Interactive flowcharts

Interactive flowcharts are similar to Unica Campaign batch flowcharts when used to create strategic segments.

You use batch flowcharts in Unica Campaign to complete a sequence of actions on your data for executing your campaigns. Batch flowcharts are made up of processes, which you configure to perform the actual data manipulation that is required for your campaign. When you use batch flowcharts in sessions, you create persistent data constructs, such as strategic segments, that are available globally to all campaigns. A strategic segment is a list of IDs created in a session and made available to all campaigns. A strategic segment is no different from other segments (such as those created by the Segment process) except that it is available globally, for use in any campaign.

Interactive flowcharts fulfill a similar purpose to assign visitors to your touchpoints into segments. Each interactive flowchart is made up of processes, which you configure to assign visitors to segments. Interactive flowcharts also create segments that are available globally to any interaction strategy for a corresponding interactive channel in any campaign. However, segments that are created by interactive flowcharts are different from those created in batch flowcharts. Segments that are created by batch flowcharts are a list of IDs. Segments that are created by interactive flowcharts, called smart segments, are the definition of which customers must be in the segment.

Interactive flowcharts are meant to function in real time, working with one visitor at a time. After deploying the interactive flowchart to a runtime server, an instance of each flowchart exists for every active visitor to your touchpoint. Each visitor runs through the interactive flowcharts to be assigned to smart segments in real time. You can configure interactive flowcharts to reference data in your production data source and data that is collected in real time from the touchpoint.

Interactive flowcharts can have one audience level per flowchart. However, you can have many interactive flowcharts per audience level.

As you design your interactive flowcharts, you must remember that interactive flowchart performance is different from batch flowchart performance. These flowcharts are run in real time. If it takes too long for the perfect advertisement to load on your website, your customer might go to a different site. When designing flowcharts, you must work in tandem with your touchpoint administrator, balancing your segmentation requirements with your touchpoint performance requirements. Some design considerations that you should discuss with your touchpoint administrator include the number of interactive flowcharts to run per audience level and the number of times you require a database lookup.

Since interactive flowcharts run on the runtime server and not within the design environment, you cannot run an interactive flowchart in Unica Campaign. However, you can perform a test run of an interactive flowchart within Unica Campaign.