Product/service hierarchy database for market competition and investment analysis6338067Abstract A product hierarchy database organizes company market performance and stock investment information by the products and services produced and offered by each competitor. The companies that produce each product/service are relationally linked to each of their products/services through records. An investment information service includes the product/service hierarchy database and makes it accessible to investor and analyst subscribers through a query system across the Internet. Data entry personnel continually load qualitative and quantitative information about companies and their products/services through a product hierarchy generator connected to the product/service hierarchy database. Subscribers can punch-through to query individual data items, and they can find out what relationships exist between all the important aspects of the companies and the products/services being tracked. The invention also provides for the creation of an index and corresponding index value for every product or service type in the database, which consists of a composite of all companies in a product or service area and whose index value can be measured and compared against any other product or service type index value. Claims What is claimed is: Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
TABLE I
(Quantitative Information)
CO_ID(FK)
RECORD_TYPE
RECORD_NO
year quarter
derived_data_processed_flag
industr_code repno cusip
ticker coname split_date
split_factor currency_code currency_rate
fplen fplenscf fptyp
fpbegdt fpenddt updstatis
updstatbs updstatcf restdtis
restdtbs restdtcf fisperiod
revenue interest_income_bank
premiums_earned
net_investment_income realized_gains_losses other_revenue
total_revenue cost_of_revenue
losses_benefits_adjustments
amortization_of_policy_costs fuel_expense
direct_operating_expenses
selling_general_admin_expenses depreciation_and_amortization
research_and_development
interest_expense other_operating_expenses
unusual_income_expenses
interest_expense_bank loan_loss_provision
total_expenses
interest_income_non_operating interest_expense_non_operating
interest_net_non_operating
afudc non_interest_income
non_interest_expense
gain_loss_on_sale_of_assets other_net
income_before_taxes
income_taxes income_after_taxes
minority_interest_is
equity_interests_is preferred_dividends
general_partner_distribution
us_gap_adjustment misc_earnings_adjustment
interest_adjust_primary_eps
adj_inc_avail_to_cmn_prim_eps primary_eps_excl_xord_items
discontinues_operations
extraordinary_items accounting_change
primary_ips_include_xord_items
dividends_per_common_share primary_average_shares_outstnd
full_dilution_adjustment
fully_diluted_shares_outstnd fd_eps_excl_xord_items
fd_eps_include_xord_items
cash_and_equivalents cash_and_due_bank
other_short_term_investments
investments loans
loan_loss_reserves
other_interest_earning_assets accounts_receivable inventory
prepayments_and_advances deferred_policy_acqsn_costs
other_current_assets
total_current_assets long_term_investments utility_plant
utility_plant_depreciation utility_plant_net
property_plant_equipment
accum_depreciation_and_amort property_plant_equipment_net
goodwill_intangibles
deferred_charges other_assets
other_long_term_assets
total_assets accounts_payable
short_term_debt
deposits other_interest_bearing_liab
policy_liabilities
curr_port_ltd_cap_lease_oblig other_current_liabilities
other_liabilities
total_current_liabilities long_term_debt
capitalized_lease_obligations
tota_long_term_debt minority_interest_bs
deferred_taxes
other_long_term_liabilities total liabilities
