A rapid and reliable 10-week deployment program for Business Rules Management Systems

1. Quick-Start Advantage
A rapid and reliable deployment program for
Business Rules Management Systems
Copyright © 2010 The Summit Point Group www.TheSummitPointGroup.com

2. Quick-Start Advantage
What is Quick-Start Advantage?
Quick-Start Advantage is a structured 10-week program that delivers a fully
functioning Business Rules Management System prototype. The program
includes opportunity discovery and strategy definition, as well as rapid
design, construction, and implementation. At the end of the 10-week
engagement, your organization will have a fully functional pilot Business Rules
Management System, a benefits case, and a comprehensive road map for full
implementation.
The Summit Point Group will help your organization design,
develop, and deliver a Business Rules Management System with
measurable business benefits.
What are the benefits of a Business Rules Management System?
Enterprise decision services implemented via Business Rules Management
Systems offer a number of benefits to an organization, while enabling effective
and efficient management and delivery of business policy through business
systems. Business Rules Management Systems permit quick and dynamic
modification of business policies and procedures in fast-paced operations
environments. Business policy can be efficiently and consistently
implemented across multiple operational platforms, reducing time-to-market
and expense.
Business functions that involve high levels of complexity, intense manual
calculations, routine repetitive review, significant levels of risk or compliance
oversight are often areas where Business Rules Management Systems provide
significant return on investment. Controls can be implemented consistently
across the enterprise while managed and deployed from a centralized
location; the risk introduced through multiple hand-offs and varied
implementations is avoided. In addition, authorship and management of
business rules can often be fulfilled by business analysts, resulting in greater
alignment between business and technology organizations.
The Summit Point Group brings decades of experience to your
engagement, ensuring that your organization realizes the highest
possible return on the implementation of a Business Rules
Management System.
Copyright © 2010 The Summit Point Group www.TheSummitPointGroup.com | Page 2

3. Quick-Start Advantage
How does Quick-Start Advantage work?
Quick-Start Advantage is a structured methodology that will be executed in
three major phases. First, The Summit Point Group will work with your
program leads and subject matter experts to define the scope and functional
requirements of the engagement. Next, our knowledge engineers will validate
requirements, complete analysis, document data requirements, design
business rules, and construct and test a business rules engine prototype.
Working with your team, we will provide product demonstrations and conduct
stakeholder review sessions, develop an executive presentation and benefits
case, and help you assess organizational changes required for adoption. At
completion, you will have a fully functioning pilot Business Rules Management
System as well as a roadmap for full implementation.
Weeks 1 & 2 Weeks 2 to 8 Weeks 8 to 10
Scope & Requirements Design & Construction Validation & Review
• Project identification and scope • Validation of functional requirements, • Testing and validation of requirements
development analysis
• Product demonstrations and
• Management and subject matter • Development of technical requirements stakeholder review
Activities
expert interviews and working
sessions • Object model Implementation • Development of executive
presentation & associated benefits
• Knowledge harvest; Review of • HW/SW environment analysis case
business policies and procedures
• Pilot software selection & acquisition • Organizational assessment
• Strategy validation
• Rules engine development
• Project scope document • Software and interface specifications • Executive presentation with
opportunity assessment and benefits
• Feature-function matrix • Working business rule engine case
Deliverables
• Data model • Business user facing business rule • Workforce adoption and training plan
management environment
• High-level functional requirements, • Detailed implementation roadmap
including detailed rule flows • Technology integration plan & interface
specifications • Fully functioning pilot business rules
• Business rule module(s) definition engine
and composition • Data persistence and integration plan
The 10-Week Quick-Start Advantage Program
What are common Business Rules Management System applications?
Business Rules Management Systems will yield the greatest organizational
returns when used to replace highly repetitive and/or complex manual
activities, or when used to centralize the management of business policy and
rules that are common across multiple business functions and systems.
Copyright © 2010 The Summit Point Group www.TheSummitPointGroup.com | Page 3

