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.