Cookies help us display personalized product recommendations and ensure you have great shopping experience.

By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    sales and data analytics
    How Data Analytics Improves Lead Management and Sales Results
    9 Min Read
    data analytics and truck accident claims
    How Data Analytics Reduces Truck Accidents and Speeds Up Claims
    7 Min Read
    predictive analytics for interior designers
    Interior Designers Boost Profits with Predictive Analytics
    8 Min Read
    image fx (67)
    Improving LinkedIn Ad Strategies with Data Analytics
    9 Min Read
    big data and remote work
    Data Helps Speech-Language Pathologists Deliver Better Results
    6 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Start with Decisions, Not with Business Rules
Share
Notification
Font ResizerAa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Business Intelligence > Business Rules > Start with Decisions, Not with Business Rules
Business RulesDecision Management

Start with Decisions, Not with Business Rules

JamesTaylor
JamesTaylor
4 Min Read
SHARE

An interesting discussion started on twitter this week with @BigBlueMilky saying “Decision Management is so much more than just using business rules” – something I strongly agree with. @JeffreyGoodReq followed up by adding “But you must start with business rules” and, when I disagreed and said you must start with Decisions added “rules = context needed for decision framework, no?” Much as I enjoy tweeting 140 characters is not really enough to have this discussion.

An interesting discussion started on twitter this week with @BigBlueMilky saying “Decision Management is so much more than just using business rules” – something I strongly agree with. @JeffreyGoodReq followed up by adding “But you must start with business rules” and, when I disagreed and said you must start with Decisions added “rules = context needed for decision framework, no?” Much as I enjoy tweeting 140 characters is not really enough to have this discussion.

Why is Decision Management more than just using business rules? Decision Management involves using both business rules and predictive analytics (and sometimes optimization). Not all decision-making is best described only in terms of business rules and many decisions cannot be completely described using only rules derived from policy, regulation and know-how – there is a need to apply analytic insight to the decision as well. While you can represent a lot of predictive analytic models as executable business rules, this is not the same as treating them the same as the rest of your rules. They need to be discovered, managed and updated analytically. Decisions also need to be managed over time – data is collected about the decisions made and how well they worked so that decision-making can be analyzed, improved and evolved systematically (this is why we talk about Decision Management Systems not Decision Automation Systems).

More Read

Mixed Feelings About Agile
3 Pitfalls to Avoid When Using Data to Make Decisions
Can Smart Data Ensure Cybersecurity and Data Protection?
How 250 Milliseconds in Added Latency Can Ruin Online Sales This Holiday Season
How China’s Zipcode System Fuels Business Intelligence

But why not start by collecting business rules? Well Decision Management involves the discovery, automation and ongoing improvement of decisions (see these three webinars on Decision Discovery, Decision Services and Decision Analysis in our recent How to Build Decision Management Systems series). Successful Decision Management efforts begin by identifying the key objectives of a business area and then identifying, modeling and describing the business decisions that impact those objectives (this is described in more detail in Chapter 5 of my new book). As part of defining these decisions you identify the regulations, policies, know-how and analytic insight needed to make these decisions. Then, and only then, do you collect business rules.

This works better as the decision definitions provide a context and a framework for your rules. The decisions have a place in your processes and use cases (so it is clear where they will be used) and are tied to business objectives (so you know how to define good and bad decisions as well as the value of improvements in decision-making). It is clearer when you have collected all the rules you need (you have defined the decisions you were focused on) and it avoids what I call the “big bucket of rules” problem where companies end up with lots of correct business rules but no easy way to tie them to day to day operations.

Now, once you are done, the rules do indeed provide the framework for how each decision is made – they define the approach being used to make decisions. But starting with the decision, beginning with the decision in mind as I like to say, is critical to effective Decision Management.

Copyright © 2012 http://jtonedm.com James Taylor

Share This Article
Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

sales and data analytics
How Data Analytics Improves Lead Management and Sales Results
Analytics Big Data Exclusive
ai in marketing
How AI and Smart Platforms Improve Email Marketing
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive Marketing
AI Document Verification for Legal Firms: Importance & Top Tools
AI Document Verification for Legal Firms: Importance & Top Tools
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive
AI supply chain
AI Tools Are Strengthening Global Supply Chains
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive

Stay Connected

1.2kFollowersLike
33.7kFollowersFollow
222FollowersPin

You Might also Like

Why Enterprise Architects Want Decision Management

2 Min Read

New White Paper: Decisions at the Heart of Your Processes

2 Min Read
Image
Decision Management

Is VoIP Offering You Any Real Benefit?

6 Min Read

Be the Google of Your Organization

5 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

AI and chatbots
Chatbots and SEO: How Can Chatbots Improve Your SEO Ranking?
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Exclusive
ai in ecommerce
Artificial Intelligence for eCommerce: A Closer Look
Artificial Intelligence

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?