U.S. patent application number 10/771159 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-18 for budget information, analysis, and projection system and method.
This patent application is currently assigned to GroupThink Unlimited, Inc.. Invention is credited to Mattson, Anna J., Taylor, Sherri R..
Application Number | 20040230612 10/771159 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33424986 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040230612 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mattson, Anna J. ; et
al. |
November 18, 2004 |
Budget information, analysis, and projection system and method
Abstract
A budget information and creation system includes a budgetary
information database that has numerical data and textual
identifiers imported from a remote site. The numerical data are
extracted from the remote site into a spreadsheet application, and
the textual identifiers are extracted from the remote site into a
word processing application. An interface with a user for
permitting the user to create a budget for a subdivision of the
remote site uses at least some of the numerical data and textual
identifiers. The created budget is transmitted to the remote site.
A budget projection system permits the user to import and view a
prior budget for a subdivision of the remote site using at least
some of the numerical data and textual identifiers. The user is
permitted to enter a projection variable, and the system calculates
a projected budget based upon the projection variable and the prior
budget.
Inventors: |
Mattson, Anna J.; (St.
George Island, FL) ; Taylor, Sherri R.; (Tallahassee,
FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALLEN, DYER, DOPPELT, MILBRATH & GILCHRIST, PA
P.O. BOX 3791
ORLANDO
FL
32802-3791
US
|
Assignee: |
GroupThink Unlimited, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
33424986 |
Appl. No.: |
10/771159 |
Filed: |
February 3, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10771159 |
Feb 3, 2004 |
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09812730 |
Mar 20, 2001 |
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6687713 |
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09812730 |
Mar 20, 2001 |
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09794304 |
Feb 27, 2001 |
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60185830 |
Feb 29, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ;
707/999.107 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 707/956 20130101;
G06Q 40/02 20130101; G06Q 40/12 20131203; Y10S 707/99945
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/104.1 |
International
Class: |
G06F 007/00 |
Claims
In the claims:
1. A budget information and creation system comprising: a processor
having means for connecting with a network; a budgetary information
database accessible by the processor via the network, the database
comprising numerical data and textual identifiers imported from a
plurality of remote sites, each site housing data for an aspect of
a budget for a plurality of subdivisions of a unitary organization,
the numerical data extracted from the remote sites into a
spreadsheet application, the textual identifiers extracted from the
remote sites into a word processing application, the database
configured into a coherent hierarchical format having accessible
links to budget data for the plurality of subdivisions; a budgetary
information software system resident on the processor comprising: a
code segment for interfacing with a user remote from the database
over a network; a code segment for permitting the user to create a
budget for one of the subdivisions using at least some of the
numerical data and textual identifiers; a code segment for
transmitting the created budget to a predetermined remote site via
the network; and a code segment for presenting to the user a link
for automatically notifying a contact agent within the organization
that the created budget has been transmitted to the predetermined
remote site, the contact agent appropriate to the subdivision.
2. A budget information system comprising: a budgetary information
database comprising numerical data and textual identifiers imported
from a plurality of remote sites, each site housing data for an
aspect of a budget for a plurality of subdivisions of a unitary
organization, the numerical data extracted from the remote sites
into a spreadsheet application, the textual identifiers extracted
from the remote sites into a word processing application, the
database configured into a coherent hierarchical format having
accessible links to budget data for the plurality of subdivisions;
means for receiving a keyword selected by a user remote from the
database over a network; means for matching data in the database
with the keyword and for outputting at least one subdivision
related to the keyword; means for receiving a user selection of at
least one subdivision for tracking; means for formatting and
outputting matched budget data and a textual identifier found from
the database search commensurate with the selected subdivision; and
means for automatically updating the budget data and textual
identifier of the selected subdivision upon subsequent user
access.
3. The budget information system recited in claim 2, wherein the
system further comprises software installable on a processor, the
software adapted to output a list of database subdivisions, the
keyword selectable from the list of subdivisions, and to perform
the database search.
