System and method for collecting and providing resource rate information using resource profiling

• US 20030204439A1
• Filed: 04/24/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IQNavigator Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Volt Information Sciences Incorporated
• Inventors: Cullen, Andrew A. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1057 Benefits or employee welfare, e.g. insurance, holiday or retirement packages
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors

Abstract

A computer system and method is disclosed for collecting resource rate information associated with a plurality of resource profiles and providing resource rate statistical data for a specific resource profile via a web-based interface. Each resource profile is defined from hierarchical profile selections to identify a job category, and each job category has one or more skills associated therewith. A database maintains the resource profiles and associated resource rate information. The resource rate information is collected from a variety of sources, including business entities that interface with the database to upload actual resource rate information (e.g., actual salaries, wage rates and other compensation information) for one or more resource profiles associated with the business entity.

Claims

1. A method for categorizing resources and associating compensation information therewith, comprising:

collecting resource profile information for a job category defined by a hierarchical profile having at least three tiers and including at least one skill associated with the job category;

collecting resource rate information identifying compensation information associated with a resource;

associating said resource rate information with resource profile information to create a resource record; and

storing said resource record within a database to provide said compensation information for said resource in said job category.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of collecting said resource profile information further comprises:

providing hierarchical profile selection data to a user to select from;

receiving said hierarchical profile selections selected from said hierarchical profile selection data from the user to define said hierarchical profile; and

receiving said skills selected from said hierarchical profile selection data from the user to associate said skills with said hierarchical profile.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said hierarchical profile selections include a business sector selection, a business arena selection and a business family selection, said step of providing further comprising:

providing business sector selection data including said business sector selection to the user;

receiving said business sector selection from the user;

determining business arena selection data associated with said business sector selection and providing said business arena selection data including said business arena selection to the user;

receiving said business arena selection from the user;

determining business family selection data associated with said business arena selection and providing said business family selection data including said business family selection to the user; and

receiving said business family selection from the user.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing said hierarchical profile selection data in resource profile fields within the database in a hierarchical and relational structure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of storing said resource profile information further comprises:

storing said resource profile information in fields within the database in a hierarchical and relational structure mirroring select ones of said resource profile fields.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said hierarchical profile selection data to the user via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said hierarchical profile selection data to the user via a web-based user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of storing said hierarchical profile selection data further comprises:

storing said hierarchical profile selection data within said resource profile fields within said database, said resource profile fields being organized in tables, each of said tables including said hierarchical profile selection data to be populated in a web p age presented to the user via said web-based interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

pushing one or more web pages at a time to a web browser associated with the user, each of said one or more web pages being populated with said hierarchical profile selection data from one of said tables.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of storing said resource profile information further comprises:

storing said resource profile information within said resource record in said database in a scalable and configurable table-driven format.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of selecting said resource profile information further comprises:

providing said hierarchical profile selection data as pre-configured resource profiles; and

receiving said hierarchical profile selections and said skills as one of said pre-configured resource profiles.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein said skills includes at least one or more general function selections identifying the level of skill associated with said three-tiered hierarchical profile, and wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing general function selection data including said one or more general function selections to the user; and

receiving said one or more general function selections selected from said general function selection data from the user.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein said skills includes at least one or more skill category selections identifying the type of skills associated with the resource and said three-tiered hierarchical profile, said step of providing further comprising:

providing skills category selection data including said one or more skills category selections to the user; and

receiving said one or more skills category selections selected from said skills category selection data from the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said skills further includes skills sets selections identifying the experience that the resource possesses for each of said one or more skills category selections, said step of providing further comprising:

providing skills sets selection data including said one or more skills sets selections for each of said skills category selections to the user; and

receiving said one or more skills sets selections selected from said skills sets selection data from the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of collecting said resource rate information further comprises:

providing resource rate selection data to a user to select from;

receiving said resource rate information selected from said resource rate selection data from the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing said resource rate selection data in resource rate fields within the database in a hierarchical and relational structure.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of storing said resource rate information further comprises:

