Case SPA F6: Handling Policy Restructuring Under Pressure? Use Software Platform Anatomy for Coordinated Execution

Category Title: Rules & Motivations in Flux

Series Title: Rethinking Requirements: How the ICMG Software Platform Anatomy Model Makes Lending Systems Change-Ready

Key Variables Impacted: Rule, Data, Function, Event, UI, Network

Perspectives Covered: Strategy, Business Process, System, Component Specification, Implementation, Operations

Introduction: When Policy Shifts Faster Than You Can Ship

The directive comes late Friday.

“We need to restructure our lending policy. New risk bands. New pricing tiers. It must go live within a week.”

Your product team scrambles. Architects revisit last year’s pricing logic. Developers are knee-deep in spaghetti-code rule handlers. Compliance wants traceability. Operations is already bracing for breakage.

Everyone is acting fast.

But no one is acting together.

Sound familiar? This isn’t just a delivery problem—it’s an architectural coordination failure.

The ICMG Software Platform Anatomy model exists to solve precisely this.

Why Conventional SDLC Approaches Fail

Enterprise-Wide Problems:

• Product Owners can’t visualize which processes, rules, and subsystems are affected by a pricing or eligibility change.

• Developers manually update pricing logic in disconnected services, unaware of shared rules used in other components.

• Compliance & Risk Teams struggle to audit or explain the logic that’s been altered—because no common version exists.

• Operations Teams are left guessing why one borrower sees different behavior across mobile, agent portal, and notifications.

Root Causes:

1. Lack of Platform-Wide Rule ModelingRule changes live in Excel sheets or Jira comments—not as modeled components across Strategy, Process, and System Perspectives.

2. No Variable-Based Component DefinitionRules, Events, Functions, and Data are updated independently, without mapping shared dependencies across six architectural variables.

3. Disjointed Perspective ViewsStrategy, System, and Operations teams each “see” a different version of the platform’s behavior—there’s no unified architectural narrative.

4. Deployment FragmentationMicroservices are deployed independently with no central implementation map to validate traceability, rollback, or operational alignment.

   
   

3. Applying the ICMG Software Platform Anatomy Model

With ICMG, policy restructuring is not an emergency—it’s a coordinated execution.

Every change is modeled across six architectural variables and six perspectives—Rule, Data, Function, UI, Event, and Network—ensuring that strategy connects directly to implementation and operations.

Strategy Perspective

Business Driver: Respond to credit policy changes quickly—without compromising risk control or system stability.

Strategic Intent: Introduce governance to what is usually ad-hoc rule restructuring, ensuring consistent outcomes across channels and components.

Business Process Perspective

Processes Impacted:

• Loan Application Evaluation

• Pricing and Rate Assignment

• Credit Decision and Exception Handling

• Offer Communication and Acceptance

• Disbursement Scheduling

Observation: Each of these processes consumes shared rule logic. Without architectural modeling, inconsistent behaviors are inevitable.

System / Subsystem Perspective (by Variable)

Introduction: Policy changes touch every subsystem—not just those that seem obvious. Here's where the restructuring hits.

Variable Subsystem	Subsystems Involved
Rule Subsystem	Credit Policy Engine, Pricing Configurator
Data Subsystem	Borrower Data Lake, Rate Sheet Repository
Function Subsystem	Risk Scoring Processor, Offer Computation Logic
Event Subsystem	PolicyChangePublished, RateRuleEvaluated
UI Subsystem	Underwriter Dashboard, Customer Rate View
Network Subsystem	Rule Distribution API, Disbursement Gateway

Observation: Policy changes are never local—they create system-wide shifts that must be managed as a coordinated architectural evolution.

