Lucent Technologies DEFINITY Enterprise Communications Server Release 8 Guide To ACD Call Centers

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-27 Automatic Call Distribution 
3
How to Administer ACD
Table 3-6. Required Forms
Form Field
Trunk Groups
 CO
 FX
 Tie
 WAT SnIncoming Destination
Class of RestrictionnCan Be Service Observer? (optional)
nCan Be Service Observed? (optional)
Attendant ConsolenHeadset, Auto Answer
StationnHeadset, Auto Answer 
nButton Assignments - Work-Mode, Queue Status, Call 
Info
Hunt GroupnAll
Feature-Related 
System-Parameters
nService Observing (optional)
— Service Observing Warning Tone
— Service Observing by FAC
nMost Idle Agent
— MIA Across Splits or Skills
— ACW Agents on MIA List
nCall Management System
— ACD Login Identification Length
Feature Access Code 
(FAC)
nAutomatic Call Distribution page
nAnnouncement Access Code
nService Observing Listen Only or Listen/Talk Access 
Code (optional)
Announcements/
Audio Sources
nAll 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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nTrunk Group forms — In the Group Number field, assign consecutive Group 
Numbers to trunk groups when you are using two or more trunk groups to support 
ACD applications.
nHunt Group form — When the ACD field is set to y, complete the fields that 
apply. In the AAS field, enter y
 to enable Auto-Available Split. See 
‘‘
Auto-Available Split’’ on page 3-22 for more information.
Detailed Description
You can administer an ACD split to use one of three methods to select an available agent:
nDirect Department Calling
nUniform Call Distribution
nExpert Agent Distribution
Direct Department Calling
If you administer a split for Direct Department Calling (DDC), an incoming call is routed 
to the first available agent extension in the administered sequence. If the agent is not 
available, the call routes to the next available agent, and so on. Incoming calls are always 
routed to the first agent in the sequence, so calls are not evenly distributed among agents. 
DDC is not available with EAS.
Uniform Call Distribution
The Uniform Call Distribution (UCD) method selects either the most idle agent or the 
least occupied agent as each new call is delivered.
The “most idle agent” (MIA) is the agent who has waited the longest since finishing their 
last ACD call. This method is abbreviated UCD-MIA. The DEFINITY ECS/switch 
maintains a queue of agents who are available to receive calls. With the Most-Idle Agent 
algorithm, an agent’s place in the queue depends on how long they’ve waited since their 
last ACD call. The agent who’s been idle longest is at the head of the queue and will 
receive the next ACD call.
You can set the DEFINITY ECS/switch to maintain a separate queue for available agents 
in each split or skill, or you can create one combined queue for agents in all splits or skills. 
If the MIA Across Splits/Skills? field on the Feature-Related System Parameters form is 
set to n
, the switch maintains available agent queues for each split or skill. When agents 
answer a call, they are only removed from the available agent queue for the split or skill at 
which that call arrived. If the field is set to y
, there is only one queue for all agents. In this 
case, agents are removed from the queue whenever they answer a call for any of their 
assigned splits or skills.
The agent is returned to the agent queues (or queue if MIA Across Splits/Skills? is y
), 
based on how you administer the following:
nIf forced Multiple Call Handling applies, the agent is placed in the queue when the 
call stops alerting. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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nIf the ACW Agents Considered Idle? on the Feature-Related System Parameters 
form is y
, the agent is queued when the call completes.
nIf ACW Agents Considered Idle? is n
, the agent is queued when ACW completes.
UCD distributes calls evenly among agents logged in to a particular split/skill. UCD with 
MIA Across Splits/Skills distributes calls evenly among agents logged into the same 
splits/skills.
If your switch uses Expert Agent Selection and CentreVu Advocate, you can also 
distribute calls to the least occupied agent. The “least-occupied agent” (LOA) is the agent 
who has spent the lowest percentage of their time on ACD calls since they logged in. This 
method is abbreviated UCD-LOA. An agent’s place in the queue of available agents is 
determined by the percentage of their time spent on ACD calls since they logged in. This 
percentage, known as agent occupancy, is always calculated separately for each split or 
skill an agent is logged into, so there is an available agent queue for each split or skill.
Expert Agent Distribution
Expert Agent Distribution (EAD) is available only with Expert Agent Selection (EAS). 
EAD also uses the MIA and LOA methods to select an available agent for a call, and like 
UCD it maintains a queue of available agents. However, with EAD agents are also 
distinguished by their skill level in each of their assigned skills and the switch considers 
both agents’ skill level and their idle time or occupancy to select the agent who will 
receive a call.
When you are using EAS Preference Handling Distribution (EAS-PHD), the agent can 
enter the MIA queue at one of 16 levels. The lower the level, the higher the level of 
expertise; so an agent with skill level 1 is the most qualified to answer a call to that skill. 
