BRDP Business Rules - Latest and Greatest News

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The Business Rules Community's
Business Rules Journal (BRJ) Update
August, 2004 Vol 5 No. 8
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In this issue of your periodic Business Rules Journal Update...

1. Business Rules and the Many Meanings of 'If…Then…', by Kirk D. Wilson
2. Premise & Conclusion: The Light World vs. the Dark World ~
Business Rules for Authorization, by Ronald G. Ross
3. OMG Reporter: New Business Rules Initiatives from the OMG, by
Stan Hendryx
4. Translation of BR Manifesto to German, by Markus Schacher
5. "Oldies-but-Goodies" posting, by Ronald G. Ross


If you'd like to read all our articles on the web, visit:
http://www.brcommunity.com


1. Business Rules and the Many Meanings of 'If…Then…', by Kirk D. Wilson
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Business rules often take the form of 'If…then…' rules. Within the
business rules approach, such rules are often referred to as 'inference
rules.' We all know what inference rules "mean" ... or do we? One way
of understand the meaning of such rules is to map them to the precise
semantics of If…Then… constructions in formal logic or in rule-based
programming languages. In this article, Kirk Wilson examines the
implications of such mappings. The complexity of the resulting
picture may be surprising to many. After reading this article,
you may never again be able to naively look at an If…then… business
rule and assume that you know precisely what it means and how it behaves!

to read more, visit:
http://www.BRCommunity.com/a2004/b187.html


2. Premise & Conclusion: The Light World vs. the Dark World ~
Business Rules for Authorization, by Ronald G. Ross
...............................................................
Should authorizations be considered business rules? Why do specifications
in legal contracts or for computer security sometimes feel different from
the normal sort of business rules? In this month’s column, Ron Ross
examines these important questions, and reveals how 'world' assumptions
make all the difference.

to read more, visit:
: http://www.BRCommunity.com/a2004/b201.html


3. OMG Reporter: New Business Rules Initiatives from the OMG, by
Stan Hendryx
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In this month's column, Stan Hendryx reports on the continued work of the
Object Management Group (OMG) to expand its efforts on business rules.
At the June technical meeting in Orlando it by issued a Request for Proposals
for an 'Organization Structure Metamodel' and a Request for Information for
'Business Rule Management' (BRM). The BRM RFI presents an opportunity
for anyone -- whether or not they are OMG members -- to provide input
regarding the management of all kinds of business rules in business information
systems. Then, looking forward to the August OMG Technical Meeting in
Montreal, he reports on a major 'Business Semantics of Business Rules'
milestone that will occur.

to read more, visit:
http://www.BRCommunity.com/a2004/b202.html


4.Translation of BR Manifesto to German, by Markus Schacher
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Markus Schacher, member of the Business Rules Group and co-founder of
KnowGravity Inc. translated the Business Rules Manifesto V2.0 published
by the Business Rules Group to German. Makus is publisher of brportal.org,
a source of German-language articles on business rules.

to read more, visit:
http://www.businessrulesgroup.org/brmanifesto.htm


5. "Oldies-but-Goodies" Collection
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BRS is releasing hidden treasures from past print issues of the
Data Base Newsletter and DataToKnowledge Newsletter. This month's
contribution to our "Oldies-but-Goodies" collection is...

"'Why' is Why Business Rule Methodology is Different"
by Ronald G. Ross
from the July./August. 1997 issue

to read more, visit:
: http://www.BRCommunity.com/a1997/a365.html


Copyright 2004. www.BRSolutions.com. All rights reserved.

