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Debugging Decision Flow Logic

There may be errors in the design of a decision flow for several reasons:

• Human error may result in a decision flow that does not accomplish what you intended.
• If all paths do not lead to the Exit symbol, then Siebel ePricer fires the pricing factor with the next higher sequence number, which may or may not be part of the decision flow.
• If the decision flow includes a logical loop, ePricer will perform a defined number of iterations and then automatically ending the decision flow.

You must test the decision flow to avoid these problems.

Perform incremental testing to identify problems in individual pricing factors before you test an entire decision flow path. Isolate specific sections of each start or aggregate start decision flow path, and test the behavior of short sequences of pricing factors within these decision flow paths.

Both the Active flag and the sequence numbers are useful for testing the factors without using the decision flow, so you can make sure the individual factors are working before you introduce the added complexity of the decision flow:

• In addition to the decision flow, assign sequence numbers that establish sensible default logic for the firing sequence. Then, you can use this simple default sequence for initial testing and debugging.
• You can use the Active flag to turn a pricing factor on and off, which allows you to test individual factors and selected combinations of factors. (If a pricing factor that appears in a decision flow is inactive, the decision flow logic will treat that factor as if the conditions for execution were not met, and the control will follow the path marked N.)

To test the decision flow, you can create new pricing factors that serve as tracers, which you insert into the decision flow at key decision points within the decision flow logic. You can also modify an existing pricing factor to serve as a tracer. Create tracers with exaggerated price adjustments, to make it obvious when these pricing factors are firing. By inserting a tracer in different places, you can identify where the decision flow stopped working as you anticipated.

NOTE:  If you create tracers, be sure to remove them before releasing the model. A naming convention that identifies pricing factors as tracers will help in both testing and clean-up.