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Workflow, Business Rules.I like to address how critical a good rule engine is a master data repository and how important it is that it supports an extended workflow.
Take the example where customers can add themselves over the net, and immediately place orders. A strict and well designed GUI with wizards will of course bring you far, with shrewd functionality surrounding the critical business keys, but marketing will most certainly limit these checks in fearing of that too many rules and checks will take away users.
So in the instance where we actually do give a heck regarding issues such as double accounts, false information etc. we would set up a workflow to verify these new data. A workflow which stretches from a repository aided workflow controlled by well defined business rules, over a workflow platform and into a manual workflow strictly governed. Scanning every input will flood any data stewards into giving in and worse of all not give enough care to his data responsibility. Smooth oiled workflow automation and a good business-rules engine are required to spot the problem areas and draw the attention of the steward only where needed be.
So clearly we would want as much as possible to be in the aided workflow as possible, while it’s far less demanding on manpower. In a Microsoft scenario you might also consider Windows Workflow Foundation and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services workflow, but their rules support is not as complete as in BRE. Microsoft BizTalk workflow and Business-Rules Engine (BRE) might be a closer fit. The manual part of the workflow can also be supported in a InfoPath scenario.
This was only one of many examples where a repository can aid the governed process and heighten the data quality. If you fail to see other scenarios then, do consider how a doublet spot would be implemented. With Computer aided spotting, but steward involved handling, where doublets are sorted out.
In the TP edition of EDM/Stratature/BullDog we saw a really flexible rule engine, which allows support, for an advanced workflow. But it seems to me that in this version, there are a few bumps in the road making it difficult to see this feature utilized. The rules were manually initiated; they needed to be valid for the entity as a whole, before data could be synchronized out from the repository, rather than just for the individual record. And finally they were SLOW. I am looking forward seeing this fixed. I would much prefer much of these workflow checks, implemented in SSIS, rather than in the repository itself.
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