Method and apparatus for implementing a corporate directory and service center

A method of determining a set of options given a defined characteristic comprising:

• searching a plurality of data entries for each data entry having the defined characteristic;
• generating a set of data entries from the searching, the set of data entries comprising each data entry having the defined characteristic, the set of data entries being a subset of the plurality of data entries;
• and
• organizing the set of data entries.

A method of maintaining a database of a plurality of data entries, each data entry having a unique identifier, comprising:

• changing the unique identifier for a first entry of the plurality of data entries, thereby creating a changed unique identifier for the first entry;
• searching the plurality of data entries for a subset of data entries, each data entry of the subset of data entries having a reference to the first entry;
• and
• updating the reference to the first entry of each data entry of the subset of data entries to reflect the changed unique identifier of the first entry.

A method of processing changes to a plurality of data entries comprising:

• receiving a first request for a change in a data entry of the plurality of data entries;
• automatically generating a predefined set of corresponding requests, the corresponding requests defined as prerequisites to completing the change for which the first request was received;
• maintaining status indicating whether the requests of the set of corresponding requests have been completed or denied;
• and
• generating a result, the result being either denial of the first request for the change or completion of the first request for the change, completion of the first request for the change including modification of the data entry of the plurality of data entries.

A method of generating a report, the report including relevant data entries from a set of data entries, comprising:

• receiving a query, the query specifying common characteristics of the relevant data entries;
• searching the set of data entries for the common characteristics, each data entry of the set of data entries having the common characteristics being identified as a relevant data entry;
• displaying the relevant data entries;
• and
• generating a report key, the report key encoding the query.

A method of controlling access to a set of data entries comprising:

• restricting access to a first subset of the set of data entries;
• restricting modification requests to a second subset of the set of data entries;
• and
• restricting modification to a second subset of the set of data entries.

A method of implementing access control to a set of data entries comprising:

• setting a first access control regime for a first organization, an access control regime being a set of restrictions;
• setting a second access control regime for a second organization;
• and
• arbitrating between the first access control regime and the second access control regime for a person, the person being a member of the first organization and a member of the second organization.