Business Rules: Capturing the Most Elusive Information Asset - High-Performance Web Databases: Design, Development, and Deployment - page 116

should be placed on the value added to the organization when business
rules are captured before data modeling and physical database implemen-
tation. The persuasion should also identify resources wasted when rules
are not included in the development of information systems.
Several steps may help ensure the successful sale of business rules to
any organization. These include educating business and information sys-
tems people about business rules. They also include incorporation of busi-
ness rules into the systems development life cycle and use of business
rules in data model presentations. The selling of business miles is also facil-
itated by business rule storage and automation procedures and publicity.
Business Rule Education
Education is the most important critical success factor for incorporating
the concept and use of business rules into an organization. The concept of
formally capturing, storing, and managing business rules is for most orga-
nizations an extremely new phenomenon. Most individuals are not aware
of the basic principles behind the formulation of business miles. Business
rule education should emphasize the formal development and documenta-
tion of business miles and stress the benefits. Because few business rule
courses are offered, the data administration function usually inherits the
responsibility of developing and delivering this education.
Business Rules in the SDLC
After introducing the concepts of business rules into an organization's
vocabulary, the next challenge is encouraging their consistent use. To
make business rules an integral component of an organization's data-ori-
ented philosophy, they should be embedded in its systems development
life cycle (SDLC).
The typical SDLC consists of major phases (e.g., planning, scoping and
feasibility, analysis, design, construction, production, and maintenance).
Gathering business rules becomes most intense during SDLC analysis. As
soon as potential entities or data groups are identified for a target infor-
mation system during analysis, business rules that have already been
collected (perhaps on behalf of other information systems projects)
should be examined for relevance. Therefore, each analysis or design
phase begins with the benefits of business knowledge that has already
been captured. In addition, new or updated business rules should be
required as deliverables in critical points in the development process.
First-version business rules for entity definitions, relationship definitions,
and any important miscellaneous rules should be included, along with the
preliminary data model diagram at the end of a feasibility study, require-
ments analysis, and preliminary design. More complete business rules for
entity definitions, relationship definitions, as well as referential integrity