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Model Systems Research and Development
Business Rules
In recent years, much of our R&D activity has been focused on business rules. We have been active in the Business Rules Group since its origin as a GUIDE International project in 1993, and contributed to its 3 major publications:
- "Defining Business Rules - What are they Really?" (last updated in 2000)
- "The Business Rules Manifesto" (2004)
- "The Business Motivation Model: Business Governance in a Volatile World" (Version 1.3, 2007) - Version 1 published in 2000 as "The Business Rules Motivation Model"
Object Management Group (OMG)
We are collaborating with our partners on methodology and tools for developing rules-based business models and application systems, making substantial use of the Object Management Group's specifications.
Semantics of Business Vocabulary and Business Rules (SBVR)
As a BRG member, Model Systems participated in a consortium formed to respond to the RFP issued by the OMG for "Business Semantics of Business Rules". The consortium comprised 16 organizations from Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. John Hall of Model Systems was a member of the consortium board.
The consortium's proposal "Semantics of Business Vocabulary and Business Rules" (SBVR) was finalized as an OMG specification in September 2007, and published for general availability in Decembe 2007. Model Systems is active in SBVR's first revision task force.
The Business Motivation Model (BMM)
The OMG also adopted the Business Rules Group's "Business Motivation Model" as the de-facto basis for a standard. The model was finalized as an OMG specification in September 2007, and published for general availability in Decembe 2007. John Hall of Model Systems was chair of the OMG finalization task force, and is chair of the first revision task force..
Regulatory Compliance
Bulding on its experience in business rules, Model Systems has become active in regulatory compliance R&D. In June 2005, John Hall was elected co-chair of the OMG's Regulatory Compliance Domain Special Interest Group and is currently leading the development of an RFP to be issued later in 2008.
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
John Hall of Model Systems is one of three OMG representatives on the W3C's Rule Interchange Format (RIF) Working Group, part of the development of the Semantic Web.
Esprit
In the 1990s Model |Systems participated in three projects in the EU Esprit programme:
- European Modelling Language (1993 - 94), a subproject of the ASSET project: specification of work products of IT system development. Consortium of 5 companes from France, Germany, Italy, UK (2).
- Euromethod (1994 - 95): IT procurement. Co-opted by a consortium of 4 companies from Denmark, France, Germay and UK to provide methodology input and develop case studies.
- ADDE - Application Development for the Distributed Enterprise (1997 - 2000): support and tools for specifying distributed workflow and application support. Consortium of 6 companies from France, Germany (2), Latvia, Spain, UK.
SSADM
Between 1983 and 1996, Model Systems did more research and development in SSADM than any other organization. The major sources of R&D funding were CCTA (UK Government IT agency and custodian of SSADM), Union Bank of Switzerland and Model Systems's own resources. See our SSADM page
Client Requests
We also undertake specific R&D assignments for clients. Examples are:
- Advanced data modelling tutorials:
- Impact of historical data on entity-relationship models - Swiss bank
- Navigation of bill-of-materials structures - jointly funded: Swiss bank and USA airline
- Reconstructing historical views of data in entity-relationship models (results patented in USA) - global market research company
- Adaptation of SSADM work products to UML (jointly with Grady Booch of Rational Corporation) - Swiss bank
- Schema for evaluation of tools for support of business process modelling - multi-national manufacturing company
- Storage of XML data in relational databases - part of project for international airline
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