ATT DEFINITY Communications System Generic 3 Instructions Manual

							Expert Agent Selection (EAS)
Issue  3   March 1996
3-707
Administration of Skills
Skills are used in three distinct areas:
nSkills administered for a VDN 
nSkills administered for an ACD Ag ent Login ID 
nSkills active for an ACD Caller via vector commands 
It is imp ortant to note that  a particular Skill number always has the same 
meaning, whether it is called an Agent Skill,  VDN Skill, or Caller Skill. For 
example, if Skill 127 means Spanish speaking,  then Agent Skill 127, VDN Skill 
127, and Caller Skill 127 all mean Spanish speaking.
Up to three different Skills c an b e administered  to a VDN in a prioritized manner. 
The first or primary Skill administered to a  VDN would be the Skill that is  
required or desired to service a call to that VDN. The second (secondary) and 
third (tertiary) Skills are optionally administered to a VDN and represent other 
Skills that are allowed to handle calls to that VDN.
Call Distribution
Using Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) queuing and the vector commands 
‘‘queue-to main’’ and ‘‘check-backup,’’  the incoming call is matched to an agent 
who has at least one of the three Skills required to handle the call.
Skill hunt groups replace ACD sp lits when EAS is optioned on the Hunt-Group 
Form.
The hunt group form supports Expert  Agent Distribution (EAD) in the ‘‘Type’’ field 
when EAS is optioned.  When EAD is optioned, a new call to the hunt group 
results in a search for the most-idle primary agent. Only if no primary agents are 
available, the call goes to the most-idle secondary agent.  This distributes a call 
to an a gent b est able to handle the call if multiple agents (primary and 
secondary)  are available.
The Multiple Split Queuing feature is used to allow calls to queue up to three Skill 
hunt groups simultaneously. Agents can log in with up to four Skills at any one 
time.   Each of the a gent’s Skills are administered as a primary Skill  or a 
secondary Skill. The ACD software distributes any call waiting  for one of the 
agent’s primary Skills when the agent becomes available.   If no calls waiting are 
found for a primary Skill, the q ueued calls for secondary Skills are distributed to 
the agent.
With Multiple Call Handling, available with G3V3 and later releases, an agent can 
be interrupted with an additional ACD call either after putting a call on hold, or 
when the agent is active on another ACD call. Seethe Multiple Call Handling 
feature for more information. 
						

							Feature Descriptions
3-708Issue  3   March 1996 
EAS Logical Agent
With Logical Agent, an agent’s ACD Login ID is  associated with a particular 
voice terminal only when the a gent actually logs in at that terminal. When the 
agent logs off, the association of an agent’s ACD Login ID with a particular voice 
terminal is removed. The  ACD  Login IDs used by the EAS capability are 
extension numbers used out of the switch’s normal station numbering plan, and 
are administered using a new Agent Login ID form.
When the ACD Login ID is called, the call is routed to  the associated voice 
terminal. With the proper class of restriction (COR), the call could be treated as a 
direct agent call.  Otherwise, the  call is treated as a  normal (personal) call.
Agent Login IDs are a dministered via an ‘‘Agent Login ID’’ form. The form 
includes items such as the agent’s name, COR, coverage path, AUDIX, security 
code, login password, ‘‘Skills,’’ and ISDN call display option. These attributes 
override the physical voice terminal attributes when the agent logs in.
When EAS is o ptioned, an EAS agent becomes associated with one or  more Skill 
hunt groups upon login.
The Call Management System (CMS) is able to change an agent’s Skill 
assignments. With G3V4 and later releases, one skill can be added, deleted or 
moved simultaneously for a group of up to 32 agents. See the Move Agents 
From CMS feature for more information.
It is important to note that Generic 3 c an have either splits or Skill hunt groups to 
determine where to route the call (not both simultaneously). Non-ACD hunt 
groups can exist with either splits or Skill hunt groups. Skill hunt groups are 
required when using EAS.
