Automated report service tracking system and method

A method for automated document research, aggregation, and compilation, in a client-server environment, the method comprising:

• (a) generating, with a server computer, a search interface displayable to a client communicably coupled to the server;
• (b) searching and sorting, with the server computer in response to instructions received via the search interface, selections of interest within a plurality of source documents;
• (c) generating, with the server computer, a custom report interface displayable to the client;
• (d) extracting and aggregating, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions received via the custom report interface, the selections of interest into a customized report configured to simultaneously display a plurality of the selections of interest;
• (e) enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in portable document format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report;
• (f) enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in presentation format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report;
• (g) enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in spread sheet format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report;
• (h) retaining, with the server computer, the user selection instructions and location information for the selections of interest within the plurality of source documents;
• (i) storing and indexing, with the server computer, the plurality of source documents in a plurality of native formats including XML, text, portable document, presentation, and spreadsheet, wherein the results of said storing and indexing are in said plurality of native formats, and storing each of the plurality of source documents in a plurality of sub-document portions populated to one or more tables;
• and
• (j) generating, with the server computer, a tool interface displayable to the client for capturing at least one of user comments and messages to be linked to individual sub-document portions;
• (k) wherein said extracting and aggregating (d) includes extracting and aggregating the sub-document portions of the selections of interest, along with any of the linked user comments and messages, into the customized report while maintaining the original native formats of the selections of interest;
• (l) generating, with the server computer, a content management system (CMS) interface displayable to the client, and responsive to user instructions received via the CMS interface, displaying a list of customized reports in various stages of completion ranging from report ideas to drafts to versions of completed reports;
• and
• (m) linking, with the server computer, in response to instructions received from the client via the CMS interface, user comments to any of the customized reports in the various stages of completion, wherein users are permitted to provide feedback on the customized reports at any of the various stages of completion.

An article of manufacture for automated document research, aggregation, and compilation, in a client-server environment, said article of manufacture comprising:

• a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer usable medium having computer readable program code for:
• generating, with a server computer, a search interface displayable to a client communicably coupled to the server;
• searching and sorting, with the server computer in response to instructions received via the search interface, selections of interest within a plurality of source documents;
• generating, with the server computer, a custom report interface displayable to the client;
• extracting and aggregating, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions received via the custom report interface, the selections of interest into a customized report configured to simultaneously display a plurality of the selections of interest;
• enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in portable document format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report;
• enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in presentation format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report;
• enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in spread sheet format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report;
• retaining, with the server computer, the user selection instructions and location information for the selections of interest within the plurality of source documents;
• and
• storing and indexing, with the server computer, the plurality of source documents in a plurality of native formats including XML, text, portable document, presentation, and spreadsheet, wherein the results of said storing and indexing are in said plurality of native formats, and storing each of the plurality of source documents in a plurality of sub-document portions populated to one or more tables;
• generating, with the server computer, a tool interface displayable to the client for capturing at least one of user comments and messages to be linked to individual sub-document portions;
• wherein said extracting and aggregating includes extracting and aggregating the sub-document portions of the selections of interest, along with any of the linked user comments and messages, into the customized report while maintaining the original native formats of the selections of interest;
• generating, with the server computer, a content management system (CMS) interface displayable to the client, and responsive to user instructions received via the CMS interface, displaying a list of customized reports in various stages of completion ranging from report ideas to drafts to versions of completed reports;
• and
• linking, with the server computer, in response to instructions received from the client via the CMS interface, user comments to any of the customized reports in the various stages of completion, wherein users are permitted to provide feedback on the customized reports at any of the various stages of completion.