Methodology for advanced quantity-oriented cost assignment using various information sources

A computer-implemented method for allocation of costs among a plurality of sender objects that provide resources and a receiver object that consumes said resources, said method comprising:

• defining a template having at least one a function that identifies one of the sender objects or defines a relationship between the receiver object and one or more of the sender objects;
• and
• performing a valuation of the template with the function applying the most current data available at the time of evaluation, said defining step including
• receiving from an interface adapted to be used by a user language-dependent names and parameters of said functions, said language-dependent names and descriptions of said functions being in one of a plurality of languages;
• parsing said language-dependent names and descriptions of said functions to create control blocks as internal descriptions of the functions;
• and
• generating an executable report dependent on said control blocks.

An apparatus for allocation of costs, said system comprising:

• a template stored in a computerized system and linked to a plurality of sender objects that provide resources and a receiver object that consumes resources;
• said template having a set of functions each identifying one or more of the sender objects or defining a relationship between one or more of the sender objects and the receiver object;
• said template being configured so that a valuation thereof can be triggered by a costing application, and, in said valuation, said functions are applied using data required thereby that is the latest available data at the time of valuation and
• a system for defining or editing the template, said system having interface means for accepting from a user language-dependent names and descriptions of said functions, said language-dependent names and descriptions of said functions being in one of a plurality of languages and describing said relationships between the sender objects and the receiver objects in the construct;
• parser means for creating control blocks as internal descriptions of said language-dependent functions;
• and
• generator means for generating an executable report dependent on said control blocks.

A computer-implemented method for allocation of costs which can be used with different cost receiving objects, said method comprising the steps of:

• defining a template having a plurality of functions that identify sender objects that provide resources or that define relationships between one or more sender objects that provide resources and a receiver object that consumes said resources and
• performing a valuation of said template wherein said template is linked to a specific receiver object and said functions are applied using data required thereby that is the most current data at the time of valuation,
• said defining step including
• inputting language-dependent names and descriptions of said functions using an R/3 user interface, said language-dependent names and descriptions of said functions being in one of a plurality of languages, and defining said relationships between the sender objects and the receiver object in the template;
• parsing said language-dependent names and descriptions of said functions to create control blocks as internal descriptions of said functions;
• and
• generating executable reports dependent on said control blocks.