Description:FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system and method for procurement related applications. More particularly the invention relates to a system and method to assist procurement related processes through a messaging application where a single system performs initiating, generating and processing transaction for multiple requests within a same procurement transaction from a supplier to procure an item using the input information, without hoping in and out of different procurement systems.

BACKGROUND
Procurement technologies facilitate digital interactions between buyers and suppliers for the exchange of goods and services through electronic marketplaces. This process involves requisitioning, ordering, and purchasing items, often mediated by third-party intermediary services or software platforms. Electronic procurement, whether in business-to-business, business-to-customer, or business-to-government contexts, occurs over the internet, offering benefits such as cost savings, shorter purchasing cycles, improved inventory control, and enhanced transparency. Procurement systems associated with electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, or computers, facilitates various transactions in the procurement process, including item selection, supplier selection, contracting, requisition raising, purchase order creation, invoicing, and payment. Industry-specific procurement systems include solutions for supplier management, contract management, and e-procurement. However, real-world challenges in the business environment include the need to address issues such as supplier relationships, contract complexities, and the efficient execution of procurement processes.
In a multinational company, employees using procurement systems across different regions and time zones face challenges when they are unfamiliar with the company's procurement processes. For instance, an IT department employee may struggle to navigate the various options within the system, whether it is supplier management, contract management, or procurement. This lack of clarity can hinder their ability to raise requisitions or seek guidance from the procurement team, especially when time zone differences further complicate communication. Having a dedicated 24x7 support system for guidance is not practically possible, leading to potential productivity losses when employees encounter procurement-related hurdles.
Moreover, in the dynamic environment of multinational companies, procurement team members must stay abreast of evolving procurement policies. However, staying updated poses a significant challenge, as policy revisions may occur frequently. Procurement personnel may find it difficult to familiarise themselves with the latest policy changes, risking non-compliance and potential deviations in their procurement processes. This issue becomes more pronounced in a dispersed workforce across different regions and time zones, where effective communication and timely updates are essential to ensuring adherence to company policies. The absence of a continuous support system compounds the challenge, leaving procurement teams vulnerable to oversight and non-compliance issues.
In accordance with conventional practices, the user is mandated to access distinct applications for discrete procurement actions. Specifically, the user is obligated to log into various procurement applications to perform individual compliances within a single transaction. This procedural complexity may result to inconvenience for users as they may be unaware of the appropriate application for a given task. The lack of clarity regarding the requisite application for specific actions may impede users' ability to adhere to established procedures, potentially leading to non-compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Prior Arts:
US 8,069,096 B1 discloses a multi-constituent attribution of a vendors product catalog; which refers to a single instance, multi-tenant procurement system, including an access module to provide access to a plurality of end users associated with an organization to their respective accounts, each account being customized by a Super user of the organization, a search engine to execute searches for products offered by one or more Suppliers, a transaction module to process and track one or more requisitions generated by the plurality of end users, a business rules module to apply business rules established between the organization and the one or more Suppliers to process the requisitions, and a data repository to store data generated on the system.
US 10,832,177 B2 discloses a platform for multi - service procurement; wherein the invention to an on-demand service provisioning system to interface with suppliers and customers. One embodiment of the present invention includes a database to store information on customers, suppliers and transactions; a module to interface customers; a module to interface suppliers; a module to interface the database; a stateful section including the module to interface with the database; and a stateless section including the module to interface with the customers and the suppliers.
Though the prior arts talk about procurement based on multi-service or multiple requests and the process of requisition; none of the prior arts specifically provides a system that provides auto-procuring data from the request/query details, or provide direct accessibility to the sub-request product page thereby avoiding hopping in and out of different systems to access multiple sub-requests within a same transaction.
Therefore, there is need of an invention which is user friendly in navigating the procurement process, provide continuous support system, adapt to frequent policy changes, overcome communication challenges in dispersed workforce, reduce the risk of non-compliance and mainly provide a system to initiate all procurement-related actions through a single navigational communication interface.