When EAS is optioned, a single work mode b utton applies to all the Skills 
assigned to the agent currently log ged in. Hunt groups are not assigned to work 
mode buttons, therefore, logged-in EAS  Agents need only a single set of 
work-mode buttons for all ‘‘Skills.’’ 
An EAS  agent  administered with at least one measured Skill is automatically 
measured by CMS independent of  whether any other Skills assigned to the 
agent are measured.
Direct Agent Calling
ACD calls can be transferred by one agent to another a gent using the Direct 
Agent Call feature which is initiated by the dialing of an EAS agent’s Login ID  or 
Adjunct Routing route-to numb er vector steps. A Direct Agent call can be 
originated to a particular agent using Call Promp ting .
Calls to an agent’s Login ID are treated as Direct Ag ent calls if the originator and 
the  receiver have the ‘‘Direct Agent Calling’’ class of restriction. Direct Agent 
calls can be originate d by stations or  trunks (with the proper COR).  If the  
						

							Expert Agent Selection (EAS)
Issue  3   March 1996
3-709
originator or receiver does not  have the proper COR, the call is treate d as a 
normal non-ACD (personal) call.
Expert Agent Selection
The EAS feature matches a caller whose call requires certain VDN Skills to an 
agent who has at least one of the required Agent Skills. Each Skill  has  an 
associated Skill hunt group  administered similar to a vector-controlled hunt 
group. As mentioned earlier, Skill  hunt groups replace splits when EAS is 
optioned.
Agents can have up to four Skills ad ministered for each Login ID.  Each agent 
Skill is d esignated as a primary or secondary Skill.
The ‘‘queue-to main skill’’ and ‘‘check-backup skill’’ call vectoring commands  
allow the specification of which VDN Skill (1st, 2nd, 3rd), or which specific Skill (1 
through 255) a c all is to be queued to. Having Skills assigned to VDNs allows the 
same vector to be used by multiple VDNs which require d ifferent Skills. Allowing 
a specific Skill gives the user the same vectoring capabilities that non-Skill 
vectoring provides. Caller Skills become active for an ACD call when a 
Queue-To-Main-Skill command is executed or a Check-Backup-Skill command  is 
executed and the threshold condition is met. Once a Skill is active for an ACD 
Caller, the ACD Caller cannot be delivered to an available ACD agent unless the 
agent also has one of the active Caller Skills.
An ACD call can be queued to up to three different Skill hunt groups at one time. 
This is done by executing multiple Queue-To-Main-Skill/Check-Ba cku p-Skill 
commands to different Skills. Subsequent “queue-to main skill” and 
“check-backup skill” commands to the same skill can be use d to change the 
priority of the caller.
Since the EAS feature adds to the existing Call Vectoring  command set, the full 
flexibility of Call Vectoring can be used to the advantage of the EAS feature. R3 
CMS supports EAS with the changed vector  administration, VDN administration,  
as well as the ability to incorporate  Skills into real-time and historical reports.
Examp le EAS a p plications are described in 
DEFINITY Communications System 
Generic 3 Call Vectoring/Expert Agent Selection (EAS) Guide
, 555-230-520.
Publishing Login ID Extensions Instead of
Physical Extensions
Telemarketing managers may wish to only p u blish the Login ID for agents in 
applications where the agents move from desk to desk (voice terminal to voice 
terminal). Users are a ble to call the agent without knowing at which physical 
voice terminal the a gent resides. An optional p assword has been ad ded to the 
login sequence to provide additional security. 
						

							Feature Descriptions
3-710Issue  3   March 1996 
Direct Agent Calling
Direct Agent Calling allows users to call agents and have the call treated as an 
ACD call (for example, zip tone answer, queuing, after call work, CMS measured 
as ACD).  Using EAS  capabilities, any call (which has the proper class of 
restrictions) to the Login ID is treated as a Direct Agent call.
