1. A computer implemented method for analyzing hierarchical data from at least two points in time, the method comprising: providing data representing nodes of a first hierarchy providing data representing attributes associated with the nodes of the first hierarchy, receiving data representing nodes of a second hierarchy, receiving data representing attributes associated with the nodes of the second hierarchy, providing at least one configurable set of criteria defining additional attributes associated with the nodes of the first and second hierarchies, comparing the data representing the nodes of the second hierarchy to the data representing nodes of the first hierarchy generating a first set of new attributes based on the comparing step indicating structural differences between the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy, calculating new attributes by applying the configurable set of criteria to generated attributes to generate a second set of attributes, summing up the second set of attributes for each node below the current node of the second hierarchy for each criteria in the configurable set of criteria, repeating the summing step for each node in the second hierarchy, storing the summation attributes, and wherein the comparing step further comprises: examining each field type of each attribute associated with the second hierarchy and creating new attributes based on the examination of the field type of attribute, determining if the field type is a filter defined in the first configurable set of criteria, if yes, then: determining if the attribute of the second hierarchy meets the first configurable set of criteria, and flagging each attribute meeting the configurable set of criteria, calculating new attributes by applying the configurable set of criteria to generated attributes to generate a second set of attributes.