Let business rules do the talking
When you create a set of specifications with USoft Studio, you build up 2 things in parallel: a rulebook and a concept structure. The concept structure you can visualise in SBVR concept diagrams.
Consider SBVR diagrams as helpful but secondary
If you take the time to formulate good business rules, definitions and concept structures, then USoft Studio will give you an extremely well-structured and navigable knowledge base.
Consider transactions and events as key
When you are trying to make sense of a complex business reality, the choice of natural-language concepts to include in your model can be bewildering. Even if you apply the principle of letting business rules do the talking, you will encounter so many nouns and verbs that you can hardly create a concept for each of them.
Avoid abstractions if you can
This tip is closely related to : Avoid type concepts if you can.
Avoid type concepts if you can
This tip is closely related to : Avoid abstractions if you can.
Model reality, not data
As business is conducted on a daily basis, new clients are registered, offers are advertised, people sign contracts and send e-mails: business activity leads to communication acts and to data accumulation.
Do not describe how software works
Business rules enthusiasts like to stress that they "bridge the gap between business and IT”. They point out that business rules are all about business conduct and not about IT details, and moreover use natural language that everybody understands, so business rules are ideally suited to keep IT people from getting too technical.
Stepping stones
Speakers of natural language have a whole repertoire of strategies to avoid complexity and make their lives easier. As an author of business rules in natural language, you need to be especially aware of the stepping stone strategy.