the Real Job of the BA is to help the customer accurately and succinctly define problems (or issues, the preferred term for business-side people).

There are as many levels of business issues as there are types of requirements, and in fact we can map them nicely.

A policy is:

A non-actionable directive
Often requires employees to translate into specific statements of what to do (business rules)
Supports a business goal
Supported by one or more business rules

A business rules is:

Examples of policies for a car rental company:

Maintenance must be performed in a manner which maximizes the life and value of the car
Renters must have valid insurance

Example of business rules that may support these policies:

All vehicles are required to have a 58 point inspection after every 3 months of use before re-renting.
A car which has accumulated more than 3500 miles must have its oil changed before re-renting.
Tires with less than 1/16th inch of tread must be replaced.
Renters in the state of Texas must have insurance covering $100,000 of liability or more.
Renters in the state of Arizona must have insurance covering $50,000 of liability or more.

Notice that each of the business rules are written as a level which is actionable, specific, and testable.

The Changing Paradigm: the New Breed of Information Systems

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