Internal and external users can originate Direct Agent calls.   An application for 
external users is the insurance industry.  People can call their particular claims 
adjuster and have the call treated as an ACD call.
Class of Restriction
A byproduct of the EAS capabilities allows for a p plications which are not calls 
These a p plications could use the EAS capability of allowing a Class of Restriction 
to follow a user.  Suppose you are in a manufacturing environment where 
assembly-line workers are not allowed to make outgoing calls.  The voice 
terminals in the manufacturing area can be restricted from making outgoing 
calls.  If a manager tours the manufacturing area and wants to make an outgoing 
call, the manager can ‘‘log in’’ using a feature access code and make an 
outgoing call (assuming the manager’s login is not outward  restricted). The same 
is true for the facility restriction level (FRL); the manager’s FRL and not the 
extension’s FRL would b e used to place the call.
Considerations
When EAS is enabled, all agents must be administered as EAS agents via the 
Login ID administration form. Login ID administration and hunt group 
administration can be done prior to enabling the feature.
Agents become logical entities and not physical entities. However, physical 
attributes of a voice terminal, such as button  administration and automatic 
answer, do NOT follow the a gent. 
The Skill hunt group in which a Direct Agent call is q ueued is determined by the 
first skill the agent has been logged into. CMS tracks the q ueue time for the 
Direct Agent call to this Skill, unless it is not measured. If the agent’s first lo g ged 
into Skill is not measured, CMS credits the agent Login ID with the Direct Agent 
call, but no queue time is tracked. 
EAS a gent Login IDs are also tracked for personal calls. The first Skill an EAS 
Agent is logg e d into (whether primary or secondary) is used b y CMS for 
measurements on  personal calls. If the first logged-into Skill is unmeasured, 
CMS credits the agent Login ID with the personal call, but no Skill hunt group is 
credited with the personal call. 
						

							Expert Agent Selection (EAS)
Issue  3   March 1996
3-711
Caller Interactions
The caller does not experience any new interface or interactions when Expert 
Agent Selection  is  enabled.   The  full  power of Call Vectoring can be used with 
EAS to customize the treatment to the c aller. The call is d elivered to an agent with 
the proper Skill, so in that sense the caller gets better service.
Agent Login Procedure
The login procedure for EAS a gent is very similar to the existing login procedure.
The agent goes off hook on an idle call appearance.  The agent dials the login 
feature access code and second dial tone is given. The agent dials a 1 to 5 d i git 
EAS agent Login ID  (the number must be consistent with the switch dial plan). If 
the password length is 0 digits, the agent hears confirmation tone if the Login ID 
is valid. If the password is greater than 0 d i gits, then the agent is given dial tone 
again. The agent then dials a p assword of 1 through 9 digits optionally followed 
by ‘‘#.’’ If the Login ID and password entered are valid (administered on the 
‘‘Agent Login ID’’ form), the agent hears confirmation tone. If the a gent is not 
logg e d into any of the administered skills, the intercept tone is given. The Skills 
an agent has assigned are displayed on the second line (or first line on 
single-line display terminals) of the a gent’s voice terminal d isp lay in the format 
‘‘Skills: Tnnn, Tnnn, Tnnn, Tnnn,’’ where the Skill type ‘‘T’’ is displayed as ‘‘p’’ or 
‘‘s,’’ and ‘‘nnn’’ (left justified, no leading zeros) is the Ag ent Skill number. This 
display is shown u pon completion of logging in and remains  for five seconds 
unless the agent goes on-hook or the display is overwritten.
If the Login ID entered is not valid, the agent hears the intercept tone. If another 
agent is already logged in at that physical terminal, the a gent hears intercept 
tone. If the maximum number of agents are currently logged in, then the login is  
denied and the agent hears reorder (in other words, fast  busy) tone. If the Login 
ID is already logged in, the login is denied and the agent hears intercept tone.