storing said resource rate information in fields within the database in a hierarchical and relational structure mirroring select ones of said resource rate fields.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said resource rate selection data to the user via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said resource rate selection data to the user via a web-based user interface.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of storing said resource rate information further comprises:

storing said resource rate information within said resource record in said database in a scalable and configurable table-driven format.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing said resource records to determine whether one or more of said resource records should be updated;

requesting updated resource profile information and updated resource rate information to update said one or more resource records; and

storing said updated resource profile information and said updated resource rate information within said one or more resource records.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing a penalty message to a user associated with said one or more resource records to be updated when said updated resource profile information and said updated resource rate information is not received.

23. A method for categorizing resources and associating compensation information therewith, comprising:

collecting a plurality of resource rate information identifying compensation information associated with a plurality of resources from a plurality of sources, at least one of said sources being an actual market rate source capable of providing actual market rate information as said resource rate information associated with one or more of said resources of said actual market rate source;

associating each of said plurality of resource rate information with resource profile information, said resource profile information including at least a non-prose hierarchical profile defined from hierarchical profile selections; and

storing each of said plurality of resource rate information and said associated resource profile information in a resource record within a database.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

providing hierarchical profile selection data to a user to select from; and

receiving said hierarchical profile selections selected from said hierarchical profile selection data from the user to define said hierarchical profile.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said hierarchical profile selections include a business sector selection, a business arena selection and a business family selection, said step of providing further comprising:

providing business sector selection data including said business sector selection to the user;

receiving said business sector selection from the user;

determining business arena selection data associated with said business sector selection and providing said business arena selection data including said business arena selection to the user;

receiving said business arena selection from the user;

determining business family selection data associated with said business arena selection and providing said business family selection data including said business family selection to the user; and

receiving said business family selection from the user.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

storing said hierarchical profile selection data in resource profile fields within the database in a hierarchical and relational structure.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of storing said resource profile information further comprises:

storing said resource profile information in fields within the database in a hierarchical and relational structure mirroring select ones of said resource profile fields.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said hierarchical profile selection data to the user via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said hierarchical profile selection data to the user via a web-based user interface.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said step of storing further comprises:

storing said hierarchical profile selection data within said resource profile fields within said database, said resource profile fields being organized in tables, each of said tables including said hierarchical profile selection data to be populated in a web page presented to the user via said web-based interface.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

pushing one or more web pages at a time to a web browser associated with the user, each of said one or more web pages being populated with said hierarchical profile selection data from one of said tables.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein said step of storing said resource profile information further comprises:

storing said resource profile information within said resource record in said database in a scalable and configurable table-driven format.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said hierarchical profile selection data as pre-configured resource profiles; and

receiving said hierarchical profile selections as one of said pre-configured resource profiles.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein said resource profile information includes skills associated with said hierarchical profile, said skills including at least one or more general function selections identifying the level of skill associated with said hierarchical profile, and wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing general function selection data including said one or more general function selections to the user; and

receiving said one or more general function selections selected from said general function selection data from the user.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said resource profile information includes skills associated with said hierarchical profile, said skills including at least one or more skill category selections identifying the type of skills associated with the resource and said hierarchical profile, said step of providing further comprising:

providing skills category selection data including said one or more skills category selections to the user; and

receiving said one or more skills category selections selected from said skills category selection data from the user.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said skills further includes skills sets selections identifying the experience that the resource possesses for each of said one or more skills category selections, said step of providing further comprising:

providing skills sets selection data including said one or more skills sets selections for each of said skills category selections to the user; and

receiving said one or more skills sets selections selected from said skills sets selection data from the user.

37. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of collecting further comprises:

providing resource rate selection data to a user to select from;

receiving said resource rate information selected from said resource rate selection data from the user.

38. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

storing said resource rate selection data in resource rate fields within the database in a hierarchical and relational structure.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said step of storing said resource rate information further comprises:

storing said resource rate information in fields within the database in a hierarchical and relational structure mirroring select ones of said resource rate fields.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said resource rate selection data to the user via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said resource rate selection data to the user via a web-based user interface.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of storing said resource rate information further comprises:

storing said resource rate information within said resource record in said database in a scalable and configurable table-driven format.