4. The budget information system recited in claim 3, wherein the
database subdivisions comprise government agencies and the budget
data comprise fiscal year budgeted amounts.
5. The budget information system recited in claim 4, wherein a
first database subdivision comprises a plurality of line items,
each line item having a separate budget, the sum of the line items
equaling a total budget for the first database subdivision.
6. The budget information system recited in claim 3, wherein the
software comprises: means for importing the output budget data into
a spreadsheet application; means for importing text material
related to the output budget data into a word processing program;
and means for correlating the text material and the output budget
data for presentation on a unitary screen.
7. The budget information system recited in claim 6, wherein the
output budget data are selected from a group consisting of previous
time period data, current time period data, and proposed future
time period data.
8. The budget information system recited in claim 6, wherein the
software further comprises means for calculating and presenting a
percentage of a total budget appropriated for each subdivision.
9. The budget information system recited in claim 6, wherein the
software further comprises means for importing with the budget data
a number of personnel positions associated with each
subdivision.
10. The budget information system recited in claim 6, wherein the
software further comprises means for importing with the budget data
a contact agent associated with each subdivision, and for
presenting a name of the contact agent and contact information for
the contact agent.
11. The budget information system recited in claim 10 , wherein the
presented contact information comprises a direct contact electronic
linkage therewith.
12. A method for accessing and searching a remote budget database
for data in a desired category, the method comprising the steps of:
entering an electronic user site remote from the user, the user
site adapted to present a list of budgetary subdivisions;
electronically selecting one of the subdivisions, each subdivision
electronically linked to budget data therefor; viewing the
subdivision budget data, the budget data selected from a group
consisting of previous time period data, current time period data,
and proposed future time period data; if desired, selecting an
option to view more detailed data on the subdivision budget data;
if desired, selecting an option to view additional information on
the subdivision in textual form; and if desired, selecting an
option to create an electronic file containing a link to a selected
subdivision for tracking budget data therefor, a subsequent
accessing of the created electronic file automatically causing an
updating of the selected subdivision tracked budget data and a
presentation thereof.
13. The method recited in claim 12, wherein the subdivision data
comprise budget data as proposed by a plurality of entities.
14. The method recited in claim 12, wherein the additional
information in textual form comprises spending authorization
information and justification for funding.
15. The method recited in claim 12, wherein the budget database
comprises governmental funding data and the subdivisions comprise
government agencies.
16. The method recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps,
following with subdivision budget data viewing step, of: viewing a
breakdown of the selected subdivision budget data into line items;
electronically selecting a desired line item; and viewing the line
item budget data.
17. A method for building a budget information system comprising
the steps of: accessing from a remote site a database containing
raw budget data and textual information on a plurality of budgetary
subdivisions; compiling a list of titles of at least some of the
budgetary subdivisions; creating a first computer screen containing
the list of titles; retrieving a numerical record on a selected
budget subdivision into a spreadsheet application; retrieving a
textual record on the selected budget subdivision into a word
processing application; formatting a second screen containing the
numerical record and the textual record in tabular form; providing
a first link between a title of the subdivision on the first screen
with the second screen; creating a third screen containing an
option to select at least one of the titles for tracking budget
data on the respective subdivision; providing a second link between
the respective subdivision and the budget data therefor; creating
an electronic folder containing the second link; creating a fourth
screen containing the respective subdivision and updated budget
data therefor.
18. The system recited in claim 2, further comprising means for
creating an electronic folder containing an electronic link to the
selected subdivision.
19. The system recited in claim 18, further comprising means for
receiving user comments and for storing the received user comments
in the electronic folder.