Logout Procedure
To log out, the agent goes off hook on an idle appearance and dials the logout 
feature access code.   The a gent hears the confirmation tone if the agent is 
logg e d in. If the a gent is not log g ed in, the agent is given an intercept tone.
NOTE:
The a gent d oes not login and logout for each Skill.
Calling an EAS Agent
Independent of the CORs for Direct Agent calling, to call an EAS Agent,  the 
originator dials the Login ID extension. The call is extended to the physical 
extension associated with the Login ID. The originator can be internal to the  
						

							Feature Descriptions
3-712Issue  3   March 1996 
switch or external.  The originator  hears the same tones that the originator would 
hear when calling a physical extension. The call goes to the Login ID’s coverage 
path if a busy condition or ringing time out occurs as indicated in  Table 3-57.
After dialing the Login ID, the originator’s display shows the name associated 
with the Logical Agent and not the physical extension’s name where the agent is 
logg e d in. All station features for the originator and the agent should work as if 
the call had b een ma de to the physical extension, except for messaging features 
such as leave word calling, which a p ply to the Login ID extension.
Making a Direct Agent Call to the Agent
The user makes a Direct Agent call by calling the agent’s Login ID. If the 
originator’s or agent’s COR restricts the call from  being a Direct Agent call, the 
call is treate d as a personal (normal) call (for example, ring on an idle 
appearance).  Otherwise, the call is treated as a Direct Agent call.
Single Set of Work Mode Buttons
EAS Agents need only a single set of work-mode buttons for multiple Skills. With 
the EAS feature, a gents always are allowed to go to the AUX work-mode state for 
all logg e d-into Skills by pressing a single AUX work-mode button even though 
the agent may have a call waiting in-queue (or be the last logged-in a gent) for a 
particular Skill.
Message Waiting Lamp
With G3V4 a n d later releases, the Message Waiting Lamp  by d efault tracks the 
status of messages waiting for the lo g ged in EAS agent LoginID rather than 
messages for the physical terminal. The operation of the Message Waiting Lamp 
can be changed so that it tracks the status of messages waiting for the physical 
terminal where the agent is logged in. See the Feature-Related 
System-Parameters form in 
DE FI NITY  C omm uni c a tions System Generic 3 
Version 4 Imp lementation
, 555-230-655, or DEFINITY Communications System 
Generic 3 V2/V3 Implementation
, 555-230-653, for more information. Table 3-57. Call Progress Through Called Login ID Coverage 
Path
Agent StatusCall Progress Through Called Login ID’s 
Coverage Path
With Coverage No Coverage 
Agent lo g ged in:
Ringing time out
Busy (no a p pearances)ring coverage
busy coveragec ontinue ringing
b usy tone
Agent logged out busy coverage busy tone 
						

							Expert Agent Selection (EAS)
Issue  3   March 1996
3-713
Adjunct Interactions
ASAI
ASAI support for EAS may be broken into the following categories:  call control, 
feature requests, value queries, event notification, and adjunct-controlled splits. 
This section provides a high level overview of the behavior of ASAI in the G3V2 
EAS environment.
Call Control
Call control c a pabilities work exactly the same in the EAS environment as in the 
traditional ACD environment except for the following:
1. User classified third party make calls (c alls classified by originator), may 
originate from an EAS Login ID, and terminate to a Login ID.  User 
classified calls terminating to a Login ID are given Direct Agent treatment 
just as they would be if dialed from a station extension.
2. Switch classified third party make calls (calls classified by a call classifier 
board;  answered calls are delivered to originating hunt group), may 
originate from or terminate to EAS Login IDs.
3. Direct Agent third party make calls (ACD call terminate d to a selected 
mem ber of an ACD split), may be requested by including a Direct Agent 
option, an agent’s physical extension and a split extension (compatibility 
mode), or by requesting a user classified third party make call with a 
Login ID destination.  The primary d ifferences b etween the two methods of 
requesting Direct Agent calls are that the comp atibility mode allows the 
adjunct to sp ecify the split that a given Direct Agent call is queued to, and 
the non-compatibility mode allows the adjunct to direct the call to a Login 
ID, regardless of which station an a gent is logged into. Direct Agent calls 
may not originate from an EAS Login ID.