43. The method of claim 23, wherein said actual market rate source is a business entity, said step of storing further comprising:

storing said resource rate information and said associated resource profile information associated with each of said resources of said business entity within separate ones of said resource records in said database.

44. The method of claim 23, wherein said actual market rate source is a business entity, said step of storing further comprising:

storing said resource rate information and said associated resource profile information associated with multiple ones of said resources of said business entity having the same said resource rate information and resource profile information associated therewith within a single one of said resource records within said database.

45. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

analyzing said resource records to determine whether one or more of said resource records should be updated, said resource records associated with said actual market rate source being updated within a pre-configured time period after the creation of said actual market rate source resource records;

requesting updated resource profile information and updated resource rate information to update said one or more resource records; and

storing said updated resource profile information and said updated resource rate information within said one or more resource records.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

providing a penalty message to a user associated with said one or more resource records to be updated when said updated resource profile information and said updated resource rate information is not received.

47. A method for providing statistical data related to compensation information associated with labor resources, comprising:

collecting a plurality of resource data associated with a plurality of resources from a plurality of sources, each said resource data including resource rate information identifying compensation information and associated resource profile information, said resource profile information including at least a non-prose hierarchical profile defined from hierarchical profile selections and one or more skills associated with said hierarchical profile;

comparing resource criteria with said resource data to determine matching resource data; and

calculating statistical data related to said resource rate information included within said matching resource data.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said hierarchical profile selections of a select one of said resource data includes a business sector selection, a business arena selection based upon said business sector selection and a business family selection based upon said business arena selection, said step of comparing further comprising:

receiving said resource criteria including at least a business sector criteria, a business arena criteria based upon said business sector criteria and a business family criteria based upon said business arena criteria;

comparing said business sector criteria to said business sector selection, said business arena criteria to said business arena selection and said business family criteria to said business family selection; and

adding said select resource data to said matching resource data when said business sector criteria matches said business sector selection, said business arena criteria matches said business arena selection and said business family criteria matches said business family selection.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said step of comparing further comprises:

receiving said resource criteria including at least a skills criteria;

comparing said skills criteria to said skills associated with said hierarchical profile of a select one of said resource data; and

adding said select resource data to said matching resource data when said skills criteria matches said skills of said select resource data.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said skills associated with said select resource data includes at least one or more general function selections identifying the level of skill associated with said hierarchical profile, and wherein said step of comparing further comprises:

receiving said resource criteria including at least a general function criteria;

comparing said general function criteria to said one or more general function selections associated with said select resource data; and

adding said select resource data to said matching resource data when said general function criteria matches said one or more general function selections associated with said select resource data.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said skills associated with said select resource data includes at least one or more skill category selections identifying the type of skills associated with the resource and said hierarchical profile, said step of comparing further comprising:

receiving said resource criteria including at least a skills category criteria;

comparing said skills category criteria to said one or more skills category selections associated with said select resource data; and

adding said select resource data to said matching resource data when said skills category criteria matches said one or more skills category selections associated with said select resource data.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein said skills associated with said select resource data further includes skills sets selections identifying the experience that the resource possesses for each of said one or more skills category selections, said step of comparing further comprising:

receiving said resource criteria including at least a skills sets criteria;

comparing said skills sets criteria to said skills sets selections associated with said select resource data; and

adding said select resource data to said matching resource data when said skills sets criteria matches said skills sets selections associated with said select resource data.

53. The method of claim 47, wherein said step of comparing further comprises:

receiving said resource criteria including resource profile criteria and resource rate criteria;

comparing said resource profile criteria to said resource profile information of a select one of said resource data and said resource rate criteria to said resource rate information of said select resource data; and

adding said select resource data to said matching resource data when said resource profile criteria matches said resource profile information associated with said select resource data and said resource rate criteria matches said resource rate information associated with said select resource data.

