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Top 6 Business Rule Engines 2024
Endless Excel spreadsheets with decision logic described in multiple places, or a hard-coded legacy solution that no one understands and uses. Does it sound familiar?
Many organizations are stuck in the chaos of outdated decision-making methods—clunky systems that slow them down, cause mistakes, and spark endless frustration. That’s where business rule engines step in: smart, streamlined solutions built to centralize and automate complex decision logic. In this guide, we’ll break down the top six business rule engines of 2024, giving you the tools to modernize your workflows and take back control of your decision-making process—no stress, no mess.
Choosing the Right Business Rules Engine
Before transitioning to a new Business Rule Management System such as DecisionRules, it's crucial to make a thorough assessment to ensure it meets your specific needs, such as speed, scalability, and seamless integration with your existing software. With numerous vendors offering different solutions, the challenge lies in selecting the right one. Not all rule engines are created equal, so understanding the key differences is essential to making an informed decision.
While first-generation decisioning platforms established in the 90’s pioneered the field of automated decisions, these often suffered from cumbersome legacy design, steep learning curves and the need to be able to write and understand code. On the other hand, modern solutions with a focus on low-code/no-code interfaces, have transformed the way businesses manage rules. These solutions empower non-technical business users to create, modify, and manage rules without relying on IT or developers. This shift not only speeds up decision-making but also brings business users closer to the rule-making process, ensuring that the logic aligns with real-world business needs.
In-Depth Look at Leading Business Rule Engines
Now, let’s dive into the top 6 platforms making waves in the market. We’ll break down their standout features, pros, and cons so you can confidently pick the best fit for your needs. Each business rule engine brings its own unique strengths, and this comparison will help you zero in on the perfect match for your project.
1. Drools
Drools is a widely used, open-source Business Rule Management System developed by Red Hat. It employs a rule-based system where decisions are defined through "if-then" logic, making it effective for automating complex processes. Drools integrates seamlessly with Java applications, offering flexibility for developers. A key feature is the Drools Workbench, a tool for managing and editing rules in a graphic interface. However, it requires significant technical expertise for setup and maintenance, which can pose challenges for non-technical users.
Drools Key features
- Advanced rule engine supporting complex logic, decision tables, and rule flows
- Open source software
- Vast community offering support
- Integrated process definition using BPMN standard
- Drools Workbench: Provides a user-friendly graphical interface for managing and editing rules
Summary
Drools is a robust solution, however, with its steep learning curve and technical requirements it is best suited for enterprises with the ability to have a designated team for maintenance and rule changes. Even though it is a free product, the operating costs can easily exceed those of professional solutions.
DecisionRules vs Drools
2. InRule
InRule is a powerful business rule engine that empowers organizations to enhance operational efficiency and drive informed decision-making. By allowing users to define and manage business rules, InRule enables both technical and non-technical users to contribute to business logic. Its cloud-based architecture allows for easy deployment and management. On the other hand, InRule pricing may be significant for small and medium-sized companies.
InRule Key Features
- User-Friendly Interface: InRule provides an intuitive design that enables business users to easily create and manage rules
- Visual Rule Designer: This feature allows users to model complex business logic visually, making it easier for stakeholders to understand and adapt rules
- Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly integrates with a variety of applications, including CRMs, ERPs, and other enterprise systems
- Version Control: Provides built-in versioning and audit capabilities to track changes and maintain compliance
- Cloud and On-Premise Deployment: Flexible deployment options allow businesses to choose between cloud-based or on-premise installations
Summary
InRule offers a robust business rule engine solution featuring a drag-and-drop rule designer that prioritizes the needs of business users. With integrated connectors to third-party software and comprehensive business analytics, InRule provides various monitoring options to enhance decision-making. However, InRule focuses on enterprises and its pricing may deter small and medium companies from adopting the tool.
