Patent ID: 7769629

Claim:
A method for providing hierarchical reporting for an online incentive program for salespersons, from a plurality of manufacturers and vendors comprising the steps of: at least one host computer providing a hosted online incentive program related to the sale and marketing of at least one of a product or a service and that is accessible by a plurality of salespersons on at least one salesperson computer, at least two of the plurality of salespersons having different respective hierarchical levels of employment within at least one organization providing the online incentive program; the at least one host computer listing on the salesperson computer the plurality of salespersons in a hierarchical format having a plurality of hierarchical levels; the at least one host computer allowing at least one of the plurality of salespersons to select a hierarchical level on a salesperson computer and transmit the selected hierarchical level from the salesperson computer to the host computer via a communications network, wherein the step of allowing at least one of the plurality of salespersons to select a hierarchical level includes the steps of determining the hierarchical level of the salesperson at the host computer and selectively allowing access at the salesperson computer via the communications network to the hierarchical reports based on the hierarchical level of employment of the salesperson within an organization, wherein each salesperson is prohibited from selecting a hierarchical level corresponding to a level of employment within an organization that is higher than their own level of employment within an organization, and is permitted to select a hierarchical level corresponding to their own level of employment and lower within an organization; and the at least one host computer providing the salesperson a hierarchical report for the selected hierarchical level by transmitting the hierarchical report from the host computer to the salesperson computer via the communications network and displaying the hierarchical report on the salesperson computer, the hierarchical report including information for any one or more of all of the salespersons in the selected hierarchical level.