Patent ID: 7599841

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of prospectively planning personnel costs for an enterprise, the computer including a processor and memory and the method comprising steps performed by the computer of: conducting planning preparation, by the processor, to plan the personnel costs, wherein the planning preparation comprises creating more than one scenario for the enterprise and setting different scenario parameters for each of the more than one scenario, wherein the different scenario parameters include a standard case scenario and a worst case scenario; specifying, by the processor, a limit for each of the more than one scenario; modifying, by the processor, the limit during the planning preparation when the personnel costs change; collecting data, by the processor and based on the limit and in a decentralized manner, including direct cost items and dependent cost items that relate to the personnel costs, using a computer; performing, by the processor, a cost planning run using the computer, wherein performing the cost planning run comprises valuating the collected cost items based on the more than one scenario and the different scenario parameters; valuating, by the processor, the direct cost items and the dependent cost items, wherein the direct cost items are valuated before the dependent cost items; conducting, by the processor, a detailed analysis of results of the cost planning run; revising, by the processor, the collected data to produce updated results based on the detailed analysis; and reporting, by the processor, the updated results, wherein the direct cost items are written to a cost object and the dependent cost items are generated according to a customizing module and a planning preparation module.