A rules engine for structured threshold questions.
Notification Needed turns defined questions into deterministic, traceable first-pass assessments. Regulatory screening is the starting point. The method works wherever rules lead to outcomes.
The problem this solves
Too much early analysis still happens in rushed calls, half-remembered thresholds and scattered notes. A team gets a new deal, a new reporting period or a new policy question and the first step is often "does this even apply to us?" That question has a structured answer, but the path to it is usually informal and hard to review.
The result is wasted time when the answer was straightforward, and missed obligations when the question was harder than it looked.
How the engine works
Each pack takes a defined question, identifies the inputs that drive it, encodes the logic into a deterministic rules path and returns an indicative result with the full reasoning visible.
The engine checks each rule in a fixed order. It resolves which path the inputs lead to. It shows the route that produced the outcome, the thresholds that were met or missed and the points that still need human judgement.
This approach works best where the question is narrow enough to model carefully. It is not trying to handle open-ended analysis, disputed facts or strategic advice.
What the engine covers today
The current live packs are regulatory proofs of concept:
- CCA acquisition screening: checks whether a proposed acquisition likely triggers a mandatory notification under Part IVA of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), including nexus, control, revenue thresholds and obvious carve-outs.
- Modern slavery reporting: checks whether an entity is likely to be a reporting entity under the Modern Slavery Act, including business presence, revenue and exclusions.
Both demonstrate the method and its limits. The engine is designed to support additional packs over time.
Where else this applies
The same engine pattern works for any question where defined inputs pass through fixed rules to reach an outcome. Beyond regulatory thresholds, that includes:
- Internal policies: does this transaction require board approval? Does this vendor meet our onboarding criteria?
- Eligibility screening: does this applicant qualify under a defined scheme or programme?
- Compliance triage: which periodic filings apply to this entity given its structure and jurisdiction?
- Procurement and contracting: does this engagement trigger specific approval, disclosure or conflict-of-interest rules?
If the question is structured enough to encode and important enough to explain properly, it fits.
Distribution and embedding
The engine is designed to be embedded. An adviser, firm or compliance team could take a decision pack and make it available as:
- A client-facing screening tool that gives a fast, traceable first view before the detailed engagement starts.
- A business development entry point where a triggered requirement refers the user to the adviser for detailed assessment.
- An internal triage step that standardises how a team runs a recurring check across matters or reporting periods.
This is the direction the product is heading. The current packs are being tested in the open to demonstrate the method and build confidence in the approach.