What are Business Rules and why are Business Rules important?

Business rules are crucial in data management, serving as agreements made to provide clarity and structure to the utilization of data. All documented agreements are based on the current business processes that either create or consume data. By centrally recording these agreements, it becomes clear for employees what the organization’s objectives are, offering guidelines on how processes should unfold.

Business rules provide clarity in

•  Permissible values of (master) data;
•  Standard values,
•  Application of master data values in specific processes,
•  Rules necessary for measuring data quality.                                             

Sharing with organisation is essential 

Once the agreements, the business rules, are documented, they should be shared with the organization. Recognition and ownership of these rules by the organization ensure that everyone looks at
and handles data in the same way. Failure to document these agreements leads to inefficiency and inconsistency.

Business rules are often expressed in a manner readable by automated systems. The logic used to define rules includes “IF-THEN,” “IF-ELSE,” “ONLY IF,” “WHEN,” etc. In cases where more than one condition can influence the final action, decision tables can be utilized.

A Business Rules Management System (BRMS) can aid in the process of documenting, monitoring, maintaining, and implementing business rules. Several low-code platforms exist to facilitate this in a straightforward manner.

Tentive Data Management Consultants
The consultants at Tentive possess extensive experience in data governance and are ready to support your organization in this domain. If your organization is considering embarking on this journey, we invite you to get in touch with us.