Nortel Business Communications Manager Attendant Console Instructions Manual

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Period list box
The Period list box is available if:
 you select a valid database
and
 you select a report type that requires you to define a report period.
Employees and Customers options
Use these options to define the customers or employees who will be the subject of the report..
The Employees and Customers options contain:
opens the One Week dialog box. This dialog box lets you specify 
a report period with a duration of one week (Sunday through 
Saturday).
opens the One Month dialog box. This dialog box lets you select 
a one-month report period.
shows the date of the beginning of the repor t period. The boxes 
change to reflect the dates in the Month, Week, and Calendar 
buttons. The From date must be earlier than the To date.
opens the Calendar dialog boxes that you use to set the From 
and To report period dates. The Calendar dialog box resembles 
the Calendar dialog boxes in other Windows-based programs. 
The Calendar buttons are available if you select a valid database 
and you select a report type that requires you to define a repor t 
period.
generates a report that includes data for members of the selected 
category (Employees or Customers). 
						

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Customer and Employee Selection dialog box
From the Customer and Employee Selection dialog boxes, you can choose the Employees or 
Customers to include in a report.
The program records the items you selected from this dialog box the last time you created a report. 
When the dialog box opens, the items you selected the last time are highlighted.
Creating and viewing reports
Use the Reports component to generate reports for analyzing telephone use in your company. This 
section describes the steps required to generate reports:
 select a database
 select a report type 
 select a report period
generates a report that includes data for the members in the list box. 
If you click the Select option, the button under the selection list box, 
either Customer or Employee, is available so you can make your 
selection.
list box displays information if you select a subset of the customers and 
employees in your database. If you select All, the list box is blank. If 
the list is long enough, you can scroll to view its contents. You cannot 
edit the list box by typing in it. Use the buttons under the list box to 
change the contents of the list.
Customer and Employee 
optionsaccesses directories. The Employee and Customer options are 
active if you choose the Select option. Click these options to display 
either the Employee or Customer Record Selection dialog box, from 
which you can make your selection.
Note: These options are available only if you select a valid database, a 
report period, and a report type that uses the category Employees or 
Customers. 
						

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 select employees and customers
 create and preview the report
 print the report
Loading the database
Attendant Console stores information in a database about your company’s telephone use. This 
database is used to generate the different types of reports. In most cases you use the database 
installed on the Business Communications Manager base unit system. However, if you make 
backups of the database for archiving purposes, Reports can also use these backups. If you are 
generating reports from a PC that does not have the database stored, locate the database on the 
Business Communications Manager base unit through Network Neighborhood. Check with the 
System Administrator to ensure that the database is a shared file.
To load the database:
1On the Reports window, at the Database option, click the Select button.
The Open dialog box appears.
2In the File name box, type:
\\name of server\consoleservicedb
where name of server is the name of your Business Communications Manager base unit. If 
you do not know the name of the server, ask your System Administrator.
3Click the Open button.
4Click ConsoleService.mdb
5Click the Open button.
The database loads to your PC and the database path appears in the Current Database box.
6Click the Close button to return to the Attendant window.
Selecting a report type
After you load a database, select the type of report.
To select a report type:
1From the Report Type list box select your report.
Setting the report period
Some reports require a report period. The report period defines the time span for which data is 
considered. If you choose a report type that does not require a report period, the Period list box is 
unavailable. The report period begins on the From date and ends on and includes the To date.
To enter the From and To dates: 
						

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1In the From box type the date.
The following are acceptable date formats:
 June 5, 1997
 6/5/1997
2Press the Enter key.
3In the To  box type the date.
4Press the Enter key.
To select a report of one week:
1Click the One Week button.
The One We e k dialog box appears.
2In the month list box, choose the month that the desired week starts or ends.
3In the year list box, select the year the week occurs in.
You can type the year box or use the arrows.
4In the list of weeks select a week and click the OK button, or double-click the desired week.
After you select a week, the start and end dates of the week appear in the From and To boxes.
To specify a report of one month:
1Click the One Month button.
The One Month dialog box appears.
2In the month list box, choose the desired month.
3In the year select the desired year either by typing it or selecting it with the arrows.
4Click the OK button to accept the month, or click the Cancel button to cancel your Report 
Period selection.
If you select a month, the start and end dates of the month appear in the From and To boxes. Dates 
for February automatically account for leap-years, centuries, and millennia.
To cancel a selection, press the Esc key or click the Cancel button.
The Period list box information does not change.
Note: An error message appears if you type a date in an unrecognized 
format or if you type a date that does not exist. 
						