54. The method of claim 47, wherein said step of comparing further comprises:

comparing said resource criteria with a select one of said resource data using matching criteria defining an acceptable amount of said resource criteria that should match said select resource data; and

adding said select resource data to said matching resource data when said select resource data matches said resource criteria based upon said matching criteria.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

modifying said matching criteria to determine new matching resource data; and

calculating new statistical data related to said resource rate information included within said new matching resource data.

56. The method of claim 47, wherein said step of calculating further comprises:

calculating said statistical data using statistical criteria indicating the type of said statistical data to calculate.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein said step of calculating further comprises:

receiving said statistical criteria from a user requesting said statistical data and providing said resource criteria; and

calculating said statistical data using said statistical criteria.

58. The method of claim 56, further comprising:

modifying said statistical criteria to determine new matching resource data; and

calculating new statistical data related to said resource rate information included within said new matching resource data.

59. The method of claim 47, wherein said step of comparing further comprises:

modifying said resource criteria to determine new matching resource data; and

calculating new statistical data related to said resource rate information included within said new matching resource data.

60. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

storing said resource data in fields within a resource record in a database in a hierarchical and relational structure.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein said step of storing said resource data further comprises:

storing said resource data within said resource record in said database in a scalable and configurable table-driven format.

62. The method of claim 60, further comprising:

providing criteria selection data to a user to select from; and

receiving said resource criteria selected from said criteria selection data from the user.

63. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

storing said criteria selection data in criteria fields within a database in a hierarchical and relational structure.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said criteria selection data to the user via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said criteria selection data to the user via a web-based user interface.

66. The method of claim 62, wherein said step of providing further comprises:

providing said criteria selection data as pre-configured resource criteria options; and

receiving said resource criteria as one of said pre-configured resource criteria options.

67. A method for a user to enter compensation information associated with categorized resources into a database, comprising:

entering resource profile information for a job category defined by a hierarchical profile having at least three tiers and including at least one skill associated with the job category;

entering resource rate information identifying compensation information associated with a resource having said resource profile information associated therewith; and

storing said resource rate information and said associated resource profile information in a resource record within a database.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein said step of entering said resource profile information further comprising:

receiving hierarchical profile selection data to select from;

entering said hierarchical profile selections selected from said hierarchical profile selection data to define said hierarchical profile; and

entering said skills selected from said hierarchical profile selection data to associate said skills with said hierarchical profile.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein said hierarchical profile selections include a business sector selection, a business arena selection and a business family selection, said step of entering said resource profile information further comprising:

receiving business sector selection data including said business sector selection to the user;

entering said business sector selection;

receiving business arena selection data associated with said business sector selection, said business arena selection data including said business arena selection;

entering said business arena selection;

receiving business family selection data associated with said business arena selection, said business family data including said business family selection; and

entering said business family selection.

70. The method of claim 68, wherein said step of receiving further comprises:

receiving said hierarchical profile selection data via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein said step of receiving further comprises:

receiving said hierarchical profile selection data via a web-based user interface.

72. The method of claim 68, wherein said step of entering said resource profile information further comprises:

receiving said hierarchical profile selection data as pre-configured resource profiles; and

entering said hierarchical profile selections and said skills as one of said pre-configured resource profiles.

73. The method of claim 68, wherein said skills includes at least one or more general function selections identifying the level of skill associated with said three-tiered hierarchical profile, and wherein said step of entering said resource profile information further comprises:

receiving general function selection data including said one or more general function selections; and

entering said one or more general function selections selected from said general function selection data.

74. The method of claim 68, wherein said skills includes at least one or more skill category selections identifying the type of skills associated with the resource and said three-tiered hierarchical profile, said step of entering said resource profile information further comprising:

receiving skills category selection data including said one or more skills category selections; and

entering said one or more skills category selections selected from said skills category selection data.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein said skills further includes skills sets selections identifying the experience that the resource possesses for each of said one or more skills category selections, said step of entering said resource profile information further comprising:

receiving skills sets selection data including said one or more skills sets selections for each of said skills category selections; and

entering said one or more skills sets selections selected from said skills sets selection data.

