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 
3-77 CentreVu Advocate 
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nBasic Call Management System (BCMS)
No existing BCMS reports will be modified and no new BCMS reports will be 
added for these features. No existing BCMS measurements will be modified and 
no new BCMS measurements will be added for these features. Reserve agents for 
skills that are not in an over threshold state will be counted as “Other” on the 
MONITOR BCMS SKILL report; reserve agents for skills that are in an over 
threshold condition will be counted as “ACD,” “ACW,” or “Other” depending on 
the work mode and state of the agent. Agents that are available and auto reserved 
will not be distinguished from agents that are available but not auto reserved on the 
MONITOR BCMS SKILL report. Thus, it will be possible to simultaneously see 
non-zero values in the Calls Waiting and Available Agents fields on this report.
nCall Abandon
A call abandon may cause a change in the over threshold state of a skill (from over 
level 2 to over level 1 or from over level 1 to normal).
nDistributed Communications System (DCS)
The CentreVu Advocate features are not transparent over the Distributed 
Communications System (DCS) link.
nMove Agent While Staffed
If the “move from” skill is a reserve skill, the “move to” skill must also be a 
reserve skill. Any attempt to change a skill from reserve to non-reserve, or vice 
versa, by changing the Reserve Level field will be denied.
nMultiple Skill Queuing
A call queued as a result of the Multiple Skill Queuing feature may cause a change 
in the over threshold state of a skill (from normal to over level 1 or from over level 
1 to over level 2). Dequeuing a call queued as a result of the Multiple Skill 
Queuing feature may cause a change in the over threshold state of a skill (from 
over level 2 to over level 1 or from over level 1 to normal). 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
3-78 Expert Agent Selection 
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Expert Agent Selection  
See the DEFINITY® Enterprise Communications Server Call Vectoring/EAS Guide 
(555-230-521) for a detailed description of Expert Agent Selection. The guide contains 
information that is critical to the effective and efficient use of this feature.
Use Expert Agent Selection (EAS) to route incoming Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) 
calls to the agent who is best qualified to handle the call, that is, the agent with the 
specialized skills or experience required to best meet the caller’s needs. 
In addition, EAS provides the following capabilities:
nYou assign all agent functions to the agent login ID and not to a physical phone. 
Therefore, EAS agents can login to and work at any phone in the system.
nUsing the agent login ID, a caller places a call directly to a specific agent. These 
calls can be treated and reported as ACD calls.
EAS ensures the best possible service to the caller.
How to Administer EAS
Table 3-22. Required Forms
Form Field
System Parameters 
Customer-Options
nACD
nExpert Agent Selection (EAS)
nEAS-PHD
nVectoring (Basic)
Agent LoginIDnAll
Hunt GroupnSkill
nACD
nVector
Set all three fields to y.1
nGroup Type (ucd/ead)
Vector Directory Numbern1st/2nd/3rd Skill (optional)
Class of RestrictionnDirect Agent Calling
Continued on next page 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
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EAS must be both optioned on the System Parameters Customer-Options form, and 
enabled on the Feature-Related System Parameters form. Once EAS is optioned, you can 
complete most of the EAS-related administration prior to enabling the feature.
When EAS is optioned on the System-Parameters Customer-Options form, Skill Hunt 
Groups replace splits. In addition, help messages, error messages and field titles change 
from “Split” to “Skill” on various forms.
Any EAS agent Login ID must be part of the station numbering plan.
Physical aspects of the phone, such as the set type and button layout, are associated with 
the phone and not the Login ID. On the Station form with the EAS featured optioned, 
when a work-mode button is selected, no “Gp” information can be entered. The assist and 
queue status buttons require that “Group” be entered.  
How to Administer Direct Agent Announcement
Direct Agent Announcement (DAA) enhances Direct Agent Calling capabilities for 
CallVisor Adjunct-Switch Application Interface (ASAI) and Expert Agent Selection 
(EAS). It plays an announcement to Direct Agent callers waiting in a queue. The 
following forms should be administered for DAA.
You must also have enabled either Expert Agent Selection (EAS) or ASAI Adjunct 
Routing (or both).
 CDR System ParametersnRecord Called Agent Login ID Instead of Group 
or Member
Call VectornAll
Feature-Related System 
Parameters
nExpert Agent Selection (EAS) Enabled
nMinimum Agent-LoginId Password Length
nDirect Agent Announcement Extension/Delay
nMessage Waiting Lamp Indicates Status For
1. If the Message Center field is set to AUDIX on the Hunt Group form, the Skill and ACD 
fields must be set to y, but the Vector field can be set to either y or n.
