Patent ID: 8571916

Claim:
A method for determining optimal parameter settings for business initiative testing software used for testing initiatives for business locations included in a business network, 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 performed on 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; 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 for application in the business network.