Patent ID: 8386296

Claim:
A method comprising: defining, by a computer system, a hierarchy for a product, the hierarchy including at least: a first node corresponding to a first component of the product, the first node specifying a first supplier for the first component; and a second node corresponding to a second component of the product, the second node specifying a second supplier and a third supplier for the second component, the second and third suppliers being distinct from the first supplier; storing, by the computer system in the first node, a price quote from the first supplier for the first component; storing, by the computer system in the second node, a price quote from the second supplier and a price quote from the third supplier for the second component; automatically traversing, by the computer system, the hierarchy to determine cost information for the first and second components, the cost information for the first component being based in part on the price quote from the first supplier, the cost information for the second component being based in part on the price quotes from the second and third suppliers; and generating, by the computer system, a cost estimate for the product by rolling up through the hierarchy the cost information for the first and second components, wherein a supplier split defined for the second node in the hierarchy corresponding to the second component is inherited by a third component below the second component in the hierarchy; wherein generating the cost estimate comprises rolling up cost information for the first component and ignoring cost information for components below the first component in the hierarchy in response to setting a quote level for the first node in the hierarchy corresponding to the first component.