Patent ID: 8799039

Claim:
A method comprising: via at least one computer comprising a processor and memory, collecting a plurality of resource rate information identifying compensation information for a plurality of resources from a plurality of actual-market-rate sources, the plurality of actual-market-rate sources comprising a plurality of business entities that employ at least a portion of the plurality of resources; via the at least one computer, associating each of said plurality of resource rate information with resource profile information; wherein said resource profile information is organized into a plurality of resource profiles, each resource profile hierarchically defining at least a job category and skills; wherein, for at least a portion of the resource profile information, the associating comprises associating therewith resource rate information for more than one of the plurality of resources; via the at least one computer, storing each of said plurality of resource rate information, said associated resource profile information, and a date in a resource record within a database, the database comprising a plurality of resource records; and receiving a request for statistical resource-rate data from a requestor, the request comprising resource criteria; wherein the resource criteria comprises a date span and profile information defined according to a structure of the plurality of resource profiles; comparing the resource criteria to each of the plurality of resource records to determine one or more matching resource records; calculating, by the at least one computer, the statistical resource-rate data based on the resource-rate information stored in the one or more matching resource records; analyzing resource records in the database to determine whether one or more of said resource records should be updated, said resource records associated with said actual market rate sources being updated within a pre-configured time period after creation thereof; requesting updated resource profile information and updated resource rate information to update said one or more resource records; storing said updated resource profile information and said updated resource rate information within said one or more resource records; providing a penalty message to a user associated with said one or more resource records to be updated when said updated resource profile information and said updated resource rate information is not received; and preventing the requestor from receiving requested information unless resource rate information is provided by the requestor.