Background

There is a requirement to define business rules that make sense (and are consistent) within a broader rules framework. This paper discusses ways this may be achieved by using the Codel Services Business Rules Specification approach.

What should business rules be?

A business rule can be seen as the description of the behaviour of a real-life object. This behaviour could be undertaken by the real-life object itself, or in collaboration with different objects. Furthermore this behaviour could be modified across a range of specialist forms of object.  

It is therefore evident from this definition that a rule can be expressed as operation on a Analysis Class Model (ACM) class.

Figure 1: Relation of business rules to an ACM

This resolves a common problem of how business rules are defined: their applicability. For example, the question of “is this rule applicable to a specific product, market etc?” disappears since the business rule is applicable to the ACM class it forms part of.

The rationale is that the rules become object orientated – rather than the hierarchical or XL list based approach that is common in many organisations.

Ó 2002-2005 Codel Services Ltd

This paper has been prepared by Codel Services Ltd to illustrate how structured business modelling can help your organisation. Codel Services Ltd is an IT Consultancy specialising in business modelling. If you would like further information, please contact us at: Deryck Brailsford, Codel Services Ltd, Dale Hill Cottage, Kirby-Le-Soken, Essex CO13 0EN,United Kingdom. Telephone: +44 (0)1255 862354/Mobile: + 44 (0)7710 435227/e-mail: info@codel-services.com