Definitions for Rule Exceptions

Use the following fields when you define a rule exception for a Min/Max # Offers capacity rule.

Table 1. Rule exception fields

A two-column table describing the fields required for a rule exception.
Field Value

over the time period

  • A time period you specify applies the rule to all time periods with the specified duration. The duration is a number of days. In other words, the rule must be true for any time period specified. For example, you create a rule that says a maximum of 3 offers can be sent to any customer in a 30-day period. Contact Optimization does not allow any optimized offers, including offers already given in contact history, to exceed 3 in any 30-day window. This "sliding" or "rolling" window interpretation of the time period allows you to control your offer presentation strategy.

  • 0 represents "this optimization period." This value sets the minimum and maximum number of offers that are made over the entire time range for proposed contacts across all participating campaigns in this Contact Optimization session. That is, between the earliest and latest proposed dates in the PCT. When a value of zero is used, no sliding windows are used (The entire optimization period is considered as a single time window). In addition, contact history is not considered.

    You might rarely select 0 for the time period because Contact Optimization session time periods are often much greater than the exception.
For multiple days

Select the start and end date for this exception. For a single day, select the same start and end date, for example Jan 1, 2011-Jan 1, 2011. Select this exception should reoccur every year for these dates if appropriate. For example, if you have less staffing on New Year's Day every year, select this check box. This check box works for the dates that are specified only, such as January 1. It does not work for specific days, such as the third Thursday of November. In this case, you need to set the appropriate dates every year.

The current date is highlighted in the start date and end date calendar by default if both the values are not present. The first time that you set the start date, if you set the end date, the end date is highlighted. The first time that you set the end date, if you set the start date, the start date is highlighted.
Should be between Enter the minimum and maximum capacities for this rule exception. The default values are inherited from the parent rule. These values follow the same rules as the parent rule, for example, it might not be possible to meet the minimum constraint.

Examples of Rule Exceptions

In a Min/Max # Offers rule for a telemarketing operation, you might want to increase the number of phone calls made per week during the winter holiday season.

Parent Rule: "The number of offers from channel Telemarketing over the time period 7 day concerning offer/offer list Any Offer should be between minimum 0 and maximum 2,000."

Rule Exception: "Over the time period 7 for multiple days starting December 1, 2011 AND ending December 24, 2011 should be between minimum 1500 and maximum 3500." This rule increases the number of calls made between December 1st and December 24th. This exception should reoccur every year for these dates is selected because the start date does not change every year.

In a Min/Max # Offers rule for an email marketing campaign, you might want to decrease the number of emails sent immediately after the winter holiday season.

Parent Rule: "The number of offers from channel email over the time period 30 day concerning offer/offer list Any Offer should be between minimum 0 and maximum 30."

Rule Exception: "Over the time period 30 for multiple days starting January 1, 2011 AND ending January 31, 2011 should be between minimum 0 and maximum 15." This rule decreases the number of emails that are sent during the month of January to decrease contact fatigue after the holiday season. This exception should reoccur every year for these dates is selected because the start date does not change every year.