DEFINITIONS
The expression “user” used hereinafter in this specification refers to, but is not limited to the individual/ natural entity that may be the requester of information on any step, requirement, procedure, workflow, document; any recipient of the document; or any signer of the document; or an employee of the company or organization.
The expression “request” used hereinafter in this specification refers to, but is not limited to a request made to obtain information with respect to any step, requirement, procedure, workflow, procedure, method involved in or related to procurement of any item or any procurement related document such as contracts, PO, invoices, supplier records.
The expression “document” used hereinafter in this specification refers to, but is not limited to an electronic document including PO, invoices, supplier records, e- contracts, commercial contracts, customer contracts, vendor contracts, Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA), procurement requisition, raising purchase order, suppliers’ section, list of items, etc in a computer readable format.
The expression “supplier” used hereinafter in this specification refers to, but is not limited to an individual, natural entity, a person, an employee of the company or organization; who provides the items to be procured, on request by the user.
The expression “transaction” used hereinafter in this specification refers, but is not limited to sourcing system, requisition management, supplier management, catalogue management, spend management, contract management, creating non-disclosure agreements, raising purchase orders, or invoicing solutions.
The expression “procurement” used hereinafter in this specification refers to, but is not limited to the applications used for procurement of items such as electronic procurement application, contract management, sourcing management, supplier management, catalog management.
The expression “master request” used hereinafter in this specification refers, but is not limited to, a combination of two or more “requests”, sub-requests, sub-tasks, requisitions, processes, systems, “transactions” included within the procurement workflow of a single item.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the invention is to provide a system and method to assist procurement related processes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method that assists procurement process with master request.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system and method that parallelly triggers sub-requests within the master request.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system and method that allows the user to procure a desired item expeditiously enabling the user to simultaneously access and confirm the multiple requests.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system and method that enables the user to direct access in the procurement workflow without accessing different system for procuring same item; through the messaging application without hoping in and out of individual systems.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system and method that is convenient, easy-to-use and rapid for a procurement with multiple requests.

SUMMARY
Before the present invention is described, it is to be understood that present invention is not limited to particular methodologies and materials described, as these may vary as per the person skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention relates to a system and method for procurement related applications. More particularly the invention relates to a system and method to assist procurement related processes through a messaging application where a single system performs initiating, generating and processing transaction for multiple requests within a same procurement transaction from a supplier to procure an item using the input information, without hoping in and out of different procurement systems.
In one aspect, the system comprises of a user, an input/output device, a messaging application and a supplier; where the messaging application is associated with the input/output devices/interfaces allowing the user to access and communicate the computer readable instructions while performing any procurement transaction.
In another aspect, the method employs the steps of initiation of a request through the messaging application by the user as free text, selection of the appropriate query or request type; selection of the appropriated suggestion with details of the suppliers, catalogs, and policies; confirmation and selection of supplier and catalog; followed by automatically mapping of the request details entered with a pre-configured, updated policy document, presenting suggestions accordingly to the user; confirmation of details and selection of the most relevant workflow, thereby allowing to “Create a Master request”; where the system recognizes the sub-requests within the master request auto-triggers and creates the parallel sub-requests, obtains any missing details, intelligently auto-fills the details in the respective fields in all- sub-requests, creates respective product pages or a documents ; then auto-shares separate links to the user for verification, confirmation of details and auto-forwarding for review and approval, providing constant notifications and status updates till approval of request or till the item is procured from the supplier enabling the user, the procurement of desired item.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1. illustrates the various components of the system of the present invention.
Fig. 2. illustrates a stepwise method for assisting a multiple request procurement transaction for the present system.
Fig. 3. illustrates an exemplary workflow for assisting a procurement transaction for “Procurement of an IT integration services from “X” Supplier”

