Patent ID: 7685156

Claim:
A method implemented in a system having a business processor engine coupled to one or more data sources, the method comprising: defining a hierarchical structure of positions in an organizational data structure stored in the one or more data sources; the business processor engine associating one or more of a plurality of roles with one or more of the positions; the business processor engine associating one or more rules for one or more business processes with a first set of the roles that are associated with a first position within the hierarchical structure; the business processor engine automatically applying the one or more rules to positions that are subordinate to the first position within the hierarchical structure and that are associated with the first set of roles and not applying the one or more rules to positions that are either not subordinate to the first position within the hierarchical structure or not associated with the first set of roles; and the business processor engine controlling access to the one or more business processes according to the rules.