Taking time to design the right model is important. Here is the process we follow to prompt our thinking. Welcome any build out or add ons.
There are three questions to answer in establishing the architecture for RuleFour
- How many models will be built for the full outcome
- What is the structure of the model including the spine
- Where can I use the power of templates for repeatable costs? What templates will be included and how will they be associated?
**How many models?
Consider building linked RuleFour models:
- where there a large number of physicals such as consumables, fleet numbers, labour etc then consider using the power of the structure and the schedule to generate, this would mean a “Bill of Quantities” model which would feed into the cost model
- where we want to calculate average rates over time such as an equivalent unit rate (EUC) for equipment
- where we may want to limit or segregate access to models such as revenue or wages models
The outputs from these models then become inputs to the cost model
**Structure
The structure of a model is made up of one or multiple lists and the associations between them. For example you may have an Organisation list mapping out the organisation structure and departments and an Employee Types list mapping out the roles in that company. Then you can associate employee types to the relevant departments.
Spine List - The spine list is a special part of the structure that provides the basis on on which the rest of the structure is “associated”
There is a spine for each model. The spine for each model can be different.
Templates allow you to use the power of the structure to drive the schedule to get