1. An automated method for facilitating a compliance audit, the method comprising: accessing a database, the database including a rule set formulated from at least one requirement, wherein the database includes a knowledge base; at a data processing system, accepting input regarding circumstance data, the circumstance data regarding a subject of the at least one requirement; automatically applying the rule set to the input regarding circumstance data, by the data processing system; and automatically generating a compliance audit report by the data processing system, the compliance audit report based on applying the rule set to the input regarding circumstance data; wherein the circumstance data comprises: product class data to identify a general class of products for an item of manufacture; and at least one item from the group consisting of: product type data to identify a more specific type of product, within the general class of products, for the item of manufacture; product attribute data to identify a property of the item of manufacture; and customer data to identify a type of customer for the item of manufacture.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of accepting input regarding circumstance data comprises: accepting the input regarding circumstance data according to a goal-driven approach.