Transforming a list of purchase types based on a configurable rule

• Main Authors: BERRY CHARLES FRANKLIN, GODOY GLENN C, SNAVELY AMY JEANNE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.04.2014
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTER SYSTEMS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS; COMPUTING; COUNTING; DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS OR METHODS, SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORYOR FORECASTING PURPOSES; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; PHYSICS; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE,COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORY OR FORECASTINGPURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

An approach for transforming a starting list of purchase types into a selection list of valid purchase types by employing a configurable rule is presented. A unit price and commodity code are received for an item whose purchase is being charged to an account. Based on a category of the item, a starting list including purchase types is generated. Each purchase type specifies a corresponding accounting function. A rule set is identified in a table that associates the rule set with purchase type(s) specifying corresponding accounting functions. Identifying the rule set includes determining that the purchase type(s) are in a maximal subset of the purchase types included in the starting list. Based on the rule set and the unit price, a rule is identified in another table. The rule is applied to generate a selection list comprising a proper subset of the starting list.