20. The method recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of,
if desired, entering user comments into the created electronic
file.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
09/812,730, "Budget Information, Analysis, and Projection System
and Method," filed Mar. 20, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,713,
which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/794,304,
"Budget Information and Analysis System and Method," filed Feb. 27,
2001, which application claims priority from provisional
application Serial No. 60/185,830, filed Feb. 29, 2000, entitled
"Querying Method to Budget Information Network via Internet
Access." The disclosures of these applications are hereby
incorporated by reference into the present application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to systems and methods for
accessing budgetary information and, more particularly, to such
systems and methods for accessing governmental budgetary
information via a network and also for performing budgetary
projections therefrom.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Governmental budget systems, such as that known in the art
in Florida, are often housed on mainframes, with program files
being difficult to access and manipulate, especially for a person
not conversant with complex computer coding. To properly use and
understand such applications typically requires extensive training
and a background in the budget desired to be accessed. For elected
officials, a staff is required to mine data as desired; for a
person outside the government, it would be virtually impossible to
obtain such data in a desired form.
[0006] In the exemplary Florida system, operational systems data
for state personnel, accounting, budgeting, and planning are housed
in separate mainframe computers that are not linked and are
incompatible. Reengineering such a system would present a
difficult, time-consuming, and expensive challenge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a system and method for accessing budgetary data via a
network.
[0008] It is a further object to provide such a system and method
that is indexed under a plurality of categories.
[0009] It is another object to provide such a system and method
that is accessible via the Internet.
[0010] It is an additional object to provide such a system and
method that contains links to related electronic sites for
correlating budget information with other data.
[0011] It is also an object to provide such a system and method
that is tailored for governmental budgetary data.
[0012] It is yet a further object to provide such a system and
method that can perform zero-based budget analysis.
[0013] It is yet another object to provide such a system and method
that can perform formula-based budget analysis.
[0014] It is yet an additional object to provide such a system and
method that can perform budgetary projections.
[0015] These and other objects are achieved by the present
invention, a budget information system that comprises a budgetary
information database that includes numerical data and textual
identifiers imported from a remote site. The numerical data are
extracted from the remote site into a spreadsheet or similar
application, and the textual identifiers are extracted from the
remote site into a word processing application. The system also
comprises means for receiving a keyword selected by a user and
means for matching the database with the keyword. The keyword
"selection" may comprise, for example, the user's entering the
keyword into a search engine; alternatively, the selection may
comprise clicking an item on the screen with a pointing device,
that item linked to related data in the database. Means for
formatting and outputting related budget data and a textual
identifier that were found from the database search commensurate
with the keyword match permit the user to receive correlated budget
data on a desired topic.
[0016] Another aspect of the present invention are methods for
building, accessing, and using a budget information system. This
method comprises the steps of accessing a database containing raw
budget data and textual information on a plurality of budgetary
subdivisions. Next a list of titles of at least some of the
budgetary subdivisions is compiled, and a first computer screen
containing the list of titles is created.
[0017] In use, a numerical record on a selected budget subdivision
is retrieved into a spreadsheet application, and a textual record
on the selected budget subdivision is retrieved into a word
processing application. A second screen is then formatted that
contains the numerical record and the textual record in tabular
form, and a link is provided between a title of the subdivision on
the first screen with the second screen.
[0018] Yet another aspect of the invention is a budget information
and creation system that comprises a budgetary information
database. This database comprises numerical data and textual
identifiers imported from a remote site. The numerical data are
extracted from the remote site into a spreadsheet application, and
the textual identifiers are extracted from the remote site into a
word processing application.
[0019] Means are provided for interfacing with a user and for
permitting the user to create a budget for a subdivision of the
remote site using at least some of the numerical data and textual
identifiers. Once the budget is created, means are employed for
transmitting the created budget to the remote site.
[0020] A further aspect of the present invention is a budget
projection system that comprises the a budgetary information
database as above and means for interfacing with a user. Means are
also provided for permitting the user to import and view a prior
budget for a subdivision of the remote site using at least some of
the numerical data and textual identifiers. The user is permitted
to enter a projection variable, and means are employed for
calculating a projected budget based upon the projection variable
and the prior budget.
