Patent ID: 6928412

Claim:
A data management system for use in a consumer product development process, said system comprising: a computing device having a memory; a plurality of databases for a plurality of business units involved in the product development process, said databases linked through a computer network; an application program to interface with a user to retrieve initial product information selected from a product description, a target product cost, a target product sales price, a product type, a packaging type, packaging component information, a periodic sales forecast, a product development budget, and any combination thereof, to thereby produce a first product record in one of the plurality of databases; a sharing engine for interacting with each database to generate product records for each database using product information from the first product record, wherein each of the product records is organized by requirements from the database of the business unit for which the product record is generated; means for automatically duplicating and dynamically updating said product information entered by said business units into one of said plurality of databases in others of said plurality of databases thereby eliminating duplicative data entry by said business units during different stages of development of said product, wherein said plurality of business units enter and update product information into their respective databases concurrently and independently of other business units entering and updating product information into their databases; and a tracking system for tracking said development of said product, said tracking system including unique identifiers for said product and said product information associated with said business unit, wherein said unique identifiers associated with said product information further identify said product.