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Before the present invention is described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular methodologies described, as these may vary as per the person skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Throughout this specification, the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the invention to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results. Various embodiments of the present invention are described below. It is, however noted that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather the intention is that modifications those are apparent are also included.
The present invention describes a system and method to assist procurement processes through a messaging application platform using an artificial intelligence (AI) generative concept; where a single system performs initiating, generating and processing transaction for multiple requests within a same procurement transaction from any supplier/s to procure an item without hoping in and out of different procurement systems; using the input information. According to an embodiment, the system comprises of a user, an input/output device, a messaging application and a supplier; where the messaging application is associated with the input/output devices/interfaces allowing the user to access and communicate the computer readable instructions while performing any procurement transaction; and wherein the system employs a specific method of procurement including the steps of entering the request/queries and request details, suggesting catalogs and suppliers, mapping the policy details, suggesting the compliance steps and workflows, confirming and creating master request, recognizing sub-requests, filling the details, creating parallel sub-requests, providing separate access to sub-requests, reviewing and approval of request, providing updates to user.
Referring to Fig. 1, a preferred embodiment of the invention discloses a system (1) to assist a procurement request (input) (4) as free text in form of a set of computer readable instructions raised by a user (2) using an input device (3) including, but not limited to a communication device/ interface like computer, laptop, mobile device, user interface, keyboards, mouse; where the request details (4) are provided through a messaging application (5) and a method (6) is applied to provide an output (7) either in the form of an item or confirmation of processed request, from the supplier (9) to the user (1) using at least one output device (8) including, but not limited to a communication device such as a user interface, computer, laptop, mobile device; depending upon the type of request/ item to be procured.
In another embodiment of the invention discloses an AI based method (6) integrated in the messaging application (5) associated with the communication devices (3, 8) for performing multiple transactions involved in the procurement of any item desired by the user. The messaging applications may include, but are not limited to, applications such as the Microsoft (MS) Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, Skype or GoToMeeting. The various transactions may include, but are not limited to, any transactions related to the procurement steps such as sourcing system, requisition management, supplier management, catalogue management, spend management, contract management, creating non-disclosure agreements or invoicing solutions; wherein the transactions may include two or more sub-tasks’.
Referring to Fig. 2, a preferred embodiment of the invention discloses a method (6), where the user (2) initiates a request through the messaging application (5) as free text and selects the appropriate query or request type; where the system provides/ suggests the details of the suppliers, catalogs, and policies. On confirmation of request (4), the user selects supplier and catalog. The system then automatically maps the request details entered with a pre-configured, updated policy document and presents suggestions to the user (2). On confirmation of details and selection of the most relevant workflow, the user allows to “Create a Master request”. The system (1) recognizes the sub-requests within the master request and auto-triggers the parallel sub-requests. The system (1) intelligently decides if the details are sufficient to proceed the request further, and asks additional questions to the user (2) to obtain any missing details. The system (1) intelligently uses the input (4) details to auto-fill the respective fields in all- sub-requests and creates respective product pages or a documents and auto-shares separate links for the user (2) to access and verify the details. Once reviewed and confirmed, the system (1) forwards the request for review and approval for respective authorities as the case may be. The system (1) through messaging application (5) provides constant status till approval of request or till the item is procured from the supplier (9) enabling the user (2), the procurement of desired item.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, referring to Fig. 2, the system (1) and method (6) to assist procurement processes for multiple requests comprises the steps as follows:
- The user (2) initiates a request using an input device (3) through the messaging application (5), where it inputs the request details or queries as a free text.
- The system provides catalogs and list of suppliers tagged to be associated with the required items; wherein the queries can be distinguished as supplier, catalogs, and/or procurement policy and further addressed as suggestions in form of the lists of related suppliers and catalogs;
- The user (2) then selects the desired supplier and catalog from the suggestions provided by the system (1);
- The system (1) then automatically maps the request details entered by the user (2) with a pre-configured, updated policy document and provides assistance to the user (2) either in form of guidance, suggestions, compliance steps, workflows or flowcharts (not limited to it), in order to comply with multiple requirements.
- The user selects the most relevant workflow for completion of request and enters “Create Master Request” in the messaging application (5).
- The system (1), on confirmation by the user (2) triggers the Master Request.
- The system (1) then auto-recognizes the sub-requests (eg. Sub-request A, B, C and so on) within the said Master request and auto triggers and creates all the sub- requests parallelly.
- The system (1) intelligently decides if the details are sufficient to proceed the request further, and asks additional questions to the user (2) through the messaging application (5) to obtain any missing details.
- The system (1) then intelligently uses the input (4) details given by the user (2) through the messaging application (5) as free text, to auto-fill the details in the respective fields in all the sub-requests and create respective product pages or documents.
- The system (1) then auto-shares separate links to access the relevant pages for individual sub-requests to the user (2) to verify the details.
- The user (2) clicks on each link one by one to access the relevant page of request, reviews the details and clicks “OK” to confirm.
- The system (1) then auto- forwards the request for review and approval for respective authorities; where the messaging application (5) constantly provides notifications and status updates to user (2) till the approval or the procurement of item form a supplier (9).
- The system (1) after final confirmation; sends enables the user to procure the desired item from the supplier (9).