Without EAS-PHD, agents enter the MIA queue as either level 1 or level 2 agents. When 
agents with a lower skill level become idle, they enter the MIA queue in front of agents 
with a higher skill level. See ‘‘
Expert Agent Selection’’ on page 3-78 for more 
information about EAS Call Distribution.
Comparison of Agent Selection Methods
Ta b l e  3 - 7 compares DDC, UCD, and EAD agent selection methods and shows the effect 
of using each one. Remember that the DEFINITY ECS/switch makes two separate 
decisions to select agents when EAD is used. The switch first identifies the agent or agents 
with the highest level of expertise in the call’s skill. If there are several agents with the 
same skill level, the switch then selects the most idle or the least occupied, as appropriate, 
from this subgroup. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
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Queuing and Announcements
You create a queue for an ACD split by setting Queue to y
 on the Hunt Group form. When 
all agents are active on calls or in After-Call Work mode, the queue allows incoming calls 
to wait for an idle agent. The next available agent is automatically connected to the call in 
the split queue.  
For non-vector-controlled splits, calls do not queue to splits in these cases:
nNo agents are logged in
nAll logged-in agents are in Auxiliary Work mode
nNo queue slots are available
The caller gets a busy signal (or busy coverage, if administered) unless a call comes in via 
an automatic-in central office (CO) facility. In this case, the caller hears ringback from the 
CO and the system continues trying to place the call in the queue.
You can assign two announcements to each split and administer a second announcement to 
repeat. When an incoming call is directed to an ACD split, the call is either directed to an 
agent or is automatically connected to the first announcement. Refer to DEFINITY ECS 
Administrator’s Guide for information on how announcements are affected by call 
forwarding and call coverage.
Table 3-7. Agent Selection Methods
If this agent selection method is 
used… Each call will be delivered to…
DDCthe first available agent found in the hunt 
sequence.
UCD-MIAthe available agent who has been idle the 
longest since their last ACD call.
UCD-LOA the available agent with the lowest 
percentage of work time since login.
EAD-MIAthe available agent with the highest skill level 
who has been idle the longest since their last 
ACD call (compared to other available agents 
with the same skill level).
EAD-LOAthe available agent with the highest skill level 
and the lowest percentage of work time since 
login (compared to other available agents 
with the same skill level). 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
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First Announcement  
After a call enters a split queue, the caller hears ringing and the first announcement delay 
interval begins. If an agent becomes available during the first announcement delay 
interval, the call is connected to the agent. Otherwise, the interval expires and the system 
tries to connect the incoming call to the first announcement, with one of the following 
results:
nIf the first announcement is available, the caller hears ringing, then the first 
announcement.
nIf the announcement is busy and has no queue, the caller hears ringing and the first 
announcement delay interval is reset. The system tries to access the announcement 
again when the interval expires.
nIf the announcement is busy and has a queue, then:
— If the queue is full, the caller hears ringing and the first announcement 
delay interval is reset. The system tries to access the announcement again 
when the interval expires.
— If the queue is not full, the call enters the announcement queue and the 
caller hears ringing, then the first announcement. The system then tries to 
connect the call to an agent.
nIf the announcement is not busy, but is still unavailable, the second-announcement 
delay interval begins and the system attempts to connect the call to the second 
announcement. 
If there is no first or second announcement, the call remains in queue until answered or 
removed from the queue.
Forced First Announcement
The first-announcement delay interval defines how long a call remains in queue before the 
call is connected to the first announcement. If this interval is 0 seconds, the incoming call 
is automatically connected to the first announcement. This is a forced first announcement 
— the call is not routed to an agent until after the caller hears the first announcement.
With a forced first announcement, the following occurs:
nIf a first announcement is available, the caller hears ringing and then the first 
announcement. The system then tries to connect the call to an agent.
nIf the announcement is busy and has no queue, the system waits 10 seconds and 
then tries to access the announcement.
nIf the announcement is busy and has a queue, then:
— If the queue is full, the system waits 10 seconds, then tries to access the 
announcement.
— If the queue is not full, the call enters the announcement queue and the 
caller hears ringing, then the first announcement. The system then tries to 
connect the call to an agent. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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nIf the announcement is not busy but is still unavailable (for example, it may have 
been deleted), then the system tries to connect the call to an agent.
After a forced first announcement, the caller always hears ringback (or music-on-hold, if 
administered) until the call is answered or is connected to a second delay announcement. 
After a first or second delay announcement, the caller hears music-on-hold, if 
administered.