redeemable_preferred
preferred_stock common_stock
additional_paid_in_capital
retained_earnings treasury_stock other_equity
esop_debt_guarantee total_shareholder_equity
shares_outstanding_period_end
net_income_scf depreciation_scf
amortization_scf
deferred_taxes_indirect other_non_cash_items cash_receipts
cash_payments cash_taxes_paid
cash_interest_paid
other_operating_cash_flows total_cash_from_operating_act
capital_expenditures
other_investing_cash_flows total_cash_from_investing_act
dividends_paid
purchase_or_sale_of_stock purchase_and_retirement_debt
other_financing_cash_flows
total_cash_from_financing_act exchange_rate_effects
net_change_in_cash
cash-interest_paid_indirect cash_taxes_paid_indirect
depreciation_amortization_scf
dividend_growth_5yr revenue_growth_5yr
earnings_per_share_growth_5yr
revenue_per_employee no_of_employees
avg_square_feet_space
sv_gross_profit sv_gross_margin
sv_selling_gen_admin_percent
sv_research_anddev_prcnt sv_total_expenses
sv_oprtng_income
sv_oprtin_margin sv_income_before_tax_margin sv_tax_rate
sv_net_income_mrgn sv_long_term_debt_to_capital
sv_long_term_debt_to_equity
sv_total_dept_to_equity sv_workin_capital sv_curr_ratio
sv_quick_ratio sv_oprtng_cash_flow_last_yr
sv_roe_trailing_4_quarters
sv_roe_last_5_fiscal_years sv_roe_last_quarter
sv_roa_trailing_4_quarters
sv_roa_last_5_fiscal_years sv_roa_last_quarter
sv_total_capital
sv_total_debt sv_roic_trailing_4_quarters
sv_roic_last_5_fiscal_years
sv_roic_last_quarter sv_cash_per_share
sv_dso_last_quarter
sv_dso_last_5_fiscal_years sv_inventory_turnover_1st_qtr
sv_inventory_turnover_1st-yr
sv_oprtng_income_to_assets_tr sv_book_value_per_share
sv_oprtng_cash_flow_trailing
sv_oprtng_cash_flow_share_tr sv_oprtng_cash_flow_share_lfy
sv_pct_chng_gross_mrgn_seq
sv_pct_chng_gross_mrgn_yoy sv_pct_chng_oprtng_mrgn_seq
sv_pct_chng_oprtng_mrgn_yoy
sv_pct_chng_income_mrgn_seq sv_pct_chng_income_mrgn_yoy
sv_sales_per_share_trailing
sv_sales_per_share_lst_5_yr sv_asset_turnover_trailing
sv_asset_turnover
sv_interest_coverage_lst_qtr sv_interest_coverage_lst_5_yr
sv_revenue_growth_seq
sv_revenue_growth_yoy sv_revenue_growth_1_year
sv_earn_per_share_growth_yoy
sv_earn_per_share_growth_seq sv_earn_per_share_growth_1_yr
sv_1_yr_forward_eps_growth_rt
sv_market_capitalization sv_current_price_to_earnings
sv_historical_pe_ratio
sv_forward_pe_ratio sv_price_to_book_value
sv_price_to_sales_trailing
sv_price_to_sales_5fyr sv_price_to_oprtng_cash_flow
sv_price_to_free_cash_flow
sv_current_pe_ratio_to_growth sv_forward_pe_ratio_to_growth
sv_free_cf_per_share_tr
sv_free_cf_per_share_lfy sv_price_to_free_cf_tr
sv_avg_gross_ppe_per_employee
sv_avg_gross_ppe_per_sqft sv_debt_to_mkt_cap
sv_pct_chng_gross_mrgn_fy
sv_pct_chng_oprtng_mrgn_fy sv_pct_chng_income_mrgn_fy
The data entry system 118 (FIG. 1) is used to load quantitative information 116 (FIG. 1) about particular companies in each field listed in Table I. The abbreviations and acronyms listed here are merely examples, and it will be obvious to most readers what these fields each represent. Typically, the balance sheet, income, and cash flow statement line items from the company's quarterly announcements are included in the data. From this, it is possible to use spreadsheet programs to compute various key operating ratios important to the investment community. Other information structures can also be used in alternative embodiments of the invention. The qualitative module 204 includes one or more company records 214. Each such company record 214 preferably includes the data fields listed in Table II. There is a relational database linkage between the quantitative information records 212 and the company records 214.
