Decision Modeling

Enterprise Architect can be used for decision modeling at any level. It provides tools such as the Decision Table and Decision Tree to model simple decisions, and a Requirements diagram can be used to show the breakdown of a complex decision into parts that can be linked by dependencies. Business Rules can be referenced as a source of the business logic for making decisions.

This section lists the main tools available in Enterprise Architect that can be used to perform this business analysis technique. There is also a wide range of additional tools that a modeler might find suitable when applying the technique in a particular context. The complete list of tools is available from the Business Modeling Tools Help topic.

Requirements Diagram

A Requirements diagram used to model decisions is a visual representation of the information, knowledge and decision making involved in a more complex business decision. Decisions can be represented by stereotyped Classes, take a set of inputs and select from a defined set of possible outputs. Business rules and other mechanism for defining business logic can be included. The data that is required as input to decisions can be represented by Classes. An Artifact can be used to represent the source document or parties from which the necessary decision logic has been determined.

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Decision Table

The Decision Table Editor can be used simply to record the conditions and the conclusions that form the basis of decision making. Alternatively, implementation code can be generated using the Enterprise Architect Simulation Library (EASL) code generation macros. It uses a clear and understandable interface allowing the analyst to enter conditions, condition value columns, defined values that act as a decision point, and one or more conclusions.

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Decision Tree

A Decision Tree is a diagram that is part of the Strategic Modeling Technology and uses a visual notation to represent a series of decisions and possible outcomes. It can be used in either a descriptive or predictive manner to visualize outcomes and decision points. It is particularly useful when a complex or intractable decision need to be formally recorded. The diagram or elements such as the outcomes can be linked to other elements in the repository such as solution options.

Learn More: Decision Tree Diagram