Pega^® Platform 7.4 provides the Embedded strategy shape, which simplifies the design of decisioning strategies that apply to multiple decision contexts.

Prior to release 7.4, you could use the Sub-strategy shape to configure multiple contexts for complex decisioning strategies. This complex task required extensive configuration and frequent switching between multiple strategy canvases. Now, the Embedded strategy shape provides a single-entry point where you can configure top-level decisioning strategies as well as substrategies that apply to various contexts, without having to switch between strategy canvases.

The Embedded strategy shape is associated with the pyDictionary rule where you can preconfigure the contexts for your decisioning strategies to make strategy configuration easier. Configuring the pyDictionary rule is optional. After you define the context dictionary, the Embedded strategy shape will be preconfigured with the applicable context.

Configuring the pyDictionary (Context Dictionary) rule in Customer Decision Hub

For more information, see Strategy components – Embedded strategy.

Example business use case for using the Embedded strategy shape

The following example use case illustrates the applicability and behavior of the Embedded strategy shape in complex decisioning strategies.

A decisioning strategy to target households in which the total family income exceeds a specific threshold

An insurance company would like to offer Payment Protection Insurance to all households with income that exceeds $150,000.00 a month. The company uses a decisioning strategy to determine a household's eligibility to receive the insurance offer. The strategy calculates the household income by totaling the income of each family member. Next, a Filter component qualifies only the households that have an income that exceeds $150,000.00 dollars to receive the insurance offer.

A decisioning strategy that uses the Sub-strategy component to determine the income for each family member in a household

Increased transparency through the Embedded strategy shape

In Pega Platform 7.4, you can configure the same decisioning strategy on a single strategy canvas by using the preconfigured Households and FamilyMembers contexts. The contexts that you include in the pyDictionary rule are available for selection on the strategy canvas as preconfigured Embedded strategy shapes. Configuring the pyDictionary rule is optional because you can configure a context directly on the strategy canvas as part of the Embedded strategy shape. The advantage of the pyDictionary rule is that it provides a single point of entry for configuring the contexts that you want to target with your decisioning strategies.

The pyDictionary rule in Designer Studio

The following strategy design demonstrates the increased transparency of strategies that include the Embedded strategy shape. In that strategy, the applicable distinct contexts and the corresponding strategy logic configuration can be clearly distinguished. What is more, the strategy designer can access substrategies and single components that are applicable to the targeted context without having to switch between multiple strategy rule forms. Each strategy that is configured within the Embedded strategy shape runs only within the context that applies to that shape.

For more information, see Enabling multiple audiences in decisioning strategies through the Embedded strategy shape.

A decisioning strategy that uses the Embedded strategy shape to differentiate between various contexts