordance with a Web-based embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a screen shot of yet another Web page in accordance with a Web-based embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a screen shot of yet another example of a Web page in accordance with a Web-based embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a screen shot of yet another example of a Web page in accordance with a Web-based embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 12 shows an embodiment of a system according to the invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention provides a modular Web-based ASP (application service provider) application that provides a single platform for multiple or multiple products and services. The platform may be a Web-based platform or any of a variety of software platforms, such as provided by a user.

Preferably, the system uses a subscription pricing model to allow a user to access multiple solutions in a single platform with a single periodic payment. In addition, the system may be built on a single Web-based technology platform.

Fig. 3 shows a prior art transport architecture, showing various solutions or products such as edram and RAM (risk assessment manager), DRP (DUNS reference plus (ReferencePlus)), and GDM (global decision maker). Each of these products represents a unique component (Bundle) of access and delivery, functionality, pricing and technology that is presented to customers on separate platforms. As shown in fig. 3, each product includes a memory 300, a service 305, and an application 310 corresponding to each solution.

The present invention includes a simpler, more flexible architecture, as generally represented in fig. 4. As shown, data 400, including business information data and data involved in the data integration process described above, is input into various shared services 405, such as automated decisions, that are all associated with a single interface 410, such as a web services interface. Through this interface, various solutions 415, such as Web-based applications, embedded data and applications 420, and various services 425 are delivered to customer 430 through a single platform.

Solution 415 represents a plurality of separate applications, such as various risk management solutions. In a preferred embodiment, solution 415 is presented as a modular, Web-based ASP application to provide a single platform for all applications, solutions, and services. The embedded data and applications 420 represent data and applications separate from the solution 415, which are delivered to the client 430 through the interface 410.

Preferably, the solution 415 and the application 420 are delivered together to the client 430 through the common interface 410. In another embodiment, interface 410 is preferably an XML-based Web services interface that allows the customer to receive the value of the DUNSRight function in addition to data within any application 420 selected by customer 430. Applications 420 may include various accounting packages or CRM (customer relationship management) applications.

Service 425 is also accessed by customer 430 through interface 410. Preferably, these services include support services intended to specifically assist customers 430 to provide the expertise required to use solution 415. Services 425 include outsourcing, recommendation, and custom modeling.

The delivered product, including solution 415, application 420, and service 425, is based on shared service 405 and presented through interface 410.

Thus, for example, data 400 from the DUNSRight repository is processed through various shared services, then delivered to the customer via a Web services interface, either through ASP solutions embedded in third party applications, or through professional services managed by the provider company's staff.

The solution is shown in fig. 5 and 6, which show the modules of the solution platform. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a "solution component" represents a customizable set of solutions. The solution components may be modular, allowing customers to seamlessly add additional functionality as their needs expand. Such functionality may include additional decision-making solutions, portfolio management solutions, and collection solutions. Different versions of a solution component, including different types of solutions, may be customized to meet the needs of a particular customer segment. For example, solution component versions for trade credit, financial services, insurance, and law.

In one embodiment, the solution component is interactive. This interaction enables the customer to request financing from other businesses, balance standard universal credit applications, and provide access to businesses to acquire data and generate directions. This interaction may also encourage customers to upload trade data to receive analytics, enable customers to update their own data and provide feedback about other businesses, provide the potential to create online transaction groups, which enable customers to communicate with each other in a controlled manner.

Fig. 7-10 illustrate examples of screen shots taken from a modular Web-based ASP application according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a customer may interact with a Web-based platform as shown in FIGS. 7-10 to access various types of business information for one or more entities. The application provides a single platform through which customers can access various types of business reports and various types of information about one or more companies. Preferably, the service allows the customer to access all data available for a single fee for a subscription fee.

Fig. 7 shows an outline of business information of the selected entity. This information includes a list of selected business entities and information about each business entity, such as its identifying DUNS number and financial stress indicator. The summary may also include information about a set of business entities, such as risk distribution information and risk trends for a set of entities, such as a particular industry. As shown in fig. 8, the customer may access a summary of the business information of the selected entity, which preferably includes other information about the entity. FIG. 9 illustrates a user's customization as to the type of information to be displayed, and how and where the information is displayed in a company profile such as that shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 illustrates further features of the present invention wherein a customer may access a "family tree" that provides visual representations of various subsidiaries of entities and/or various related entities. The various entity levels or branches indicate the relationship between each entity. Each entity may also have a visual representation, such as an associated color, to indicate the risk status or other status of an entity. For example, each company shown in FIG. 10 may be colored green, yellow, or red to indicate a low credit risk, a medium credit risk, or a high credit risk, respectively.

FIG. 12 illustrates a comprehensive and flexible application architecture for delivering Web-based applications. The architecture is designed to support multiple application development efforts. The modules of the architecture allow for better portability, allowing applications accessing the database to be platform independent. Thus, the user can access real-time business data through the application environment.

In another embodiment, the system may also provide an alert to the customer, such as through an email notification, if some change in credit information or other information related to the selected entity occurs. For example, the customer may customize the system to provide alerts to the customer when the selected metric increases or decreases to a selected value. Such indicators may include, for example, D & BA payment performance indicator or a financial stress indicator for the indicator.

Preferably, the system uses a subscription pricing model to allow users to access multiple solutions in a single platform by using a single periodic payment. In one embodiment, the subscription pricing model is variable based on available solutions previously used by the user before making or updating the subscription. The price may be based on the solutions that the user has used that are separately available on the various platforms or based on the various solutions that the user has used that were previously available in a single platform for a single fee. The system may make the underwriting price calculations based on pre-selected criteria such as the frequency with which the user uses the solution, the type of solution used, and simulated future use opportunities.

In one embodiment, the data 400 relates to information of a business entity. This information may relate to risk information such as credit risk and other information such as the structure, business performance, behavior, and relationships with other companies of the entity.

Advantages of the system of the present invention include allowing unlimited, flexible access to real-time data, and the ability to obtain other data from a customer. The system allows for the rapid creation and configuration of additional solutions or services for selected specific customer segments. The system also allows for self-management of the solution, including easy-to-use configuration wizards, which simplify the process of establishing automated credit policies and scorecards in the system.

It should be understood that various alternatives, combinations and modifications of the teachings described herein may be devised by those skilled in the art. The present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. A system for providing informational data to a user, comprising:

a data repository comprising data;

a sharing service that receives the data from the data repository and processes the data, thereby producing processed data;

application service provider ASP solutions; and

a web services interface interfacing with the shared service, the ASP solution, and the user, allowing the user to interact with the ASP solution, causing the ASP solution to be presented to the shared service, and receiving the processed data from the shared service;

wherein the web service interface or the ASP solution communicates the processed data to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the ASP solutions provides corporate information, monitoring, and portfolio analysis.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the ASP solutions provides an automatic credit decision and workflow.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the ASP solutions provides automatic account management.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the ASP solutions is a collection application.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the web service interface comprises an XML-based interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the web service interface comprises a web-based interface.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the ASP solutions is selected from the group consisting of a credit application, a marketing application, a sales application, a supplier application, and any combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the web service interface provides the user with functionality to access the ASP solution.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the web service interface provides functionality to the user to request financing from other businesses, balance a standard universal credit application, and obtain business data.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the web service interface provides the user with functionality to customize the type of the information data to be displayed and how and where to display the information data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises information selected from the group consisting of an entity identification number, a financial stress indicator, risk distribution information, risk trend information, and any combination thereof.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the system provides an alert to the web service interface when the data changes based on a parameter set by the user.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises visual representations indicative of interrelationships between business entities.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the business entities has a visual representation indicating its risk status.