Hierarchical stock allocation system and method

For enterprises having more than one location for their stock inventory, expressing the inventory according to a hierarchical tree of stock locations within the enterprise may allow increased flexibility, planning, and management of stock actions. The method described in this document may allow stock to be ordered, moved, replenished, or allocated at any level on the location hierarchy, and may provide an efficient, dynamic process by which enterprise stock may be measured and acted upon. In a first general aspect, a method comprises a computer-implemented method carried out in performing a stock storage location allocation process. The method comprises receiving, at a computer system, a stock action order including a stock location allocation at a level within a hierarchy of stock locations. At least one level from the hierarchy of stock locations is selected, and a determination is made as to whether the proposed stock location allocation violates an availability of prior stock location allocations at the selected level or levels, by taking into account stock location allocations for at least one level of the hierarchy of stock locations. Information is generated indicating whether the proposed stock allocation violates the availability of prior stock allocations.