System and method for optimizing investments within an organization

1. A method for optimizing investments proposed for at least one business unit within an organization, said method comprising the steps of:

storing first data predicting the performance of a first investment in a database, the first data being calculated using at least one global assumption relating to an organization and actual data describing the performance of at least one other investment;

retrieving second data relating to a second investment from the database;

comparing, via at least one processor, at least one metric computed from the first data to at least one metric computed from the second data, wherein the at least one metric computed from the first data and the at least one metric computed from the second data are both at least one of a financial metric and a strategic metric; and

determining whether to approve the first investment based at least in part on the comparing.

2. The method for optimizing investments of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

updating the actual data.

3. The method for optimizing investments of claim 1 , wherein the at least one global assumption is stored in the database.

4. The method for optimizing investments of claim 1 , wherein the second investment is an existing investment.

5. The method for optimizing investments of claim 1 , wherein the first data are received through electronic mail.

6. The method for optimizing investments of claim 1 , wherein the first data are received through entry on a computerized form.

7. The method for optimizing investments of claim 1 , wherein the first and second investments are made by different business units of the organization.

8. A system for optimizing investments proposed by at least one business unit within an organization, said system comprising:

a processor operable to calculate first data predicting the performance of a first investment using at least one global assumption relating to an organization and actual data describing the performance of at least one other investment;

a database in communication with the processor, operable to store second data relating to a second investment;

said processor further operable to form comparison data by comparing at least one metric computed from the first data to at least one metric computed from the second data, wherein the at least one metric computed from the first data and the at least one metric computed from the second data are both at least one of a financial metric and a strategic metric; and

said processor further operable to determine whether to approve the first investment based at least in part on the comparison data.

9. The system for optimizing investments of claim 8 , wherein the database is further operable to update the actual data.

10. The system for optimizing investments of claim 8 , wherein the database is further operable to store the at least one global assumption.

11. The system for optimizing investments of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further operable to receive data through electronic mail.

12. The system for optimizing investments of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further operable to receive data through entry on a computerized form.

13. The system for optimizing investments of claim 8 , wherein the database is further operable to store the approval status of the investments.

14. The system for optimizing investments of claim 8 , wherein the first and second investments are made by different business units of the organization.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to optimize investments proposed by at least one business unit within an organization, said control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to store first data predicting the performance of an investment in a database, the first data being calculated using at least one global assumption relating to an organization and actual data describing the performance of at least one other investment;

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to retrieve second data relating to a second investment from the database;

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to form comparison data by comparing at least one metric computed from the first data to at least one metric computed from the second data, wherein the at least one metric computed from the first data and the at least one metric computed from the second data are both at least one of a financial metric and a strategic metric; and

fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine whether to approve the first investment based at least in part on the comparison data.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to update the actual data and store the updated actual data in the database.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to store the at least one global assumption in the database.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the second investment is an existing investment.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive the first data through electronic mail.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive the first data through entry on a computerized form.

21. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the first and second investments are made by different business units of the organization.