[0021] A multiplicity of features is provided by the present system
and methods, including, but not intended to be limited to:
[0022] the ability to review data imported from disparate planning,
budget, accounting, and personnel sources across
subdivisions/agencies in order to effectively manage resources;
[0023] the ability to access the data via a network, such as the
Internet, from any location and any time;
[0024] the integration of sources of operational data;
[0025] a searchable data system;
[0026] the ability to track items of interest for review, including
business processes that are deemed to be of high or low priority,
the budget needed to support that process, the positions necessary,
and the expense related to that process;
[0027] the ability to review business processes
[0028] the ability to "drill down" (expand) expense category
details;
[0029] the ability to review employee position data in context of
the planning documents, such as support of a particular process,
salary information, work location, etc.;
[0030] the ability to model budget projections based upon prior
data and a predetermined projection variable; and
[0031] the ability to perform formula-based budgeting.
[0032] The features that characterize the invention, both as to
organization and method of operation, together with further objects
and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the
following description used in conjunction with the accompanying
drawing. It is to be expressly understood that the drawing is for
the purpose of illustration and description and is not intended as
a definition of the limits of the invention. These and other
objects attained, and advantages offered, by the present invention
will become more fully apparent as the description that now follows
is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] FIGS. 1A, 1B is a flow chart of the method for creating the
information system of the present invention.
[0034] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a functional analysis
of spending data.
[0035] FIG. 3 is a home page screen for the system accessed via the
Internet.
[0036] FIG. 4 is a decision chart of information screens accessible
by the system.
[0037] FIG. 5 is an exemplary contact data screen.
[0038] FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the method for entering the system
for accessing budgetary data using the system of the present
invention.
[0039] FIG. 7 is a screen tabulating budget issues for the current
fiscal year.
[0040] FIG. 8 is a screen tabulating budget issues with one issue
further divided for the current fiscal year.
[0041] FIG. 9 is a screen tabulating line item divisions for a
selected issue.
[0042] FIG. 10 is a screen tabulating budget detail information and
presenting issue narrative justification.
[0043] FIG. 11 is a screen expanding on budget details for a
selected item.
[0044] FIG. 12 is a screen giving agency budget details.
[0045] FIG. 13 is a screen giving search results.
[0046] FIG. 13A is a data flow chart of the data integration
system.
[0047] FIG. 14 is a screen listing budget bills.
[0048] FIG. 15 is a screen showing section titles of a selected
bill.
[0049] FIG. 16 is a screen expanding on a selected section to give
items and associated verbiage.
[0050] FIG. 17 is a screen giving details of a specific selected
appropriation.
[0051] FIG. 18 is a screen giving results of a search on budget
bills.
[0052] FIG. 19 is a screen giving details of an appropriation.
[0053] FIG. 20 is a screen for selecting items to be tracked.
[0054] FIG. 21 is a screen containing details of a tracked
folder.
[0055] FIG. 22 is a screen containing personalized comments and
textual information on a tracked item.
[0056] FIG. 23 is a list of reference materials available on the
system.
[0057] FIG. 24 is a screen listing available reference
materials.
[0058] FIG. 25 is a flow chart illustrating a method of creating a
budget using the system of the present invention.
[0059] FIG. 26 is a flow chart illustrating a method of performing
formula-based budget projection.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0060] A description of the preferred embodiments of the present
invention will now be presented with reference to FIGS. 1A-26. The
particular embodiment disclosed herein is directed to an
interactive budget information system for state or other
governmental budgetary data, here Florida. It will be understood by
one of skill in the art, however, that the system is adaptable to
any budgetary information desired for presentation to a remote
user, such as corporate or other institutional budget and financial
data. Therefore, the generic term subdivisions used herein refers
in the specific governmental case to agencies or departments;
likewise, the subdivisions are broken down into line items, which
refers to issues, which themselves are typically broken down
further into individual expenditures.
