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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

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

7. 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

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

9. 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.

10. E-Mail-Address: matthias.kaiser@sap.com
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