Patent ID: 8600799

Claim:
A method comprising: instantiating a plurality of instances of a time-based organization hierarchy, wherein each instance of the plurality of instances comprises a plurality of nodes, information regarding a start date for the each instance, and information regarding an end date for the each instance, each node of the plurality of nodes of the each instance comprises information regarding a territory of a plurality of territories, each of the plurality of territories corresponds to a corresponding one of the plurality of nodes of the each instance, the information regarding the territory comprises a plurality of positions, a plurality of quotas, and one or more assignment rules, each of the plurality of quotas corresponds to a corresponding position of the plurality of positions, a respective quota period is defined for the each of the plurality of quotas, the each instance, in its entirety, is effective only for an effective period defined by the start date and the end date, and the plurality of instances differ from one another at least by virtue of the effective periods of the plurality of instances not overlapping one another; and in response to receiving a first sales data input corresponding to a transaction, performing, using a computer processor, an assignment rule evaluation, wherein the transaction is associated with an order date, and the performing the assignment rule evaluation comprises identifying a single instance of the plurality of instances by determining whether an effective period of the single instance includes the order date, in response to a determination that the effective period of the single instance includes the order date, selecting the single instance, in its entirety, from among the plurality of instances, determining whether a net change in the transaction has occurred, wherein the transaction credit is applied to at least one quota of the plurality of quotas, and the at least one quota corresponds to at least one position of the plurality of positions, and generating a result, wherein the generating comprises evaluating at least one assignment rule of the one or more assignment rules of the single instance, wherein the evaluating comprises determining whether the at least one assignment rule is applicable to the transaction, and the evaluating uses information regarding the net change, if the net change in the transaction has occurred, and evaluating any validation rules associated with the single instance, and in response to the result being a positive result, assigning a transaction credit to the at least one position, wherein the transaction credit corresponds to the transaction, and the transaction credit is assigned to the at least one position, in a manner specified by the at least one assignment rule.