The MarketFlow tab is a visual representation of solicitation process and allows you to easily keep track of and edit each step. You can construct your solicitation process, via a flowchart diagram. The MarketFlow nodes that can be used to build your solicitation logic are listed in the table below:
Topics:
To Build a MarketFlow
- Select a node from the Actions pane.
- Drag-and-drop the selected node to the Start node.
- Fill in the properties for the node.
- Repeat the previous steps as desired.
Actions
Actions are the pieces used to build a MarketFlow. Actions are processed from left to right and define the final stage of your TouchPoint. Each one carries out a specific task.
Name | Description | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Indicates the beginning of the MarketFlow solicitation logic. The start node is automatically populated in MarketFlow. |
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| These are the nodes you use to contact consumers. |
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| These nodes allow a specified amount of time or an event to occur before moving onto the next step. |
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| These nodes allow you to split your selected customers. You can split by one of the following options: Branch Manager, Custom Filter, Quick Branch, or Random. |
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| The Combine node provides a way to visually connect multiple nodes to a single input node, without needing a landing. |
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| These nodes allow you to leave your current branch and divert to a landing. |
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| These nodes create a target for a Go-To node. This is useful for common solicit logic that you use more than once. |
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| Allows for notes to be placed in the MarketFlow. | |
| Ends the current branch of solicit logic. |
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| Performs a job that consists of either a report or an external process |
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| Allows you to send notifications to the consumers. |
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Branches
Splitting Groups with Branches
Sometimes you may wish to divide selected customers into groups, possibly for test and control purposes. The Branch node allows you to create these groups.
To Split
Drag-and-drop a branch node onto an existing object in MarketFlow. This will present you with a radial menu with several different options.
- Custom Filter: Apply a filter which will create a True/False, two optioned branch. One option where records match the filter, and a second option for everything else.
- Quick Branch: Select from the Segment Identification field, or any other Pass-Thru field (if the selection stage has been run) and create one branch option per unique value of that field.
- Random: Choose a number of branch options to create. Customers will be distributed randomly among the options according to the assigned percentage of the total selection per option.
- Branch Manager: Allows creation of Custom Filter, Random, and Value Based quick branches, in more detail. Useful when creating more complicated multi-optioned branches.
Nth-ing Your Selection
It is not required to solicit every customer selected by TouchPoint. You can choose to only solicit a portion of the selected customers. For example, this functionality can be used when you have a fixed mailing budget. TouchPoint allows you to limit the number of selected customers to be contacted at any point in the MarketFlow.
How to Perform MarketFlow Nths
Drag the Nth object into the MarketFlow and attach it to another object. A radial menu will appear with three options:
- Nth by Segment: Limit the total number of the selection per segment that makes it past that point in the MarketFlow
- Global Nth: Limit the total number of the entire selection that makes it past that point in the MarketFlow
- Nth by Other Field: Limit the total number of the selection for a value of a Pass-Thru field that makes it past that point in the MarketFlow. (please note that using a field that contains many or unique values is not advised) Nthing by other fields required that the campaign has been submitted for selection and that the commit stage has been successfully run before values for the Pass-Thru field can be populated.
After you've selected your Nth method, you can then enter the amount of the selection you wish to keep by entering a number into the Nth column in the Nth Setup window. You may also choose the Priority (Random, Segment, or from any of your Pass-Thru fields) to perform a Ranked Nth, as well as the order in which the records should be sorted.
For example, if you wanted to select only the 1000 highest spending matches from a segment, you would find the row for that segment, enter "1000" in the Nth column, then set the Priority column to a Pass-Thu field that indicates amount spent, then set the Order column to Descending (A-Z). This will pick the 1000 matches with the highest spending amount to keep, and discard the rest.
Merge and Unmerge
Merge: The Merge button on the toolbar of the Nth Setup screen allows you to combine two or more rows of Nths into one. So, for instance, if you know you're going to be using the same Nth settings for multiple rows, you can highlight each of those rows, click the Merge button, and they will be combined into one row, so that you only need to enter your Nth settings once. Please keep in mind when merging rows that they will be combined into a single pool and the Nth limit that you apply will be applied to that merged pool of records, not to each row individually.
