Types of Business Rules

Business rules not only have different formats, they also have different purposes for rules.

Structural : Terms and facts that can be represented in entity/relationships

–Term: Word or phrase that has a specific meaning

• Business Terms — Like Checking Account
• Common Terms — Like Last Name or cell phone

–Fact: Expresses a relationship between terms

• Example:

–A customer bought a brand of a cell phone from particular Best Buy

–Didn’t buy just a cell phone, they bought a brand of a cell phone

Derived

–Inference: Uses logical inductions or deductions

–Calculation: Uses specified mathematical algorithm

• Guideline — Suggestions, warn transactions that don’t follow the rule

–Uses SHOULD HAVE or SHOULD BE IN LIST

• Constraints — Restrictions, reject transactions that don’t follow the rule

–Uses MUST HAVE or MUSH BE IN LIST

• Action-enablers — Runs condition upon find them true

–IF <condition> THEN action

Process

• Rules that direct the movement through a process flow
• Distinguish process flow rules from the business logic rules that determine the values of the parameters which the process flow is directed on