Working Example:
“A request for Procurement of IT integration services from “X” Supplier”
It is convenient to understand the specific features of the invention through a working example described herewith in a stepwise manner, as referred in Fig. 3. An example disclosing the working and functioning of the system of the present invention to procure an IT integration service from an “X” supplier. In the present system, the messaging application, is associated with a communication interface, an input/output allowing the user to access and communicate the computer readable instructions while performing any procurement transaction.
For the purpose of this invention, consider the following:
“a” refers to Sourcing request;
“b” refers to Contract with a Awarded Supplier “X”;
“c” refers to Supplier onboarding;
“d” refers to Purchase order;
“X” refers to Supplier.

The steps of the said exemplified transactions are as follows:
- A user initiates a request by simply by typing a “free text message” that “I need IT integration services from “X”-supplier”, through a messaging application having a communication interface (i.e. an input/output device such as computer, laptops, mobile devices, user interface, keyboards, mouse).
- The messaging application either provides catalogs or list of suppliers tagged with required items (e.g. “List of Contracted suppliers who provide IT integration services” OR “Supplier “X” is a Non-Contracted Supplier” OR “Continue with “X” supplier”).
- The user has to select the most appropriate option (e.g. in this case – Continue with “X” supplier).
- The system then maps the request with the procurement policies (e.g. “Policy cue: Amounts below $50,000 do not require a sourcing event, but for amounts exceeding this threshold, a sourcing event followed by a contract is mandatory to proceed”) and provides option to choose for procurement costs (e.g. “Less than $50,000” OR “More than $50,000”).
- The user selects the option as per the requisition, which in this case is “More than $50,000”.
- The system then provides the compliance steps in form of a Master Request including more than one tasks
(e.g. Based on the procurement policy, you need to follow the following steps:
“a” - Sourcing Request;
“b” - Contract with the awarded supplier,
“c” - Supplier onboarding and
“d” - Purchase order)
- User selects the option “Create Master Request”.
- The system triggers the “Master Request” on conformation by the user.
- The system recognizes the sub-requests (a, b, c, d) and auto- triggers all the sub-requests parallelly such that all the procurement requests, including procurement system, contract management, supplier management and raising PO are triggered at a same time.
- The system enters all the details, earlier entered as free text by the user, to auto-fill the
required fields in all sub-requests and create respective product pages.
- The system then provides separate links to access the relevant pages for individual sub-requests
(e.g. User clicks on first link directed to requisition details within e-procurement application;
then on a second link directed to contract details within contract management;
then on a third link for supplier details to check and accept;
and finally on fourth link to confirm the purchase order for requisition of IT
integration services).
- User reviews all the details in each product page confirms.
- The system then sends constant notifications and status updates through the messaging application to the user
(e.g. user confirms the requisition details/ the concerned authorities reviewed and signed the contract/ the user has confirmed the PO, etc); till the item is procured by the user
- The user finally procures the desirable item.

Advantages:
The significance of the present system is that it allows the user to create all procurement related actions through a single communication interface using the messaging application platform, the system learns from the previous created requests types and subtypes to understand the intent of the user queries, it assists the user in every aspect throughout the transactions by suggesting steps/workflows, auto-recognizing sub-requests within a master request, auto-triggering the sub-requests parallelly, procuring details, auto-filling the details, auto-sharing direct links to multiple desired sub-request pages within a master request, auto-forwarding the documents for approval, providing constant notifications and status updates through a user friendly messaging application associated with a communication interface that understands computer readable instructions thereby allowing the user a convenient and easy-to-use method of procurement of desirable item from any supplier; without hopping in and out of multiple systems for master request that involves multiple procurement related sub-requests. The present system minimizes the users’ efforts to remember login IDs and passwords for various systems, by providing a direct access to the desirable product pages through separate links for individual sub-tasks; also making the procurement transactions time saving.