4. Supervisor assist third party make calls (supervisor assist calls originated 
by a selected memb er of an ACD split), may originate from a EAS Login ID 
and may terminate to an EAS Login ID. Unlike dialed Direct Agent calls, 
supervisor assist calls terminated to a Login ID behave as though they 
had been directed to the requested Login ID’s physical extension, for 
example, they do not cover if the requested agent is not logged, the 
originator’s display shows the a gent’s physical extension and not the 
agent’s Login ID.
5. Extension (Domain) control may not be requested for an EAS Login ID but 
may be requested on behalf of a logical agent’s physical extension. 
Auto-dial calls (calls initiated by an extension controlled station) may be 
terminated to an EAS Login ID, in which case the call is given Direct Agent 
treatment.
6. Adjunct routing calls (vector calls routed by an ASAI adjunct via the 
adjunct routing vector command) are similar to third  party make calls; they 
may include a Direct Ag ent option, an ACD agent’s physical extension,  
						

							Feature Descriptions
3-714Issue  3   March 1996 
and a split extension, in which case they are given compati bility mo de 
Direct Agent treatment, or they may be terminated to an EAS Login ID (in 
which case they behave like dialed Direct Agent calls).
Feature Requests
In the EAS environment, a gent login, logout and change work-mode requests are 
fully supported.  Agent login requests must contain an EAS Login ID and  
optional password (delimited by a ’#’) in the login request’s user c o de IE. Ag ent 
logout requests and change work-mode requests may contain the d esired 
agent’s physical extension or Login ID. Call forwarding and send all calls feature 
requests are d enied for EAS Login IDs but may be requested for EAS’s physical 
extensions where an EAS agent is logged in.
Value Queries
Value queries function identically in the EAS and traditional environments, except 
that the Extension Type/Class Information Query returns a new indication that a 
requested extension is an EAS Login ID along with an indication of whether the 
Login ID is currently logg e d in and where (in other words, at which physical 
extension).
Event Notification
Because all Skill hunt groups are vector controlled, event notification may not be 
requested on the basis of a Skill hunt group extension. Event notification may, 
however, be requested on the b asis of a controlling VDN extension. Generally, all 
event reports involving EAS agents contain the agent’s physical extension rather 
than the agent’s Login ID.
Adjunct-Controlled Splits
Agents with adjunct controlled skills are considered to b e adjunct-controlled 
agents. Adjunct-controlled agents exhibit the same behavior as agents in 
adjunct-c ontrolled splits in the traditional ACD environment:
nStations are locked for all log g ed-in adjunct-controlled agents. The only 
action an agent can take from the station is to go onhook (or unplug the 
headset) from an auto-answer station which causes the a gent to be 
logged out.
nStations are unlocked whenever the controlling adjunct’s ASAI link goes 
down.  Stations are locked again when the adjunct’s link is reestablished.
nThe adjunct controls all split/agent activities such as login, logout and 
change work-mode (with the exception of a gent logout via onhook).
nOnly adjunct-controlled calls can terminate to the extension of an 
adjunct-c ontrolled agent.
nOnly adjunct-controlled calls can terminate to an a djunct-controlled 
split/Skill extension. 
						

							Expert Agent Selection (EAS)
Issue  3   March 1996
3-715
nAgents may not log into more than one adjunct-controlled split/Skill.
nAgents log ged into an adjunct-controlled split/Skill may not log into a 
non-adjunct-controlled sp lit and vice versa.
Furthermore, adjunct-controlled EAS Ag ents can only be administered with one 
Skill.  This implies that EAS agents may not mix a djunct-controlled and 
non-adjunct-controlled Skills.