Table 3-22. Required Forms — Continued
Form Field
Continued on next page 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
DEFINITY ECS ACD Call Center Features 
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Detailed Administration for EAS
In general, EAS uses vectors to route calls to agents with the required skills. To administer 
EAS you must:
nAssign skills to VDNs on the Vector Directory Number form.
nCreate vectors that will route a call to the correct skill.
nAssign skills with priority levels to agents on the Agent Login ID form.
VDN Administration
You can administer up to three VDN skill preferences on the Vector Directory Number 
form in the 1st Skill, 2nd Skill and 3rd Skill fields. These fields indicate the skills that are 
required to handle calls to this VDN. All of the VDN skills on the VDN form are optional. 
For example, only the first and third, or only the second and third VDN skills might be 
assigned. Vector steps can then refer back to these fields to route calls. For example, 
queue-to skill 1st routes calls the skill administered as 1st on the VDN form.
Vector Administration
When a call routes to a VDN, the VDN directs the call to the vector that is specified on the 
Vector Directory number form. The vector then queues the call to the skill specified in a 
vector step. You can write vectors that route calls either to specific skill numbers or to the 
skill preferences administered on the Vector Directory Number form.
Agent Administration
Assign skills to each agent. In addition, assign a skill level to each skill for the agent. 
When a vector routes incoming calls to a skill, the call is delivered to an available agent 
with the skill assigned. If no agents are available, the call is queued until it can be 
answered by an agent who has the skill required to handle the call.
Table 3-23. Required Forms
Form Field
System-Parameters 
Customer-Options
nACD
nVectoring (Basic)
nExpert Agent Selection (EAS)
OR
nASAI Adjunct Routing
Feature-Related System 
Parameters
nDirect Agent Announcement Delay
nDirect Agent Announcement Extension
Announcements/Audio 
Sources
nAll 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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Detailed Description
Agent Selection
The administered agent selection method and Call Handling Preference determine which 
agent will receive an incoming call.
Agent Selection Method
EAS can use either Uniform Call Distribution (UCD) or Expert Agent Distribution (EAD) 
to select agents for calls. Both methods can use the Most-Idle Agent (MIA) or the Least 
Occupied Agent (LOA) algorithm to select agents. For more information on agent 
selection methods, see ‘‘
Automatic Call Distribution’’ on page 3-25.
Call Handling Preference Administration
The call handling preference selected on the Agent Login ID form can route calls based on 
either greatest need or agent skill level. Table 3-24
 summarizes how a call is routed based 
on greatest need or agent skill level administration with either UCD or EAD distribution.
MIA Across Splits/Skills
In addition, both UCD and EAD can be used in conjunction the MIA Across Splits/Skills 
option. With MIA Across Splits/Skills, one available agent queue is set up for the entire 
system. When an agent answers a call for any skill, the agent is removed from the MIA 
queue.
See, ‘‘
Automatic Call Distribution’’ on page 3-25 for more information about UCD, EAD, 
and MIA Across Splits/Skills.
Table 3-24. Call Handling Preference Call Distribution
EAD with Skill 
LevelEAD with 
Greatest NeedUCD with 
Skill LevelUCD with 
Greatest 
Need
Agents are available. 
When a new call 
arrives it is delivered 
to:Most-idle agent 
with the highest 
skill level for the 
calls’ skill.Most-idle agent 
with the highest 
skill level for the 
call’s skill.Most-idle agent 
with the call’s 
skill.Most-idle agent 
with the call’s 
skill.
Agents are not 
available, calls are in 
queue. When an agent 
becomes available, he 
or she receives:Highest priority 
oldest call waiting 
for agent’s highest 
level skill with 
calls in queue.Highest priority 
oldest call waiting 
for any of the 
agent’s skills.Highest priority 
oldest call 
waiting for the 
agent’s highest 
level skill with 
calls in queue.Highest priority 
oldest call waiting 
for any of the 
agent’s skills. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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Additional Agent Login ID Capabilities
The following capabilities are also associated with agents’ login IDs.
nAuto-Answer — When EAS is optioned, auto answer settings can be assigned to 
agents on the Agent LoginID form. An agent’s auto answer setting will apply to 
the station where the agent logs in. If the auto answer setting for that station is 
different, the agent’s setting overrides the station’s.
nCalls — to call an EAS Agent, the caller dials the Login ID extension. The call is 
extended to the physical extension where the agent with that Login ID is logged in. 