TABLE II
(Company Record)
ID
name
type_code address_line_1 address_line_2
address_city address_state (fk) address_zip
address_country(fk) phone_number phone_fax_number
investor_contact_first_name investor_contact_last_name ictitle_ID(fk)
auditors_opinion management_background legal_proceedings_flag
legal_proceedings_notes number_of_employees web_site_address
email_address minority_stub minority_stub_percent
analysts_number description web_update_user_id
web_update_password us_business_by_country (fk) us_business_percentage
other_business_in_us other_business_percentage notes
scffmtcode business_strategy_text last_quant_q_rec
last_quant_y_rec
Each company record 214 is associated within the qualitative module 204 with a country record 216, a us_postal_states record 218, an investor_contact_title record 220, a company_geographic_activities record 222 that includes a geographic_area record 224 and an activity_type record 226, a company_associations record 228 that includes an association_contact_type record 230 and a company_association_type record 232, a company_markets record 234 with an end_user_market record 236, a company_regulatories_agency record 238 with a regulatory_agency record 240, a company_stock_exchanges record 242 with a stock_exchange record 244, a company_management record 246 with a management_title record 248, a company_business_strategies record 250, and a business_strategy_type record 252. All records 216-252 have relational database linkages to the company record 214. The country record 216 preferably includes a name field and a note field. The us_postal_states record 218 preferably includes a postal code field and a name field. The investor_contact_title record 220 preferably includes an identity (ID) field, a name field and a notes field. The company_geographic_activities record 222 preferably includes company identity (co_ID), activity_ID, geographical are (geoarea_ID), percent of business (percent), and notes fields. The geographic_area record 224 preferably includes identity (ID), name, and notes fields. The activity_type record 226 preferably includes identity (ID), name, and notes fields. The company_associations record 228 preferably includes identity (ID), contact name, investment percentage, company ID for and to, coassnty_ID, and conty_ID fields. The association_contact type record 230 preferably includes identity (ID), name, and notes fields. The company_association_type record 232 preferably includes name, and notes fields. The company_markets record 234 preferably includes company identity (co_ID), name, and object_ID fields. The end_user_market record 236 preferably includes identity (ID), name, and notes fields. The company_regulatories_agency record 238 preferably includes company identity (co_ID) and object ID fields. The regulatory_agency record 240 preferably includes identity (ID), name, and notes fields. The company_stock_exchanges record 242 preferably includes company identity (co_ID) and object ID fields. The stock_exchange record 244 preferably includes identity (ID), name, and notes fields. The company_management record 246 preferably includes company identity (co_ID), order number, title ID, manager name, manager compensation, and notes fields. The management_title record 248 preferably includes identity (ID), name, and notes fields. The company_business_strategies record 250 preferably includes company identity (co_ID) and object ID fields. The business_strategy_type record 252 preferably includes identity (ID), name, and notes fields. The product hierarchy 206 has several records in a strict hierarchy that is built according to several critical rules. Such rules are described in detail below in connection with FIGS. 3-6. A company_products record 260 preferably includes fields for company ID, object ID, tradename, product-type ID, regulatory-agency stage ID, clinical stage ID, side effects, indications, identity (ID), and notes for every product or service that a particular company offers. A stage_of_development record 262 preferably includes identity (ID), product-type ID, name, and notes fields for every product or service that is recorded in the company_products record 260. A product_type record 264 includes identity (ID), name, and notes field for every product or service that is recorded in the company_products record 260. A product record 266 includes independent fields for its own identity (ID), its parent's identity in the product hierarchy, the product name, the total available market, the trend identity (trend_ID), and notes. Product_life_cycle, product_growth_trend, and product_trend records 268 include identity (ID), name, and notes fields. A revenue/end user market function 290 contains a revenue table that includes a percentage figure, and contains an end user market table that includes a list of available end user markets. The revenue table and end user market table are linked to the company record 214 and the product hierarchy 266. It is important to note that the revenue/end user market function may be linked to any level of the product hierarchy. This allows user selection of a most appropriate level in the product hierarchy to identify revenues and end user markets. The product record 266 is unique in that it allows the construction of a hierarchy through the use of its parent identity field. The pricing module 208 also comprises several records. A company_securities record 270 preferably includes identity (ID), company identity (co_ID), security type ID, CUSIP number, and ticker symbol fields. A security_type record 272 preferably includes identity (ID), name, and notes fields. A security_splits_history record 274 preferably includes company security identity (COSEC_ID), split date, and split factor fields. A security_prices_buffer record 276 preferably includes company security identity (COSEC_ID), stock symbol type, cusip number, ticker, last price, time of last price, 52-week high, 52-week low, earnings estimates, and price_changed_flag fields. A security_prices_intraday record 278 preferably includes identity (ID), name, and notes fields. A security_prices_history record 280 preferably includes price date, company security identity (COSEC_ID), last price, time of last price, 52-week high, 52-week low, earnings estimates, and price-changed-flag fields. The user