New features and changes in version 9.1.0

Agent Capacity Optimization

With the 9.1 release, Contact Optimization users can now also use Optimization over a branch or Agent channel. You use Agent Capacity Optimization to route high value offers through agents to high value consumers. By routing certain offers for select consumers through your agents, you assure one on one contact with high value consumers and increase the return on your marketing investment. To use Agent Capacity Optimization, while you create a Contact Optimization session, you must declare a campaign channel that is considered as an Agent channel. All offers that are proposed through this channel are routed through agents. You specify one Agent Information table and one Agent Customer Relationship table for your session. Then, you define a Cross Customer Min/Max # Offers Capacity rule on the Agent channel.

UpdateSessionTableStatistics

The UpdateSessionTableStatistics parameter adds a query for updating statistics of the PCT, RC, and POA tables during an Optimize Session run. You can tune this parameter at the session level without affecting other sessions. Keeping up-to-date index statistics can help improve the performance of the query on these tables. This parameter is also present in the global configuration settings of Optimize.

FICO replacement with iLog

Contact Optimization now uses IBM CPLEX® Solver to execute the mathematical calculations necessary to choose the best offer for each campaign target, replacing a non-IBM technology. Using IBM's own technology for optimization gives IBM the opportunity to ensure that roadmaps are well aligned and the product teams collaborate closely in the future, ensuring the Contact Optimization product always achieves top performance.

Enable Max Capacity Consumption

If you get Contact Optimization results that underutilized the Channel capacities, enable EnableMaxCapacityConsumption to reduce the loss of Channel Capacity. Then, rerun the Contact Optimization session. If the parameter is set to EnableMaxCapacityConsumption true, Contact Optimization uses an enhanced algorithm for trying to meet maximum constraints that are set in Cross Customer rules (Min/Max # Offers Capacity rule and Custom capacity rule). However, if this is used, the session run time might increase depending on the data that is provided to the session.

IBM EMM installation and upgrade improvements

The improvements to the installation and upgrade process include:

• Installation guides for all products have been rewritten and reorganized into separate installation and upgrade guides, to make information easier to find and use.
• The installers have been enhanced to include better descriptions of the information you need to enter and to clarify what steps to take during each stage of the installation.
• Each installer now provides links directly to the product's installation and upgrade guides, in either PDF or HTML formats.

Change in documentation regarding target cell spreadsheets

In the Contact Optimization User's Guide, the topic "The target control spreadsheet and pre-optimization flowcharts" should be "The target cell spreadsheet and pre-optimization flowcharts."

Also, do not relate TCS control cells to the Optimize process box in a pre-optimization flowchart. Declare control cells after optimization.