[0061] Creation of Budget Information System
[0062] The method for building the budget details aspect of the
system 10 of the present invention (block 100) is illustrated in
flowchart form in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and the functional flow of agency
data used to supply the system 10 is shown in FIG. 2. In the
particular embodiment illustrated here, the budget data are
imported from a mainframe computer located at a central site, such
as a state capital. In the specific case of Florida, such data
files are received from the Office of the Governor, Office of
Systems Design and Development. A new document is created in the
system site to which the imported data files are attached. This
step comprises importing numerical data into a spreadsheet
application, such as, but not intended to be limited to, Excel or
Lotus software (block 101), creating a budget detail database and
excluding portions of the files not desired for inclusion in this
database, such as Bill data. The next step comprises importing the
textual data into a word processing application, such as, but not
intended to be limited to, Lotus Notes or Lotus Script (block 102).
The numerical data are linked to the textual narratives (block
103), as will be discussed in the following. These data are
imported into a system site computer, where all further processing
(block 104) takes place. Some form of data massaging may be
required, as will be understood by one of skill in the art,
depending upon the form in which they are supplied, such as
uncompressing or removing record delimiters.
[0063] In the current embodiment, the system 10 integrates data
from a plurality of mainframe computers, each housing disparate
systems, and creates a web-enabled information site. Such an
integration of information will enable users to review planning,
budget, accounting, personnel, purchasing, and investment data
across agencies in order to effectively manage resources. Referring
to FIG. 2, it can be seen the budget data flow from, for example, a
state agency 20, which provides data for the agency measurement
system 21. This system 21 contains defined business processes and
planning documents 22, including planning documents for each
agency, long-range program plans, business processes, and data that
are captured at a predetermined frequency, such as quarterly.
[0064] The agency measurement system 21 provides data for the state
budgeting system 23, which contains mainframe budget detail files
24. Among these are included agency budgeting data, with numeric
and narrative data included, agency requests, Governor's
recommendations, house/senate recommendations, conference
appropriations bills, and veto items.
[0065] The state budgeting system 23 provides data for the state
accounting system 25, which contains the mainframe accounting file
object codes 26, including expense data on contract information and
expense type. The data are captured at a predetermined frequency,
such as quarterly. The state accounting system 25 provides data for
the state personnel system 27, which contains mainframe personnel
data such as salary, title, location, and job type, and information
on vacant positions 28, including salary range, title, location,
job type, and length of the vacancy. Data are also captured at
predetermined frequencies, such as quarterly. Purchasing data 29a
and Investment data 29b feed, along with budgeting 23, accounting
25, and personnel 27 systems feed into an integrated financial
management system 11. The system components 22,24,26,28 are further
integrated 12 by the system 10 and serve as sources for the system
10. Steps 101,102 are repeated each time a new iteration of the
state budget is released, from an original agency request, through
a legislative session with each version of the budget from the
House and the Senate, and the Governor's office, to the final
appropriations and the Governor's vetoed items. Thus FIG. 2 serves
as a template indicating the structure of a zero-based budget
reviewing system, permitting data integration, search capabilities,
and data mining and reporting, as will be detailed in the
following.
[0066] The system 10 also incorporates the building of a plurality
of linked screens that will use all the budgetary numerical and
textual data housed in the local computer. These screens, which
will be detailed in the following section, include a "home," or
entry, page comprising a sign in feature (name, password, etc.).
Linked to the home page are a plurality of system sectors accessed
by selecting from a plurality of tabs.
[0067] The system 10 also permits a user to access information on
budget bills (block 105) as above for the budget data. This aspect
of the system 10 is created by importing data from the mainframe
computer at the central site (block 106), copying the data into a
file, massaging the data as needed (block 107), copying the data
into the database created during the creation of the Budget
Details, preparing the table titles from the word processing file,
and formatting the information into the word processing program
(block 108).