registration module 210 includes a subscriber (SV_user) record 282 and a user_type record 284. The SV_user record 282 preferably includes user type ID, nickname, password, user name, phone, and e-mail fields. The user_type record 284 preferably includes fields for name and notes. The user registration module 210 is used to enroll and validate investor network-clients 104, 106, and 108 (FIG. 1) when they log-on to the query manager 110 over the internet 102. In operation, a query can be constructed by query manager 110 (FIG. 1) to find all relations to a particular field content in a particular record. For example, the company_regulatories_agencies record 238 can be used to list all companies in the database 200 that share the same regulatory agencies. The product hierarchy 206 (FIG. 2) includes a company_products record 260 with links to a stage_of_development record 262 and a product type record 264. Each company_products record 260 is linked to one or more records 266 for each product, and each product life cycle, product_growth_trend, and product_trend record 268 is linked to one or more records 266 for each product. The product hierarchy 206 includes all the products of all the companies in the database 200 in as many product records 266 as are necessary. The product hierarchy 206 can span all industry, sector, sub-sector, and groups and is based solely on the products or services that are produced by each competing company. Fundamentally, each new product hierarchy chain is created in the database 200 according only to a product manufactured or a service performed, and must be completely independent of any other factor. A hierarchical breakdown within any industry, sector, sub-sector, or group is independent of the constituent companies themselves. Only their individual products and services matter. Accordingly, all such companies are associated at a particular product level based upon products manufactured or services performed and not dependent on a company's self-described business description. Each such hierarchy begins at its top with broad product types, and scales down and branches out to very specific products. Any relationships that exist between product levels is preferably handled in a record, e.g. by assigning a parent identity and level number to each product. An unlimited number of product levels can be created in an industry, sector, sub-sector, or group within a product hierarchy. When a new product level in a hierarchy is created, it is attached as a subset of a previous level or category and is related by association. Every other lower and subsequent product level is associated, linked, or related to some other higher level in the chain of the product hierarchy 206, except at the highest level. Two separate products, represented in two product records 266 on the same level, may be attached or related to a single parent or higher level in the product hierarchy 206. Constructed this way, the two products can be related to one another. However, two products at the same level with the same parent are never directly linked or made dependent on the other. A product level can have an unlimited number of sub-product levels attached below it. Consider FIG. 3. A product hierarchy 300 represents at its top level 302 the whole of the application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) market. The components of the ASIC market include, at lower levels, the programmable logic devices (PLD's) level 304, a gate array level 306, and a standard cell level 308. Individual gate array products attached to gate array level 306 are produced by well-known companies: NEC, Toshiba, Texas Instruments, LSI Logic, and VLSI Systems. Individual standard cell products attached to standard cell level 308 are produced by LU, Toshiba, LSI Logic, and IBM. Lower levels are needed in the PLD industry, sector, sub-sector, and group, so a field programmable gate array (FPGA) level 310, a bipolar PLD level 312, and an eraseable PLD level 314 are needed in the product hierarchy 300. The FPGA industry, sector, sub-sector, and group is further divided into a transistor FPGA level 316 and an antifuse FPGA level 318. These two product areas include products from Xilinx, Altera, and LU, and also Actel, Quicklogic, and Cypress Logic, respectively. The eraseable PLD level 314 is split into complex PLD level 320 and a simple PLD level 322. FIG. 4 illustrates a product hierarchy 400 in a further example. A semiconductor level 402 includes an integrated circuits (IC) level 404 and a discrete devices level 406. The IC level 404 is divided into a digital IC level 408 and an analog IC level 410. The discrete devices level 406 has as its constituents, a diodes level 412, a rectifiers level 414, a transistors level 416, and an opto-electronics level 418. The digital level 408 is split between a metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) level 420 and a digital bipolar level 422. The MOS level 420 has beneath it a memory level 424, a microcircuit level 426, and a logic level 428. The top of the ASIC level 302 (FIG. 3) could be attached to the logic level 428 (FIG. 4) in this example. The memory level 424 is further divided into a volatile memory level 430 and a non-volatile memory level 432. There is an important difference between the product hierarchy 206 and individual companies. The product hierarchy is created independent of companies. Products that make up the product hierarchy are called product levels. Individual company products are referred to as company products and are specific to the company itself. There are several data items that are also tied to the individual company specific products and include brandname or tradename, revenue percentage, and end-user markets. FIG. 5 represents a generalized product hierarchy 500. The product hierarchy begins with broad product types at top level "A" 502, and scales down through levels 504-518 and branches out to very specific products. Companies can only be directly linked to the lowest level in the hierarchy, but are then identified with higher levels because the parent levels in the hierarchy are directly linked to the lower levels. The relationships that exist between product levels is preferably memorialized in one lookup record using a method of assigning a parent identity and level number to