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About the Design of Decision Flow Logic
The Pricing Factor Flow Chart Designer provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows you to:
- Define the decision flow logic for a pricing model. You can control the order in which pricing factors are executed by manipulating icons and arrows that represent pricing factors and decision flow path connections.
- Create pricing factors by dragging and dropping a Factor icon into the decision flow design area. You can double-click these icons to display a pricing factor in the Pricing Factor Designer and define it in detail.
The use of all the Pricing Factor Flow Chart Designer Palette icons is summarized in Table 42.
A complete decision flow path must include:
- A Start or Aggregate Start symbol connected with a Y connector to a factor symbol
- Both a Y and an N connector linking each factor symbol in the decision flow logic path to the next factor, or to the exit symbol
- One decision flow logic path that is valid for any value that the user might enter at runtime
Both the Start and Aggregate Start decision flow path should lead to one Exit symbol.
The following rules govern the operation of decision flow logic, for both complete and incomplete decision flow paths:
- If there is a Start symbol in a pricing model, the application starts from there. If there is no Start or Aggregate start symbol, the application starts with the pricing factor with the lowest sequence number.
- If a decision flow that begins at the Start symbol ends at the exit symbol, then the decision flow logic restarts at the Aggregate Start symbol (if an aggregate start decision flow path has been defined for the model).
- When Siebel ePricer processes a pricing factor:
- If the conditions for applying the pricing factor are met, Siebel ePricer applies the pricing factor's pricing adjustment, and then goes to the pricing factor identified by the Y connector in the decision flow logic, known as the next when true factor.
- If the conditions for firing a pricing factor are not met, Siebel ePricer goes to the pricing factor identified by the N connector, known as the next when false factor.
- Siebel ePricer continues to follow the decision flow sequence until its logic fails or it reaches an exit.
- If a needed connector is missing, then the model stops processing pricing factors. This occurs only if the connector is needed in the session: if one connector leading from a factor is missing, but the outcome of the factor does not require that connector, then Siebel ePricer continues by using the other path.
- If an error in the definition of the decision flow results in a logical infinite loop, ePricer performs a predefined number of iterations before ending the decision flow process. This number is defined the user property of the Pricing Manager business service that is named "Max number of execution allowed." For information about working with user properties, see Siebel Tools Reference.
- If the exit path is missing, then Siebel ePricer fires the pricing factor with the next higher sequence number, which may lead to unexpected results.
When you use the decision flow connectors, their logic is displayed in the Pricing Factor Designer form: the Next When True field contains the pricing factor that the Y connector points to, and the Next When False fields represents the pricing factor that the N connector points to.
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Pricing Administration Guide Published: 18 April 2003 |