Ronald G. Ross

If it were as simple as data models vs. process models, our industry would have resolved all the ‘big’ problems many years ago. But it’s not that simple.In particular, there is the problem of how your company can make better, more consistent, more agile operational decisions. Related to that challenge is how it can retain knowledge in a form that is traceable, manageable and redeployable so the loss of baby boomers and/or vital SMEs doesn’t bring the company to its knees. And of course, we could always do a much better job of developing requirements and communicating about know-how than we do today. All those things lead inexorably toward structured business vocabularies and business rules.

Most data modeling techniques have always been noun-ish – oriented ultimately to the things to be stored in databases and data warehouses. But there has always been a verb-ish counterpart, best typified by the fact models of Terry Halpin and Sjir Nijssen.

This presentation examines traditional problems in data modeling that are handled better using fact models. Hear about how you can enhance your data modeling skills to gear up for semantics, as well as become more versatile and effective in your day-to-day practice. Learn why your company needs your special talent a lot worse than it may think!

  • What your company really needs for business improvement and innovation
  • Why you should care about verbs as well as nouns
  • How to make know-how tangible … so it won’t be out-sourced
  • Data models that aren’t just “data” models
  • Stepping up to business communication and business rules
  • A pragmatic, proven, well-grounded approach to semantics

 


Mr. Ross is Co-Founder and Principal of Business Rule Solutions, LLC (www.BRSolutions.com). At BRS, Mr. Ross is active in consulting and co-develops Proteus, its landmark methodology for business analysis, decisioning and business rules, including the popular RuleSpeak (www.RuleSpeak.com). Mr. Ross is the author of eight professional books. His newest are: Business Rule Concepts (2009), a 3rd edition of his popular, easy-to-read 1998 handbook, and Principles of the Business Rule Approach, Addison-Wesley (2003). Mr. Ross is recognized internationally as the “father of business rules.” He has served as Chair of the annual Business Rules Forum Conference since 1997. He was a charter member of the Business Rules Group (BRG) in the 1980s, and an editor of the two landmark BRG papers, “The Business Motivation Model: Business Governance in a Volatile World” and the “Business Rules Manifesto”. He is active in OMG standards development, with core involvement in SBVR. Ronald G. Ross serves as Executive Editor of www.BRCommunity.com and its flagship publication, Business Rules Journal. He is a sought-after speaker at conferences world-wide. His gives popular public seminars through AttainingEdge (www.AttainingEdge.com) and in Europe though IRM-UK (www.IRMUK.co.uk). Mr. Ross received DAMA International’s Individual Achievement Award for 1995. He received his M.S. in information science from Illinois Institute of Technology, and his B.A. from Rice University. For more about Mr. Ross, visit www.RonRoss.info.