each product. An unlimited number of product levels 502-518 can be created in an industry, sector, sub-sector, and group within the product hierarchy 500. When a new product level in the product hierarchy 500 is created, it then becomes a subset of the previous level/category and is related by association. With the exception of the highest level, every other lower and subsequent product level is associated/linked/related to some other higher level in the chain of the product hierarchy. Referring to FIG. 5, a company cannot be attached to product level "D" 5085 because a lower product level "G" 514 exists. A company may be attached to product level "G" 514 because it is a bottom level. Companies and other company product specific qualitative aspects can be attached to product level "I" 518, for example. Thus, product level "H" 516 could have attached to it, product 1 of company 1 or product 1 of company 2 with tradename/brandname 1. A company, and thus the brandname or tradenames of its products, can only be attached, or associated at the lowest, node level of the product hierarchy. Any company may have multiple products with multiple brandname or tradenames assigned to the same level in the product hierarchy 206 of a particular industry, sector, sub-sector, or group. In addition, a company and its product's brandname or tradename may be attached at an unlimited number of lowest product levels in the product hierarchy, and across different industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups. An unlimited number of companies and thus products, brandnames or tradenames can be attached, associated to one lowest level in the product hierarchy 206. A company with multiple products can exist at multiple product levels, and in multiple product hierarchies in multiple and different industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups. Once a product level has been created, there cannot be a link between it and a company at a higher level. A company and its product brandname or tradename can only be linked at the lowest node of the product hierarchy 206. In other words, a particular product record 266 that is named as a parent to another product record 266 cannot be attached to a company_products record 260. Companies can be associated to higher levels by default due to the associations that are 3 created by the product hierarchy 206 itself through the parent relationships that the hierarchy uses. In FIG. 6, a database structure 600 uses a product name record 602, a company-product name or trademark/brandname record 604, and a company name record 606. Each record can then be freely associated with each other record and its individual records. Referring once again to FIG. 2, when a node level in the product hierarchy 206 is created, there are two methods for inputting data that are mutually exclusive. In a first method, a company which has a product and a corresponding brandname or tradename can be attached to a lowest product level. This action thereafter defines that product level as the lowest level in the chain. In a second method, another product level is attached by creating a new level in the product hierarchy 206. Once a company and its product has been assigned to a hierarchy level, it becomes associated at every higher level in the product hierarchy for that particular chain of connection by default. As a result, companies can be associated with the highest to the lowest hierarchy levels. Database 200 hierarchically categorizes companies in company records 214 into appropriate industries, sub-industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups based solely upon their respective product or services. The product hierarchy 206 therefore is the only mechanism that defines how a company is to be categorized within an industry, sector, sub-sector, or group. This is a critical way in which the invention is distinguished over the prior art. The result of this product hierarchy 206 and companies being attached at the lowest level is that proper industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups are created. The highest level in the product hierarchy would define the broadest industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups, with the greatest number of companies making up that industry, sector, sub-sector, or group. As one scales down the product hierarchy, industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups are narrowed, becoming more refined and specific, eventually getting down to the lowest levels with fewer companies. These industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups can then be looked at to track performance, relative to other industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups or individually on any quantitative and certain qualitative parameters. By definition, industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups are created at every product level in the product hierarchy. The central point is that any of these industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups can be evaluated on any quantitative and certain qualitative parameters. Therefore, system 100 (FIG. 1) provides the ability to display systematically, search, and compare all companies and peer groups, based upon products manufactured or services performed anywhere within an industry, sector, sub-sector, and group, as well as perform industry, sector, sub-sector, and group by industry, sector, sub-sector, and group comparisons. Another critical aspect of the invention is that all of the qualitative data 114 (FIG. 1) that is related to a company is selectively parsed and placed into separate fields for each item, e.g. Tables I-II. Such fields are given specific database linkages that allow the data to be associated or linked to other data. This provides the database 200 with enough flexibility to perform data mining and to drill down for specific information. Searches can be performed on any data element in database 200. Information about an individual company's products or services, by brandname or tradename, is loaded in a separate record. It will be appreciated that the terms "products" and "services" are used interchangeably herein. Each company's products record 266 is linked or related to its general company information record 214. Each company that produces a