DecisionRules vs InRule
3. FlexRule
FlexRule is a dynamic rule platform that empowers organizations to enhance their operational efficiency and make data-driven decisions in industries such as Insurance, healthcare, finance and utilities. By providing an accessible interface for both business and technical users, FlexRule allows teams to collaboratively define and manage complex business rules. However, some users may find the platform’s design to be somewhat outdated, which can impact the overall user experience.
FlexRuleKey Features
- Business-Friendly Rule Language: The platform uses a natural language syntax for defining rules, making it easier for non-technical users to understand and create business logic.
- Rule Versioning and History Tracking: The platform maintains a history of rule changes, allowing for rollback and transparency
- Collaboration and Governance: FlexRule supports collaborative rule development, allowing multiple stakeholders to contribute to and review rules
- Training and Support Resources: FlexRule offers training programs, documentation, and customer support to help users effectively utilize the platform
- Multi-Tenancy Support: FlexRule supports multi-tenancy, allowing organizations to manage multiple clients or divisions within a single instance.
Summary
FlexRule is a powerful solution for organizations in fields like finance, healthcare, insurance, and telecommunications, enhancing decision-making through effective rule management and data visualization. However, potential users should be aware of challenges, including an outdated design and a learning curve for new users. These factors, along with its pricing, may affect adoption, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises.
DecisionRules vs FlexRule
4. Higson
Higson (formerly Hyperon) is a high-performance rules automation platform focused on efficient rule execution. Designed to manage business logic via a low-code solution, it caters to industries like insurance, finance, and logistics. As an emerging player among decisioning platforms, Higson offers a modern, agile approach compared to more established rule engines.
Higson Key Features
- High-performance rule execution: Optimized for fast and efficient processing of complex business logic, ensuring swift decision-making
- Excel integration: Seamless integration with Excel, allowing users to import and manage data-driven rules directly from familiar spreadsheets
- Business-user studio: A low-code interface that enables non-technical users to easily design, modify, and manage rules without extensive coding knowledge
- Integration with other systems: Robust API support for smooth integration with external systems and platforms, enhancing operational flexibility
- Custom-tailored support: Offers personalized support and customization options to meet specific business needs, ensuring optimal performance and fit
Conclusion
Higson is an emerging decision management system designed for efficient rule execution in industries like insurance, finance, and logistics. Its low-code platform allows non-technical users to easily manage business logic, with features like Excel integration, versioning, and role-based access control. On the other hand as a young software, it lacks some advanced features like native CI/CD pipeline support, moreover starting price might discourage smaller organizations.
DecisionRules vs Higson
5. Sliderule
Sliderule is an emerging product in the business rule engine space, particularly focused on risk management. Although it offers targeted features for risk assessment and compliance, it is still building its competitive stance alongside more established industry leaders.
Sliderule Key Features
- Specialization in risk management: Tailored features for assessing and managing risk make it ideal for organizations operating in high-stakes environments
- Visual rule designer: The intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows users to create and modify risk rules without extensive coding, making it accessible to business analysts and non-technical users
- Comprehensive audit trails: Built-in versioning and logging features provide detailed tracking of rule changes, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and internal governance policies
- Strong integration: Easily connects with various databases and third-party risk assessment tools, streamlining workflows and data accuracy
- Real-time risk assessment: Offers tools for monitoring and analyzing risk factors in real time, empowering organizations to make informed decisions swiftly
Conclusion
Sliderule is a specialized decision engine that enhances risk management and compliance across industries like insurance, finance, and healthcare. With its user-friendly visual design, risk-centric features, and strong integration capabilities, it empowers organizations to automate complex decision-making processes effectively. However, potential users should consider the lack of experience, support challenges, and the absence of a formal SLA.
