The Object Management Group (OMG) has approved new revisions of two business standards that originated in the Business Rules Group:  "Semantics of Business Vocabulary and Business Rules" (SBVR) v1.2 and the "Business Motivation Model" (BMM) v1.2.

SBVR v1.2 Available Now

This revision of SBVR includes three key improvements:

• Clarification of the purpose and scope of SBVR.  Some of the implications of the original overly-brief scope clause had been misinterpreted because they were not explicit.  This clarification made them explicit.  No change was made to the scope and purpose itself.
  
  
• Clarification of the definitions, notes and examples, and connection of some internal disconnects around the topics of propositions, statements, and states of affairs.  To support this, a diagram of the widely-accepted semantic/semiotic triangle was added to clarify and make explicit the theoretical basis for SBVR's three-pointed architecture of meaning, representation, and universe of discourse.
  
  
• Update of Annex G:  EU-Rent Example to bring it into line with the normative SBVR v1.2 specification, illustrating more of the features of SBVR and adding explanatory notes about how sections of the example show the use of the SBVR specification.

In addition there were improvements in three other areas:

• Removal of the anomaly in the subcategory structure of 'concept' so that there is a clean parallel between noun concepts and verb concepts where that parallel exists, and the more general concepts in the subcategory structure are clean and direct.  Correction of ambiguities in signifiers and definitions of noun concepts.
  
  
• Connection of an internal disconnect in adoption of SBVR Model Content for elements of guidance, so that adoption of elements of guidance matches adoption of vocabulary entries.
  
  
• Publication as separate documents of those informative Annexes that are not required to correctly interpret the normative text of the SBVR specification.  These Annexes are still an integral part of the SBVR specification.

BMM v1.2 Available in Three Months

During the three and one-half years since BMM v1.1 was published, BMM has largely remained stable.

The BMM v1.2 highlights are:

• Alignment of the BMM specification with current versions of other referenced OMG specifications, including BPMN and SBVR.
  
  
• Provision of a local BMM definition for Organization Unit to replace the loss of the OMG's Organization Structure Metamodel (OSM).  It had been assumed since BMM was adopted that OSM would become available and would provide a definition for Organization Unit that BMM could adopt (as BPMN does for Business Process and SBVR does for Business Rule).  During the BMM v1.2 revision period, the OMG discontinued the OSM RFP because of limited responses.
  
  
• Categorization of Desired Result following the pattern used in BMM v1.1 for Assessment, Influencer, and Influencing Organization.

There are currently no open issues for the BMM.

Ability to Browse SBVR and BMM v1.2 Concepts on the Web Now Available

The concepts in the SBVR v1.2 and BMM v1.2 specifications are available for browsing on the Internet.  Instructions for access can be found at http://www.DesignsForManagement.com/DefaultResources/RegisterToBrowseCaseStudies.aspx

References

SBVR:  http://www.omg.org/spec/SBVR/

BMM:  http://www.omg.org/spec/BMM/

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