User interface for displaying multiple organizational hierarchies
A graphical user interface that displays organizational structure information associated with a business organization having multiple organizational units includes structural unit indicators and connectors. Each structural unit indicator represents a structural unit of the business organization and includes one or more business character indicators. Each business character indicator represents one of multiple business characters. Each connector is associated with two and only two structural unit indicators and represents a hierarchical relationship. The hierarchical relationship has a hierarchy type and exists between the two structural unit indicators. One of the structural unit indicators corresponds to a subordinate structural unit and another of the structural unit indicators corresponds to a superordinate structural unit. At least one of the connectors represents a hierarchical relationship of a first hierarchical type, and at least one of the connects represents a hierarchical relationship of a second hierarchical type that differs from the first hierarchical type.
1 . A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, generates a graphical user interface on a display device of a computer, the graphical user interface comprising a display for organizational structure information associated with a business organization having multiple organizational units, the organizational structure information including:
structural unit indicators, each structural unit indicator 1) represents a structural unit of the business organization and 2) includes one or more business character indicators, each business character indicator represents one of multiple business characters; and
connectors, each connector is associated with two and only two structural unit indicators and represents a hierarchical relationship i) having a hierarchy type and ii) existing between the two structural unit indicators, one of the structural unit indicators corresponding to a subordinate structural unit and another of the structural unit indicators corresponding to a superordinate structural unit,
wherein:
at least one of the connectors represents a hierarchical relationship of a first hierarchical type,
at least one of the connectors represents a hierarchical relationship of a second hierarchical type, and
the first hierarchical type differs from the second hierarchical type.
2 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein a subordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the first hierarchical type is the same structural unit as a subordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the second hierarchical type.
3 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein a superordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the first hierarchical type is the same structural unit as a superordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the second hierarchical type.
4 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein a subordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the first hierarchical type is the same structural unit as a superordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the second hierarchical type.
5 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein a hierarchical type is associated with a display attribute of a connector representing a hierarchical relationship having the hierarchical type.
6 . The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the display attribute comprises one or more of a color, a type of a line, a pattern, and a line thickness.
7 . The computer program product of claim 5 wherein:
a first display attribute is associated with the first hierarchical type,
a second display attribute is associated with the second hierarchical type, and
the first display attribute differs from the second display attribute.
8 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface displays one or more business area indicators, each business area indicator is associated with two or more structural units that use a common strategy for achieving a particular purpose such that at least one of the two or more structural units is associated with a first connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the first type and at least one of the two or more structural units is associated with a second connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the second type.
9 . The computer program product of claim 8 wherein:
a first display attribute is associated with a first strategy that is associated with a first business area indicator,
a second display attribute is associated with a second strategy that is associated with a second business area indicator, and
the first display attribute differs from the second display attribute.
10 . A method for presenting a graphical user interface that displays organizational structure information associated with a business organization having multiple organizational units on a display device of a computer, the method comprising:
displaying structural unit indicators, each structural unit indicator 1) represents a structural unit of the business organization and 2) includes one or more business character indicators, each business character indicator represents one of multiple business characters; and
displaying connectors, each connector is associated with two and only two structural unit indicators and represents a hierarchical relationship i) having a hierarchy type and ii) existing between the two structural unit indicators, one of the structural unit indicators corresponding to a subordinate structural unit and another of the structural unit indicators corresponding to a superordinate structural unit,
wherein:
at least one of the connectors represents a hierarchical relationship of a first hierarchical type,
at least one of the connectors represents a hierarchical relationship of a second hierarchical type, and
the first hierarchical type differs from the second hierarchical type.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein a subordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the first hierarchical type is the same structural unit as a subordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the second hierarchical type.
12 . The method of claim 10 wherein a superordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the first hierarchical type is the same structural unit as a superordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the second hierarchical type.
13 . The method of claim 10 wherein a subordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the first hierarchical type is the same structural unit as a superordinate structural unit of the at least one connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the second hierarchical type.
14 . The method of claim 10 wherein a hierarchical type is associated with a display attribute of a connector representing a hierarchical relationship having the hierarchical type.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the display attribute comprises one or more of a color, a type of a line, a pattern, and a line thickness.
16 . The method of claim 14 wherein:
a first display attribute is associated with the first hierarchical type,
a second display attribute is associated with the second hierarchical type, and
the first display attribute differs from the second display attribute.
17 . The method of claim 10 wherein the graphical user interface displays one or more business area indicators, each business area indicator is associated with two or more structural units that use a common strategy for achieving a particular purpose such that at least one of the two or more structural units is associated with a first connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the first type and at least one of the two or more structural units is associated with a second connector representing the hierarchical relationship of the second type.
18 . The method of claim 17 wherein:
a first display attribute is associated with a first strategy that is associated with a first business area indicator,
a second display attribute is associated with a second strategy that is associated with a second business area indicator, and
the first display attribute differs from the second display attribute.