Artifact: Business Rule

	A Business Rule is a declaration of policy or a condition that must be satisfied.
Role:	Business-Process Analyst
Optionality/Occurrence:	Can be excluded. Business Rules should be used when there are many or complex conditions guiding business operations.
Templates and Reports:	Template: Business Rules Document Report: Business Rules Survey
Examples:
UML Representation:	Constraint, stereotyped <<business rule>>. Modeling of business rules is optional-they are often captured in document form in addition to or instead of a model.
More Information:	Guideline: Business Rules Checklist: Business Rules Report: Business Rules Survey

Purpose Timing Responsibility Tailoring

Input to Activities:  Capture a Common Vocabulary Detail a Business Entity Detail a Business Worker Develop Vision Review the Business Analysis Model

Output from Activities:  Maintain Business Rules

Purpose

The purpose of this artifact is to define a specific constraint or invariant that must be satisfied by the business. Business Rules may apply always (in which case they are called invariants) or only under a specific condition. If the condition occurs, the rule becomes valid, and must therefore be complied with.

Business Rules are reviewed by stakeholders, business-process analysts, and business designers to ensure that the descriptions of the business conform to the way business is done.  They are also used by system analysts and software architects when defining and designing software that supports the business.

Timing

The Business Rules are initially documented during the Inception phase and detailed during the Elaboration and Construction phases.

Responsibility

A business-process analyst is responsible for the integrity of the Business Rules, ensuring that:

• They are captured in a timely manner.
• Stated Business Rules do not conflict.
• They present an accurate picture of the principles that govern the way business is done.

Tailoring

Business rules can be captured in both model and document form. Business rules defining structural and behavioral constraints are most easily captured directly in models, attached to the model elements to which they apply. Other business rules, especially those describing computations or policy, or those that apply to many different model elements, are best captured in document form.

Business Rules can also be included in other business or requirements specification documents.

This content developed or partially developed by Empulsys BV.

Rational Unified Process