Benefit plans

1 . A computerized system for dynamically generating an on-line questionnaire for collecting operational parameters of an employee benefit plan, the system comprising:

a component development module for developing application components, the application components comprising multiple attributes, a subset of which collectively effect the functionality of other application components;

a business rule parser for translating business rules into executable software code describing the collective effects of the application components on each other;

an application definition module for creating an on-line questionnaire definition relating to the operational parameters of the employee benefit plan using the application components; and

a compiler for dynamically generating the questionnaire based on the questionnaire definition and the executable software code.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the application components are one or more of an input form, a menu item, an implementation stage, a template, a table, a question, a system location, and an answer set.

3 . The system of claim 2 wherein a first application component can be comprised of one or more other application components.

4 . The system of claim 2 wherein the application component is a system location and the system location comprises instructions for performing a data processing task.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the multiple attributes are multiple answers to a single question.

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the collective effects of the multiple answers is to render other application components non-functional.

7 . The system of claim 5 wherein the other application components are questions, and the collective effect of the multiple answers comprises defining one or more permissible answers to the questions.

8 . The system of claim 7 wherein the defining one or more permissible answers to the questions comprises one or more of: limiting the permitted answers to a defined set, eliminating answers, limiting the possible answers to a permitted dollar amount range, and limiting the possible answers to a permitted date range.

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the employee benefit plan is one of a defined contribution plan, a defined benefit plan, and a health and welfare plan.

10 . The system of claim 9 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined contribution plan and the defined contribution plan is one of a 401(k) plan, a 403(b) plan, an employee stock option plan, and a 457 plan.

11 . The system of claim 9 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined benefit plan, and the defined contribution plan is a pension plan.

12 . The system of claim 9 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined contribution plan and the operational parameters describe investment options available to participants in the defined contribution plan.

13 . The system of claim 9 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined benefit plan and the operational parameters describe investment options available to participants in the defined benefit plan.

14 . The system of claim 9 wherein the employee benefit plan is health and welfare plan and the health and welfare plan is one of a medical insurance plan, a dental insurance plan, and a life insurance plan.

15 . The system of claim 9 wherein the employee benefit plan is a health and welfare plan and the operational parameters describe healthcare options available to participants in the health and welfare plan.

16 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a component storage module for storing the developed application components.

17 . The system of claim 1 wherein the executable software code is written in javascript.

18 . A computerized system for implementing an employee benefit plan, the system comprising:

an application server for constructing an input form from application components comprising:

one or more questions relating to operational parameters of the employee benefit plan, at least one of the questions allowing for a response comprising multiple answers, and

one or more instructions for dynamically modifying the forms based on the response; and

a web server in communication with the application server for transmitting the forms to and receiving the forms from a user of the system.

19 . The system of claim 18 wherein the application components are one or more of a menu item, a question, a system location, an implementation stage, a template, a table, a business rule, and an answer set.

20 . The system of claim 18 further comprising a data transmission module in communication with the web server for providing responses received on the forms to one or more external systems.

21 . The system of claim 20 wherein the responses are provided using direct transmission over a communications network.

22 . The system of claim 20 wherein the responses are provided using web services.

23 . The system of claim 18 wherein the employee benefit plan is one of a defined contribution plan, a defined benefit plan, and a health and welfare plan.

24 . The system of claim 23 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined contribution plan and the defined contribution plan is one of a 401(k) plan, a 403(b) plan, an employee stock option plan, and a 457 plan.

25 . The system of claim 23 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined benefit plan and the defined benefit plan is a pension plan.

26 . The system of claim 23 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined contribution plan and the operational parameters describe investment options available to participants in the defined contribution plan.

27 . The system of claim 23 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined benefit plan and the operational parameters describe investment options available to participants in the defined benefit plan.

28 . The system of claim 23 wherein the employee benefit plan is health and welfare plan and the health and welfare plan is one of a medical insurance plan, a dental insurance plan, and a life insurance plan.

29 . The system of claim 23 wherein the employee benefit plan is a health and welfare plan and the operational parameters describe healthcare options available to participants in the health and welfare plan.

30 . The system of claim 18 wherein the instructions to modify the input form comprise rendering one or more questions on the form non-functional.

31 . The system of claim 18 wherein the instructions to modify the input form comprises defining one or more permissible answers to the questions.

32 . The system of claim 31 wherein defining one or more permissible answers to the questions comprises one or more of: limiting the permitted answers to a defined set, eliminating answers, limiting the possible answers to a permitted dollar amount range, and limiting the possible answers to a permitted date range.

33 . The system of claim 18 further comprising a component storage module for storing the application components, the questions, and the instructions.

34 . The system of claim 18 further comprising a business rule parser for building the instructions from a set of business rules.

35 . The system of claim 34 further providing an auditing module for confirming that the received forms contain answers consistent with the set of business rules.

36 . The system of claim 18 wherein the instructions are written in javascript.

