Patent ID: 7937284

Claim:
A method, comprising: generating a user interface including a plurality of user interface displays to manage a time-based organization hierarchy; receiving a first user input, the first user input comprising a first effective period, the first effective period defined by a start date and an end date; associating, by a processor, the first effective period with a node, in response to the receiving the first user input; establishing the node as a root node of a first instance of the time-based organization hierarchy; establishing a second additional node and a third additional node as nodes of the first instance of the time-based organization hierarchy; establishing the first effective period as the period for which the first instance of the time-based organization hierarchy as a whole is effective; receiving a second user input, the second user input comprising a definition of at least one territory; prompting a user for a third user input comprising an effective period for the at least one territory; ensuring by the processor, that the effective period falls within the first effective period; and associating, by the processor, the territory with the node, in response to receipt of the second and third user inputs.