Policy-oriented Enterprise Management (POEM) Steering committee meeting, September 18, 2007 Matthias Kaiser, Ph.D. Sr. Research Scientist SAP Research

Overview Project vision and objectives regarding enterprise software The value of computational logic applied to enterprise software The Power of Poem: case study in policy-oriented management Stanford technology for POEM Research issues and collaboration Identified target areas of POEM technology at SAP Management and future work Lessons learned and conclusions: open discussion

Project vision and objectives regarding enterprise software Computational Logic Algorithm = Logic + Control. algorithm = problem description (logical part) strategy to carry out useful computations on this description (control part) Programmer is actually a domain expert who concentrates solely on the problem description computational part is realized by the control strategy. This programming paradigm is called declarative programming, implemented using computational logic POEM idea is illustrated by enterprise physics metaphor

Advantages Of the use of computational logic in enterprise software software is realized from specification rather than actual programming a declarative approach facilitates uniform representation across domains and functionality on the basis of one reasoner easy understandable declarations for humans and machines can be extended dynamically, simulation of new policies leads to easy exploration and realization of new business management found solutions can be verified/proven and explained to users in case of inconsistencies

Advantages Of the use of computational logic in enterprise software declarative programs are relatively easy to parallelize (e.g., using grid computing) for high scalability and efficiency software support is easier and maintenance costs go down instead of composing business processes prescriptively, they emerge based on declared goals, available functionality (services) and domain-relevant policies, all declared, which can be changed dynamically. So processes can emerge the user/designer did not forsee.

 power of Poem presentation  outline of Stanford technology  outline of research issues and collaboration

Areas identified to particularly benefit from computational logic enterprise SOA: processes emerge from user-declared business goals at runtime business task management: flexible task interpretation and routing on dynamically changing criteria automated system configuration: correct configuration, resolution of inconsistencies using logical spreadsheets application areas of policies (business rules, pricing, GRC) easy-to- understand and maintain, dynamic, correctrule acquisition, representation, application, improvement. HR and project management and administration generation, verification and adaptation of provably correct software on the grounds of automated reasoning

Management and future work access to SAP system by collaboration partners resources for more collaboration funding collaboration with external partners from academia and industry

Future work with SAP groups for technical transfer transfer of worked-out examples to a more SAP-relevant demonstrations target SAP production groups: A1s (system configuration, task management) group of cto to bring innovative power of POEM into the discussion more basic research is needed in the areas policy maintenance with respect to user interaction more research in business process emergence based on real world SAP business objects/services the benefit of logical spreadsheets has to be studied in real world settings including related research in rule creation, preference handling etc.

E-Mail-Address: matthias.kaiser@sap.com Further Information E-Mail-Address: matthias.kaiser@sap.com