Abstract: In a rules based management system for controlling multiple levels of related catalogs, a method for immediate escalation of, and response to, a request from a customer to change a rule associated with the customer. The rules associated with the customer are used to derive the customer's catalog and each rule is associated with the person imposing the rule, called the owner of the rule. The method prevents, or at least minimizes, customer frustration with administrators of the catalogs by providing automated escalation of the customer's rule change request to the owner of the rule. The owner of the rule may physically reside in the same geographic location as the customer or in an entirely different country than the customer. Starting with the catalog used by the customer, catalogs are search in order of ancestry until the owner of the rule is found.

Abstract: A rules based management system that allows a set of rules that is used to create an ancestor catalog to be inherited by a lower level organization and immediately used to create a catalog for the lower level organization. The lower level organization can tailor the catalog to meet the needs of its customers by adding one or more explicit rules to the set of rules. The new set of rules may then be inherited by an even lower level organization and again immediately used to create a catalog for the even lower level organization. The even lower level organization can also tailor the catalog to its needs by adding its own explicit rules to the set of rules. The rules are used to dictate what is included in or excluded from a particular catalog. The rules are also used to determine prices for the products, services and capabilities that are offered in the catalogs. The rules act only on data, or items, that are in effect at that time and in a specified location.

Abstract: A rules based management system that allows a set of rules that is used to create an ancestor catalog to be inherited by a lower level organization and immediately used to create a catalog for the lower level organization. The lower level organization can tailor the catalog to meet the needs of its customers by adding one or more explicit rules to the set of rules. The new set of rules may then be inherited by an even lower level organization and again immediately used to create a catalog for the even lower level organization. The even lower level organization can also tailor the catalog to its needs by adding its own explicit rules to the set of rules. The rules are used to dictate what is included in or excluded from a particular catalog. The rules are also used to determine prices for the products, services and capabilities that are offered in the catalogs. The rules act only on data, or items, that are in effect at that time and in a specified location.

Abstract: A rules based management program that allows a set of rules that is used to create an ancestor catalog to be inherited by a lower level organization and immediately used to create a catalog for the lower level organization. The lower level organization can tailor the catalog to meet the needs of its customers by adding one or more explicit rules to the set of rules. The new set of rules may then be inherited by an even lower level organization and again immediately used to create a catalog for the even lower level organization. The even lower level organization can also tailor the catalog to its needs by adding its own explicit rules to the set of rules. The rules are used to dictate what is included in or excluded from a particular catalog. The rules are also used to determine prices for the products, services and capabilities that are offered in the catalogs. The rules act only on data, or items, that are in effect at that time and in a specified location.

Abstract: In a rules based management system for controlling multiple levels of related catalogs, a method for immediate escalation of, and response to, a request from a customer to change a rule associated with the customer. The rules associated with the customer are used to derive the customer's catalog and each rule is associated with the person imposing the rule, called the owner of the rule. The method prevents, or at least minimizes, customer frustration with administrators of the catalogs by providing automated escalation of the customer's rule change request to the owner of the rule. The owner of the rule may physically reside in the same geographic location as the customer or in an entirely different country than the customer. Starting with the catalog used by the customer, catalogs are search in order of ancestry until the owner of the rule is found.

Abstract: In a rules based management system for deriving multiple catalogs from one or more ancestor catalogs, a method for allowing a customer to dynamically set up and save a configurable subset of the customer's catalog. The method does not require intervention by administrators of the one or more ancestor catalogs, saving the customer time and effort. The subset is identified as an offering released by the customer, and can be saved as an item in the customer's catalog, or saved as a sub-catalog. Products available in the customer's catalog and the subset include goods, services and capabilities. Products sold from the subset are accounted for in the same manner as products sold from the customer's regular catalog. The subset of the customer's catalog is set up and saved in real-time or near real-time, making the subset immediately available for access and ordering.