[0068] A further feature of the system 10 comprises the ability to
track subdivisions of the budget database (block 109). This feature
is built by using a software application that has been written to
establish tracking records in a created tracking database for each
item tracked. This record is unique to the user creating the
tracking record and has a unique folder name associated therewith.
If the tracking record already exists, it is updated with the
latest budget data. The tracking record is linked to the original
budget item by a unique ID number. When the tracking record, which
is editable for the user, is opened, the original budget item
document is retrieved and displayed within the same document, which
enables the tracking item to appear as the user's private version
of the original document, with the user's comments associated to
the budget item. The user interface screen, which is adapted to
receive user a selection (block 110), triggers a polling of the
subdivision related to that selection (block 111) to update the
data each time the user accesses the system 10. The user comments
(block 112) remain with the folder item.
[0069] Another feature of the system 10 comprises the presentation
of a list of contacts (block 113) associated with each
subdivision/agency. This element is built by pulling personnel data
imported at step 102 into a file (block 114) and creating a screen
listing name and contact information (block 115).
[0070] A resources sector is created (block 116) to include
reference information, with data included from the importation of
data at step 102 and other explanatory material (block 117) to
assist a user in navigating the state government system, which may
have been created from other sources as well as the central site
database to build a set of linked resources screens (block
118).
[0071] Accessing and Using the Budget Information System
[0072] In the exemplary embodiment presented herein, a user
desiring budgetary information enters the system 10 via a network,
such as the Internet, by entering a web site hosting the system 10.
A home page screen 30 (FIG. 3) appears, with a description of the
site 301 and various electronic links ("hot" links) to, among other
things, announcements 302. In order to view the data, the user in
this embodiment must sign in 303, although this is not intended as
a limitation. A plurality of tabs 304-309 at the top of the screen
30 provide access to the identified sectors of the system 10, the
decision hierarchy for which is shown in FIG. 4.
[0073] If the user selects the "contacts" tab 305, block 310 on
FIG. 4, a screen 41 appears (FIG. 5) that lists budget contacts
broken down into subdivisions/agencies. Each agency listing
includes contact people reporting to one or more parts of the
government 400, by name 401, telephone number 402, and hot link to
email 403. Also belonging to the contact sector are screens (not
shown) for budget contacts 311, business contacts 312, purchasing
contacts 313, technology contacts 314, and legislative contacts 315
accessible by subtabs 404-407.
[0074] The method for viewing details of a budget is illustrated in
flowchart form in FIG. 6. If the user selects the "budget details"
tab 306, block 320 on FIG. 4, block 201 on FIG. 6, a screen 50
appears (FIG. 7) that lists all state budget issues 501
alphabetically for the current fiscal year. Tabulated on this
screen 50 (block 322, FIG. 4) are data for appropriated spending
502, number of positions allocated 503, and the percentage of total
budgeted funds 504. Similar screens are available for historical
data 321 and planned future data 323.
[0075] An additional feature of this sector of the system 10 is the
ability to "drill down" each budget issue 501 and display further
divisions, or line items, under a selected budget issue 501. This
is accomplished by selecting one of the issues (block 307, FIG. 6),
which brings up screen 53 (FIG. 8), selected by selecting "Children
& Families" 505 on FIG. 7. Here finer divisions 531 are broken
out, in similar tabular form to FIG. 7.
[0076] Yet more information is available by selecting one of the
line items 531, here "Agency Unique Issues," to bring up individual
budget items 541 on screen 54 (FIG. 9, block 308 on FIG. 6),
tabulated as before. Also indicated on this screen 54 to the left
of the items 531 is how the funding on each item 531 arose, with
icons indicating that the appropriation was agreed upon 542 or
compromised upon 543.
[0077] Selecting one of the individual items 541 (block 309, FIG.
6) brings up a budget detail information screen 55 (FIG. 10). This
screen 55 gives budgets 551 as proposed by various government
sectors and the number of positions 552 proposed. Additionally, an
issue narrative 553 that had been submitted by each state agency is
presented.
