20. The method of claim 17 wherein the set of reasoning methods includes historical trend analysis.
17. A computer-based method to project the future value of a variable that relates to an enterprise, the method comprising the steps of: creating a model of the enterprise comprising a set of variables objects each representing a component of the enterprise; storing the model of the enterprise in a knowledge base; providing a set of reasoning methods, each reasoning method including an attached required evidence procedure having a variable template; accepting as input a query that requests information about the future value of the variable; selecting a sub-set of reasoning methods from the set of reasoning methods that are applicable to the query by determining if the variable matched the variable template specified in the attached required evidence procedure for each reasoning method; applying each reasoning method in the sub-set of reasoning methods, each reasoning method utilizing the knowledge base, to generate from each reasoning method in the sub-set of reasoning methods an intermediate hypothesis as to the future value of the variable; and reconciling between each intermediate hypothesis to obtain the future value of the variable.