Second Announcement
After the first announcement, the second-announcement delay interval begins and the 
caller hears ringing (if there is no forced first announcement), or music, if provided. If an 
agent becomes available during the interval, the call is connected. Otherwise, the interval 
expires and the system tries to connect the incoming call to the second announcement, 
resulting in one of the following:
nIf the second announcement is available, the caller hears ringing or music, then the 
second announcement.
nIf the announcement is busy and has no queue, the caller hears ringing and the 
second-announcement delay interval is reset. The system tries to access the 
announcement again when the interval expires.
nIf the announcement is busy and has a queue, then:
— If the queue is full, the caller hears ringing (only if the first announcement 
has not been heard) and the second-announcement delay interval is reset. 
The system tries to access the announcement again when the interval 
expires.
— If the queue is not full, the call enters the announcement queue and the 
caller hears ringing (only if the first announcement has not been heard), 
then the second announcement. The system then connects the call to an 
agent.
nIf the announcement is not busy but is still unavailable, the call remains in queue 
until answered or removed from the queue.
After the second announcement, the caller hears music, if provided, or silence and then:
nIf you administered the split to repeat the second announcement, the system tries to 
connect the call to the second announcement after the delay expires.
nIf you administered the split not to repeat the second announcement, the call 
remains in the queue until answered or removed from the queue. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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Forced Disconnect
You can connect an incoming call directly to an announcement and then disconnect the 
call after the announcement has completed in one of two ways:
nAdminister an announcement extension as the incoming destination. The caller is 
directed to the announcement and is disconnected, without being queued for a 
split.
nAdminister an announcement extension as a point in a split’s coverage path. Calls 
that have been in the queue for a long time are forced to go directly to the 
announcement and are disconnected.
Announcement Rules
The following rules govern announcements a caller hears: 
nCalls that reach a split directly always hear a forced first announcement, if 
assigned, regardless of subsequent call coverage, call forwarding, night service, or 
busy signal processing. If these calls queue long enough, they hear first and second 
announcements.
nCalls that reach a split via call coverage receive a second announcement only, if 
administered. The assumption is that a caller has likely heard a first announcement 
at the original split or station before being redirected.
nCalls that reach a split via call forwarding receive first and second announcements 
at the destination split, if administered. These calls can receive a forced first 
announcement at the original split, if administered, but not at the split they are 
forwarded to. 
Entering the Queue
When a forced first announcement is not assigned, the system tries to connect an incoming 
call to an available agent. If an agent is available, the call is connected to the agent. If all 
agents are active (either on an ACD call or in ACW mode), the call enters the split queue. 
If no queue is assigned, or if no queue slots are available and the incoming facility is a CO 
trunk, the caller hears ringing. The system continues trying to queue the call until a queue 
slot becomes available, or until the call is abandoned or an agent becomes available. When 
you have administered Intraflow and Interflow with Call Coverage and Call Forwarding 
All Calls, the caller hears a busy tone or the call is redirected in any of these cases:
nNo split queue is assigned.
nThe queue is full.
nNo agents are logged in.
nAll logged-in agents are in AUX work mode, and the incoming facility is a 
digit-oriented facility (digits are sent to the PBX as in DID, incoming wink, or 
immediate tie trunks) 
						

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NOTE:
Central office trunk (non-DID) calls receive ringback from the CO, so the PBX 
cannot give these callers a busy signal. The system tries to put such calls into queue 
until successful or until the call is abandoned. 
Priority Queuing
Priority queuing allows priority calls to be queued ahead of calls with normal priority. You 
can implement priority queuing in two ways:
nAssign Priority Queuing to a calling party’s Class of Restriction (COR).
nAssign Priority on Intraflow to an ACD split. This allows calls from the split, 
when intraflowed into another split, to be queued ahead of nonpriority calls. For 
more information, see ‘‘
Information Forwarding’’ on page 3-93.
Queue Status Indications
You can assign queue status indications on agents’ or supervisors’ terminals or consoles 
for ACD calls in queue. For more information, see ‘‘
Queue Status Indications’’ on page 
3-114.
Direct Agent Calling
NOTE:
Direct Agent Calling requires CallVisor Adjunct-Switch Application Interface 
(ASAI) or EAS. Both originating and called party Class of Restrictions (CORs) 
must be set to allow Direct Agent Dialing. See ‘‘
Expert Agent Selection’’ on page 
3-78 for information on Direct Agent Announcements.
Direct Agent Calling (DAC) causes a call to a particular ACD agent to be treated as an 
ACD call. Agents can enter After Call Work mode for direct agent calls and CMS and 
BCMS correctly measure these calls as ACD calls.
If an agent is available to answer an ACD call, the direct agent call is delivered to the 
agent. An agent in Automatic Answer mode hears a zip tone.
