Website user account linking
A method for managing a plurality of commercial website accounts maintained by a supplier of goods or services includes receiving a structure via a first computer screen, where the structure specifies a relationship between a first one of the plurality of commercial website accounts and a second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts, so that the first one of the plurality of website accounts is configured to be a parent account of the second of the plurality of website accounts defining a child account; linking the child account and the parent account in accordance with the received structure in response to a command received via the first computer screen; receiving a rule that regulates a purchase of goods or services by a user of the child account via a second computer screen, where the received rule specifies an action associated with a user of the parent account; automatically detecting that the user of the child account has placed an order at the commercial website; and processing the order in accordance with the rule and the structure.
1. A method for managing a plurality of commercial website accounts maintained by a supplier of goods or services, the method comprising:
receiving a structure at a computing device maintained by the supplier of goods or services via a first computer screen, wherein the structure specifies a relationship between a first one of the plurality of commercial website accounts and a second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts, so that the first one of the plurality of website accounts is configured to be a parent account of the second of the plurality of website accounts defining a child account;
linking the child account and the parent account in accordance with the received structure in response to a command received via the first computer screen;
receiving a rule that regulates a purchase of goods or services by a user of the child account via a second computer screen, wherein the received rule specifies an action associated with a user of the parent account;
automatically detecting that the user of the child account has placed an order at the commercial website; and
processing the order in accordance with the rule and the structure.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received rule specifies at least one of a restriction on a total monetary amount, a maximum unit price for an item, and a list of items that the user of the child account is authorized to purchase.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received rule includes a requirement that the purchase be authorized by the user of the parent account under certain conditions.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein processing the order in accordance with the rule and the structure includes:
generating a waiting-for-review screen for the user of the parent account; and
providing details of the placed order in response to receiving a command from the user of the parent account via the waiting-for-review screen.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the received rule includes a further requirement that the purchase also be authorized by an authorizer different from the user of the parent account.
6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving a selection of a group of users of respective ones of the plurality of commercial website accounts; and
applying the received rule to each of the group of users.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the structure includes receiving a spreadsheet uploaded via the computer screen.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a list of two or more of the plurality of commercial website accounts that correspond to respective related organizations in accordance with the received structure;
displaying the list at a third computer screen;
receiving a first selection of a first account included in the list;
receiving a second selection of a second account included in the list;
generating an aggregate report related to the first account and the second account.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the aggregate report specifies orders for goods or services placed using one of the first account and the second account.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving a selection of several data fields related to the first account and the second account;
wherein generating the aggregate report includes aggregating data according to the received selection of data fields;
wherein the data fields are selected from a set including customer number, order number, order date, cost center, invoice number, item identification number, description, quantity, and price.
11. A method for managing a plurality of commercial website accounts for purchase of goods or services maintained by a supplier of goods or services, wherein each of the plurality of commercial website accounts is associated with data stored as a plurality of data fields; the method comprising:
generating an interactive computer screen;
receiving a selection of a first one of the plurality of commercial website accounts via the computer screen;
receiving a selection of a second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts via the computer screen, wherein the first one of the plurality of commercial website accounts and the second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts are for use by related organizations;
receiving a first selection of a first one of the plurality of data fields via the computer screen;
receiving a second selection of a second one of the plurality of data fields via the computer screen; and
generating aggregate data related to activity of the first one of the plurality of commercial website accounts and the second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts in accordance with the first selection and the second selection based on the data stored at a computing device maintained by the supplier of goods or service.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of data fields are selected from a set including customer number, order number, order date, cost center, invoice number, item identification number, description, quantity, and price.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein generating the interactive computer screen includes providing the interactive computer screen to an authorized user.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving a tree structure that specifies a relationship between the authorized user and each of the first one of the plurality of commercial website accounts and the second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving a selection of a time period within which the activity of the first one of the plurality of commercial website accounts and the second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts occurs.
16. A commercial website server for a supplier of goods or services, wherein the commercial website server includes a set of computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the commercial website server comprising:
a computer further comprising:
an interface to a database at a computing device maintained for the supplier of goods or services that stores a plurality of commercial website accounts for purchase of goods or services from the supplier of goods or services;
a computer screen including:
a first control to receive a structure that specifies a relationship between a first one of the plurality of commercial website accounts and a second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts, so that the first one of the plurality of website accounts can be configured to be a parent account of the second of the plurality of website accounts defining a child account;
a second control to link the child account and the parent account in accordance with the received structure; and
a third control to receive a rule that regulates a purchase of goods or services by a user of the child account via a second computer screen, wherein the received rule specifies an action associated with a user of the parent account, wherein the commercial website server is adapted to automatically detect that the user of the child account has placed an order at the commercial website and process the order in accordance with the rule and the structure.
17. The commercial website server of claim 16 , further comprising:
a second computer screen including:
a fourth control to receive a selection of the second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts;
a fifth control to receive a selection of a third one of the plurality of commercial website accounts, wherein the second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts and the third one of the plurality of commercial website accounts are for use by related organizations; and
a sixth control to generate aggregate data related to activity of the second one of the plurality of commercial website accounts and the third one of the plurality of commercial website accounts.
18. The commercial website server of claim 16 , wherein the second computer screen is accessible to a user of the first one of the plurality of commercial website accounts.
19. The commercial website server of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of commercial website accounts is associated with data stored as a plurality of data fields;
wherein the second computer screen further includes:
a seventh control to receive a first selection of a first one of the plurality of data fields via the computer screen;
an eighth control to receive a second selection of a second one of the plurality of data fields via the computer screen; and wherein
the aggregate data is generated according to the first selection and the second selection.
20. The commercial website server of claim 16 , wherein the rule specifies at least one of a restriction on a total monetary amount, a maximum unit price for an item, and a list of items that the user of the child account is authorized to purchase.