Ten Rules for Validating Business Rules with Business People

- Determine whether there is already a trusted source or implementation for a rule. Always re-use, don’t rewrite.
- Of course there are exceptions. There are always exceptions. Document them and move on.
- Limit discussion about organizational responsibilities for applying the rules. That’s a different discussion.
- A rule only addresses exactly what it says explicitly. For example, “high credit usage” doesn’t necessarily mean “high risk”.
- How strictly a rule is to be enforced is a separate issue from just what it says. Focus on practicality and precision, not on whether a rule is strictly enforced or just a guideline.
- Don’t jump into whether or not current data elements support some aspect of the rule. That’s system design.
- Take it as a given that analytics might be used to sharpen some rules. That’s homework.
- The goal is consistency and precision for people too, not just for automation.
- Avoid brain churn. Eliminate all matters from further discussion except what remains uncertain. If a rule in isolation is not that important, just move on.
- Rules are living, breathing things. Don’t be afraid to put a stake in the ground, e.g., a specific number for a threshold, because with well-managed rules, it can be changed at any time.
Tags: rule validation
Rules, Data and Business Agility | Comments and Commentary
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[…] his blog, Ron Ross has provided some great advice on facilitating rules discovery […]
Rules, Data and Business Outcomes | Comments and Commentary
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[…] his blog, Ron Ross has provided some great advice on facilitating rules discovery […]