Verifying a requisition object record

1. A method, said method comprising:

ascertaining, by a processor of a computer system, that a database coupled to a software application stores a company profile record comprising a target attribute of the company profile record for the software application and a validity attribute associated with the target attribute of the company profile record, wherein the validity attribute has either a VALID value or an INVALID value respectively indicating that the target attribute in the company profile record has a valid value or an invalid value within the database;

insuring, by the processor, that the database stores a first user profile record and a second user profile record, that a first user of a requisition transaction corresponds to the first user profile record, that the first user profile record comprises a target attribute having a value identical to a value of a target attribute of a first company profile record associated with a first company represented by the first user;

verifying, by the processor, a requisition object record corresponding to the requisition transaction, wherein the requisition object record comprises the target attribute and a validity flag, wherein the validity flag of the requisition object record indicates whether or not the requisition object record is valid and usable in the requisition transaction, wherein the software application is configured to execute the requisition transaction using the requisition object record, wherein said verifying comprises:

querying the company profile record in the database for a first value for the target attribute of the requisition object record against valid target instances for the target attribute of the first company profile record;

setting the validity flag of the requisition object record with a value for the validity attribute of the first company profile record that is identical to the validity attribute of the first user profile record, wherein the value of the set validity flag is INVALID;

determining that the requisition object record is invalid responsive to said setting; and

displaying, responsive to said determining that the requisition object record is invalid, an error message that notifies the first user that the requisition object record is invalid and directs the first user to terminate modifying the requisition object record.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a first user initiates the requisition transaction only when the target attribute of the first company profile record is valid,

wherein the requisition object record had been created by the first user within the database by instantiating a value of the target attribute of the requisition object record with a corresponding value of the target attribute of the first user profile record from said insuring, and

wherein the first user is enabled to modify the requisition transaction to involve a second user representing a second company only when the second user profile record has a valid target attribute.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a target value of the target attribute of the company profile record and a validity value of the validity attribute of the company profile record are respectively configured by respective inputs from an administrator of the procurement application.

4. The method of claim 1 , said ascertaining comprising:

displaying values of the company profile record via an output device of the computer system to an administrator of a procurement application;

receiving a target value of the target attribute of the company profile record from the administrator, wherein the target value of the target attribute identifies a company initiating the requisition transaction, and wherein the target attribute is named as company code;

re-displaying the values of the company profile record, wherein the values comprising the received target value;

receiving a validity value of the validity attribute associated with the received target value within the company profile record from the administrator; and

saving to the database the company profile record comprising the target attribute set to the received target value and the validity attribute set to the received validity value.

5. The method of claim 1 , said insuring comprising:

checking the database for a first value for the target attribute of the first user profile record against at least one valid target instance for the target attribute of the company profile record, wherein the validity attribute of the company profile record has a predefined valid value when the company profile record comprises a valid target instance from said at least one valid target instance for the target attribute;

determining that the first value from said checking for the target attribute of the first user profile record is invalid;

displaying, responsive to said determining, the first user profile records to the first user to enable the first user to choose a second value for the target attribute of the company profile record, wherein the second value is selected from said at least one valid target instance;

receiving the second value for the target attribute of the first user profile record from said displaying; and

storing the first user profile record to the database with the received second value for the target attribute.

6. A computer program product, comprising: a computer readable hardware storage device having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system to implement a method, said method comprising:

ascertaining that a database coupled to a software application stores a company profile record comprising a target attribute of the company profile record for the software application and a validity attribute associated with the target attribute of the company profile record, wherein the validity attribute has either a VALID value or an INVALID value respectively indicating that the target attribute in the company profile record has a valid value or an invalid value within the database;

insuring that the database stores a first user profile record and a second user profile record, that a first user of a requisition transaction corresponds to the first user profile record, that the first user profile record comprises a target attribute having a value identical to a value of a target attribute of a first company profile record associated with a first company represented by the first user;

verifying, by the processor, a requisition object record corresponding to the requisition transaction, wherein the requisition object record comprises the target attribute and a validity flag, wherein the validity flag of the requisition object record indicates whether or not the requisition object record is valid and usable in the requisition transaction, wherein the software application is configured to execute the requisition transaction using the requisition object record, wherein said verifying comprises:

querying the company profile record in the database for a first value for the target attribute of the requisition object record against valid target instances for the target attribute of the first company profile record;

setting the validity flag of the requisition object record with a value for the validity attribute of the first company profile record that is identical to the validity attribute of the first user profile record, wherein the value of the set validity flag is INVALID;

determining that the requisition object record is invalid responsive to said setting; and

displaying, responsive to said determining that the requisition object record is invalid, an error message that notifies the first user that the requisition object record is invalid and directs the first user to terminate modifying the requisition object record.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 ,

wherein a first user initiates the requisition transaction only when the target attribute of the first company profile record is valid,

wherein the requisition object record had been created by the first user within the database by instantiating a value of the target attribute of the requisition object record with a corresponding value of the target attribute of the first user profile record from said insuring, and