76. The method of claim 67, wherein said step of entering said resource rate information further comprises:

receiving resource rate selection data to select from;

entering said resource rate information selected from said resource rate selection data.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein said step of receiving further comprises:

receiving said resource rate selection data via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface.

78. The method of claim 77, wherein said step of receiving further comprises:

receiving said resource rate selection data via a web-based user interface.

79. The method of claim 67, further comprising:

receiving a request for updated resource profile information and updated resource rate information to update said one or more resource records;

entering said updated resource profile information and said updated resource rate information; and

storing said entered updated resource profile information and said entered updated resource r ate information within said on e or more resource records.

80. The method of claim 79, further comprising:

receiving a penalty message associated with said one or more resource records to be updated when said updated resource profile information and said updated resource rate information is not entered.

81. The method of claim 67, wherein the user is a business entity providing actual market rate information as said resource rate information associated with one or more of said resources of the business entity, said step of storing further comprising:

storing said resource rate information and said associated resource profile information associated with each of said resources of the business entity within separate ones of said resource records in said database.

82. The method of claim 67, wherein the user is a business entity providing actual market rate information as said resource rate information associated with one or more of said resources of the business entity, said step of storing further comprising:

storing said resource rate information and said associated resource profile information associated with multiple ones of said resources of the business entity having the same said resource rate information and resource profile information associated therewith within a single one of said resource records within said database.

83. A method for a user to receive statistical data related to compensation information associated with resources, comprising:

entering resource criteria for comparison to a plurality of resource data associated with a plurality of resources from a plurality of sources to determine matching resource data, each said resource data including resource rate information identifying compensation information and associated resource profile information, said resource profile information including at least a non-prose hierarchical profile defined from hierarchical profile selections and one or more skills associated with said hierarchical profile; and

receiving calculated statistical data related to said resource rate information included within said matching resource data.

84. The method of claim 83, wherein said hierarchical profile selections of a select one of said resource data includes a business sector selection, a business arena selection based upon said business sector selection and a business family selection based upon said business arena selection, said step of entering further comprising:

entering said resource criteria including at least a business sector criteria, a business arena criteria based upon said business sector criteria and a business family criteria based upon said business arena criteria, said select resource data being included within said matching resource data when said business sector criteria matches said business sector selection, said business arena criteria matches said business arena selection and said business family criteria matches said business family selection.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein said step of entering further comprises:

entering said resource criteria including at least a skills criteria, said select resource data being included within said matching resource data when said skills criteria matches said skills of said select resource data.

86. The method of claim 85, wherein said skills associated with said select resource data includes at least one or more general function selections identifying the level of skill associated with said hierarchical profile, and wherein said step of entering further comprises:

entering said resource criteria including at least a general function criteria, said select resource data being included within said matching resource data when said general function criteria matches said one or more general function selections associated with said select resource data.

87. The method of claim 85, wherein said skills associated with said select resource data includes at least one or more skill category selections identifying the type of skills associated with the resource and said hierarchical profile, said step of entering further comprising:

entering said resource criteria including at least a skills category criteria, said select resource data being included within said matching resource data when said skills category criteria matches said one or more skills category selections associated with said select resource data.

88. The method of claim 87, wherein said skills associated with said select resource data further includes skills sets selections identifying the experience that the resource possesses for each of said one or more skills category selections, said step of entering further comprising:

entering said resource criteria including at least a skills sets criteria, said select resource data being included within said matching resource data when said skills sets criteria matches said skills sets selections associated with said select resource data.

89. The method of claim 83, wherein said step of entering further comprises:

entering said resource criteria including resource profile criteria and resource rate criteria, a select one of said resource data being included within said matching resource data when said resource profile criteria matches said resource profile information associated with said select resource data and said resource rate criteria matches said resource rate information associated with said select resource data.

90. The method of claim 83, wherein said step of entering further comprises:

entering matching criteria defining an acceptable amount of said resource criteria that should match said select resource data, a select one of said resource data being included within said matching resource data when said select resource data matches said resource criteria based upon said matching criteria.

