About the Decision process

The Decision process is the workhorse of the interactive flowchart. The Decision process divides the cells passed into the process into new cells based on configurable criteria. Each new cell creates a branch, like a decision tree.

An interactive flowchart can contain as many Decision processes as necessary. For example, the first Decision process in an interactive flowchart might create the cells HighValue, MediumValue, and LowValue. You can then have three more Decision processes, one for each of the first segments to divided them into more refined segments, for example FrequentShopper, Shopper, and RareShopper.

When an interactive flowchart runs on the runtime server, only one customer at a time goes through the flowchart. If a branch is empty, the runtime environment does not process that branch nor its child branches.

The Decision process can take input only from a process which creates cells, such as an Interaction, Decision, Sample, or Select process.

Configuring the Decision process is a two step process. First you must select the input cells, second, you must configure the branches.

To configure the Decision process

To configure Decision process branches

To configure the Decision process

1.	In an interactive flowchart in Edit mode, add a Decision process to the flowchart workspace.

2.	Provide input to the Decision process by connecting it to one or more data manipulation processes.

Data manipulation processes include Interaction, Decision, Sample, or Select.

3.	Double-click the Decision process.

The Process Configuration window appears displaying the Decision tab.

4.	Select a source cell from the Input drop-down list.

5.	Select Create Mutually Exclusive Branches if you want the created segments to be mutually exclusive.

If you want a branch to contain all the remaining customer IDs, you must select Create Mutually Exclusive Branches.

6.	Configure the branches.

7.	(Optional) Click the General tab to assign a name and notes to the process.

The name appears on the process in the flowchart. The notes appear when you mouse over the process in the flowchart.

Click OK.

The process is configured and appears enabled in the flowchart.

To configure Decision process branches

1.	In the Decision process on the Decision tab, do one of the following:

Select a branch and click Edit to edit the branch condition.

Click Add Branch to create a new branch.

Select a branch and click Remove to delete a branch.

2.	In the Edit or Add a Branch window, enter a Branch Name.

3.	If you do not want to create a query, or to select all remaining customers, choose Select All Customer IDs.

Choosing Select All Customer IDs is useful if this Decision process is after several data manipulation processes and the Customer IDs have already been filtered by previous processes.

To select all remaining customers, you must select Mutually Exclusive Branches on the Decision Process Configuration dialog. If you do not select Mutually Exclusive Branches, this branch selects all customer IDs connected to the Decision process.

Select Customer IDs With is selected by default, and the query builder is active.

4.	Select a table from the Select Based On drop-down list.

5.	Create a condition for the branch using queries.

Click OK.

The Add or Edit a Branch window closes and you return to the Decision tab of the Decision process. You can continue to configure branches or finish configuring the Decision process.