While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the specific elements of the preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated that many alterations can be made and that many modifications can be made in preferred embodiment without departing from the principles of the invention. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.
, Claims:CLAIMS
We claim,
1. A system (1) and method (6) to assist procurement processes through a messaging application (5) platform; where a single system performs initiating, generating and processing transaction for multiple requests within a same procurement transaction from any supplier/s to procure an item, an information, or a procurement related document, from a desirable supplier/s;

where the system (1) comprises of a user (2) that provides an input request/ query (4) as free text (2) using an input device (3) in form of a set of computer readable instructions through a messaging application (5) and employs a specific method (6) to provide an output (7) either in the form of an item or confirmation of processed request, from the supplier (9) to the user (1) using at least one output device (8);

characterized in that:
the method (6) comprises the steps as follows:
- initiating a request by the user (2) through the messaging application (5) using an input device (3), where the user provides inputs as request details or queries in form of a free text;
- providing catalogs and list of suppliers tagged to be associated with the required items, by the system (1);
- distinguishing the queries by the system (1), into categories as supplier, catalogs, and/or procurement policy and further provides suggestions in form of the lists of related suppliers and catalogs;
- selecting the desired supplier and catalog by the user (2), from the suggestions provided by the system (1);
- mapping the request details entered by the user (2) automatically, with a pre-configured, updated policy document;
- providing an assistance to the user (2) either in form of guidance, suggestions, compliance steps, workflows or flowcharts (not limited to it) by the system (1), for complying with multiple requirements;
- selecting the most relevant workflow by the user (2) for completion of request and entering “Create Master Request” in the messaging application (5);
- triggering the “Master Request” by the system (1), on confirmation by the user (2);
- auto-recognizing the sub-requests within the said Master request by the system (1), followed by auto-triggering and creating all the sub- requests parallelly;
- deciding intelligently by the system (1) if the details are sufficient to proceed the request further;
- asking additional questions to the user (2) through the messaging application (5) to obtain any missing details;
- using the input (4) details given by the user (2) through the messaging application (5) as free text intelligently, to auto-fill the details in the respective fields in all the sub-requests and creating respective product pages or documents;
- auto-sharing separate links by the system (1), to access the relevant pages for individual sub-requests to the user (2) to verify the details;
- clicking on each link by the user (2) one by one, to access the relevant page of request, review the details and confirming by clicking “OK”;
- auto-forwarding the request by the system (1), for review and approval of respective authorities; where the messaging application (5) constantly provides notifications and status updates to user (2) till the approval or the procurement of item form a supplier (9);
- enabling the user (2) to procure the desired item from the supplier (9) after final confirmation.

2. The system (1) and method (6) as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the “master request” refers, but is not limited to, a combination of two or more “requests”, sub-requests, sub-tasks, requisitions, processes, systems, “transactions” included within the procurement workflow of a single item.

3. The system (1) and method (6) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transactions may include, but are not limited to, any transactions related to the procurement steps such as sourcing system, requisition management, supplier management, catalogue management, spend management, contract management, creating non-disclosure agreements or invoicing solutions.

4. The system (1) and method (6) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input request (4) details provided by the users (2) through the messaging application (6) are in form of free text.

5. The system (1) and method (6) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system (1) allows the user (2) to create all procurement related actions through a single communication interface (7) using the messaging application (5) platform without hopping in and out of multiple systems for a master request including multiple sub-requests.

6. The system (1) and method (6) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system (1) auto-recognizes the sub-requests within the said Master request, auto triggers and creates all the sub- requests, auto-fills the details in the respective fields in all the sub-requests, creates respective product pages or documents parallelly and auto-shares separate links to access the relevant pages for individual sub-requests to the user (2) to verify the details.

7. The system (1) and method (6) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system (1) constantly provides notifications and status updates to user (2) till the approval or the procurement of item form a supplier (9) through a user-friendly messaging application (5) associated with a communication interface (7).

8. The system (1) and method (6) as claimed in claim 1, allows the messaging application (5) to do the following:
- to understand the intent of the user queries by learning from the previous created requests types and subtypes,
- to assist the user in throughout the transactions by suggesting steps/workflows, auto-recognizing sub-requests within a master request and auto-triggering the sub-requests parallelly,
- to procure the details as free text and to auto-fill the details,
- to auto-share the separate, direct links to access each sub-request product pages within a master request,
- to auto-forward the documents for approval,
- to provide constant notifications and status updates till the approval of documents or procurement of items.

Dated this 22nd day of February, 2024.

For the applicant,

___________________
Allison Katariya
Patent Agent of the applicant (IN/PA-2190)