An agent with a multifunction phone or who is on-hook and not available to answer an 
ACD call hears a ring-ping. An agent with a single-line phone and who is off-hook and not 
available hears the call-waiting tone, even when Call Waiting Termination is not assigned. 
The ring-ping or call waiting tone is given only once per call when the direct-agent call is 
queued. The lit work mode button lamp for the split on the agent’s phone flashes, 
indicating that a direct agent call is waiting. Flashing starts when the call queues and stops 
when all direct agent calls are removed from the queue (that is, they are answered, 
abandoned, or sent to coverage). 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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While on a direct-agent call, the agent becomes unavailable for subsequent ACD calls. If 
the agent logs off by unplugging the headset, he or she can still answer a direct-agent call 
in the queue by logging back in and becoming available. Agents who have direct-agent 
calls waiting are not allowed to log off using a FAC. If the agent is in Manual In mode or 
pushes the After Call Work (ACW) button while on a direct-agent call, the agent goes to 
ACW mode.
Generally, direct-agent calls are queued and served in first-in, first-out order before other 
calls, including priority calls. However, if you administer a skill level for Call Handling 
Preference, direct-agent calls must be assigned the highest priority for them to be 
delivered before other ACD calls. Otherwise, calls with a higher skill level are distributed 
before direct-agent calls.
Note that you can use Multiple Call Handling (MCH) to allow agents to answer a direct 
agent call with another ACD call active.
Direct-agent calls follow the receiving agent’s coverage and call forwarding paths, if these 
features are administered. Once a call goes to coverage or is forwarded, the call is no 
longer treated as a direct-agent call, and CMS is informed that the call has been 
forwarded.
Considerations
Maximum Number of Agents
If an agent is assigned to more than one split, each assignment applies to the maximum 
number of agents. When computing the number of agents measured by BCMS, count one 
agent as one agent regardless of the number of splits that the agent will be logged into. For 
CMS sizing, count one agent for each agent in each split measured by CMS; one agent 
logged into three splits counts as three agents. 
Using the Number of Agents System Capacity screen, you can view the Used, Available, 
and System Limit counts.
MIA Across Splits/Skills
MIA Across Splits/Skills distributes calls more equally to agents with multiple splits or 
skills. When agents handle a call for one split or skill, they go to the back of all their idle 
agent lists.
With MIA Across Splits/Skills, agents may not receive calls from all of their splits/skills. 
If, for example, split 20 has a very short average agent idle time and split 22 has a very 
long average agent idle time, agents with both of these skills may never become the 
most-idle for skill 22 because they continuously take calls for split 20. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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Announcements
Announcements can be analog, aux trunk, DS1, or integrated. Integrated announcements 
use the 16-channel announcement board and queuing is based on whether one of the 16 
channels is available. When a channel becomes available, any announcements on the 
board can be accessed, including the announcement already being played. A caller may be 
in queue for an announcement because a channel is not available, even though that 
announcement is not being used. The maximum queue length for all digital 
announcements is shown in the Capacities Table in the DEFINITY Enterprise 
Communications Server System Description Pocket Reference. Queues for analog and aux 
trunk announcements are on a per-announcement basis. You can also install multiple 
Integrated Announcement boards to allow for more announcements.
If a delay announcement is used, answer supervision is sent to the distant office when the 
caller is connected to the announcement. Charging for the call, if applicable, begins when 
answer supervision is returned.
Storing and Retrieving Messages
Leave Word Calling messages can be stored for an ACD split and retrieved by a split 
member, a covering user of the split, or a system-wide message retriever. The message 
retriever must have a phone display and proper authorization. You can also assign a 
remote Automatic Message Waiting lamp to a split agent’s terminal to indicate when a 
message has been stored for the split.
Class of Restriction
Each ACD split and each individual agent is assigned a Class of Restriction (COR). You 
can use Miscellaneous Restrictions to prohibit selected users from accessing certain splits. 
You can use Miscellaneous Restrictions or restrictions assigned through the COR to 
prevent agents from being accessed individually. Unless you administer such restrictions, 
each agent can be accessed individually as well as through the split.
An agent with origination and termination restriction can receive ACD calls and use the 
assist function. A terminal in a COR with termination restriction can receive ACD calls.
If you are using Service Observing, administer a COR for observers and agents being 
observed.
Trunk Groups and ACD Splits
nIf you assign an ACD split extension as the incoming destination of a trunk group 
and that split’s extension is later changed, you must also change the trunk group’s 
incoming destination to a valid extension.
nCalls incoming on a non-DID trunk group can route to an ACD split instead of to 
an attendant. Calls incoming on any non-DID trunk group can have only one 
primary destination; therefore, the trunk group must be dedicated to the ACD split 
or a VDN.