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Introduction |
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Organizations rely on information systems for their core business processes. The information stored in these systems is one of the most valuable assets of the business. To validate and handle this data, business rules are defined and the knowledge captured in these rules is of significant value to the business. In practice it is the business rules that determine how the organization works and how it serves its customers, as the rules express the business policy. Business rules state such things as:
For example, a rule can state that a customer needs a certain level of credit when placing a large order, or that a customer should always receive confirmation of an order being placed. When business rules are organized into a repository-stored business model, the rules can underpin a system automatically when using USoft technology. Each rule is expressed only once, managed explicitly and executed in the derived applications automatically by a Rules Engine. As a result, application development is much faster and maintenance is a lot easier. More importantly, a system based on business rules enables businesses to efficiently adapt to a changing business climate, and to exploit change for competitive advantage. Rules are very strong expressions of the business process. You only have to state things once and the rule will apply itself automatically everywhere. As a result, change in business can be translated directly into change of business rules. Related Topics Key Characteristics of Good Business Rules Based Systems |