Patent ID: 7707145

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of classifying and recording data for one or more of controlling, analyzing or simulating a research, development, manufacturing and distribution process, comprising: mapping, in a processor of a computer, electronic data relevant for describing the process into a four-dimensional coordinate space having the orthogonal coordinate axes (i) source, (ii) sink, (iii) object or service, and (iv) time, and storing, in memory, the mapped data in a relational, object oriented or other database having a tree structure, wherein the source, sink, and object or service data along the coordinate axes, in a computer-readable code that is readable by the processor, are represented by a transaction table in which time-related information on inventory changes of data stored in the coordinate axes source, sink and object or service are recorded for logical connection during performance of an analysis or simulation, and time-related information on costs and capacities of the process is recorded in a resource table, wherein all data in each of dimensions of the four-dimensional coordinate space are collected and stored in a deepest, atomic layer stored in memory, wherein one or more tree structured partitions that are arbitrary and complete down to the deepest, atomic storage layer may be specified, set up and stored, in memory, for each dimension of the four-dimensional coordinate space, wherein all data relevant to the research, development, manufacturing and distribution processes is stored, in memory, in four dedicated data structures, of which one each is provided for the orthogonal coordinate axes source, sink, and object or service, a further data structure stores atomic transactions and if necessary an additional data structure stores resources in the three orthogonal coordinate axes source, sink, and object or service, wherein this additional data structure may be subdivided into three dedicated sub data structures or sub tables, respectively, separated for source, sink, and object or service.