91. The method of claim 90, further comprising:

modifying said matching criteria to determine new matching resource data; and

receiving new calculated statistical data related to said resource rate information included within said new matching resource data.

92. The method of claim 83, wherein said step of entering further comprises:

entering statistical criteria indicating the type of said statistical data to calculate.

93. The method of claim 92, further comprising:

modifying said statistical criteria to determine new matching resource data; and

receiving new calculated statistical data related to said resource rate information included within said new matching resource data.

94. The method of claim 83, further comprising:

modifying said resource criteria to determine new matching resource data; and

receiving new calculated statistical data related to said resource rate information included within said new matching resource data.

95. The method of claim 83, wherein said step of entering further comprises:

receiving criteria selection data to select from; and

entering said resource criteria selected from said criteria selection data.

96. The method of claim 95, wherein said step of receiving further comprises:

receiving said criteria selection data via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface.

97. The method of claim 96, wherein said step of receiving further comprises:

receiving said criteria selection data via a web-based user interface.

98. The method of claim 95, wherein said step of entering further comprises:

receiving said criteria selection data as pre-configured resource criteria options; and

entering said resource criteria as one of said pre-configured resource criteria options.

99. A computer system for categorizing resources and associating compensation information therewith, comprising:

a web server configured to receive resource rate information identifying compensation information associated with a resource and associated resource profile information for a job category defined by a hierarchical profile having at least three tiers and including one or more skills associated with said three-tiered hierarchical profile; and

a database configured to store said resource rate information and said associated resource profile information in a resource record.

100. The computer system of claim 99, further comprising:

a resource tool configured to provide resource profile selection data to a user to select from via said web server, receive said hierarchical profile selections selected from said hierarchical profile selection data from the user via said web server to define said hierarchical profile and receive said skills selected from said hierarchical profile selection data from the user via said web server to associate said skills with said hierarchical profile.

101. The computer system of claim 100, wherein said hierarchical profile selections include a business sector selection, a business arena selection based upon said business sector selection and a business family selection associated with said business arena selection, and wherein said resource tool is further configured to populate a first web page provided by said web server to the user with business sector selection data including said business sector selection, receive said business sector selection from the user, determine business arena selection data associated with said business sector selection, populate a second web page provided by said web server to the user with said business arena selection data including said business arena selection, receive said business arena selection from the user, determine business family selection data associated with said business arena selection, populate a third web page provided by said web server to the user with said business family selection data including said business family selection and receive said business family selection from the user.

102. The computer system of claim 100, wherein said database further stores said hierarchical profile selection data in resource profile fields within the database in a hierarchical and relational structure.

103. The computer system of claim 102, wherein said resource tool is further configured to store said resource profile information in fields within said database in a hierarchical and relational structure mirroring select ones of said resource profile fields.

104. The computer system of claim 102, wherein said resource tool is further capable of providing said hierarchical profile selection data to the user via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface via said web server.

106. The computer system of claim 100, wherein said resource tool is further configured to provide resource rate selection data to a user to select from via said web server and receive said resource rate information selected from said resource rate selection data from the user via said web server.

107. The computer system of claim 106, wherein said database is further configured to store said resource rate selection data in resource rate fields in a hierarchical and relational structure.

108. The computer system of claim 107, wherein said resource tool is further configured to store said resource rate information in fields within the database in a hierarchical and relational structure mirroring select ones of said resource rate fields.

109. The computer system of claim 106, wherein said resource tool is further configured to provide said resource rate selection data to the user via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface via said web server.

110. The computer system of claim 109, wherein said resource tool is further configured to store said resource rate information within said resource record in a scalable and configurable table-driven format.

105. The computer system 104, wherein said resource tool is further configured to store said resource profile information within said resource record in said database in a scalable and configurable table-driven format.

