Decision management system with automated strategy optimization

Abstract

An apparatus and method for automatically optimizing a strategy of a decision management system. More specifically, a computer-implemented decision management system applies a strategy to determine actions to be taken, monitors performance based on the taken actions, and refines the strategy in accordance with the monitored performance. An end user of the system selects a part of the strategy for optimization, and selects criteria for optimizing the selected part of the strategy. The decision management system then automatically optimizes the selected part of the strategy in accordance with the selected criteria. The end user can decide whether or not to implement the optimized strategy in production.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer-implemented decision management process comprising: 
 applying a decision management strategy for controlling behavior of clients of an organization, the strategy being formed of components operating together;    determining results of the applied strategy;    selecting, by an end user of the process, a respective component forming the strategy for optimization;    selecting, by the end user, potential replacement components and performance metrics for the potential replacement components;    applying the selected potential replacement components to prior performance data of the clients;    determining results of the applied potential replacement components; and    automatically optimizing the selected component forming the strategy, in accordance with the determined results of the applied strategy, the determined results of the applied potential replacement components, and the metrics.    
     
     
         2 . A computer-implemented decision management process as in  claim 1 , wherein the selected performance metrics includes a threshold for the potential replacement components, said automatically optimizing replacing the selected component with a respective replacement component if performance improvement results of the respective potential replacement component satisfy the threshold.  
     
     
         3 . A computer-implemented decision management process as in  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the process of  claim 1  for the applied strategy.  
     
     
         4 . A computer-implemented decision management apparatus comprising: 
 means for applying a decision management strategy for controlling behavior of clients of an organization, the strategy being formed of components operating together;    means for determining results of the applied strategy;    means for selecting, by an end user of the process, a respective component forming the strategy for optimization;    means for selecting, by the end user, potential replacement components and performance metrics for the potential replacement components;    means for applying the selected potential replacement components to prior performance data of the clients;    means for determining results of the applied potential replacement components; and    means for automatically optimizing the selected component forming the strategy, in accordance with the determined results of the applied strategy, the determined results of the applied potential replacement components, and the metrics.    
     
     
         5 . A computer-implemented decision management apparatus as in  claim 4 , wherein the selected performance metrics includes a threshold for the potential replacement components, said means for automatically optimizing replacing the selected component with a respective replacement component if performance improvement results of the respective potential replacement component satisfy the threshold.  
     
     
         6 . A computer-implemented decision management apparatus as in  claim 4 , further comprising means for repeating each of the means of  claim 4  for the applied strategy.