wherein the first user is enabled to modify the requisition transaction to involve a second user representing a second company only when the second user profile record has a valid target attribute.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein a target value of the target attribute of the company profile record and a validity value of the validity attribute of the company profile record are respectively configured by respective inputs from an administrator of the procurement application.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , said ascertaining comprising:

displaying values of the company profile record via an output device of the computer system to an administrator of a procurement application;

receiving a target value of the target attribute of the company profile record from the administrator, wherein the target value of the target attribute identifies a company initiating the requisition transaction, and wherein the target attribute is named as company code;

re-displaying the values of the company profile record, wherein the values comprising the received target value;

receiving a validity value of the validity attribute associated with the received target value within the company profile record from the administrator; and

saving to the database the company profile record comprising the target attribute set to the received target value and the validity attribute set to the received validity value.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 , said insuring comprising:

checking the database for a first value for the target attribute of the first user profile record against at least one valid target instance for the target attribute of the company profile record, wherein the validity attribute of the company profile record has a predefined valid value when the company profile record comprises a valid target instance from said at least one valid target instance for the target attribute;

determining that the first value from said checking for the target attribute of the first user profile record is invalid;

displaying, responsive to said determining, the first user profile records to the first user to enable the first user to choose a second value for the target attribute of the company profile record, wherein the second value is selected from said at least one valid target instance;

receiving the second value for the target attribute of the first user profile record from said displaying; and

storing the first user profile record to the database with the received second value for the target attribute.

11. A computer system comprising: a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer readable storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device containing instructions configured to be executed by the processor via the memory to implement verification of a target attribute of a company profile record for a procurement application, said instructions comprising:

ascertaining that a database coupled to a software application stores a company profile record comprising a target attribute of the company profile record for the software application and a validity attribute associated with the target attribute of the company profile record, wherein the validity attribute has either a VALID value or an INVALID value respectively indicating that the target attribute in the company profile record has a valid value or an invalid value within the database;

insuring that the database stores a first user profile record and a second user profile record, that a first user of a requisition transaction corresponds to the first user profile record, that the first user profile record comprises a target attribute having a value identical to a value of a target attribute of a first company profile record associated with a first company represented by the first user;

verifying, by the processor, a requisition object record corresponding to the requisition transaction, wherein the requisition object record comprises the target attribute and a validity flag, wherein the validity flag of the requisition object record indicates whether or not the requisition object record is valid and usable in the requisition transaction, wherein the software application is configured to execute the requisition transaction using the requisition object record, wherein said verifying comprises:

querying the company profile record in the database for a first value for the target attribute of the requisition object record against valid target instances for the target attribute of the first company profile record;

setting the validity flag of the requisition object record with a value for the validity attribute of the first company profile record that is identical to the validity attribute of the first user profile record, wherein the value of the set validity flag is INVALID;

determining that the requisition object record is invalid responsive to said setting; and

displaying, responsive to said determining that the requisition object record is invalid, an error message that notifies the first user that the requisition object record is invalid and directs the first user to terminate modifying the requisition object record.

12. The computer system of claim 11 ,

wherein a first user initiates the requisition transaction only when the target attribute of the first company profile record is valid,

wherein the requisition object record had been created by the first user within the database by instantiating a value of the target attribute of the requisition object record with a corresponding value of the target attribute of the first user profile record from said insuring, and

wherein the first user is enabled to modify the requisition transaction to involve a second user representing a second company only when the second user profile record has a valid target attribute.

13. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein a target value of the target attribute of the company profile record and a validity value of the validity attribute of the company profile record are respectively configured by respective inputs from an administrator of the procurement application.

14. The computer system of claim 11 , said ascertaining comprising:

displaying values of the company profile record via an output device of the computer system to an administrator of a procurement application;

receiving a target value of the target attribute of the company profile record from the administrator, wherein the target value of the target attribute identifies a company initiating the requisition transaction, and wherein the target attribute is named as company code;

re-displaying the values of the company profile record, wherein the values comprising the received target value;

receiving a validity value of the validity attribute associated with the received target value within the company profile record from the administrator; and

saving to the database the company profile record comprising the target attribute set to the received target value and the validity attribute set to the received validity value.

15. The computer system of claim 11 , said insuring comprising:

checking the database for a first value for the target attribute of the first user profile record against at least one valid target instance for the target attribute of the company profile record, wherein the validity attribute of the company profile record has a predefined valid value when the company profile record comprises a valid target instance from said at least one valid target instance for the target attribute;

determining that the first value from said checking for the target attribute of the first user profile record is invalid;

displaying, responsive to said determining, the first user profile records to the first user to enable the first user to choose a second value for the target attribute of the company profile record, wherein the second value is selected from said at least one valid target instance;

receiving the second value for the target attribute of the first user profile record from said displaying; and

storing the first user profile record to the database with the received second value for the target attribute.