ERP Ongoing Transaction Management via Segmented Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in accessing and managing ongoing transactions in ERP systems, as they often have to navigate through multiple screens to perform actions or view current data, especially when dealing with thousands of transactions across various functionalities.
Innovation Solution
A helper tool that maintains configuration data to display a list of ongoing transactions, associated actions, and current data fields, allowing users to select and perform actions without navigating to specific screens, and enabling them to view current values directly from a centralized interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users navigate through multiple screens to access ongoing transactions in ERP systems, then they can perform actions on transactions, but the time required to access and manage transactions increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transaction management process by creating a dedicated ongoing transactions module that separates ongoing transactions from completed ones. This segmentation allows users to directly access only the transactions that require attention, eliminating the need to navigate through all transactions or multiple screens to find ongoing ones.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically identifying and flagging ongoing transactions before the user needs to access them. The ongoing transactions module pre-processes transaction data to determine which transactions are incomplete, so users receive a ready-filtered list without needing to manually search or navigate through screens to find them.
2Adaptability or versatility
If ERP systems provide comprehensive transaction management capabilities, then users can perform various actions on transactions, but the complexity of the system increases making it harder to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ongoing transaction management functionality from the broader ERP transaction system and places it in a dedicated module. This extraction simplifies the user interface by presenting only ongoing transactions separately, reducing the visual and navigational complexity while preserving all comprehensive transaction management capabilities within the module.
Solution Approach 2:
The ongoing transactions module acts as an intermediary between users and the comprehensive ERP transaction system. It provides a simplified access point that mediates between the user's need for simple navigation and the system's comprehensive capabilities, translating complex system functions into an easy-to-use interface.
3Loss of information
If users need to view current data fields for ongoing transactions, then they can make informed decisions, but navigating to specific screens to view data increases time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the data viewing functionality directly into the ongoing transactions module. Users can view current data fields for ongoing transactions within the same interface where they manage transactions, eliminating the need to navigate to separate screens. This combines information retrieval and transaction management in one location.
Solution Approach 2:
The ongoing transactions module provides multi-functionality by combining transaction management actions (such as continuing, canceling, or modifying transactions) with data viewing capabilities in a single interface. This universal module handles both management and information retrieval functions without requiring separate navigation.
Data Source
AI summary
An aspect of the present disclosure facilitates continuing interaction with ongoing transactions in ERP systems. In one embodiment, a system maintains a configuration data specifying transaction types of interest, and a respective set of actions and respective set of data fields associated with each transaction type. The system then monitors transactions performed in an ERP system to identify ongoing transactions of the transaction types. Upon receiving from a user, a request for ongoing transactions of interest, the system sends for display a list of ongoing transactions, a respective set of actions, a respective set of data fields and corresponding current values associated with each ongoing transaction. Upon receiving from the user, data indicating selection of an action associated with a specific ongoing transaction of the list, the system performs the selected action for the specific ongoing transaction in the ERP system.