Next-generation apps need new tools like BRFplus/DSM to automate decision making using flexible, configurable business rules. BRFplus/DSM allows rules to be changed and deployed without downtime, supports predictive features, and can push logic to HANA. It is important for ABAP developers as many SAP solutions now use BRFplus/DSM, and it offers rapid development of intelligent, understandable business logic. Separating rules from processes and not implementing rules through customizing ensures rules can adapt over time.

1. Building Next-Generation Apps
with BRFplus/DSMwith BRFplus/DSM
Tobias Trapp, AOK Systems GmbH
Software Architect, SAP Mentor

2. Today‘s Challenge:
ERP has to become Smarter
What does is mean for ABAP development? We need
new tools with outstanding product features
evolution strategy for our applications in backend systems
Why?

3. New Input Channels
we have structured and semi-
structured data coming from
scanned documents
mail
mobile devices
online portalsonline portals
the challenge:
poorly standardized data
sometimes poor data quality
semi-structured data is
ambiguous

4. Need for Automation
the problem:
more data
complex data
the challenge:
we need better andwe need better and
automated decision making
we have to able to adapt and
optimize business processes
quickly
decision making should be
standardized
business people have to
understand what ERP does

5. Next-Generation Apps have to be
flexible and smart
highly configurable
business processes are automated and controlled by decision services
transparent – easy to understand
easy to change - business logic can be deployed and undeployed even
into production without transport and downtime
„time travelling“:„time travelling“:
− activation of decision services in the future
− past versions of decision services can be called using time stamps
simulation possible: what will happen, if business rules are changed?
rules can use predictive features
business logic can be pushed down to HANA
decision services can use HANA as central source of truth by accessing
additional data

6. What is DSM?
BRFplus is SAP‘s strategic business rule framework and now called DSM
use case is implementation of automated decisions:
− complex calculations,
− validation,
− complex checks like fraud detection,
− process control− process control
BRFplus/DSM was unstable in early NW releases – use NW 7.31 >=
SAP 9 and NW 7.40 >= SP 5 to avoid implementation of OSS notes
read blogs/tutorials/whitepapers on SCN – follow
C. Ziegler, W. Schaper and J. Dart

7. Why is BRFplus/DSM important
for ABAP Developers?
some SAP applications heavily depend on BRFplus and for many new
implementations only use of BRFplus is encouraged:
− dynamic workflow in SAP MDG
− rules in SAP Process Observer are usually written in BRFplus
− industry solutions like Banking, Insurance….
− Tax & Revenue Management, Social Services, Application Incident− Tax & Revenue Management, Social Services, Application Incident
Management, Tax & Revenue Management, CRM for Utilities….
− and more are going to come
− legacy rule frameworks will become obsolete while DSM will be
still improved
if you want to keep your ABAP skills up to date you need at least basic
BRFplus knowledge

8. What is the Problem with SAP Business
Suite and Custom Development?
changes have to applied since, f.e.:
− process are optimized /
organizational structure is changed
− competitors change their strategy
− legal requirements – compliance
− fraudsters change their behavior
requirements
analysis
plan change
process
measure
effects
− fraudsters change their behavior
− target groups /customers change
their behavior
this takes too much time and effort
with BRFplus/DSM you can do better:
− tools for development of rules
− agile development & test
− deployment without transport
− use rule traces/evaluation paths
change code &
customizing
test the
solution
transport into
production

9. Why is DSM outstanding?
integrated into AS ABAP and the ABAP/Business Suite type system
integration with other frameworks: workflow rules, BOPF…
more & more SAP solutions are supporting BRFplus but you can also
use it for custom development
it is extremely fast due to code generation
it is open:it is open:
− use the API to generate rule sets – use XML import/export of rule sets
− build your own expression types / formulas & call ABAP from BRFplus
− extend DSM/BRFplus with BAdIs and application classes
− you can integrate the WDA components in your UI
− expose rule systems as RFC / web service
− there are partner solutions on top of DSM for graphical rule modeling,
compilation of rules to Java, C# and much more
with DSM license additional HANA expressions, unit tests, debugger…
many admin tools like transport analyzer
with DSM license deployment without transport even into lower releases

10. A first look at BRFplus-
Rapid Development of Business Logic
the decision service on the right was
built within two minutes using excel
upload
rule system can be created so that
they are readable and understandable
business experts can test the rules andbusiness experts can test the rules and
even create test cases

11. Don‘t implement Business Rules
using Customizing
implementation of business rules with customizing can get very
complex especially when logical expressions have to be modeled
it is impossible to predict all future requirements like time dependency,
randomization, date/time calculations and so on
in the worst case you are developing an own rule framework having
perhaps 5% of the feature set of BRFplusperhaps 5% of the feature set of BRFplus
BRFplus/DSM has many additional features out of the box:
− transportation is easier
− you can switch on versioning and perform time travelling
use customizing only for domain values and text tables
use versioning after transport for BRFplus rule sets

12. Separate Business Rules
from Business Processes
otherwise specification and
implementation will look like the
diagram on the right
the reasons is simple:
− specifications usually cover
everything and business expertseverything and business experts
will introduce exceptions
− business rules have a high change
frequency
the diagram should look more like
the one on right side: a decision service
controls the process

13. Use Case Process Automation –
Working with semi-structured Data
Use case: questionnaires containing information
about accident for insurance claim processing.
Following implementations have to be done:
reading process
identification of business partners and business
objectsobjects
syntactic checks
classification of accident type which is not trivial
because of ambiguity
special rule sets for different accident types
if those rule sets can’t complete the business
case then can give the user or rule systems of
claims processing further hints for process
automation

14. And how to get started with
BRFplus/DSM?
excellent content on SCN and a very active BRFplus community
ABAP developers can become BRFplus experts within short time
In SAP standard applications you‘ll find many interesting
architectural patters for rule driven applications and useful
paradigms like BRFplus generation if you need high flexibility
IMHO the real challenges are:
IT is ready to implement decision management to
make ERP smarter. But what about other departments?
Perhaps they got accustomed to clumsy and heavy-
weight ERP processes and are not prepared to short
and agile innovation cycles?
IT and business have to work hand in hand.