[0078] Selecting the "Display Dollar Breakout Options" link 554
(block 316, FIG. 6) brings up a screen 56 (FIG. 11) indicating the
funding sources 561, budgeted amount 562, and positions 563 for
each breakdown. Yet further detail is available by selecting one of
these sources 561 to bring up screen 57 (FIG. 12) to view agency
budget details. Additional details may be accessed by drilling down
into specific expense categories, selected by budgeting,
accounting, accounting details, or personnel.
[0079] Thus, using the present system 10, detailed budget
information can be accessed and reviewed for the current year,
including agency budget request, governor's recommendations,
legislative proposals, and a final conference committee report
(i.e., a general appropriations act for the fiscal year). Access is
also available for next year's budget preparation, beginning with
the agency budget request, governor's recommendations, legislative
proposals, and final conference committee report. Searches can be
performed on a word or group of words and can have results reported
by continuation base, agency initiatives, and capital outlay
projects.
[0080] In addition to "drilling down" by selecting links on any of
the available screens, it is also possible in the present system 10
to search by a keyword, by selecting the "Search" option 506 of any
of screens 50,53,54 (block 317, FIG. 6). In the example screen 57
illustrated in FIG. 13, a search has been performed on the word
caseload 571, with a list of linked items 572 tabulated as
previously.
[0081] The features of this aspect of the invention include the
ability for the user to look at an agency from different
perspectives, such as business, accounting, budgeting, or
personnel, and from that perspective to drill down to view other
aspects of the budget. As an example, if the user wished to review
travel expenses, he/she would select the "accounting" portion and
drill down to view the business processes that use the most travel
monies, view personnel areas that use the most travel monies,
investigate when the travel occurs during a fiscal year, or reveal
what portion of the budgeted trave money has been spent to
date.
[0082] All data are listed by agency, and are related across the
modules by business function. The system allows agency analysis by
business function, and a creation of analysis/recommendation
documents at multiple levels, such as business process entry,
agency structural hierarchy (department, division, bureau), and
composite functionality, by pulling together business processes or
hierarchical function levels, for example. An overview is presented
in FIG. 13A, wherein planning data are loaded into the system
(block 802) from business processes or agency long-range program
plans (block 801), and existing budget data are integrated (block
803). Data elements are downloaded from a source of data (block
804), reports are generated (block 805), and the accounting data
are loaded (block 806). Data elements are also downloaded from a
source to a spreadsheet application (block 807), personnel reports
are developed (block 808), and personnel data are loaded (block
809).
[0083] With the data loaded, the databases are linked (block 810),
and the planning (block 811), budget (block 811), budget (block
812), accounting (block 813), and personnel (block 814) modules
created. From these the user can drill down, respectively, into
business processes (block 815), budget detail files (block 816),
expenditures by object code (block 817), and personnel data
classified by such subcategories as base salary, location, and
vacancies (block 818).
[0084] The next sector of the system, budget bills 32, is accessed
by selecting tab 306, which brings up a summary of budget bills on
screen 58 (FIG. 14; blocks 330-339). This screen 58 contains bills
for current 581 and next 582 fiscal years, each listed item linked
to further data. Selecting the current session's governor's
recommendations, for example, brings up screen 59 (FIG. 15), which
lists bill sections 591. Each of these, in turn, is linked to a
screen 60 (FIG. 16) that provides further details by agency 601,
including appropriations details 602. These details 601 are again
linked to an appropriation screen 61 (FIG. 17) containing
information 613 sortable by fund 611 or issue/fund 612.
[0085] Searches are also available by selecting the "Search" option
603 on screen 60 (FIG. 16), the results of which appear as on
screen 62 (FIG. 18) for the words law and screen. Each of the
listed items 621 tabulated under "Department/Appropriation
Category" also has bill language 622 included and an appropriation
number 623 for each. If one of these is selected, screen 63 (FIG.
19) appears, giving appropriations details 631.