4. Quick-Start Advantage
Examples of common Business Rules Management System applications might
include:
 Mortgage or insurance eligibility; rapid screening of complex
transactional terms and identification of best-match opportunities
 Mortgage or loan underwriting; quickly assessing the terms of the
transaction and providing instant guidance for processing
 Risk grading and pricing; flexibility, granularity, and consistency in
addition to rapid time-to-market changes
 Compliance; fully automated enforcement of controls and rules while
providing centralized management of all policy
The Summit Point Group will work with you to identify
opportunities to gain the greatest value from your Business Rules
Management System assets.
How do you do this in ten weeks?
The Quick-Start Advantage is an industry-targeted program that relies on a
knowledge-intensive rapid prototyping approach. The Summit Point Group
has extensive financial services and mortgage industry experience, combined
with deep technical expertise, enabling us to quickly engage with your
company, your management team, and your subject matter experts to design
and construct a working solution in ten weeks.
• A top-down approach to identifying required data elements, leads to faster and
more comprehensive data modeling outcomes
Industry Standard
Data Dictionary • Leverage of an open standards-based data model (e.g. MISMO XML Schemas)
leads to faster implementation
• Leverage the unique strengths of selected Business Rules Management Systems
to quickly categorize rules for implementation
Deep Technical Expertise
with BRMS Products • Deployment of data models and rule sets in a modular approach, consistent with
vendor offerings, to maximize transparency and testing efficiencies
• Use of standard templates for requirements capture and standard industry risk
drivers like CLTV, FICO, and DTI, accelerates the rule harvesting process
Extensive Mortgage
Industry Experience • Knowledge of the mortgage asset life cycle ensures implementation to be
consistent with the overall business process
The Key Elements to The Summit Point Group Approach to Rapid Deployment
Copyright © 2010 The Summit Point Group www.TheSummitPointGroup.com | Page 4

5. Quick-Start Advantage
Quick-Start Advantage will jump-start your business rules strategy.
The Quick-Start Advantage program is a key component of The Summit Point
Group’s proven enterprise deployment methodology. Development and
implementation of an enterprise-level business rules strategy without a clear
understanding of the business rules paradigm can prove to be costly and
complex. Just getting started can prove to be considerably time-consuming.
We will help you jump-start your enterprise strategy, as Quick-Start
Advantage will provide you with the necessary foundation of an enterprise
program.
Enterprise-Wide Business Rules Deployment •Business rules management centralized/shared rule repository
•Business Rules Management Services deployed enterprise-wide
Centralized Rules Management •Full business rules competency reached
Cross-Divisional Integration •Business rules management framework/methods implemented
Common Policy/Shared Business Rules •Business rules shared for some functions across divisions
•Common rules services replace previously replicated technology
Divisional Capabilities
Fully Operational Business Rules Platform •Business rules engine(s) deployed; fully operational platform
•Supporting methodologies finalized and support skills obtained
•Business unit/operational division adopts business rules paradigm
Pilot Program
Functioning Prototype
•Prototype business rules engine for available for pilot
•Foundational technology, documentation, tools, and skills acquired
•Road map and plan for full functional deployment complete
Enterprise Business Rules System Deployment Methodology
In addition, our program will provide a roadmap and plan for adoption.
At the end of the Quick-Start Advantage program, we will deliver a fully
functional prototype installed on your technology infrastructure. Engagement
deliverables will include detailed documentation to facilitate your follow-on
full implementation and a comprehensive roadmap and benefits case for your
adoption of a business rules management system approach. In addition, you
will be provided with decision-making framework documents that can be used
for subsequent projects.
Contact The Summit Point Group to learn more about our Quick-Start Advantage Program.
Copyright © 2010 The Summit Point Group www.TheSummitPointGroup.com | Page 5

6. The 10-week Quick-Start Advantage Program
Quick-Start Advantage is a structured 10-week program that delivers a fully
functioning Business Rules Management System prototype. The program
includes opportunity discovery and strategy definition, as well as rapid design,
construction and implementation. A benefits case framework, organizational
assessment, and deployment plan will provide you with a roadmap to adoption.
Business Rule Engine with Service Oriented Architecture Software
1. Business Rule Engine
Business Rule Prototype (Knowledge Base) deployed as a
Prototype User Presentation/
Management Transactional Web-Service with an XML
Interface Interface Layer
System Interface message specification for
Input/Output transactions
2. Proof-of-concept integration
with enterprise middleware
Web Service Business Services
Layer 3. Proof-of-concept integration
Business Rule Engine with enterprise database
4. Business Rule Management
system (vendor specific) for rule
authoring and management
5. Test bed for functional testing
Persistence Layer of the rules engine
Rule Data
Repository Repository
6. Testing tools (vendor specific)
The Quick-Start Advantage Program Deliverables
The Summit Point Group offers management services across the full lifecycle of
Business Rules Management initiatives. Whether working with your management
team to consider the benefits of a business rules strategy, or collaborating with
you to select and implement the optimal system, we provide a deep
understanding of the benefits and costs of using a next-generation approach to
overcome next-generation challenges.
5103 Gainsborough Drive
Fairfax, VA 22032
Contact@www.TheSummitPointGroup.com
Copyright © 2010 The Summit Point Group www.TheSummitPointGroup.com | Page 6