Business Rules and Business Process Management Sandy Kemsley Kemsley Design Ltd. www.column2.com April 24 th , 2008

Agenda Business process management (BPM) defined Business rules management (BRM) defined BPM + BRM = greater than the sum of the parts

Business process management (BPM) defined

Business rules management (BRM) defined

BPM + BRM = greater than the sum of the parts

Business Processes Chain of activities producing a business result Usually spans functional silos Requirement to “manage the white space” between functional groups

Chain of activities producing a business result

Usually spans functional silos

Requirement to “manage the white space” between functional groups

BPM Defined A management discipline for improving cross-functional business processes. The methods and technology tools used to manage and optimize business processes.

A management discipline for improving cross-functional business processes.

The methods and technology tools used to manage and optimize business processes.

What’s in a BPMS? Process modeler Repository Execution engine System integration (web services) Work-in-progress management Monitoring and analysis Simulation and optimization

Process modeler

Repository

Execution engine

System integration (web services)

Work-in-progress management

Monitoring and analysis

Simulation and optimization

Process Lifecycle Model Automate Monitor Optimize

BPM Goals Efficiency Automating steps and handoffs Integrating systems and data sources Compliance Achieving and proving standardization Agility Changing processes quickly and easily Visibility See what’s happening in a process

Efficiency

Automating steps and handoffs

Integrating systems and data sources

Compliance

Achieving and proving standardization

Agility

Changing processes quickly and easily

Visibility

See what’s happening in a process

Business Rules Business policies that define an action Decision Constraint Implicit in systems and procedures Explicit in BRMS

Business policies that define an action

Decision

Constraint

Implicit in systems and procedures

Explicit in BRMS

BRM Defined Discipline for discovery and management of business rules Methodologies and tools used to manage rules

Discipline for discovery and management of business rules

Methodologies and tools used to manage rules

What’s in a BRMS? Rules modeler Rules repository Execution engine Monitoring and analysis Simulation

Rules modeler

Rules repository

Execution engine

Monitoring and analysis

Simulation

Doesn’t BPM Have Rules? Typically not full-featured BR: Simple Boolean rules for routing decisions Rules defined for a specific process step Rule changes may require redeploying processes with IT involvement Rule changes may not affect in-flight processes

Typically not full-featured BR:

Simple Boolean rules for routing decisions

Rules defined for a specific process step

Rule changes may require redeploying processes with IT involvement

Rule changes may not affect in-flight processes

Separating BPM and BRM Externalize decisions from process Routing decisions Work assignment Set parameters Call BRMS from BPMS when decision required Standard web services call Tight integration by vendors

Externalize decisions from process

Routing decisions

Work assignment

Set parameters

Call BRMS from BPMS when decision required

Standard web services call

Tight integration by vendors

Benefits of Separation Full BR functionality: Complex rules can automate many manual processes Advanced rule design: harvesting and simulation Reuse rules across processes and other applications Change rules without changing the process Rule changes affect in-flight processes Business can change rule parameters

Full BR functionality:

Complex rules can automate many manual processes

Advanced rule design: harvesting and simulation

Reuse rules across processes and other applications

Change rules without changing the process

Rule changes affect in-flight processes

Business can change rule parameters

Beyond Rules: Decision Management Self-learning decisions within processes: Process statistics captured Statistics analyzed and fed back to inform business rules Business rules modify process behavior

Self-learning decisions within processes:

Process statistics captured

Statistics analyzed and fed back to inform business rules

Business rules modify process behavior

Summary Externalizing decisions is the key to process agility More sophisticated capabilities of BRM allow more process automation BPM + BRM turns policies into action

Externalizing decisions is the key to process agility

More sophisticated capabilities of BRM allow more process automation

BPM + BRM turns policies into action

Questions? Sandy Kemsley Kemsley Design Ltd. www.column2.com