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In a world where agility and precision define market leaders, businesses cannot afford to let outdated processes slow them down. Whether you’re managing complex pricing strategies, regulatory compliance, or personalized customer interactions, a business rules engine (BRE) could be the strategic advantage your organization needs.
But what makes a BRE truly effective? What sets it apart from traditional software tools? In this article, we dive into 10 essential aspects of BREs, including why solutions like Higson stand out as top performers, and how they empower businesses to streamline decisions, reduce operational costs, and stay ahead of market demands.
1. What is a Business Rules Engine?
A business rules engine is a software system designed to manage, execute, and maintain decision logic separate from application code. It enables organizations to define, deploy, and modify business rules dynamically without requiring IT support. These rules often govern critical decisions like pricing, eligibility, and compliance checks, allowing businesses to adapt to changing environments quickly.
Key benefits of a BRE include:
• Centralized management of rules
• Reduced reliance on IT teams
• Faster response to market or regulatory changes
2. Business Rules Engines vs. Decision Platforms
While both BREs and decision platforms aid in decision-making, their scope differs. A BRE focuses on the application of predefined rules in decision-making. In contrast, decision platforms offer a broader range of tools, including machine learning and data analytics, to support more complex decision scenarios.
Higson serves as a prime example of a specialized BRE that excels in high-performance rule execution and offers scalability for complex environments
3. Use Cases of Business Rules Engines
BREs are versatile and find applications across various industries.
Here are some common use cases:
• Insurance: Automating claims processing and underwriting
• Banking: Loan eligibility checks
• Retail: Personalized promotions and dynamic pricing
• Healthcare: Ensuring regulatory compliance in patient data management
For instance, Warta, a leading insurer, used Higson to streamline its sales processes and pricing configurations, resulting in enhanced efficiency and scalability.
4. The Architecture of a BRE
Most BREs include the following components:
• Rule Repository: Stores all business rules centrally.
• Rule Engine: Executes the rules based on defined conditions and parameters.
• Management Interface: Allows users to create, update, and test rules.
Higson's architecture not only incorporates these elements but also distinguishes itself with its modern and highly intuitive user interface (UI). This user-centric design ensures that both technical and non-technical users can efficiently navigate the platform, define rules, and monitor performance without steep learning curves. Additionally, its flexible configuration options and seamless integration capabilities with databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Oracle make it a robust and adaptable choice for diverse infrastructures.
5. Ease of Deployment
The deployment of a BRE significantly impacts its usability. Higson supports various deployment methods, such as WAR files on application servers (e.g., Tomcat) and Docker-based deployments, which allow for flexible scaling. Kubernetes deployment further simplifies the management of complex environments.
6. Performance Matters
Performance is a critical factor for any BRE, especially in high-demand environments. Higson 4.0.18 delivers impressive benchmarks, processing up to 9,733 requests per second, a 3x to 500x improvement over earlier versions depending on authentication mechanisms. Additionally, optimized decision table loading ensures faster execution times for complex scenarios, reinforcing its suitability for demanding applications.
7. Empowering Business Users
One standout feature of BREs is their ability to empower non-technical business users. Higson achieves this with its intuitive Studio interface, enabling users to define and modify rules without extensive programming knowledge. This democratization of decision-making fosters agility and reduces dependency on technical teams.
8. Integration Capabilities
A BRE's value lies in its ability to integrate seamlessly with existing systems. Higson excels in this area with its support for REST APIs, database connections, and external authentication mechanisms like JWT. Its flexibility ensures compatibility with legacy systems as well as modern microservices architectures.
9. Maintenance and Updates
BREs should simplify rather than complicate maintenance. Higson incorporates features like idle eviction for unused decision tables, saving memory and improving overall system efficiency. This is particularly valuable in environments where resource optimization is critical.
10. Why Choose Higson?
Higson stands out among BREs for its high performance, scalability, and ease of use.
Key differentiators include:
• Exceptional processing speeds
• Simplified deployment and integration
• Business user-friendly interfaces for rule management
• Best Software Provider (Digital Back-end) at the prestigious European Insurance Technology Awards 2024
