# Getting Started

## Overview

conversionflow-aggregate is a sophisticated customer journey analytics platform that combines Bayesian network modelling with genetic algorithm optimisation. This guide will help you get the system running quickly and understand the basic workflow.

## Prerequisites

- **Python 3.9 or higher**
- **8GB RAM minimum** (16GB recommended for large datasets)
- **2GB free disk space**
- **Git access** to the repository

## Quick Installation

The fastest way to get started is using the automated setup script:

```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/tandpds/conversionflow-aggregate.git
cd conversionflow-aggregate

# Make the pipeline script executable
chmod +x run_pipeline.sh

# Complete automated setup
./run_pipeline.sh --mode=setup
```

This command will:
- Create a Python virtual environment
- Install all required dependencies
- Validate the installation
- Run basic system checks

## Verification

Test your installation with a quick validation:

```bash
# Run integration test (30 seconds)
./run_pipeline.sh --mode=test
```

If successful, you should see:
```
✓ ALL TESTS PASSED - System working correctly
✓ Environment validated
✓ Dependencies confirmed
```

## Your First Analysis

Run the Italy market optimisation example:

```bash
# Quick optimisation using pre-computed parameters (3-4 seconds)
./run_pipeline.sh --mode=italy
```

For the complete end-to-end pipeline including Bayesian model fitting:

```bash
# Full pipeline with MCMC estimation (7-8 minutes)
python scripts/run_full_italy_pipeline.py
```

## Understanding the Output

The system generates several types of output:

### Executive Summary
Professional reporting suitable for business stakeholders, including:
- Budget allocation recommendations
- Conservative improvement estimates
- Implementation guidance

### Technical Results
Detailed analytical outputs including:
- MCMC diagnostics and validation
- Genetic algorithm convergence metrics
- Statistical confidence intervals

### Visualisations
Charts and diagrams including:
- Customer journey flow diagrams
- Budget allocation distributions
- Performance improvement projections

## Next Steps

- Read the [User Guide](user-guide.md) for detailed usage instructions
- Review [Configuration](configuration.md) for customisation options
- Consult [Architecture Overview](architecture/overview.md) for technical details

## Common Issues

**Installation Problems:**
```bash
# Clean reinstall if needed
./run_pipeline.sh --mode=setup --force
```

**Memory Errors:**
Reduce computational requirements in configuration files if running on systems with limited RAM.

**Permission Issues:**
Ensure you have read/write access to the project directory and subdirectories.

For comprehensive troubleshooting, see [Troubleshooting Guide](troubleshooting.md).