building next generation apps using dsam - session at sithh 2014
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Building Next-Generation Apps
with BRFplus/DSMwith BRFplus/DSM
Tobias Trapp, AOK Systems GmbH
Software Architect, SAP Mentor
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Today‘s Challenge:
ERP has to become Smarter
What does is mean for ABAP development? We need
� new tools with outstanding product features
� evolution strategy for our applications in backend systems
Why?
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New Input Channels
we have structured and semi-
structured data coming from
� scanned documents
� mobile devices
� online portals� online portals
the challenge:
� poorly standardized data
� sometimes poor data quality
� semi-structured data is
ambiguous
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Need for Automation
the problem:
� more data
� complex data
the challenge:
� we need better and � we need better and
automated decision making
� we have to able to adapt and
optimize business processes
quickly
� decision making should be
standardized
� business people have to
understand what ERP does
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Next-Generation Apps have to be
flexible and smart
� highly configurable
� business processes are automated and controlled by decision services
� transparent – easy to understand
� easy to change - business logic can be deployed and undeployed even
into production without transport and downtime
� „time travelling“: � „time travelling“:
− activation of decision services in the future
− past versions of decision services can be called using time stamps
� simulation possible: what will happen, if business rules are changed?
� rules can use predictive features
� business logic can be pushed down to HANA
� decision services can use HANA as central source of truth by accessing
additional data
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What is DSM?
� BRFplus is SAP‘s strategic business rule framework and now called DSM
� use case is implementation of automated decisions:
− complex calculations,
− validation,
− complex checks like fraud detection,
− process control− process control
� BRFplus/DSM was unstable in early NW releases – use NW 7.31 >=
SAP 9 and NW 7.40 >= SP 5 to avoid implementation of OSS notes
� read blogs/tutorials/whitepapers on SCN – follow
C. Ziegler, W. Schaper and J. Dart
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Why is BRFplus/DSM important
for ABAP Developers?
� some SAP applications heavily depend on BRFplus and for many new
implementations only use of BRFplus is encouraged:
− dynamic workflow in SAP MDG
− rules in SAP Process Observer are usually written in BRFplus
− industry solutions like Banking, Insurance….
− Tax & Revenue Management, Social Services, Application Incident − Tax & Revenue Management, Social Services, Application Incident
Management, Tax & Revenue Management, CRM for Utilities….
− and more are going to come
− legacy rule frameworks will become obsolete while DSM will be
still improved
� if you want to keep your ABAP skills up to date you need at least basic
BRFplus knowledge
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What is the Problem with SAP Business
Suite and Custom Development?
� changes have to applied since, f.e.:
− process are optimized /
organizational structure is changed
− competitors change their strategy
− legal requirements – compliance
− fraudsters change their behavior
requirementsanalysis
plan changeprocess
measureeffects
− fraudsters change their behavior
− target groups /customers change
their behavior
� this takes too much time and effort
� with BRFplus/DSM you can do better:
− tools for development of rules
− agile development & test
− deployment without transport
− use rule traces/evaluation paths
change code & customizing
test thesolution
transport intoproduction
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Why is DSM outstanding?
� integrated into AS ABAP and the ABAP/Business Suite type system
� integration with other frameworks: workflow rules, BOPF…
� more & more SAP solutions are supporting BRFplus but you can also
use it for custom development
� it is extremely fast due to code generation
� it is open: � it is open:
− use the API to generate rule sets – use XML import/export of rule sets
− build your own expression types / formulas & call ABAP from BRFplus
− extend DSM/BRFplus with BAdIs and application classes
− you can integrate the WDA components in your UI
− expose rule systems as RFC / web service
− there are partner solutions on top of DSM for graphical rule modeling,
compilation of rules to Java, C# and much more
� with DSM license additional HANA expressions, unit tests, debugger…
� many admin tools like transport analyzer
� with DSM license deployment without transport even into lower releases
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A first look at BRFplus-
Rapid Development of Business Logic
� the decision service on the right was
built within two minutes using excel
upload
� rule system can be created so that
they are readable and understandable
� business experts can test the rules and� business experts can test the rules and
even create test cases
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Don‘t implement Business Rules
using Customizing
� implementation of business rules with customizing can get very
complex especially when logical expressions have to be modeled
� it is impossible to predict all future requirements like time dependency,
randomization, date/time calculations and so on
� in the worst case you are developing an own rule framework having
perhaps 5% of the feature set of BRFplusperhaps 5% of the feature set of BRFplus
� BRFplus/DSM has many additional features out of the box:
− transportation is easier
− you can switch on versioning and perform time travelling
� use customizing only for domain values and text tables
� use versioning after transport for BRFplus rule sets
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Separate Business Rules
from Business Processes
� otherwise specification and
implementation will look like the
diagram on the right
� the reasons is simple:
− specifications usually cover
everything and business experts everything and business experts
will introduce exceptions
− business rules have a high change
frequency
� the diagram should look more like
the one on right side: a decision service
controls the process
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Use Case Process Automation –
Working with semi-structured Data
Use case: questionnaires containing information
about accident for insurance claim processing.
Following implementations have to be done:
� reading process
� identification of business partners and business
objectsobjects
� syntactic checks
� classification of accident type which is not trivial
because of ambiguity
� special rule sets for different accident types
� if those rule sets can’t complete the business
case then can give the user or rule systems of
claims processing further hints for process
automation
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And how to get started with
BRFplus/DSM?
� excellent content on SCN and a very active BRFplus community
� ABAP developers can become BRFplus experts within short time
� In SAP standard applications you‘ll find many interesting
architectural patters for rule driven applications and useful
paradigms like BRFplus generation if you need high flexibility
IMHO the real challenges are:
� IT is ready to implement decision management to
make ERP smarter. But what about other departments?
� Perhaps they got accustomed to clumsy and heavy-
weight ERP processes and are not prepared to short
and agile innovation cycles?
� IT and business have to work hand in hand.