product in a product hierarchy 206 is associated to that product's level in the product hierarchy through a company products record 260. If a company does not have a tradename or brandname for its product, and the data entry field is therefore left blank at the data entry stage 118 (FIG. 1), an identifier (ID) is nevertheless automatically assigned so such company can still be linked or associated to a product level in a corresponding hierarchy. Redundant product tradenames may be attached at many, bottom node levels in the product hierarchy. A company can have one of its products attached at multiple, lowest product levels in the product hierarchy. A company may have an unlimited number of products. Product records can be specialized for particular industries, sectors, sub-sectors, and groups. For example, the company product record for medical device and bio-pharmaceutical companies preferably includes information fields for each product's clinical and regulatory stage, side effects, and prescription indications. An individual company can be related to some other company or entity for any number of reasons. A two-way database association is implemented by linking two separate records to the general company record 214 through a many-to-many relationship. The two record links are the association and is represented by the double lines between company record 214 and company associations record 228 in FIG. 2. The company association type record 232 identifies why the two entities are related, and/or otherwise explains the basis for the association. Association types can include customers, strategic partners, corporate and venture shareholders, equipment suppliers, and component suppliers. An unlimited number of association types can be created. Such structure allows a user to search by a particular association type. For example, list all of the customers for company A or list all the companies that have company A as a customer. In another example, if company A has company B as a customer, then from company B's perspective company A could be either a component or equipment supplier. The geographic dispersion of revenues and manufacturing can be recorded for each individual company. Preferably, the database structure for this is processed in three separate records 222, 224, and 226. These are related to each other and are related as a group to the general company record 214. The same geographic areas can be related to any number of otherwise independent companies. This allows searches to be done based on the type of activity, sales or manufacturing, as well as the geographic area, to produce any and all companies that meet the criteria. Revenue percentage figures can be attached to every one of a company's products. A data field is included to store the percentage of revenue a company generates for each product. Such revenue percentage value can be attached at any level in a product hierarchy, lowest to highest for a particular company for its products. Therefore, if a figure has been entered at a higher level in the product hierarchy, it may represent the percentage of revenue generated for more than one company product. If such company has multiple products associated at lower levels in the product hierarchy, the sum of the figures entered for a company may not exceed one hundred percent. A search by query manager 110 is satisfied if a figure is entered at a lower level in the product hierarchy and the user nevertheless sets a parameter based on a higher level in the chain. End-user market records 236 are attached to each company market record 234 and company record 214 for each one of the company's products. An association is made to both the company's products as well as the product hierarchy 206. Such information can be attached at any level in the product hierarchy for a company. Multiple end-user markets can be associated to one product level for a company. A list of the end-user markets is loaded in what is called a reference, or code record where consistency can be maintained much more effectively and eliminate duplicate entries that may be spelled slightly differently. When assigning an end-user market, one must be selected from the available list in the code record. The code record can be unlimited in the number of end-user markets entered. The same end-user market can be attached or associated to many products Regulatory agencies that affect a company are identified. Such information is loaded in a separate record which is then related to the company regulated. One regulatory agency can be associated to an unlimited number of companies. Each company can have an unlimited number of agencies related to it. This allows for searching by a particular agency resulting in any and all companies that are affected by that agency. Information regarding each company's management team and directors is loaded in a single record structure, which is then related to the company record. Each company in database 200 has certain generic business strategies associated to it. These strategies are loaded in a separate record. One company can have multiple strategies associated to it. Each strategy can have an unlimited number of companies related. This allows searches on a particular strategy to result in all the companies that have been identified as having that strategy. Product market trend can be associated to any and every product in the product hierarchy, product level dependent but company independent (see FIG. 7). The trends are loaded in a reference record. When associating a trend to a product, one must be selected from the reference record. One product can contain multiple trends. One trend can be attached to multiple products. A total-available-market figure can be attached or associated to each product throughout the product hierarchy. When a new product level name is created in the product hierarchy a separate field exists to enter the total-available-market figure for that product Although the invention is described herein with reference to the preferred embodiment, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other applications may be substituted for those set forth herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention should only be limited by the Claims included below.
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