Method and system for buyer centric dispute resolution in electronic payment system

1. A method of facilitating resolution of a dispute between a buyer organization and a seller in an electronic payment system, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic invoice from the seller, the electronic invoice being subject to invoice definition rules for accepting information into the invoice as defined by the buyer organization, the invoice definition rules including rules for the format by which the invoice receives data, validation of information for respective fields of the invoice, extraction of information from the buyer's systems, and transformation of status information;

electronically routing the invoice to individuals in the buyer organization;

receiving, from a set of two or more of the individuals in the buyer organization indications that the invoice is disputed, corrections to the invoice, comments for the seller regarding the invoice and comments for other individuals in the buyer organization regarding the invoice;

forwarding to the seller an indication that the invoice is disputed, the corrections to the invoice and the comments for the seller without forwarding the comments for other individuals in the buyer organization;

receiving from the seller a response to the buyer organization's indication that the invoice is disputed, the response including an acceptance of changes suggested by the buyer organization or an indication that the seller disputes the changes suggested by the buyer organization;

automatically forwarding information regarding the dispute to another individual in the same organization as a first individual responsible for responding to a notice regarding the dispute if the first individual has not responded within a particular time, the another individual being a manager of the first individual, the manager being determined according to an established hierarchy based on hierarchical data retained in an escalation level in management scheme obtained from a human resource management system (HRMS);

withholding payment for the invoice until an indication from the buyer organization has been received that the buyer organization has determined that the invoice may be paid; and

displaying a history of the dispute to individuals in the buyer organization on request, the history including indication of users who entered dispute data, the indication of users who entered dispute data being made available only to the buyer organization.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication from the buyer organization that the buyer organization has determined that the invoice may be paid includes an information indicating that payment shall be different from that requested by the seller in the seller's response.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication from the buyer organization that the buyer organization has determined that the invoice may be paid includes an indication indicating that payment shall be that payment which is requested by the seller in the seller's response.

4. The method of claim 1 , including automatically generating a correction memo in response to instruction from the buyer organization to end the dispute.

5. The method of claim 1 , including receiving an approval of the invoice by at least an individual in the buyer organization before receiving the indications from individuals in the buyer organization that the invoice is disputed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding to the seller does not include informing the seller of the particular individuals that provided indications that the invoice is disputed.

7. The method of claim 1 , including receiving instructions from the buyer organization to make payment for a portion of the invoice that is not disputed by the buyer organization and in response, making payment for the portion of the invoice and not for at least one other portion of the invoice that is disputed.

8. The method of claim 1 , including forwarding the indication, corrections and comments to the seller in an electronic mail message.

9. A method of facilitating resolution of a dispute between a buyer organization and a seller in an electronic payment system, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic invoice from the seller, the electronic invoice being subject to invoice definition rules for accepting information into the invoice as defined by the invoice receive on of information for respective fields of the invoice, extraction of buyer organization, the in voice definition rules including rules for a format by which the invoice receives data, validation of information for respective fields of the invoice, extraction of information from the buyer's systems, and transformation of status information;

electronically routing the invoice to individuals ii the buyer organization;

receiving from a set of two or more of the individuals in the buyer organization indications that the invoice is disputed, corrections to disputed portions of the invoice, comments for the seller regarding the disputed portions of the invoice and comments for other individuals in the buyer organization regarding the invoice;

forwarding to the seller an indication that the invoice is disputed, the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice and the comments for the seller without forwarding the comments for other individuals in the buyer organization;

receiving from the seller a response to the buyer organization's indication that the invoice is disputed, the response including an acceptance of changes suggested by the buyer organization or an indication that the seller disputes the changes suggested by the buyer organization;

automatically forwarding information regarding the dispute to another individual in the same organization as a first individual responsible for responding to a notice regarding the dispute if the first individual has not responded within a particular time, the another individual being a manager of the first individual, the manager being determined according to an established hierarchy based on hierarchical data retained in an escalation level management scheme obtained from a human resource management system (HRMS);

withholding payment for the invoice until an indication from the buyer organization has been received that the buyer organization has determined that the invoice may be paid; and

displaying a history of the dispute to individuals in the buyer organization on request, the history including indication of users who entered dispute data, the indication of users who entered dispute data being made available only to the buyer organization.

10. The method of claim 9 , including forwarding to the seller, in response to selection by the buyer organization, a code identifying the reason for the dispute, the reason including:

price exceeds order;

quantity exceeds order;

tax is not applicable;

a respective item was not ordered; or

goods ordered are unsatisfactory.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice include correction to a line item of the invoice.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice include correction to a tax in the invoices.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice include correction to a freight in the invoice.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice include correction to a unit price in the invoice.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice include correction to a quantity in the invoice.

16. The method of claim 9 , including forwarding corrections to the seller, in response to selection by the buyer organization, to

a line item of the invoice;

total tax in the invoice;

tax for a line item in the invoice;

freight charge in the invoice;

quantity in the invoice;

unit price in the invoice; or

SKU identified in the invoice.

17. A method including:

receiving an electronic invoice from a seller, the electronic invoice being subject to invoice definition rules for accepting information into the invoice as defined by the buyer organization, the invoice definition rules including rules for a format by which the invoice receives data, validation of information for respective fields of the invoice, extraction of information from the buyer's systems, and transformation of status information;

electronically routing the invoice to individuals in the buyer organization;

receiving, electronically via a computer network, from a set of two or more of the individuals in the buyer organization indications that the invoice is disputed, corrections to the invoice, comments for the seller regarding the invoice and comments for other individuals in the buyer organization regarding the invoice;

electronically forwarding to an electronic apparatus associated with the seller an indication that the invoice is disputed, the corrections to the invoice and the comments for the seller, without forwarding the comments for other individuals in the buyer organization;

receiving a response from the seller including an acceptance of changes suggested by the buyer organization or an indication that the seller disputes the changes suggested by the buyer organization;

automatically forwarding information regarding the dispute to another individual in the same organization as a first individual responsible for responding to a notice regarding the dispute if the first individual has not responded within a particular time, the another individual being a manger of the first individual, the manager being determined according to an established hierarchy based on hierarchical data retained in an escalation level management scheme obtained from a human resource management system (HRMS);

withholding payment for the invoice until an indication from the buyer organization has been received that the buyer organization has determined that the invoice may be paid; and

displaying a history of the dispute to individuals in the buyer organization on request, the history including indication of users who entered dispute data, the indication of users who entered dispute data being made available only to the buyer organization.