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Clearing a date
You can clear a date by deleting the contents of the box. A cleared box does not count as a date, 
and does not restrict the range of the other date.
Selecting employees and customers for the report
Some types of reports, especially those that concern call data, let you select sets of employees, 
customers, or both. The information for the set you select is summarized in the report. Reports 
have categories that are appropriate to the type of report that you chose. If your report type does 
not need or allow these selections, the Employees and Customers options are unavailable.
To select employees or customers:
1Click either the Employees or Customers option.
The Employee or Customer Record Selection dialog box appears.
2The Selection dialog box contains a list of Employees or Customers. The list of Customers has 
a single column that lists the Customer’s Company Name. The list of Employees has several 
columns that list the employee’s last, first and middle names, and telephone extension. You can 
resize the columns by dragging the column header edges in the bar at the top of the list.
3You can choose either a single item or multiple items. Items that you select appear with a blue 
background behind their boxes. Choose a single item by clicking it. Choose multiple items by 
pressing the Control key while you click the items you want. You can select up to 100 items 
from the list. If you require more than 100 items, create several reports with different selection 
lists, or click the All button.
4Click the OK button.
The Customer or Employee Record Selection dialog box closes and the Selection list box 
displays the items you selected from the dialog box.
Create Report button
When you have entered all the data needed to create a report, the Create Report button is available.
Note: The To and From boxes are active if you select a valid database 
and you select a report type that requires you to define a Report Period.
Note: The first time you click one of these options after you connect to a 
database, there is a pause while Reports builds the directory. After 
Reports builds the directory, if you click an option, there is a pause while 
Reports opens the dialog box. If a directory is large, the pause can be 
several seconds long. After the pause, the Selection dialog box appears. 
						

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To create a report:
1Click the Create Report button.
This starts the report generation process. The Reporting animated icon appears to show that 
the report is running. The icon stops when the report is complete.
2After the report is complete, it appears in the Report Viewing area. The Create Report button is 
unavailable again, to show that the report is created. The Report controls are unavailable and 
the keyboard functions only in the Report Viewing area. You can re-access the Report controls 
by pressing the Tab key.
Viewing the report 
After you create a report, the Page > and Page < buttons are available. The Page > button shows the 
next available page of the report, if there is one, in the report view. The Page < button shows the 
previous page of the report, if there is one.
The page number of the current page appears in the bottom right corner of each page of the report.
You can also change the displayed page from the keyboard.
To change the displayed page from the keyboard:
1Ensure the keyboard is active in the Report Display area, in the lower half of the Attendant 
Console Reports window. This is set automatically after creating a report, but can also be done 
by pressing the Ta b key to move through the Report settings.
2Press Ctrl + Page Up to view the previous page, or Ctrl + Page Down to view the next page.
Printing a report
When a report is in the Report Viewing area, the Print button is available.
To print a report:
1Click the Print button.
The report prints to the default printer. You can change default printer the from the Printers 
folder. Access the Printers folder from the Windows Start menu or Control Panel. Refer to 
Attendant Console Help for further information.
2Choose the pages and number of copies of the report to print.
Note: You cannot close the application while it is running. If you need 
to quit the application while a report is running, you can do it from the 
Close Programs dialog box in the Windows Task Manager. Refer to 
Windows Help for information on how to force programs to quit. 
						

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3Click the OK button and the report prints
or
click the Cancel button to cancel printing the report.
Note: If you change a report parameter in one of the report controls, the 
Create Report button is available and the Print button is unavailable. Do 
not change any report parameters before you print the report. If you 
change a report parameter, you must regenerate the report before you can 
print it. 
						

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Glossary
Assistant attendant
The assistant attendant is the telephone attendant who provides call coverage for specific 
employees.
Backup attendant
The backup attendant receives calls when the main attendant is not available. The main 
attendant uses the Out button on the Attendant main window to direct calls to the backup 
attendant.
BLF (Busy Lamp Field)
Busy Lamp Field is one of the Directory list tab views. It displays the phone status and 
extensions of employees.
CF
Call Forward.
Caller ID
Caller ID, known as CLID or Calling Line Identification, is provided by your telephone 
company. If your company subscribes to Caller ID, the caller name and number are 
displayed on incoming calls.
CO
Central Office.
Destination extension
The destination extension is the person’s extension to which a caller (or attendant) 
attempts to connect.
DND
Do not disturb.
DTMF - Dual Tone Multi Frequency
DTMF is the sound emitted when telephone buttons are pressed.
Attendant Console
Attendant Console is a Windows-based software product that provides call management 
and call activity reporting capability to a business.
Business Communications Manager base unit 
The telephone system that Attendant Console works with.
External call
An external call is a call that originates from outside your company’s telephone system. 
						

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Hookflash
The signal that occurs when a telephone goes on-hook followed by off-hook.
Hunt Group
A Hunt Group is a group of telephones that can be called by a single number. Hunt Groups 
are configured in your Business Communications Manager base unit.
ID
Identification.
Internal call
An internal call is a call, such as a call from another employee’s extension, that originates 
from your company’s Business Communications Manager base unit.
LAN
Local area network.
Main attendant
A main attendant is the telephone attendant who is primarily responsible for managing a 
company’s incoming calls. The main attendant can have other attendants.
Networked model
In a networked model the Attendant Console main attendant’s PC is connected to one or 
more additional attendant PCs through a network.
Overflow attendant
The overflow attendant receives incoming calls when there are more than six active calls at 
the main attendant’s PC.
PC
Personal computer.
Server component
The Attendant Console server program supports the Client component residing in the PC.
Shared system
In an Attendant Console shared system the Business Communications Manager base unit 
is shared by two or more companies.
Stand-alone model
A stand-alone model is a Attendant Console system in which one attendant manages a 
business’s incoming calls. There are no assistant attendants, backup attendants or overflow 
attendants in a stand-alone model.
Target extension
A target extension is the extension number to which you are directing a call.