Creation of business rules in SAP with BRF+
BRFplus (Business Rule Framework plus, BRF+) is a Business Rules Management System (BRMS) offered by SAP.
A BRMS is a tool that allows to define (business) rules and to make decisions based on these rules. Simple examples are the automatic determination of a parcel service provider that offers the most favorable conditions depending on the size and weight of a parcel or the decisions about granting a loan, determining the risk class and the loan interest rate.
BRFplus is part of the SAP NetWeaver Application Server (AS) ABAP from version 7.02 and is therefore available to every customer of this or later NetWeaver releases without a license.
BRF+: how it works
In BRFplus the individual business rules of a company can be mapped – e.g. the flow control of an approval process. With the help of a graphical user interface it is possible to create and edit rules without knowledge in programming. In the BRFplus Rules Engine, the rules are automatically converted into ABAP code the first time a BRFplus function is called, so that optimum performance is achieved.
Once the rules have been created, the various business processes in the SAP applications are then controlled by triggering so-called actions. Messages (e.g. e-mails or application logs) can be sent, workflows triggered or the results transferred to subsequent ABAP coding (also in SAP standard).
The advantages of BRF+
The big advantage of BRFplus is the possibility to have the rules modeled by business experts and, for example, to fill them with content via Excel import. After a short training period, your departments can make adjustments that would otherwise require developers or consultants. In this way, both code and customizing can be reduced or avoided.
Another major advantage of BRF+ is its integration with other SAP tools. For example, BRF+ is integrated into the Application Interface Framework (AIF), a very powerful tool for setting up, managing and monitoring interfaces.
Use depending on the complexity of the business rules
But where are the limits of BRFplus compared to conventional ABAP development? When modeling various applications in BRFplus, we quickly noticed that the complexity of the business rules is the decisive factor: If there are only a few rules and expressions per function (e.g. decision tables, formulas, etc.), with BRFplus you have a clear set of rules that can be quickly and easily adapted to the constantly changing business requirements. However, if the situation to be represented is so complex that a large number of rules and expressions are necessary, you may lose track of the many interim results and interrelations. In such cases, you are usually better off with pure ABAP development.
What’s next?
BRF+ is a new class of products that already has a firm place in the SAP world and is taking on an increasingly important role, but its significance has not yet been adequately recognized. We assume that SAP will continue to expand the framework and extend and deepen both the application possibilities and the integration with other SAP components and tools (see AIF and SAP Workflow).
BRF+: The effort is worth it!
BRF+ seems confusing at first glance and has a reputation for being complicated. It takes time to become familiar with the processes. But once the ice is broken – and that takes less work than you might think at first glance – a new world opens up. The effort is worthwhile and the initial, justified doubts dissolve.
In addition to BRF+, which is included in the standard version, SAP offers SAP Decision Management as a BRF+ add-on for a fee. We recommend the add-on if BRF+ plays a central role in your company and you have a large number of rules, possibly in several production systems Otherwise, the additional functionalities and the associated costs that SAP Decision Management offers are not worthwhile at this time.
We show you how it works
We will gladly show you how business rules can be modeled and linked to a process in the SAP standard (e.g. delivery creation) using an exemplary BRFplus application on our S/4HANA system. This also gives you an impression of how we are approaching the decision between BRFplus and ABAP and whether we can support you in the conception and implementation phase of your project.
By the way: BRFplus is also the basis of the new S/4HANA output management, i.e. the successor to the tried and tested output control. Read more on the subject here.
Do you have any questions?
Get in touch with us.