Often business rules or guidance are required to instruct or advise people on what to do in given circumstances. It can be difficult to develop these where there are many considerations or options.
To begin to tackle the problem it might be useful to draw up a decision tree and step through all the questions that might need to be asked. The example here, whether to retain email as records or not, was drawn using bCisive. A huge tree results.
However, using a print out of the decision tree, analysis reveals there are possibly only 6 scenarios or situations for which criteria are needed. Here, the bCisive diagram has been annotated with green and red notes to show the scenarios. Green indicates a “Yes” outcome – an email should be managed as a record – and red indicates a “No”.
From this analysis it was possible to develop a new bCisive diagram, with the scenarios mapped as “Options”, the outcomes or decisions mapped as “Consequences” and additional criteria or questions mapped as “Requirements”. Note that it was possible to reduce the 6 scenarios to 4 as the decision criteria for 3 of the scenarios were identical.
A feature of bCisive is the ability to view the diagram as a text outline. Copying the outline allows it to be pasted into Word or Excel to create a more traditional document.
The final product – in this case an Excel table – presents the decision making criteria, outcomes and recommended action in a simple, tabular format.
Although this example has been presented as a desktop exercise using software, the approach could just as easily be followed in a meeting or workshop using flipcharts, PostIts and marker pens.
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