Component Specification Perspective

Introduction: ICMG doesn’t guess what to split or merge. It identifies component boundaries by mapping dependencies across six variables and six perspectives.

a) Single-Variable Component Impact

Variable Subsystem Component	Component Name	Role
Rule Subsystem Component	PricingTierEvaluator	Applies pricing tiers based on new policy bands
Data Subsystem Component	EligibilityProfileStore	Stores borrower attributes relevant to new policy
Function Subsystem Component	OfferCalculator	Recomputes offers based on updated pricing rules
Event Subsystem Component	PolicyUpdateBroadcaster	Notifies dependent services about rule changes

b) Multi-Variable Component Impact

Variable Combination	Component Name	Role
Rule + Data Subsystem Component	CreditPolicyInterpreter	Applies new rules with input from centralized borrower data
Rule + Event Subsystem Component	ExceptionDecisionHandler	Triggers rule-based exceptions post policy change
Function + Network Subsystem Component	DisbursementRateRouter	Routes offer disbursal based on updated pricing logic and partner integration rules

Observation: ICMG Anatomy ensures components aren’t split randomly. They are cut along stable, traceable, and reusable architectural seams.

Implementation Perspective (Mapped by Component)

Introduction: Implementation isn’t a dev-only activity. ICMG aligns execution with architectural context.

Component Name	Implementation Task
PricingTierEvaluator	Update rule engine configs; test thresholds with new rate slabs
EligibilityProfileStore	Add new eligibility flags and validate backward compatibility
OfferCalculator	Introduce new policy parameters; enable rollback logic
PolicyUpdateBroadcaster	Send structured change payload to downstream services
CreditPolicyInterpreter	Synchronize rule versioning across channels
ExceptionDecisionHandler	Align exception triggers with updated edge-case definitions

Observation: Tasks become traceable and modular. Teams work in parallel—with clarity, not chaos.

Operations Perspective (Linked to Business Processes)

Introduction: The final test of a policy restructuring lies in operational stability—not just developer confidence.

Business Process	Operational Validation Activities
Offer Generation	Validate offer accuracy across client types and channels
Loan Approval	Confirm decisions reflect updated thresholds
Disbursement	Ensure no discrepancies arise from network/API lag in policy sync
Customer Support	Train support to interpret results using same architectural model

Observation: Operations becomes a source of architecture validation—not just firefighting post-release.

Summary: Cascading Impact of the Change

Perspective	Impact
Strategy	Enterprise responds faster without fear of breakdown
Process	Rate and eligibility changes absorbed by all processes
System / Subsystem	Cross-variable dependencies made visible and stable
Component Specification	Rule-focused components added or updated with reusability
Implementation	Tasks modular, accountable, rollback-ready
Operations	Real-world alignment proven before complaints arrive
Cross-Variable Effects	Rule + Event + Data logic kept in sync across services

Observation: Policy change doesn’t have to break the system—if the system has architecture.

Traditional SDLC vs. ICMG Software Platform Anatomy Model

Area	Traditional SDLC Problem	ICMG Anatomy Model Solution
Rule Management	Hardcoded rules buried in scattered services	Each rule modeled as a component with mapped dependencies
Implementation Coordination	Developers operate in silos using ticket queues	Implementation tied to components, perspectives, and outcomes
Cross-Team Understanding	Strategy, Dev, Ops don’t speak same language	Shared model across all stakeholders and phases
Change Rollout	Rollbacks and testing are afterthoughts	Pre-modeled rollback logic and variable-based validation
Process Impact Analysis	Unknown until after deployment	Modeled in advance using 6 variables and 6 perspectives

Observation: ICMG doesn't replace your SDLC—it gives it a brain.

Conclusion: Policy Change Is Inevitable. Platform Breakage Is Not.

Retail lending is policy-driven. Every month brings updates to scoring, pricing, eligibility.

Most teams treat it as fire-fighting.

But with ICMG Software Platform Anatomy:

• Rule changes are modeled, not buried.

• Component impacts are visible, not guesswork.

• Cross-team coordination is structured, not sprint chaos.

You don’t just restructure policy. You execute it—without system panic.

Struggling to execute policy changes without blowing up your platform?

Explore the ICMG Software Platform Fast Track Rating and Enterprise Select Program to handle change with architectural discipline, not developer anxiety.

Because in lending, change is constant—but chaos doesn’t have to be.