Update on DMN for those who could not attend the OMG Decision Modelling Information Day in Mar 2011

1. Standardizing
Decision Models and Notations
From the OMG DM Info Day
Presentation March 2011 by
Jan Vanthienen, Univ of Leuven
Christian de Sainte Marie, IBM
Paul Vincent, TIBCO Software
May 2011

2. Background (1): Decisions
 Focus on “decisions” as both
an analyst task (defining decisions) and
a process activity (executing decisions)
is increasing
 BRMSs have solved some of this since the 2000s
 Inference Production Rules (if..then..) with business user interfaces
 Decision Tables and Trees
 Decision Graphs / Ruleflows / Decision-specific Processes
 Statistical/ predictive analytics technology also
applied to find the data to use in decisions
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3. Background (2): Well-Used by Industry
3
 Past presented BRMS customers from IBM etc TIBCO Software Inc. All Rights Reserved. Confidential and Proprietary.
© 2008

4. Background (3): Decision Tables
are good example of needing standardisation
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5. Background (4): No Existing standards
Business Models
&
Models of Business
Strategy and Policy
eg OMG BMM
Business Vocabulary, Business Rule Statements
eg OMG SBVR, W3C OWL, OMG ODM
Business Processes
eg OMG/BPMI BPMN
Business Decisions
eg ???
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6. ... Although these standards have intersecting interests
Business Models
&
Models of Business
Strategy and Policy
eg OMG BMM
Decisions enforce Business Rules
Business Vocabulary, Business Rule Statements
eg OMG SBVR, W3C OWL, OMG ODM
Decisions occur at points in a
Business Processes Business Process
eg OMG/BPMI BPMN
Business Decisions
eg ???
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7. What might we mean by “Decision”?
 Area of Interest = the Business Decision
 Inputs, conditions, leading to some outcome
 Business representation uses business terms
 Often managed, executed using some type of
“Business Rule Management System”
 Part of some process (e.g. in BPM) or dynamic process (e.g. in CEP)
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8. What might we mean by “Decision”?
 But How to Define, Model, etc?
 What methodology is there for
• Identifying decisions to be made (outcomes or outputs)
• Identifying the inputs to a decision
• Modelling the parts of a decision (process, logical layout, goals etc)
 What notations support the above and what underlying metamodel can
help with the modelling process?
 Observation: most popular representation for decisions in tools today
= decision tables
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9.  Introducing
the Decision Model and Notation
as an OMG Request for Proposal (for a standard)
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10. Scope planned for DMN
1. Some “metamodel” to support decisions in business
 Provide a foundation for decision notations to use
 Support methodologies for decision models in business
 Include a format for organisations to share decisions across tools
2. Standardise at least one decision model type
 Decision tables
 But others optional...
3. Support decisions used in different types of business process
 Business Rule Task in a BPMN 2.0 where a business process is a flow of tasks
 Other, more dynamic and ad-hoc, processes types also include decisions
such as CEP-driven decisions, case management decisions, etc
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11. What might a DMN standard cover?
DMN Business Policies and Rules
DM contains
multiple layers and
Decision Model levels of differing Traceability to Business Intent
Notation notations for e.g. BMM, SBVR rules
Graphical notation, different use cases
semantics E.g. Ruleflow “layer”
orchestrates a DTable
“layer”
Terms and Facts
DMN references other models
E.g. Logical DTable
“level” is expanded to Vocabulary used in decisions
Decision a DTable “level”
MetaModel capable of execution
e.g. SBVR, UML Class, BPMN
Metamodel: metadata,
classification… Process
How decisions are invoked
e.g. BPMN, UML Activity
E.g. Logical dependancy charts, Specific Notations may be
goal charts, etc used in different layers / levels
Decision
Ruleflow
Table Dashed line =
minimum scope of DMN per RFP
Decision
KPI DM
Tree
BRS Inference
Q-Chart Model
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12. End Goals
 Tactical
 Better attention paid to modelling decisions in processes and
systems
 Common notations for easier training and use
 More complete, accurate decision making
 Decision re-use across models, systems, tools
 Strategic
 Better business models
 More agile business
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13. Progress to DMN
 Information Day 23 March 2011, Arlington VA
 Main vendors present: IBM, TIBCO
 Other vendors present: Sapiens, New Wisdom, OpenRules,
RuleManagement
 Methodologists present: Jan Vanthienen, KPI, James Taylor
 OMG voted to publish the DMN RFP 25 March
 DMN Timetable is per the RFP
 June – Letters Of Interest and Supporters (and Voters)
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14. Review of Sessions at DM Info Day, Mar2011
 Keynote: James Taylor
 Decisions are too important NOT to have a modelling standard!
 Methods: Jan Vanthienen
 Decision Tables are mature, established, easily understood and
automated, verifiable, arrangable in goal-order, etc etc
 Methods: Larry Goldberg and Barbara von Halle
 KPI Decision Model is a vigorous approach to designing decisions
 Mark Pettit / Freddie Mac: and it works well
 Tools: IBM (Christian de Sainte Marie)
 Lots of experience in decision metaphors and rule mgmt
 BRMS Decision Table today is not quite ideal for a “business model”
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15. Review of Sessions (2)
 Tools: Sapiens (Sagi Schlisser)
 Building decision management around KPI model
 Tools: New Wisdom (Lee Lambert)
 Rule repository includes decision artefacts and vocabularies
 Tools: OpenRules (Jacob Feldman)
 Decision Tables can be done in MS Office, and imported
 Tools: RuleManagement Group (Bas Janssen)
 Decision extraction can be done from policy etc documents
 Tools: TIBCO (Paul Vincent
 CEP applies decisions too
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16. Review of DM Info Day, Mar2011 (3)
 Achievements:
1. Decision Tables were common across these
(although not singlehit as preferred for business)
2. Table-to-execution is well understood
3. BPMN2 has a placeholder for decision models
4. Good statements of interest (eg OpenRules to do a
reference implementation)
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17. Review of DM Info Day, Mar2011 (4)
 Opportunities:
1. More work needed to encourage the rest of the
BRMS industry
 E.g. Pega, FICO, Corticon, SAP, Oracle...
2. BPM industry also interested
 But currently engaged on Case Management standards
 Decisions are critical components of cases, processes, etc
3. UML vendors also interested (e.g. NoMagic)
4. Business needs to model the arrangement of
decisions too (e.g. goal network diagram)
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18. Next Steps
 Consortia organising themselves
 Probably a vendor submission
as the BRMS community stakeholder
+ submission with some business rule folks
+ continue to push for other vendors and end-user
organisation support
 Currentplan:
June announcements, initial draft at end of 2011,
merged drafts in 2012
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19. Summary: Why are we doing this
 Thanks to end-user organisations for interest and
requirements driving this initiative
 Yes, DMN does make sense to have as a standard,
and yes, needs supporters
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20. Further Reading
 DM Info Day blogs:
 http://jtonedm.com/2011/03/23/omg-decision-model-notation-
importance-of-decisions/ (+ DM Day index)
 http://tibcoblogs.com/cep/2011/03/24/decision-modeling-information-
day-omg/
 http://www.omg.org/news/meetings/tc/agendas/va/Decision_Modeling_
Info_Day_Agenda.htm has the agenda and presentations
 RFP
 http://www.omg.org/public_schedule/ has the RFP
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