ERP Transaction Pricing Logic for Real-Time Billing Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
ERP pricing systems are static and rigid, leading to delays, misconfigurations, high resource consumption, and inefficiencies in handling complex pricing scenarios and reprocessing transactions, and lack flexibility in applying differentiated pricing schemes.
Innovation Solution
A real-time billing application (RTB) that operates as a service layer within the ERP platform, using a virtual table to isolate transaction subsets and apply customizable pricing logic through a configuration file, enabling real-time, flexible, and efficient pricing calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If batch-mode pricing processes are used to re-evaluate pricing for a set of transactions during each billing cycle, then comprehensive pricing coverage is achieved, but system resource consumption increases and processing time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pricing processing by introducing a pricing indicator that identifies specific transactions requiring pricing evaluation. Instead of reprocessing all transactions in batch mode, the system divides the workload into individual transactions that need pricing, isolating them from the rest of the transaction dataset. This segmentation enables selective processing that maintains pricing completeness while reducing overall system resource consumption and processing time.
2Manufacturing precision
If ERP configuration tables are modified to apply different pricing rules for different customers, service types, or regions, then pricing accuracy is improved, but system complexity and risk of misconfiguration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary pricing indicator mechanism that sits between the ERP configuration tables and the pricing execution. This indicator serves as a mediator that captures pricing requirements without requiring direct modification of ERP configuration tables. The pricing indicator can be set through alternative means (such as from external systems or manual entry), thereby maintaining pricing accuracy while reducing the complexity and risk associated with modifying ERP configuration tables directly.
3Stability of the object's composition
If all related transactions are reprocessed when a single transaction changes, then pricing consistency is maintained, but system resource consumption and processing time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic pricing processing by introducing a pricing indicator that can be set individually for each transaction. This dynamic approach allows the system to adaptively determine which transactions require pricing reevaluation based on specific conditions, rather than following a static all-or-nothing reprocessing rule. When a transaction changes, the system dynamically evaluates whether pricing reevaluation is needed based on the pricing indicator, maintaining pricing consistency while avoiding unnecessary reprocessing of unrelated transactions.
4Ease of manufacture
If standard ERP pricing framework is used for complex pricing scenarios such as capped charges, cumulative thresholds, or multi-step discounting, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but pricing flexibility and capability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds another dimension to the pricing system by introducing a pricing indicator that exists alongside the traditional ERP pricing framework. This additional dimension enables complex pricing scenarios to be handled without replacing the existing ERP framework. The pricing indicator can carry additional information or trigger special pricing logic that extends the capabilities of the standard ERP system, allowing for capped charges, cumulative thresholds, and multi-step discounting while maintaining the simplicity of the underlying ERP implementation.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are described for performing real-time billing within an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) environment are disclosed. When a transaction posts to an ERP environment, an application retrieves applicable pricing conditions from the ERP system's condition index and compares them to a configuration file that defines filter criteria and pricing procedures. Based on this comparison, the application assigns the transaction to a group and executes the corresponding pricing procedure. Calculated results can be distributed to new line items or routed to other groups for multi-stage evaluation. Final billing values are then persisted for invoicing or reporting.