DecisionRules vs Sliderule
VI. Decisions
Decisions.com is widely regarded as a benchmark in the realm of modern Business Rule Management Systems (BRMS). Known for its robust configurability, third-party integration capabilities, and high-performance rule execution, Decisions caters primarily to enterprise-sized organizations. It offers a low-code environment, enabling companies to automate complex decision processes without requiring extensive coding expertise. However, due to its vast features and configuration options, new users may face a steep learning curve before they become adept with the platform.
Decisions Key Features
- Extensive Configuration Options: The platform provides a high degree of flexibility and customization, allowing users to tailor workflows and decision rules to meet specific business requirements
- Connectors: Decisions.com includes numerous built-in connectors for third-party applications, enabling seamless integration with other systems
- User-friendly: Designed with non-technical users in mind, the low-code interface allows business analysts to build and manage rule-based logic with minimal coding
- High-Performance Rule Execution: Optimized for large-scale operations, Decisions.com ensures efficient processing of complex decision logic, allowing for real-time decision-making even under heavy workloads
- Workflow manager: Decisions offers a workflow manager to automate any internal process with pre-built or custom steps
Conclusion
Decisions.com offers a powerful, flexible BRMS solution built for large enterprises, with capabilities well-suited for handling complex rules and decisioning processes. Its low-code environment, high-performance scalability, and extensive integration options make it ideal for companies with complex decision-making needs. However, its broad feature set and enterprise-level pricing may present challenges for smaller organizations, and the platform’s complexity can require a significant investment in user training and support.
How to select the best business rule management software
In today’s fast-paced business environment, the ability to automate decision-making processes through effective Business Rule Engines (BRE) is becoming increasingly critical. In this article, we analyzed multiple Business Rule Engine solutions, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. For a business user faced with a decision, key parameters such as ease of use, integration and scalability, cost considerations, and support and documentation should be carefully taken into account. By understanding how each platform aligns with these criteria, businesses can select a solution that not only meets their current needs but also supports long-term growth and operational efficiency.
Ease of Use and Accessibility
Across all platforms, the trend towards low-code/no-code solutions is evident, facilitating greater participation from business users in rule management processes. User-friendly interfaces, particularly those found in DecisionRules and Sliderule, enhance accessibility, allowing non-technical users to actively engage in creating and managing business rules without heavy reliance on IT. This democratization of rule management can lead to more agile decision-making and responsiveness to business needs.
Integration and Scalability
Effective integration capabilities are essential for ensuring that the BRE can operate seamlessly within an organization’s existing infrastructure. All platforms assessed provide some level of API integration, with varying degrees of support for third-party connectors. Scalability is also a common strength, enabling organizations to expand their rule management capabilities without facing performance bottlenecks. This is particularly critical for enterprises anticipating significant growth or those operating in dynamic market environments.
Cost Considerations
Pricing structures among the platforms vary significantly, with Decisions, FlexRule, and InRule being more enterprise-focused. This positioning may make them less accessible to smaller organizations, which could find greater value in DecisionRules or Higson, as these platforms offer more cost-effective solutions without compromising essential features. Drools, being open-source, presents a potentially cost-effective option but may involve hidden costs related to implementation and maintenance that organizations must be aware of when budgeting.
Support and Documentation
Comprehensive support and documentation are critical for successful implementation and ongoing management. Larger platforms like Decisions and InRule tend to offer extensive resources. In contrast, newer entrants like Sliderule might face challenges in this area, potentially impacting user experience and satisfaction. The community-driven support for Drools offers resources but may lack the responsiveness and structured guidance that some organizations require.
In summary, organizations must carefully evaluate their specific needs, budget constraints, and user capabilities when selecting a Business Rule Engine. Whether seeking advanced analytics, risk management features, or a user-friendly interface, understanding the strengths and limitations of each platform will empower businesses to make informed decisions that enhance their operational efficiency and decision-making processes. Ultimately, the right decision platform can serve as a catalyst for driving organizational success, enabling businesses to adapt quickly to changing market dynamics and regulatory requirements while fostering innovation and collaboration among teams.