Unmerge: The Unmerge button allows you to highlight a Merged row and revert it back to an Unmerged state. This will Unmerge all the merged rows and will remove any Nth settings that may have been applied to the Merged row.
Creating an Output File
After dragging a touch node into the MarketFlow, you will have options to choose a solicit template to create an output file.
To Create an Output File
- Click the template drop-down list in the touch properties section
- Choose one of the pre-defined solicit template names.
- Enter in the appropriate values in the Touch Manager section.
Touch Manager
The Touch Manager dialog allows you to create additional splits and filters within a touch node.
- Add Filter(s) (
): Apply filters to each row. - Add Split (
): Manually generates splits. You can Add Multiple Splits at a time to a selected parent row using the drop down menu of this feature. - Frequency Splits (
): Automatically generates splits based upon available fields.
The Frequency Split Window
The Frequency Split window allows you to define a frequency split in the Touch Manager. For instance, adding a Segment_Desc field to the Selected Fields pane will create a split for each segment description in that campaign. You can see the description of each field added and the number of matches associated with each split in the Touch Manager grid. This works similar to the way a Frequency Split does in the Criteria Tab. The Touch Manager Frequency Split window has these options:
- Add (
)- Adds the highlighted field to the selected field pane. - Delete (
)- Deletes the highlighted field out of the selected field pane. - Clear (
)- Clears all the fields in the selected field's pane. - Filter ()- Opens the Filter window, allowing you to limit the values of the fields you are splitting by.
- Delete existing filters and splits - This deletes any existing filters and splits in the Touch Manager and replaces them with the new splits that are created. If this is not checked, the new splits are added in addition to the existing ones.
- Enter Values Manually - Enter the values you would like to be in the split.
- Suppress Blank/Missing Values - This prevents any empty values from appearing in the results of a Frequency Split if checked.
Frequency Splits
This option is only available if the TouchPoint campaign has been committed.
The Touch Manager Toolbar
The Touch Manager toolbar provides quick access to commonly used commands. Click an icon once to carry out the action.
Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| Creates a new filter. |
| Allows splits to be generated automatically based upon available fields. |
| Adds splits. |
| Deletes the selected row(s). |
| Copies the selected content. |
| Pastes the clipboard content. |
| Sets all rows in the column to the fill value. |
| Sequentially undo up to the last 20 actions. |
| Sequentially redo up to the last 20 actions. |
| Moves the selected row up. |
| Moves the selected row down. |
| Sorts the selected rows in ascending order. |
| Sorts the selected rows in descending order. |
| Expands the Touch Manager dialog to see all the details. |
Scheduling TouchPoint Campaigns
As discussed in the Scheduler section of this manual, MarketWide's Scheduler allows you to automatically run TouchPoint reports on a defined schedule without having to manually setup and run each query or campaign. Setting up automatic reports saves you the time and effort of manually running and constructing campaigns repetitively and prevents you from forgetting to execute important reports.
Using the Scheduler function, you can create a schedule and arrange the dates and frequencies of the reports that need to be run. Due to MarketWide's architecture, these reports can run even if you are not logged into MarketWide or even if your local computer is off. This way, you can have MarketWide perform campaigns just after a database update, even if the update takes place after-hours or over the weekend. When you log on to MarketWide, the main task screen will display the scheduled report and its job statistics when completed.
To Schedule a TouchPoint Campaign
- After building your TouchPoint, click Save (
). - Once you have saved your TouchPoint click on File > Schedule.
- In the Recurrence section, indicate whether you want a Single, Interval, Weekly, or Monthly report and enter the necessary information for the day on which you want it. Options vary for daily, weekly, and monthly reports. You may also set exceptions to exclude runs for weekends with the check-boxes.
- In the 'Recurrence' section, indicate the date on which you want your report recurrence pattern to begin and when you want it to end.
- Click Finish. The scheduled report appears in the Scheduler dialog.
