Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for determining optimal parameter settings for business initiative testing models

A system for determining optimal parameter settings for business initiative testing software used for testing initiatives for business locations included in a business network, the system including:

• a computer configured to:
• identify a business initiative testing model having a set of parameter settings;
• selecting a first parameter setting set for performing the virtual test, the first parameter setting set including a set of selected parameter setting options each respectively corresponding to one of the parameter settings for the business initiative testing model;
• execute a virtual test on a set of virtual test sites, each virtual test site reflecting a selected business location in the business network, wherein each virtual test is a simulated business initiative test for-test sites where no actual initiative test has been implemented at those test sites, and wherein the virtual test is performed on the virtual test sites using a variation of each parameter setting;
• determine actual performance data associated with the set of virtual test sites;
• determine actual performance data associated with a set of control group sites reflecting second selected business locations in the business network using the tested parameter settings;
• determining a noise value for the first parameter setting set, the noise value reflecting an inconsistency between performance data associated, with the set of virtual test sites and performance data associated with the set of control group sites reflecting second selected business locations in the business network using the tested parameter settings;
• determine a set of optimal parameter settings for the business initiative testing model based on results from the virtual test whereby the optimal parameter settings best minimize noise from the results;
• and
• configure the business initiative testing model using the optimal parameter settings to a test on a business initiative to apply to the business network.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions for, when executed by a processor, performing a method for determining optimal parameter settings for business initiative testing software used for testing initiatives for business locations included in a business network, the method comprising:

• identifying, by a computer, a business initiative testing model having a set of parameter settings;
• selecting a first parameter setting set for performing the virtual test, the first parameter setting set including a set of selected parameter setting options each respectively corresponding to one of the parameter settings for the business initiative testing model;
• performing, by a computer, a virtual test on a set of virtual test sites, each virtual test site reflecting a selected business location in the business network, wherein each virtual test is a simulated business initiative test using a variation of each parameter setting and is performed on test sites where no actual initiative test is performed on the virtual test sites;
• determining, by a computer, actual performance data associated with the set of virtual test sites;
• determining, by a computer, actual performance data associated with a set of control group sites reflecting second selected business locations in the business network using the tested parameter settings;
• determining a noise value for the first parameter setting set, the noise value reflecting an inconsistency between performance data associated, with the set of virtual test sites and performance data associated with the set of control group sites reflecting second selected business locations in the business network using the tested parameter settings;
• determining, by a computer, a set of optimal parameter settings for the business initiative testing model based on results from the virtual test whereby the optimal parameter settings best minimize noise from the results;
• and
• configuring, by a computer, the business initiative testing model using the optimal parameter settings to test a business initiative to apply to the business network.

A method for testing business initiatives comprising:

• receiving, by a computer, a request to test a business initiative to be applied to a set of business locations in a business network;
• determining, by a computer, actual performance data associated with a set of virtual test sites;
• determining, by a computer, actual performance data associated with a set of control group sites reflecting second selected business locations in the business network using the tested parameter settings;
• configuring, by a computer, a business initiative testing model based on the request and a default set of parameter settings for the model, each default parameter setting having a set of parameter setting options and the default set of parameter settings reflecting optimal parameter settings for the model that are determined by identifying a combination of parameter setting options that produce the least amount of noise during iterations of a set of virtual business initiative tests performed for selected virtual test sites, wherein each virtual test is a simulated business initiative test performed on test sites where no actual initiative test has been implemented at those test sites and wherein noise is a measurement of inconsistency between performance data associated with the set of virtual test sites and performance data associated with the set of control group sites reflecting second selected business locations in the business network using the tested parameter settings;
• and
• testing, by a computer, the business initiative using the configured business initiative testing model to produce results reflecting a predicted performance of the business initiative if applied to the set of business locations.