Business Rules: A Case Study - High-Performance Web Databases: Design, Development, and Deployment - page 128

Is the care always for children? “Yes, maybe. . .” Experience leads the busi-
ness rule administrator to sense opportunity for future vision. Would you
ever expand beyond the care of children? “That is an excellent question, per-
haps a realistic possibility. Many people call and ask us to provide similar
care for the elderly.” The business rule administrator makes a note that the
nanny agency may not limit itself to child-care services. Perhaps we should
use the term dependent care rather than childcare? “That would be fine.”
Would you ever provide other kinds of care, such as for the handicapped?
“No, that kind of business is really beyond our capabilities-probably for the
foreseeable future.”
What did you mean by the term childcare services? Should we probably
rephrase that as dependent-care services? “It is actually a wide range of
possibilities, such as bathing children, cooking for them, feeding them,
dressing them, and so on.” The business rule administrator writes down a
first business rule: A CAREGIVER IS A PERSON WHOSE LIVELIHOOD IS TO
PROVIDE DEPENDENT CARE AND LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING SERVICES FOR A
FAMILY IN THE FAMILY'S HOME.
Your customers are families? “Yes.” How do you define a family?
“A group of people who live in a house together and need child care or
housekeeping services.” So, you really mean those families that are in need
of your services. You do not mean all possible families? “Correct.” Must the
people in a family be related to each other by marriage or by blood? “No.”
Must they live in a house — what about other housing arrangements?
“They can live in an apartment or condo.” Or trailer? “Yes.” The business
rule administrator notes another business rule: A FAMILY IS A GROUP OF
PEOPLE WHO SHARE A COMMON DWELLING AND WHO DESIRE EITHER
DEPENDENT CARE OR LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING SUPPORT OR BOTH.
So, your goal, then, is to match a caregiver to a family? Can a family
employ multiple caregivers? “No, well, I suppose eventually a family may
desire a caregiver for the children as well as a caregiver for aging grandpar-
ents.” Can a caregiver service more than one family? “No, a caregiver ser-
vices only the family that has contracted for the services.” Do you always
find a suitable caregiver for a family? “No, sometimes the needs of the fam-
ily cannot be met.” Is it correct to say A FAMILY EMPLOYS ZERO, ONE, OR
MANY CAREGIVERS? A CAREGIVER PROVIDES SERVICES FOR ONE AND
ONLY ONE FAMILY? “Yes.”
How do you formalize the employment relationship? Is there a contract?
“Yes, here is a sample.” So an employment contract is an agreement signed
by a family and a caregiver? “Yes.” What is specified in the contract?
“The contract outlines the specific dependent care or housekeeping duties
the caregiver will do, the salary the family is to pay the caregiver, and so on.”
Can this be a verbal agreement? “No, the agency insists that it must be
written to eliminate misconceptions by both parties.” The business rule