In February-2019 I published a new book “Goal-Oriented Decision Modeling with OpenRules” available from Amazon. It explains the goal-oriented approach to business decision modeling introduced by OpenRules in 2018. The book is a practical guide that explains how to create and maintain operational business decision models in a step-by-step easy to understand style. The guide consists of a series of dialog-sessions in which an AUTHOR explains major decision modeling concepts and methods to an inquisitive READER who asks questions and implements the concepts. You will quickly learn how to represent complex decision logic and end up with a deep understanding of practical decision modeling techniques. The book contains only 150 pages, and you may start developing your own decision models after reading first 1-2 chapters.
The new approach is oriented to subject matter experts (non-programmers) and is based on real-world experience developing and maintaining complex decision models for various industries. It does not invent a new “revolutionary” methodology but rather brings together the most intuitive and simple practices used by many practitioners while they build complex real-world business decision models.
Starting with high-level business goals and subgoals, they represent business decision logic using Excel-based decision tables. The resulting decision models are composed of the central business glossary surrounded by inter-related decision tables. There is no need for human decision modelers to explicitly define dependencies between decision tables using diagram links or somehow else. All dependencies between decision tables, goals, and input/output decision variables can be automatically discovered by the supporting decision engine.
The same people (usually business analysts) who create the decision models, also create corresponding test cases using again Excel tables with a predefined format. Then they invoke the decision engine to execute the test cases, compare the actually produced and expected decisions, and to analyze the results using automatically generated HTML reports. You can watch this video that provides a simple example of the goal-oriented decision model.
The guide is accompanied by open source software commonly known as “OpenRules”. You may find and execute all discussed decision models online – see OpenRulesAnalyzer, If you purchased the book at Amazon, you will be able to download, execute and analyze all decision models using your own computer. You can make changes in any provided decision model or create and execute your own decision models. See http://openrules.com/Book.htm
OpenRules - Decision Intelligence Platform 