# US 11,443,352 B2 · Service bundles in service order management

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- Number: US 11,443,352 B2
- Document ID: US11443352B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/859,876
- Filed: 2020-04-27
- Published: 2021-10-28
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-27
- Assignees: Sap SE
- Applicants: Sap SE
- Inventors: Stephanie Beuchel; Michael Vollmer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443352B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing
- G06F 16/2379: {Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing}
- G06Q 10/0875: Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
- G06Q 10/1091: Recording time for administrative or management purposes
- G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance
- G06Q 30/016: After-sales
- G06Q 30/0635: {replenishment orders; recurring orders}
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46)
- 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
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Systems and processes for managing service orders for service bundles are provided herein. An account assignment object may be created in a service order database corresponding to a main item and a plurality of subitems may be linked to the account assignment object, the main item representing the service bundle and the plurality of subitems offered collectively as the service bundle. The main item and subitems may be part of a hierarchy structure in which the main item is at a higher level than the subitems. A value of the main item may be set corresponding to a price of the service bundle. Follow-up processing may be automatically performed and a billing document may be generated for the service order using the account assignment object. Entries for each of the main item and the plurality of subitems for the order may be displayed in a hierarchical line item view.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving service order data for an order of a service bundle, the service order data including main item information for a main item representing the service bundle and subitem information for a plurality of subitems offered collectively as the service bundle;
generating an account assignment object in a service order database corresponding to the main item, the account assignment object having a hierarchy structure, where the plurality of subitems are associated with the main item in accordance with the hierarchy structure, and where the main item is higher in the hierarchy structure than the plurality of subitems;
setting a value associated with the main item in the account assignment object, the value of the main item corresponding to a price of the service bundle;
automatically performing follow-up computer processing on the order using the account assignment object to generate follow-up documents for the order;
generating a billing document for the order using the account assignment object, the billing document indicating a requested payment that is equal to the value of the main item;
displaying, in a graphical user interface, entries for each of the main item and the plurality of subitems for the order in a hierarchical line item view based on the hierarchy structure of the account assignment object;
receiving, via the graphical user interface, input including first updates to the main item or second updates to one or more of the subitems; and
updating the account assignment object in accordance with the first or second updates, where the first updates are selectively propagated automatically to the one or more subitems and the second updates are selectively propagated automatically to the main item based on the hierarchy structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the main item is designated as a first type of service item, and wherein the plurality of subitems are each designated as a respective one of a second type of service item, an expense item, or a service part item.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of subitems includes a service part item, and wherein automatically performing follow-up processing on the order comprises automatically generating a purchase requisition for a service part corresponding to the service part item using the account assignment object of the main item.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the account assignment object of the main item is updated to include procurement costs relating to the purchase requisition for the service part.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the procurement costs are based on a goods receipt or a supplier invoice generated responsive to a purchase order for the service part and associated with the account assignment object, the purchase order being generated responsive to the purchase requisition.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a service confirmation using the account assignment object.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of subitems include at least one expense item or service item, and wherein generating the service confirmation includes posting costs for the at least one expense item or service item.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of subitems includes at least one expense item, and wherein the costs for the at least one expense item are posted based on a timesheet.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein setting the value of the main item includes receiving user input indicating a fixed price and setting the value of the main item to the fixed price.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein a net value of the subitems are independent from the value of the main item.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the main item is one of a plurality of main items associated with a transaction header, wherein the fixed price is entered for the transaction header, and wherein the fixed price is broken down into parts that are allocated proportionally to the plurality of main items.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein setting the value of the main item includes automatically determining a sum of net values of the plurality of subitems and setting the value of the main item to the sum.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an input of a quantity of the main item for the service order.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein setting the value of the main item includes:
automatically determining a sum of net values of the plurality of subitems and a base price associated with the main item, and
setting the value of the main item to a product of the determined sum and the quantity of the main item.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein setting the value of the main item includes determining a base price for the main item and setting the value of the main item to a product of the base price and the quantity of the main item.

### Claim 16

One or more computer-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the hardware processors to perform actions comprising:
generating an account assignment object in a service order database corresponding to a main item representing a service order for a service bundle, the account assignment object having a hierarchy structure, where the plurality of subitems are associated with the main item in accordance with the hierarchy structure, and where the main item is higher in the hierarchy structure than the plurality of subitems;
updating the account assignment object in the service order database to include a value of the main item corresponding to a price of the service bundle;
automatically updating the account assignment object in the service order database to include costs associated with the plurality of subitems;
generating a billing document for the order using the account assignment object;
generating a graphical user interface for display at a client computing device, the graphical user interface displaying entries for each of the main item and the plurality of subitems for the service order in a hierarchical line item view based on the hierarchy structure of the account assignment object, wherein the value of the main item is included in the billing document and shown in the hierarchical line item view in the entry for the main item and the costs associated with the plurality of subitems are shown in the hierarchical line item view in respective entries for the plurality of subitems; and
responsive to receiving, via the graphical user interface displayed at the client computing device, input including first updates to the main item or second updates to one or more of the subitems, updating the account assignment object in accordance with the first or second updates, where the first updates are selectively propagated to the one or more subitems and the second updates are selectively propagated to the main item based on the hierarchy structure.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the plurality of subitems includes at least one service type subitem, at least one expense type subitem, or at least one service part type subitem, and wherein the costs associated with the plurality of subitems are posted to the account assignment object based on one or more respective purchase orders for the at least service part type subitem, one or more respective timesheets for the at least one service type subitem, or a service confirmation for the at least one expense type subitem.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the actions further comprise analyzing a fulfillment of the service order by comparing a net value corresponding to a sum of the costs of the plurality of subitems to the value of the main item.

### Claim 19

A system comprising:
one or more hardware processors with memory coupled thereto;
computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more hardware processors, the instructions comprising:
first instructions to receive, via input to a graphical user interface displayed on a client computing device, service order data for a service order of a service bundle, the service order data including main item information for a main item representing the service bundle and subitem information for a plurality of subitems offered collectively as the service bundle, the plurality of subitems including a service part subitem;
second instructions to generate, for display via the graphical user interface, a hierarchical line view of the service order including a first line item entry for the main item and a plurality of second line item entries each associated with a respective subitem of the plurality of subitems;
third instructions to generate an account assignment object associated with the main item, the account assignment object having a hierarchy structure in correspondence with the hierarchical line view of the service order, where the main item is higher in the hierarchy structure than the plurality of subitems;
fourth instructions to automatically generate a purchase requisition for the service part subitem, the purchase requisition identifying the account assignment object of the main item; and
fifth instructions to generate a service confirmation for the service order using the account assignment object of the main item, the service confirmation maintaining the hierarchy structure of the account assignment object; and
sixth instructions to generate and display or print a billing document for the service order using the account assignment object of the main item, the billing document including a request for payment equal to a value of the main item, the value of the main item being automatically set according to master data indicating a base price of the main item or set based on an overriding fixed price input received via the graphical user interface.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein costs of the subitems are posted in the account assignment object of the main item after generating the service confirmation and wherein the instructions further include seventh instructions to update the second line item entries with the respective costs for the associated subitems.