[0086] If the user selects the "tracking" tab 308, a budget data
tracking screen 63 (FIG. 20; block 340, FIG. 4) that permits the
user to customize one or more of the subdivisions 631 to follow
over the current fiscal year 341 or planning fiscal year 342 by
updating any changes that occur in budget issues 343,344 or
specific budget bill items 345,346 over time. Selecting a
subdivision 631 places a checkmark in the associated box 632 and
permits that item to be added to the tracking folder 633. If an
item 631 is selected, screen 64 (FIG. 21) is brought up, including
details 641 of the tracked folder. Selecting one of the tracked
items 632, which appear in the user's folder 633, brings up screen
65 (FIG. 22), on which personalized comments can be made 651 to be
retained with the user's folder and on which textual information
652 appears regarding the budget item. If a word or phrase is
entered into box 634, screen 66 (FIG. 23) appears, wherein the
search results are presented, along with links to the items' budget
data.
[0087] If the user selects the "resources" tab 309 (block 350, FIG.
4), access may be gained to reference materials (block 351, FIG. 4)
as listed on screen 67 (FIG. 24). The elements 671 of this list are
all linked to information on subsequent screens, which include
organizational charts, glossaries of terms, and user guide
information. This list is not intended as a limitation, and other
elements may be conceived by one of skill in the art.
[0088] The system 10 may also be used to create and submit a
proposed budget for a subdivision, for example, for a state agency
(FIG. 25). The user signs on to the system 10 (block 701) as
described above and brings up an input interface (block 702).
Typically the prior budget is accessed (blocks 703,704), which
enables updating rather than starting from scratch (block 705),
although this is not mandatory. The budget is created as desired
(block 706) and stored on the system 10 (block 707). The budget
data are encrypted (block 708) and are transmitted to the central
budget database 23 (block 709). The budget is also submitted to
another entity, such as, for example, the Governor's Office of
Planning and Budgeting (block 710), and budget contacts are
automatically notified that the budget is available for review
(block 711). The agency also produces a report on the proposed
budget (block 712), based upon templates provided in the system 10.
These templates are flexible and can be tailored to the user's
desires.
[0089] Among the benefits of this aspect of the invention are that
access is permitted at substantially any time and that secure
transactions are assured. Online help is available, and access is
permitted to budged preparation guidelines and recommendations.
Discussion areas are available secured to each agency to provide
agency-specific knowledge management. Finally, real-time access is
permitted to budget contacts in the Governor's office, House, and
Senate for assistance as soon as available.
[0090] Yet a further aspect of the present invention is a module
for performing formula-based budget projections (FIG. 26). The user
signs on as above (block 750) and selects from a user interface at
least one source of data to be used in a model (block 751). In the
case of a state budget, for example, county and/or tax roll data
can be accessed (block 752). Then other standard variables may be
input by the user (block 753), such as, but not limited to, base
student allocation, spending category totals such as on
transportation or books. Projection-specific variables are also
input by the user (block 754). A new spending category can be
determined by executive/legislative policy, for example.
[0091] With the input provided to the system 10, a spending
projection is produced, for example, for each county (block 755),
and the projection is stored on the system (block 756). Further
iterations may be carried out (block 757) until the projection
meets an intended budget-policy specification. A report can be
output if desired (block 758).
[0092] Among the features of this aspect of the invention are that
it is easy to use, has online help available on inputs needed from
the user, provides iterative processing, provides access to
supporting data from multiple years as desired, is available over
the Internet, and can provide reports to other interested linked
parties.
[0093] In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used
for brevity, clarity, and understanding, but no unnecessary
limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of
the prior art, because such words are used for description purposes
herein and are intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the
embodiments of the apparatus illustrated and described herein are
by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to
the exact details of construction.
[0094] Having now described the invention, the construction, the
operation and use of preferred embodiment thereof, and the
advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby, the new and
useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof
obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended
claims.
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