ARulesXL is an add-in for Microsoft Excel that lets you use business rules inconjunction with spreadsheet functions and formulas. This makes Excel a powerful tool for delivering business rule applications that combine decision support with computational analysis.

Instead of difficult to code, maintain and understand Excel IF statements, rules are entered directly on your spreasheet in a natural and easy to understand syntax. The rules can then be queried, much like a database. (Click on the image to the right to see a simple example contrasting different approaches.)

Rules entered using ARulesXL are:

• Easier to code,
• Easier to maintain,
• More reliable, and
• Easily audited.

A major accounting firm is one of the first commercial users of ARulesXL and is using the product for developing equity compensation analysis tools. Visual Data LLC, vendor of Office Practicum™ pediatric office software, is using ARulesXL for the development and testing of rules used in vaccination planning.

ARulesXL is ideal for Sarbanes Oxley compliant spreadsheets with easy to read and audit business rules that generate or verify results.

Download the free evaluation version today to see ARulesXL at work on a variety of application ideas, including:

• pricing,
• product advice,
• product configuration,
• planning/workflow,
• business rules (incorporation, loan approval, licensing),
• legal document assembly, and
• medical advice (vaccination planning)

Simple Two Rule Example
This is a simple example with just two rules that illustrates the concepts of rules, rule sets and rule queries in ARulesXL.

Linking Cells to Rules and Queries
ARulesXL rules can be linked to cells outside the ruleset, and queries can also use values from the spreadsheet.

Tracing the Reasoning Algorithm
The ARulesXL reasoning algorithm can be traced using the built-in debugger. It allows step-by-step tracing of a query and shows the values of all the object properties that have been set. The rules are color coded (shown below) depending on how they were.

Document Assembly in a Legal Advice Example
Text formulas can be used to dynamically build complex documents. This example shows the use of rules in creating legal advice on small claims lawsuits.

Multiple Rule Sets Advising on Corporate Organization
An ARulesXL application can be modularized using multiple rule sets. In this example the different rule sets are used to encapsulate the advice rules for the different types of corporate organization.

You can download a 30-day FREE trial version to test if it will suit your needs.