Part A · How DMA AI works

A.4The rule engine

Built in the POC

No.: A.4
Relates to DMA's book: Decision Book p.7, p.8
Part: A · the foundation

What this part does · Decision Book p.7, p.8

DMA's book lets the AI act on its own by default, inside DMA-approved guardrails, and hands a deal to Josh on seven defined conditions: a new deal-size tier, non-standard terms, a payment problem, a request for a person, low confidence, a refund or cancellation, or no approved precedent.

Why DMA needs it: The limits are only real if code enforces them. A rule the AI is merely asked to follow can be talked around; a rule checked in code can't.

How we do it

Before any consequential action (a CRM change, an email, a booking, a price, a handoff), the tool asks the rule engine. It answers ALLOW, HOLD (a person must decide) or DENY, with the reasons, and the answer is logged.
The rules are DMA's settings, in plain words on the Rules page: which CRM fields the AI may write and how, which actions each worker may take, the email send limits, automatic pauses on bounces or complaints, the claims check, and the seven escalation triggers with who handles each.
Every rule is versioned. Changing one takes two people: one proposes it (and can test it against recent real decisions first), a different person approves it, and only then does it become active. Any version can be restored.
Escalations go to the person on DMA's roster for that trigger, with a backup and a response time. The AI stops on that thread until a person takes it.

The flow

It plays on its own while it's on screen; hover or use the controls to pause or step through.

Step 1 of 4

An action is about to happen

A tool is called: create a lead, send an email, hand a chat to a person.

AI
Stored data
Routing
Screen
Person
Rule in code

Where the data goes

The same six stages on every page. Nothing reaches Nutshell except through the write gate.

1A tool call
Source
Any consequential action from any worker.
2Sync
Copies Nutshell changes into the bridge database
Nutshell changes can re-trigger rules (for example a field changed by a person).
3Bridge database
A copy of the CRM data, plus what the AI works out
Holds the rules and their versions, and every decision.
4AI
Claude models, only through DMA's own gateway
The AI doesn't decide whether it may act; the engine does.
5Write gate
The only way back into Nutshell: checked, approved when needed, sent once
The write gate asks the engine again before anything is written.
6Nutshell
The system of record
Only allowed, approved changes reach it.

The tables behind it

Drawn from the POC's database catalogue: structure only, no data.

PK primary keyFK reference the database enforces (solid line)ID reference kept by id (dashed line)

Table	What it holds	Columns
ctrl.policy_rules	DMA's rules, one row per version: what it says, who proposed it and who approved it.	21
ctrl.decision_log	Every decision: allow, hold or refuse, the reasons and the trigger.	28
ctrl.escalations	Cases handed to a person: the trigger, who has it, and the deadline.	33
ctrl.roster	Who takes each escalation trigger, the backup and the response time.	10

How the tables connect (7)

Column	Points to	Kept by
ctrl.policy_rules.approval_id	ctrl.approvals	The application (by id)
ctrl.decision_log.agent_version_id	agent.agent_versions	The application (by id)
ctrl.decision_log.run_id	agent.runs	The application (by id)
ctrl.decision_log.conversation_id	conv.conversations	The application (by id)
ctrl.escalations.conversation_id	conv.conversations	The application (by id)
ctrl.escalations.run_id	agent.runs	The application (by id)
ctrl.escalations.decision_id	ctrl.decision_log	The application (by id)

Worked example

Synthetic demo data: every name, business and number is made up.

A visitor asks for a person: the rule engine at work

1 / 5

What you see

1.DMA's rules, in plain words

The Rules page shows every active rule as a sentence, with search.

localhost:13301/rules

Rules: DMA's settings, each as a plain sentence.

What happens in the system

Bridge databasectrl.policy_rules
Each rule is a version with its author and approver; only the active version is used.

Right-hand values come from a real run of the POC on September 25, 2026 (trace tr_muh5to4nxpbl16icb50m, tr_muh5to7f1f7s5ex202akt…). Rows marked “sample” are illustrative.

The rules active in the prototype, by kind, and what they cover.

DMA's rules today

Kind of rule	Active	What it decides
CRM field permissions	26	For each Nutshell field: may the AI write it, on its own or only with approval, and only if nobody changed it since
Escalation triggers	9	DMA's seven triggers, plus a hostile message and a legal threat, each with its person and urgency
Action allowlists	7	Which actions each tool server may take, and at what autonomy
Automatic pauses	2	Pause sending when bounces or complaints pass a threshold
Send limits	1	Daily email cap, per-inbox limits, sending hours, the undo window
Claims check	1	No prices, promises or unsourced numbers in anything the AI writes
Classification, approval links	2	How incoming text is classified; how one-tap email approval links behave

One rule, as a person reads it (escalation trigger 4)

Rule: The prospect asks for a person
Decision: HOLD: the AI stops on this threadRegardless of the deal's stage or value, as DMA's book says.
Goes to: Josh, with a backup if he doesn't respond in time
Changing it: Proposed by one person, approved by another, then active

In the running POC

localhost:13301/rules

1 / 5Rules: DMA's settings, each as a plain sentence.

1Search the rules.
2One rule, its kind and status.

Dashboard · Govern → Rules. Captured from the running POC on September 25, 2026; synthetic data.

See it live

Opens the exact screen in the running POC, in a new tab.

Open	Where	What to try
Rules	DMA AI dashboard	Every rule in plain words, its version and history.
Escalation roster	DMA AI dashboard	Who takes each trigger, and the backup.
Escalations	DMA AI dashboard	Open cases, their briefs and deadlines.

Status

Built in the POC

Built in the POC. This capability runs in the POC today, on synthetic data, end to end.