111. A computer system for categorizing resources and associating compensation information therewith, comprising:

a web server configured to receive a plurality of resource rate information identifying compensation information associated with a plurality of resources and resource profile information associated with said plurality of resource rate information from a plurality of sources, said resource profile information including at least a non-prose hierarchical profile defined from hierarchical profile selections, at least one of said sources being an actual market rate source capable of providing actual market rate information as said resource rate information associated with one or more of said resources of said actual market rate source; and

a database configured to store each of said plurality of resource rate information and said associated resource profile information in a resource record.

112. The computer system of claim 111, wherein said actual market rate source is a business entity, and further comprising:

a resource tool configured to store said resource rate information and said associated resource profile information associated with each of said resources of said business entity within separate ones of said resource records in said database.

113. The computer system of claim 111, wherein said actual market rate source is a business entity, and further comprising:

a resource tool configured to store said resource rate information and said associated resource profile information associated with multiple ones of said resources of said business entity having the same said resource rate information and resource profile information associated therewith within a single one of said resource records within said database.

114. A computer system for providing statistical data related to compensation information associated with resources, comprising:

a web server configured to receive a plurality of resource data associated with a plurality of resources from a plurality of sources, each of said plurality of resource data including resource rate information identifying compensation information and associated resource profile information, said resource profile information including at least a hierarchical profile defined from hierarchical profile selections and one or more skills associated with said hierarchical profile;

a database configured to store each of said plurality of resource data within a respective resource record; and

a statistical tool configured to compare resource criteria with each of said plurality of resource data to determine matching resource data and calculate statistical data related to said resource rate information included within said matching resource data.

115. The computer system of claim 114, wherein said statistical tool is further configured to receive said resource criteria including resource profile criteria and resource rate criteria from a user via said web server, compare said resource profile criteria to said resource profile information of a select one of said resource data and said resource rate criteria to said resource rate information of said select resource data and add said select resource data to said matching resource data when said resource profile criteria matches said resource profile information associated with said select resource data and said resource rate criteria matches said resource rate information associated with said select resource data.

116. The computer system of claim 114, wherein said statistical tool is further configured to compare said resource criteria with a select one of said resource data using matching criteria defining an acceptable amount of said resource criteria that should match said select resource data and add said select resource data to said matching resource data when said select resource data matches said resource criteria based upon said matching criteria.

117. The computer system of claim 114, wherein said statistical tool is further configured to calculate said statistical data using statistical criteria indicating the type of said statistical data to calculate.

118. The computer system of claim 114, wherein said statistical tool is further configured to provide criteria selection data to a user to select from via said web server and receive said resource criteria selected from said criteria selection data from the user via said web server.

119. The computer system of claim 118, wherein said database is further configured to store said criteria selection data in criteria fields within a database in a hierarchical and relational structure.

120. The computer system of claim 119, wherein said statistical tool is further configured to provide said criteria selection data to the user via a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface.

121. A device for entering compensation information associated with categorized resources into a database, comprising:

a web browser connected via a data network to a web server interfaced with said database, said web browser being configured to provide a user interface to display resource selection data to a user to select from; and

an input device configured to enter resource rate information identifying compensation information associated with a resource and resource profile information associated with said resource rate information selected from said resource selection data into said database via said web browser and said web server, said resource profile information including at least a three-tiered hierarchical profile defined from hierarchical profile selections to identify a job category and one or more skills associated with said three-tiered hierarchical profile.

122. The device of claim 121, wherein said user interface is a scalable and configurable table-driven user interface.

123. A device for receiving statistical data related to compensation information associated with resources, comprising:

a web browser connected via a data network to a web server capable of accessing a plurality of resource data associated with a plurality of resources, each said resource data including resource rate information identifying compensation information and associated resource profile information, said resource profile information including at least a hierarchical profile defined from hierarchical profile selections and one or more skills associated with said hierarchical profile, said web browser being configured to provide a user interface to display criteria selection data to a user to select from; and

an input device configured to provide resource criteria selected from said criteria selection data to said web server via said web browser for comparison to said plurality of resource data to determine matching resource data;

wherein said user interface is further configured to provide calculated statistical data related to said resource rate information included within said matching resource data.