Patent ID: 6981003

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for performing master planning priority assignment, the method comprising: creating at least one rule database that includes fields for specifying attributes relating to customer demand files and related priorities; assigning a priority to a demand record, said demand record containing a demand record attribute field and a demand record priority field; said assigning including: selecting said at least one rule database, said at least one rule database including at least one record, a rule database attribute field that correlates to said demand record attribute field, and a rule database priority field; querying said at least one rule database for a corresponding rule database record that contains data in said rule database attribute field that matches data in said demand record attribute field, said matching comprising: querying said at least one rule database for an explicit data match; if no said explicit data match exists, querying said at least one rule database for a hierarchy value match; and if no said explicit data match or said hierarchy value data match exists, querying said at least one rule database for a wildcard match; and based upon said querying, updating data in said demand record priority field with data from said corresponding rule database priority field.