Calls to the Login ID reach the agent independent of the phone the agent is 
currently using. For example, when agents use multiple phones because they have 
multiple offices or rotate desks, login IDs allow these agents to be reached 
independent of their current location.
nName — calls to the Login ID display the name associated with the Login ID and 
not the name associated with the phone. This is also true for calls made from a 
phone with an agent logged in.
nCoverage — when the agent is logged out, or when calls go to coverage because 
the agent is busy, or does not answer, calls to the Login ID go to the coverage path 
associated with the agent and not the phone. When an agent is logged out, calls go 
to the agent’s busy coverage destination.
nRestrictions — calls to the Login ID or from the agent use the restrictions 
associated with the agent and not the phone.
Phones are fully functional when an agent is not logged in. The restrictions, coverage, and 
name revert to the phone administration when the agent logs out.
Direct Agent Calling
Calls to an agent’s Login ID are treated as Direct Agent calls if the caller and the agent 
have the “Direct Agent Calling” class of restriction. Direct Agent calls can be originated 
by stations or trunks. If the caller or agent does not have the proper COR, the call is treated 
as a normal non-ACD (personal) call.
Direct Agent Calls are treated as ACD calls. For example they receive zip tone answer, 
queuing, after call work and are measured by BCMS and CMS. 
Any of the agent’s skills can be his or her Direct Agent skill. When greatest need is 
optioned as the Call Handling Preference, the agent will always get Direct Agent calls 
before any skill calls. This is because Direct Agent calls have a higher priority than skills 
calls. However, when skill level is optioned as the Call Handling Preference, the agent 
will get direct agent calls first only if the direct agent skill has the agent’s highest skill 
level. Otherwise calls from a skill with a higher level will be distributed before Direct 
Agent calls. If the Direct Agent skill and another skill are the same skill level, the agent 
will always receive Direct Agent calls before the other skill calls because Direct Agent 
calls have a higher priority.
A route-to vector command with an EAS Login ID as the destination is treated as a Direct 
Agent call if the VDN and agent have the COR and the Direct Agent field is set to “y”. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
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December 1999
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Considerations
Station User records cannot be shared between TTI ports and EAS LoginID extensions. 
This causes a reduction in the number of possible EAS LoginID extensions allowed by the 
System depending on the number of administered TTI ports. For example, if 2,000 TTI 
ports are administered, the maximum number of allowable EAS LoginIDs is reduced by 
2,000.
EAS agent Login IDs are also tracked for personal calls. CMS uses the first skill an EAS 
Agent is logged into to track 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.
The system can have either splits or skill hunt groups but not both simultaneously. 
Non-ACD hunt groups can exist with either splits or skill hunt groups. Skill hunt groups 
are required when using EAS.
Interactions
Unless otherwise specified, the feature interactions for skill hunt groups are the same as 
for vector-controlled splits.
nAbbreviated Dialing
Abbreviated dialing can be used to log in/out EAS agents. Abbreviated dialing 
lists/buttons can only be administered for stations.
nAdd/Remove Skills
In the EAS environment, agents have the ability to add and remove skills during a 
login session by dialing a FAC. Other phone 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 adding and removing skills.)
nAdministration Without Hardware
EAS Login ID extensions are extensions without hardware. Login ID extensions 
require space in the dial plan.
nAgent Work Mode States
With EAS, agents can only be in a single work mode at any one time for all their 
skills.
nAssist
The Assist feature can be used with a skill hunt group (for example, where there is 
one supervisor per skill hunt group). When assist is selected, a call is placed to the 
supervisor associated with the skill for the active call.
nAUDIX
Calls to the EAS agent Login ID can cover to AUDIX. 
						

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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-mode. If any switch features attempt to change the work-mode to 
anything except to Auto-In, this attempt is denied. This feature is not intended for 
human agents.
nAutomatic Answering with Zip Tone
The Automatic Answer option can only be administered for a physical extension.
nAutomatic Callback
Users can’t activate Automatic Callback to an EAS agent’s Login ID. They can 
activate Automatic CallBack to the phone where the agent is logged in.
nCall Forwarding
Skill hunt groups (since they are vector-controlled) cannot be call forwarded. EAS 
agent Login IDs cannot be forwarded, but the physical extension where the EAS 
agent is logged in can be forwarded.
nCall Park
Calls cannot be parked on the skill hunt group extension.
nCall Pickup
Skill hunt group extensions and EAS Login ID extensions cannot be members of a 
call pickup group.
nClass of Restriction (COR)
Skill hunt groups do have a class of restriction. This is used if the skill hunt group 
extension is called directly.