AUDIX
Calls to the EAS agent Login ID can cover to AUDIX. Each agent must enter 
his/her Login ID when calling AUDIX to obtain messages.
AUDIX agents are assigned to EAS agent extensions.  These Login IDs are used 
for CMS tracking if the associated AUDIX Skill hunt group is externally measured. 
The ‘‘aut-msg-wt’’ button can be used to indicate that Login ID has a message.
Speech Processing Adjuncts
Speech processing adjuncts which have ‘‘line’’ interface to G3V2 are a ble  to 
initiate Direct Agent calls by d ialing the Login ID for an a gent.
Feature Interactions
EAS interaction with vector-controlled splits:
Unless otherwise specified, the feature interactions for Skill  hunt groups are the 
same as for vector-c ontrolled splits.
nAbbreviated Dialing
Abbreviated dialing can be used to log in/out EAS agents. Ab breviated 
dialing lists/buttons can only be administered for stations.
nAd d /Remove Skills
In the EAS environment, a gents have the ability to a d d and remove skills 
during a login session by dialing a FAC. Other voice terminal users with 
console permissions can add or remove an agent’s skill on behalf of the 
agent. (Note that the ability to add and remove skills depends on whether 
a user has a class of restriction (COR) that allows a d ding and removing 
skills.)
nAdministration Without Hardware
EAS Login ID extensions are extensions without hardware.   Login ID 
extensions require space in the dial plan. If a coverage path is 
administered to a Login ID, calls to a Login ID are immediately directed to 
that path when the agent is not lo g ged in. When a Login ID is  logged in 
and a call is made to the Login ID extension, and the call is routed to the 
Login ID coverage path if coverage is administered for the Login ID. 
						

							Feature Descriptions
3-716Issue  3   March 1996 
nAgents in Multiple Splits Feature
When the EAS feature is enabled, the ‘‘Agents  in Multiple Splits’’ feature is 
referred to as ‘‘Agents in Multiple Skills,’’ which allows an EAS agent to be 
logg e d into u p to four Skills.  
nAgent Work Mode States
With EAS, a gents can only  be in  a single work state mo de at any one time.
nAssist
The Assist feature can be used for a Skill hunt group (for example, where 
there is one supervisor per Skill hunt group). A voice terminal can be 
administered with one or more Assist buttons for each Skill that agents 
using the terminal might have. The administered association of an Assist 
button with a p articular split or Skill is not affected when an EAS agent logs 
into that station.
nAutomatic Answering with Zip Tone
The Automatic Answer option can only be administered for a  physical 
extension. 
nAuto-Available Splits
If a Skill hunt group is administered as an Auto-Available Skill (AAS) the 
EAS Login IDs assigned to this Skill must also be administered as 
Auto-Available. When the switch reinitializes, these Login IDs are 
automatically logged in with the AUTO-IN work-mo de. If any switch 
features attempt to change the work-mode  to anything except to 
AUTO-IN, this attem pt is denied.   This feature is not intended for human 
agents.
nBCMS
The Basic CMS user interface remains the same when EAS is enabled.  
Basic CMS is not mo dified when EAS is optioned, exc ept to change the 
labeling of headings from ‘‘split’’ to ‘‘Skill.’’
nCall Forwarding
Skill hunt groups (since they are vector-controlled)  cannot be call 
forward ed. EAS agent Login IDs can not be forwarded, but the physical 
extension where the EAS agent is logg e d in can be forwarded. If another 
station (with console permissions) tries to forward an EAS Login ID, an 
intercept is made.
nCall Management System (CMS) Interfac e
When an EAS Login ID is administered as measured, the BCD format of 
that Login ID becomes the internal agent number (c alled ‘‘position’’) on 
CMS. During pump-up to CMS, the switch sends a list of the logg ed in 
agents and their internal agent numbers (position).
nCall Park
Calls cannot be parked on the Skill hunt group extension.