When you create a session in Optimize, you can select a template table. The template table is a table that you can create in your database to append customized fields to the PCT and to the OCT. If you select a template table for your session, the PCT and OCT contains the fields from that template table along with the predefined fields specified in the UACO_OCTBASE table, and the audience level that you choose when creating a session.

Your optimization template table should not include fields that are also included in the following:

The audience level you have chosen for your Optimize session. For example, if you have chosen Customer as your session’s audience level, and that audience level contains a field called CustomerID, you should not include an optimization template table field of the same name.

The UACO_PCTBase table. For example, you should not include an Optimize template table field named ScorePerOffer or CostPerOffer, since these are fields in the UACO_PCTBase table.

The repetition of the field name can cause confusion when Optimize retrieves information from the ContactHistory table.

You should create a single physical database table that contains all possible customized fields that you might want to use in an Optimize session. This practice is preferable to creating separate physical tables, each with its particular pairing of fields, for each session. For example, instead of creating two optimization template tables, one with fields A, C, and E, and another with fields B and D, it is better to create one database table with fields A, B, C, D, and E.

You can then create standard database views that include the permutations you want, based on the same physical table. Each view you create represents a separate optimization template table that you can use in an optimization session.

You may need to include a Segment process in your post-optimization flowchart, to divide customer IDs back into their individual packages. Packages originate from a Optimize process. To select the Optimize process, or package, as the field by which you want to segment, you must include a field in the optimization template table that will act as this signifier. For example, you might include a field called OptimizeProcess in your optimization template table, which you later select as the field by which to segment.

By default, the PCT template contains the ScorePerOffer field which you can use when assigning scores in an optimization session. However, Optimize can use any numeric field in the template table for scores in an optimization session. The ScorePerOffer field has a float data type, so if you must use another data type for your scores, you need to either create a new column in your template table or edit the existing score column. You may also have several types of scores that you are comparing to determine which is most optimal for a particular Optimize session. By creating many possible score fields in your template table, you can easily switch between score types when configuring your optimization sessions without requiring each of the participating campaigns and flowcharts to be rerun.