Home

Updated Sept 7 2008: created

In Search of a Definition

First note that there really are no good definitions of business rule methodology available - the main link is to Wikipedia's definition of business rules, where they state simply "Business Rules Methodology is the process of capturing business rules in English, in real-time while empowering users to manage rules with a few simple steps". What are the simple steps that empowering users to manage rules ? And do they really have to be in English ?

Here is a ragbag of definitions for "methodology".

• "A system of principles, practices, and procedures applied to a specific branch of knowledge". ( from dmreview )

• "A methodology represents a package of practical ideas and proven practices for a given area of activity, such as the planning, design development or management of IT-based systems". ( from nao.org.uk )

• "A documented approach for performing activities in a coherent, consistent, accountable, and repeatable manner". ( ichnet.org )

• "Proven processes followed in planning, defining, analyzing, designing, building, testing, and implementing a system". ( from csumb.edu )

So a definition of business rule methodology would be something like "a practical, proven and documented process for analyzing, designing and implementing business rule systems".