37 . A computerized method for collecting the operational parameters of an employee benefit plan, the method comprising:

dynamically constructing a data input form from a set of application components, the form comprising:

one or more questions relating to operational parameters of the employee benefit plan, at least one of the questions allowing a response comprising multiple answers; and

one or more instructions for dynamically modifying the input form based at least in part on a response comprising multiple answers;

transmitting the data input form to a user; and

receiving a modified version of the input form from the user, the modifications being determined by the instructions and comprising the operational parameters of an employee benefit plan.

38 . The method of claim 37 wherein the application components are one or more of a menu item, a question, a system location, a template, a table, a business rule, and an answer set.

39 . The method of claim 37 wherein the input form is generated using HTML.

40 . The method of claim 37 wherein the instructions are created from a set of business rules describing the relationships among the questions.

41 . The method of claim 40 further comprising confirming that the received modified input form contains data consistent with the business rules.

42 . The method of claim 40 wherein the instructions are written in javascript.

43 . The method of claim 37 wherein the employee benefit plan is one of a defined contribution plan, a defined benefit plan, and a health and welfare plan.

44 . The method of claim 43 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined contribution plan and the defined contribution plan is one of a 401(k) plan, a 403(b) plan, an employee stock option plan, and a 457 plan.

45 . The method of claim 43 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined benefit plan, and the defined benefit plan is a pension plan.

46 . The method of claim 43 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined contribution plan and the operational parameters describe investment options available to participants in the defined contribution plan.

47 . The method of claim 43 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined benefit plan and the operational parameters describe investment options available to participants in the defined benefit plan.

48 . The system of claim 43 wherein the employee benefit plan is health and welfare plan and the health and welfare plan is one of a medical insurance plan, a dental insurance plan, and a life insurance plan.

49 . The system of claim 43 wherein the employee benefit plan is a health and welfare plan and the operational parameters describe healthcare options available to participants in the health and welfare plan.

50 . The method of claim 37 wherein the instructions to modify the input form comprise rendering one or more questions on the form non-functional.

51 . The method of claim 37 wherein the instructions to modify the input form comprises defining one or more permissible answers to the questions.

52 . The method of claim 51 wherein defining one or more permissible answers to the questions comprises one or more of: limiting the permitted answers to a defined set, eliminating answers, limiting the possible answers to a permitted dollar amount range, and limiting the possible answers to a permitted date range.

53 . A computerized method for providing the operational parameters of an employee benefit plan, the method comprising:

receiving a first instance of an input form at a web browser, the input form comprising:

one or more questions relating to operational parameters of the employee benefit plan at least one of the questions allowing a response comprising multiple answers; and

one or more instructions for modifying the input form based on multiple answers to one of the questions;

providing multiple answers that define the operational parameters of an employee benefit plan as a response to one of the questions, thereby causing the web browser to dynamically create a second instance of the input form based on the instructions; and

submitting the second instance of the form to a server.

54 . The method of claim 53 wherein the instructions are written in javascript.

55 . The method of claim 54 wherein the javascript is derived from a set of business rules describing the relationships among the questions.

56 . The method of claim 53 wherein the employee benefit plan is one of a defined contribution plan, a defined benefit plan, and a health and welfare plan.

57 . The method of claim 56 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined contribution plan and the defined contribution plan is one of a 401(k) plan, a 403(b) plan, an employee stock option plan, and a 457 plan.

58 . The method of claim 56 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined benefit plan, and the defined benefit plan is a pension plan.

59 . The method of claim 56 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined contribution plan and the operational parameters describe investment options available to participants in the defined contribution plan.

60 . The method of claim 56 wherein the employee benefit plan is a defined benefit plan and the operational parameters describe investment options available to participants in the defined benefit plan.

61 . The method of claim 56 wherein the employee benefit plan is health and welfare plan and the health and welfare plan is one of a medical insurance plan, a dental insurance plan, and a life insurance plan.

62 . The method of claim 56 wherein the employee benefit plan is a health and welfare plan and the operational parameters describe healthcare options available to participants in the health and welfare plan.

63 . The method of claim 53 wherein the instructions to modify the input form comprise rendering one or more questions on the form non-functional.

64 . The method of claim 53 wherein the instructions to modify the input form comprise defining one or more permissible answers to the questions.

65 . The method of claim 64 wherein defining one or more permissible answers to the questions comprises one or more of: limiting the permitted answers to a defined set, eliminating answers, limiting the possible answers to a permitted dollar amount range, and limiting the possible answers to a permitted date range.

66 . An apparatus for collecting the operational parameters of an employee benefit plan, the apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores executable instructions; and

a processing system that executes the instructions to:

transmit to a user a data input form comprising:

one or more questions relating to operational parameters of the employee benefit plan, at least one of the questions allowing a response comprising multiple answers; and

one or more instructions for dynamically modifying the input form based on a response comprising multiple answers; and

receive responses to at least a subset of the questions.