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Managing the Program Structure

The Program structure defines the order in which the Program items should appear in the call audio. The structure is defined using a flow chart. Each recognition task in the Program is represented in the flow chart by a rectangle, and the order of the flow is represented by arrows that connect the rectangles. If the Program has alternative flows, the flow chart can be branched to show the alternatives. If an item is optional, one branch can include the optional item while another does not. You can also define conditions for an optional section. For example, if a particular item would only appear in calls made by a particular agent, you could indicate that the link to the item is only for that agent.

Note: You cannot include loops in a Program structure. However, SpeechMiner can recognize the same item more than once in a call, as long as it meets the conditions in each case.

The Program structure is defined in the right pane of the Program Manager. By default, the structure is defined such that all of the items in the Program are sought throughout each call. In the structure diagram, this is indicated by a Start item with separate branches to each of the recognition tasks of the Program.

Note: Gray rectangles represent items that cannot be removed from the Program.

Default Program structure

You can fine tune the structure to increase the efficiency and accuracy of the recognition process using the following features:

- Modify the structure diagram: Specify the order in which the items must appear in the call, and indicate where branches may occur and which items are optional, by adding and removing arrows in the structure diagram
- Configure trigger properties: Set conditions for the links defined in the structure diagram, including conditions that the parent item must meet and metadata conditions that the call must meet (e.g, that the agent must be from a particular work group, or the call must have taken place after a certain date)
- Configure recognition tasks: Specify that the item must have taken place at a certain time in the call.

This section explains how to modify the structure diagram. For information about configuring triggers and recognition tasks, see Configuring Trigger Properties and Configuring Recognition Tasks.

## Structure Diagram Display Options

The structure diagram can be fairly large. It may not fit easily into the Structure pane. If it is too wide or long for the available space, scroll bars are added to the pane to enable you to see the entire structure.

The SMART interface also includes some display options that can help you see and manage the structure diagram more easily:

- Close the List pane so that the diagram can fill the entire right panel of the SMART window
- Display the diagram vertically or horizontally
- Display or hide details about the items in the diagram

### Closing and Opening the List Pane

You can hide the List pane to allow more space for the structure diagram.

List pane displayed

List pane hidden

To hide or display the List pane:

- In the display-control area above the List pane, click one of the following:
  - To hide the List pane when it is visible
  - To show the List pane when it is hidden

### Changing the Direction of the Diagram Display

The structure diagram can be displayed either horizontally (as in the illustrations above) or vertically.

Vertical structure diagram

To change the direction of the structure diagram:

- In the display-control area above the List pane, click .

### Displaying Item Details

You can choose to display or hide item details in the structure diagram. By default, the details are hidden.

Details displayed

To display or hide item details in the structure diagram:

- In the display-control area above the List pane, click .

## Creating a Child Link

A child link indicates that a particular item - the child item - should only be sought in a call after another item - the parent item - is found. That is, the parent item must always precede the child item. For example, you could specify that the Rate Discussion Topic can only appear after the Time Frame Topic.

To create a child link in the structure:

- Place the mouse cursor on the first item rectangle, hold down the left-mouse button, and drag the cursor to the second item rectangle. A line connecting the two items is displayed as you drag the mouse.

> Dragging the cursor to create a child link

> When you release the mouse button, the link is created. If the item was previously a child of the Start item, it becomes a child of the new item instead. If the item was previously a child of another item, both child links are retained.

> Rate Discussion linked as a child to Time Frame

> Note: When you create a link, SMART may rearrange the way all of the item rectangles are laid out in the structure area.

## Creating a Branch

You can create a branch in the Program structure by creating two child links from the item before the branch - one to each of the alternative branches of the Program.

To create a branch:

1. Create a link between the section that precedes the branch and one of the alternative sections of the branch.

2. Repeat the process by creating a second link from the section that precedes the branch to another of the alternative branches.

   The branch is created. (The arrangement of the section rectangles is modified as necessary to display the branches correctly.)

3. Repeat the process as necessary in order to create all of the required branches.

## Creating an Optional Link

An optional link is essentially an extra branch that contains an optional section. For example, if the agent only has to discuss a particular Topic in certain cases, but must continue with the rest of the flow in either case, you can create two branches, one with the Topic and the other without it.

To create an optional link:

1. Create a link from the section that precedes the optional section to the optional section. A branch is created for the optional section.
2. Create a link from the optional section to the next section of the Program. The branch "rejoins" the main flow of the Program.

   Optional branch containing Phone Service Topic

## Deleting a Link

You can delete existing links between items as necessary.

To delete an existing link:

1. Click the link. The selected link is displayed in yellow.
2. Press Del. The link is deleted. The arrangement of the item rectangles is modified as necessary to display the structure as it is currently defined. If you removed the only link from a parent item to a particular child item, the child item becomes a child of the Start item.

See also

Configuring Trigger Properties
Configuring Recognition Tasks
Creating a Blank Program
Adding Topics
Using Notes
Saving and Activating the Program