How Business Process Models and Business Rules Relate … What State Are You In?
Business Process Models: A completed transform often achieves a business milestone and a new state for some operational business thing(s). Example: claimant notified. Fact Models: In fact models (structured business vocabularies) such states are represented by fact types, for example, claimant is notified (or claimant has been notified if you prefer). A fact model literally represents what things the business can know (remember) about completed transforms and other operational business events. Business Rules: Business rules indicate which states are allowed or required. They should not reference business processes or business tasks by name, just the states they try to achieve. For example, a business rule might be: A claimant may be notified that a claim has been denied only if the specific reason(s) for denial have been determined. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This post excerpted from our new book (Oct, 2011) Building Business Solutions: Business Analysis with Business Rules. See: http://www.brsolutions.com/b_building_business_solutions.phpTags: business processes vs. business rules, business vocabulary, fact model, processes vs. rules, state, structured business vocabulary
Ronald G. Ross
Ron Ross, Principal and Co-Founder of Business Rules Solutions, LLC, is internationally acknowledged as the “father of business rules.” Recognizing early on the importance of independently managed business rules for business operations and architecture, he has pioneered innovative techniques and standards since the mid-1980s. He wrote the industry’s first book on business rules in 1994.
Tom Debevoise
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Hi Ron,
I agree with your points. As it happens I also wrote a few words on this from the detailed modeling perspective:
http://www.tomdebevoise.com/blog/2011/12/11/ten-business-rules-usage-patterns-in-bpm-and-business-events.html
We describe how to use rules to model processes that are more focused and more compact.
Tom Debevoise