The COR for an EAS agent Login ID overrides the physical extension’s COR of 
the phone an EAS agent logs into.
nClass of Service (COS)
EAS agents do not have a COS associated with their Login ID. Therefore, the COS 
of the phone is not affected when an EAS agent logs into that terminal.
nDirected Call Pickup
An EAS agent can use the Directed Call Pickup feature to pick up a call and/or 
have his or her calls picked up by another terminal user. The Class of Restriction of 
the agent will override the Class of Restriction of the station where the agent is 
logged in.
If both the station’s COR and the logged-in agent’s COR allow the call to be 
picked up using Directed Call Pickup, the user picking up the call can use either 
the station’s extension or the agent’s loginID. 
						

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nDisplays - Phone
When an EAS agent logs in, the display for originators who call the Login ID 
shows the Login ID and agent name (as administered via the Agent Login ID 
form). Calls that the agent originates show the Agent Login ID and agent name at 
the receiving terminal’s display. However, the user can display the name of the 
physical terminal where the EAS agent is logged in. To do this, the user must be 
active on a call with the agent, and must have a terminal with an alphanumeric 
display and an inspect button. When the inspect button is pressed during a call to 
or from the EAS agent, the physical terminal name of the agent is displayed.
Calls to the physical extension show the physical extension’s number and name on 
the originator’s display.
nLeave Word Calling
When an EAS agent is logged into a station, the agent can only retrieve LWC 
messages left for that agent’s login ID. To retrieve LWC messages left for that 
station, the agent must log out.
When an EAS agent is logged into a station, its Message lamp defaults to tracking 
the status of LWC messages waiting for the station. However, you can assign the 
Message lamp to track the status of LWC messages waiting for the agent’s login 
ID.
nLook Ahead Interflow
VDN skills are not sent to another ACD/PBX when a call interflows using Look 
Ahead Interflow. If skills have the same meaning on both ACDs, then a Look 
Ahead Interflow command to a VDN with the same skills assigned can provide a 
mapping of the skills.
nMessage Waiting Lamp
The Message Waiting Lamp by default tracks the status of messages waiting for 
the logged 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. 
Refer to DEFINITY ECS Administrator’s Guide for more information about 
Feature-Related System Parameters.
nQueue Status Indications
Physical extensions can be administered with Queue Status Indicator buttons and 
lamps for skill hunt groups. Queue Status Indicators can be administered for all 
skills needed by agents using that physical extension, given that enough buttons 
are available.
nService Observing
The Service Observing feature is activated in the EAS environment by dialing 
either the physical extension of the terminal where an EAS agent is logged in or 
the Login ID of the agent.
nVu St a t s
VuStats displays can show an agent’s skill assignments and can show some 
measurements by skill. 
						

							DEFINITY ECS Release 8
Guide to ACD Call Centers  555-233-503  Issue 2
December 1999
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Inbound Call Management
Inbound Call Management (ICM) allows you to integrate features of the DEFINITY 
ECS/switch with host-application processing and routing, and automate delivery of caller 
information to agents’ displays. You can create a sophisticated system to handle inbound 
calls for applications such as telemarketing and claims processing.
To implement ICM, you integrate features of the DEFINITY ECS/switch such as 
Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), Expert Agent Selection (EAS) Call Vectoring, Direct 
Agent Calling, and Call Prompting with an application on a host processor. The host 
application, or adjunct, can be a CallVisor/PC, Conversant voice system, Telephony 
Services Server serving a local-area network, or a vendor application using the CallVisor 
Adjunct/Switch Applications Interface (ASAI). A CallVisor ASAI link between the 
switch and adjunct allows the adjunct to control incoming call processing and routing. 
In addition, you can automate ACD agent terminal displays and associate them with new 
and transferred calls, and assist calls to a supervisor. You can display incoming call 
information such as Calling Party Number (CPN), Billing Number (BN), and Dialed 
Number Identification Service (DNIS). Or, you can set up the adjunct to retrieve caller 
information from a database and display it on a particular agent’s screen, based on the 
service dialed.
See ‘‘
Detailed Description’’ on page 3-88 for more information on applications. See the 
DEFINITY Enterprise Communications Server CallVisor ASAI Planning for information 
on vendor application partners.
How to Administer ICM
Display the System-Parameters Customer-Options and ensure that the ACD option is 
enabled. If you are using CallVisor ASAI or Call Vectoring, ensure appropriate ASAI 
Capability Groups options or the Vectoring (Basic) and/or Vectoring (Prompting) options 
are enabled.