- Click Close to exit the Scheduler dialog
The MarketFlow Menu and Toolbar
The MarketFlow toolbar provides quick access to commonly used commands. Click an icon once to carry out the action.
Icon | Description | Menu Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Creates a new TouchPoint campaign. | File > New |
| Opens a saved TouchPoint campaign. | File > Open |
| Saves the current TouchPoint campaign. | File > Save |
– | Allows you to select how and where the TouchPoint campaign is saved. | File > Save As |
| Opens a file from your local machine. | File > Local > Open |
| Saves the file to your local machine. | File > Local > Save |
| Opens the Print Preview window. | File > Print |
– | Opens the Campaign Report window. | File > Reporting > Campaign Report |
-- | Opens the Frequency Report window. | File > Reporting > Frequency Report |
-- | Opens the properties window and gives you options to configure output in the reporting tab. | File > Reporting > Configure |
| Opens the Scheduler module. | File > Schedule |
| Opens the Properties window. | File > Properties |
-- | Exits the TouchPoint module. | File > Exit |
| Sequentially undo up to the last 20 actions. | Edit > Undo |
| Sequentially redo up to the last 20 actions. | Edit > Redo |
| Copies the selected content. | Edit > Copy |
| Pastes the clipboard content. | Edit > Paste |
-- | Clears all the actions from the MarketFlow panel. | Edit > Clear MarketFlow |
| Opens the fill window, and sets all rows in the column to the fill value. | Edit > Fill |
-- | Puts the MarketFlow in a vertical view. | View > Orientation > Horizontal |
-- | Puts the MarketFlow in a horizontal view. | View > Orientation > Vertical |
| Zooms in on the MarketFlow. | View > Zoom > Zoom In |
| Zooms out on the MarketFlow. | View > Zoom > Zoom Out |
| Adjusts the current MarketFlow view to fit the screen. | View > Zoom > Zoom to Fit |
| Adjusts the current MarketFlow view to a 100% aspect ratio. | View > Zoom > 100% |
| Changes the actions panel to a standard view. | View > Standard |
| Changes the actions panel to a compact view. | View > Compact |
| Opens the Constraints window, allowing you to enter criteria for selecting contacts. | Query > Apply Constraints |
| Checks your campaign to see if it is valid prior to submitting or posting. | Query > Validate |
| Submits your open campaign for execution. | Query > Submit |
| Commits your campaign. | Query > Commit |
| Submits your MarketFlow for execution. | Query > Start |
| Allows you apply filters to the corresponding table. | Query > Table Filters |
| Allows you to select Pass-Thru fields to attach additional information to your selected customers. | Query > Pass-Thru Fields |
| Allows you to add/remove excludes. | Query > Excludes |
-- | Options pertaining to the MarketFlow grid. | MarketFlow > Grid |
-- | Commits the campaign and runs a simulation of the MarketFlow. | MarketFlow > Simulate |
| Allows you to add/remove solicitation excludes. | MarketFlow > Solicit Excludes |
| Opens the Select Template window and allows you to select a template to use for a campaign. | Campaign > Choose Template |
-- | Opens the Frequency Report Setup window. | Campaign > Matching Customers |
-- | Displays results of the MarketFlow, after it has been committed. | Campaign > Work Table |
-- | Allows you to view the customers from the current campaign, after the campaign has been posted. | Campaign > Posted Customers |
| Opens the Campaign tab in the Properties window to add tracking information. | Campaign > Campaign Tracking |
-- | Uncommits your campaign. | Campaign > Uncommit |
| Opens the TouchPoint Campaign Editor window and allows you to edit a template. | Tools > Launch TouchPoint Campaign Editor |
| Opens The TouchPoint Template Wizard window and allows you to edit a template. | Tools Manage > TouchPoint Templates |
| Opens the Solicit Template Wizard window and allows you to edit a template. | Tools > Manage Solicitation Templates |
-- | Opens the Options window. | Tools > Options |
-- | Displays help information about the MarketFlow tab. | Help > TouchPoint Help |