Business Rules Evangelist: Gaming the System Business intelligence, data warehousing and analytics editorial from DMReview: "Business Rules Evangelist: Gaming the System Column published in DMReview.com August 26, 2004 By Malcolm Chisholm ....Auditability One of the greatest advantages of the business rule approach - at least in theory - is that it is possible to understand the origin of data values derived through executing business rules. In systems where program code is handcrafted, programmers may have to spend an inordinate amount of time combing through source code to figure out what got executed in order to populate a particular data value. By contrast, the business rules approach offers the promise that the rules that led to the population of a particular data value can be shown in a report. This ability to audit derived data has other advantages. In many circumstances, e.g., in special regulatory or legal environments, it may be necessary to prove that a certain set of business rules were used to derive data. Therefore, if a system can be "gamed," the capacity for auditability may be diminished, and one of the most important benefits of the business rules approach may be lost. One of the ways to protect auditability is to design databases so that data derived through business rules is distinct from data that is updated manually or via handcrafted program code. This tends to spawn additional columns in databases, which is disliked by many IT professionals, but it is really a very small price to pay. More protection can be given by forcing users to state why they are doing certain things when processing transactions in unusual ways. This meta data can be stored and can be an invaluable aid to auditing data Why Play Games? While IT professionals dislike users playing games with systems, they tend to avoid asking why such things happen. A major reason is that a system may not satisfy the requirements of users because the nature of a business changes. Users have become so inured to having IT ignore their requests or provide solutions in overly long time frames, that they often look first to gaming the system as a way to accommodate new requirements. Yet, the business rules approach holds the promise of being able to quickly change computerized environments to cope with changed circumstances. Being able to deliver on this promise is another question, however. If there are not sufficient feedback loops between the users and IT (or whoever is responsible for updating business rules) then the business rules approach is unlikely to deliver. Similarly, if an organization implements a business rules approach within an IT bureaucracy that has been established to manage the traditional systems development approach, the full potential of the business rules approach is unlikely to be realized. Hopefully, these obstacles can be overcome. We must also hope that the culture of gaming the system is not so entrenched in information management that it impedes the progress of the business rules approach. "

InformationWeek > Mergers And Acquisitions > Caesars And Harrah's Have Big Plans--If Their Merger Gets Approved > August 23, 2004: "Caesars And Harrah's Have Big Plans--If Their Merger Gets Approved Aug. 23, 2004

By Tony Kontzer

... The company is testing software that monitors players and taps a business rules engine to generate instant comps based on its own proprietary algorithms.
"

Computerworld Feature: Business rules management systems: "Feature: Business rules management systems
James Owen, InfoWorld
19/08/2004 12:27:37
A basic law of technology is that you only get smart results from smart tools when they�re used by smart people. Your developers may be great at writing code, but you don�t want them making ill-informed decisions about business rules. By the same token, business analysts should focus on what they do best rather than trying to translate business decisions into excruciatingly detailed requirements documents.
A BRMS (business rules management system) can bridge the chasm between business and IT by giving control of the logic -- and even the code -- to business analysts. That heretical idea presupposes a fundamentally different approach to development, where developers isolate an application�s business logic from its data validation logic -- usually a GUI of some kind -- and from its flow control. The business logic then gets its own container, the BRMS, in which business analysts 'code' business rules in a simple, English-like programming language. Leading BRMS products include ILOG�s JRules, Fair Isaac�s Blaze Advisor, the Corticon Decision Management System, and Production Systems Technologies� (PST�s OPSJ (Official Production System for Java). Even Microsoft is getting into the act with a Business Rules Framework for BizTalk 2004.

more details in article "

Press release : ILOG CompanynewsGroup: "ILOG JRules streamlines warranty process as part of new Entigo warranty solution
(8/17/2004 7:00:00 AM)

BRMS-Enabled Policy Automation Results In Major Time and Cost Savings
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., � August 17, 2004 � ILOG(R) (NASDAQ: ILOG; Euronext SICOVAM: 006673), the leading provider of enterprise-class software components, today announced that Entigo, the world's leading provider of warranty chain management solutions, has incorporated ILOG JRules(TM), a key offering in ILOG's Business Rule Management System (BRMS) product line, into Entigo Warranty(TM) 4.1, which is available now. The combination creates an automated claims processing solution that is expected to eliminate the need to manually process up to 90 percent of claims, producing significant time and cost savings for Entigo's customers."

InformationWeek > Business Rules Technology > Software Lets Insurers Play By The Rules > August 16, 2004: "Software Lets Insurers Play By The Rules Aug. 16, 2004
Rules engines let companies adapt offerings without lots of programming.
By Charles Babcock


As insurers and other companies tailor their businesses to reach smaller customers, they're finding a new ally in business-rules technology.
Business rules--which govern how insurance companies apply rates, set coverage plans, and make changes to benefits--are typically hard-coded into applications, and it takes a programmer to change them. Rules engines change that, putting that programming logic in a central place where it can be more readily shared among apps and adjusted to meet changing business conditions. That lets companies make faster and better decisions about what different types of customers should pay, potentially speeding up the sales cycle.

Aetna Inc. has been making inroads among individuals and small businesses seeking health insurance, thanks to a rapid-response Quoting and Renewal System from Connecture Inc., a supplier of insurance-sales software. The software lets brokers and agents get quotes to customers the same day their information is received. It used to take about a week to get a quote via manual underwriting methods, says Chris Hakim, an Aetna general manager. Aetna's rules engine, in place for 18 months, 'has changed the way we do business,' he says. Aetna membership grew by 95,000 subscribers in the second quarter, largely because it signed up more individuals and small companies.

