AUTOMATIC DATA TRANSLATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT BUSINESS SYSTEMS

To avoid cost and errors associated with manual data re-entry, methods are provided for transferring data between different business systems (e.g., computer programs). After data for a purchase order is entered using a first purchase order generating program, a data file is prepared including the input data correlated with field identifiers identifying the individual information category of particular data elements. Field identifiers may typically be a sequence of numbers or merely a pre-selected sequence of the data fields. The data file is encoded into a 2-D image code which can be printed out with the purchase order. On decoding of the 2-D image code by a recipient, the data file is recovered. The field identifiers then enable identification of particular categories of information for mapping into the second business system, such as an order acceptance/invoice generating program. Use of the data file with field identifiers permits each party to a business transaction to select its own preferred application program, while enabling data from the first program to be automatically entered into appropriate information entry categories of the second different program, without requiring manual re-entry of the original data. A field definition file, correlating field identifiers of a data file to information categories, may also be encoded into a 2-D image code when the image code is encoded.