POS System Integrating Expense Reporting With Third-Party Apps
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The process of submitting business expenses for reimbursement is time-consuming, tedious, and prone to errors due to multiple steps involving payment, receipt collection, and classification, which can be improved for convenience and accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A point-of-sale (POS) system that integrates expense reporting capabilities, using a user interface, transceiver, memory, and controller to interrogate tags, authenticate users, and transmit transaction information to application servers for classification and submission, leveraging RFID technology and standard authentication protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional expense reporting process is used with multiple steps (payment, receipt collection, submission, classification), then expense reimbursement can be processed, but the process becomes time-consuming and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the payment transaction and expense reporting into a single integrated process at the point-of-sale terminal. When a user makes a payment, the system automatically captures transaction details and submits them to the expense reporting system, eliminating the need for separate receipt collection and submission steps. This merging of functions directly reduces the time and effort required for expense reporting.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically capturing and processing expense data at the moment of transaction. The point-of-sale terminal pre-submits expense information to the expense reporting system before the user would traditionally need to manually enter it, thereby eliminating subsequent manual steps and reducing overall processing time.
2Reliability
If manual expense reporting with multiple steps is used, then expense data can be submitted, but the process is prone to mistakes and errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically capturing transaction data from the point-of-sale terminal and submitting it to the expense reporting system without requiring manual user intervention. The terminal itself performs the data collection, formatting, and submission tasks, eliminating human error in data entry while maintaining system simplicity through automated processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual process of receipt collection, data entry, and submission with an automated electronic system. The point-of-sale terminal electronically captures transaction data and transmits it directly to the expense reporting system, substituting manual physical handling with automated digital processing, thereby improving accuracy without significantly increasing perceived complexity.
3Productivity
If expense reporting is handled separately from payment transactions, then payment can be processed, but concurrent expense reporting cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the payment processing function with the expense reporting function within the same point-of-sale terminal. The terminal is configured to both process payments and automatically submit expense data to the expense reporting system, allowing both operations to occur concurrently during a single customer interaction, thereby improving productivity without compromising ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The point-of-sale terminal is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a payment processing device and an expense reporting device. This universal device performs multiple functions (payment acceptance, transaction recording, expense data capture, and automated submission) within a single system, enabling concurrent operation without requiring separate dedicated systems for each function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Streamlines the expense reporting process by allowing concurrent handling of transactions and reporting, reducing errors and increasing efficiency through automated data submission and classification.
Implementation Method 1
a transceiver configured to interrogate one or more tags
Data Source
AI summary
System and methods for a point-of-sale system integrated with third-party applications. The system includes a user interface and transceiver to interrogate tags. A plurality of applications having respective identifiers interface with application servers via APIs. A controller connected to the transceiver and user interface triggers the transceiver to interrogate tags to obtain a data string. The data string indicates an application identifier and user credential. The controller identifies an application based on the application identifier. The controller submits transaction information for a transaction performed via the POS system to a user account associated with the user credential. The controller formats the communication in accordance with the API of the application server corresponding to the identified application.