Earlier this month, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona rolled out its own rules engine, which lets members of any group plan go to its Web site and change their benefits. The software, Resolution EBS Inc.'s Centrifuge, can fire off a quote that shows both the old and new prices. If the user accepts the price, the change goes into Blue Cross' back-end systems, and the user gets an E-mail confirming the change. That has put users in charge of their benefits, guided by rules from business analysts instead of the programmers, says Christopher Matthieu, director of E-business technologies.

The new approach gets around a major IT logjam: maintaining applications in which the rules are buried. The approach isn't limited to insurance companies, either. Prefab home builder Southern Energy Homes Inc. and credit-reporting and marketing company Equifax Inc. each are using rules-engine software to better tailor their products to customer demands.

Insurers are finding other uses for rules technology as well. Horizon Casualty Services, a subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, supplies a service to other insurers that calculates the value of medical services given to accident victims. RulesPower Inc. software applies staff expertise to individual cases to quickly determine how much should be paid, according to operations director John Oliveira. Such automation could help the company expand, he says. "We could double our volume and not double our staff."
"

InfoWorld: Wherenet adds biz rules to RFID: August 16, 2004: By Ephraim Schwartz : NETWORKING : WIRELESS: "Wherenet adds biz rules to RFID
Context-sensitive location data promises to reduce manufacturing costs

By Ephraim Schwartz August 16, 2004

The first indication that the value of RFID (radio frequency identification) will extend beyond the supply warehouse was shown last week by WhereNet, a provider of wireless location and communications technology.

WhereSoft Vehicle -- a VTMS (vehicle tracking and management system) -- will marry RFID and business rules to automate workflow in an effort to reduce the cost of recalls and recovery, as well as those attributed to redesigns forced by legislative initiatives.









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WhereSoft Vehicle -- a VTMS (vehicle tracking and management system) -- will marry RFID and busi"

Metastorm Enhances BPM Platform - ebizQ: "Metastorm Enhances BPM Platform
08/16/2004

...--Advanced Business Rules Capability: A supplement to Metastorm’s existing Rule Builder, the e-Work 6.5 Advanced Rules Module is built around the Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004 Rules Engine, enabling users to build and maintain rules in BizTalk and seamlessly use them in any e-Work process. Metastorm’s OEM relationship with Microsoft allows the company to embed, package and sell the BizTalk Server 2004 software – providing a single vendor, best-of-breed option for customers. Automation of core business rules is critical to streamlining processes, improving productivity, and reducing errors. Centralized maintenance of complex business rules ensures consistency across processes and lowers the overall cost of ownership.

"

Fair Isaac Blaze Advisor Helps Government Agencies Enforce Public Policy and Implement New Legislation: "Fair Isaac Blaze Advisor Helps Government Agencies Enforce Public Policy and Implement New Legislation

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 11, 2004--
California DMV and State of Kansas use leading business rules technology to enhance public service and accountability




Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FIC), the leading provider of analytics and decision technology, today announced that the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the State of Kansas are tapping its Fair Isaac Blaze Advisor rules management technology to streamline business processes and enforce legislation. Blaze Advisor is an industry-leading software package that allows design, deployment, execution and maintenance of business rules and policies as part of an automated business application. "

Business Rules Evangelist: Meta Data and Business Rules Business intelligence, data warehousing and analytics editorial from DMReview: "Business Rules Evangelist: Meta Data and Business Rules Column published in DMReview.com August 5, 2004 By Malcolm Chisholm .....Common Business Rules Meta Data While meta data about business rules can be potentially without limit, it is often the case that there is a basic set of meta data that is required to define business rules. This basic set of meta data may vary, depending on requirements, but it typically includes entity and attribute definitions for the data upon which the rules operate. It also usually includes reference data values, that is code values used to segregate different records within a database table. For instance, individual customers may have different rules compared to corporate customers, and a code value for Customer Type in the Customer table is used to differentiate these two kinds of customers and so is used in the rules. Figuring out a basic set of meta data that is needed for rule definition should not be difficult after project requirements are gathered. Where care is needed is in determining which additional meta data is required. Only meta data needed to meet project requirements should be managed. It is critical not to succumb to the temptation to capture business rule meta data for no other reason than it exists, and whatever meta data is captured must provide value. "