INTRODUCTION TO AVAYA COMMUNICATION MANAGER

Purpose
This section introduces the Contact Center Consultant to an overview of the
basic
contact center features of the Avaya Communication Manager software.

Objectives
Upon completion of this section, you will:
• Understand the basic contact center components available within the
Avaya
Communication Manager software and how to use these components to
build a
contact center

Contact Center Basic Overview

• Hunt Groups (Splits/Skills)
• Agents
• VDNs
• Vectors
• Announcements
• VuStats
 Contact Center Vocabulary

Avaya Communication Manager = A communication server is an

electronic device that processes incoming, outgoing, and internal calls and
connects them to the proper destinations.

Contact Center = provides a centralized location where a group of agents

or company representatives communicate with customers via incoming or
outgoing calls.

ACD = A feature that answers calls, and then, depending on administered

instructions, delivers messages appropriate for the caller and routes the call
to an agent when one becomes available.

Agent = Person or device answering ACD calls

Agent State = Is a term or code that represents the current availability

status of an agent. The term agent state also represents a user ability to
change an agent’s availability within the system.

ACW (After Call Work) = An agent state in which agents are unavailable
to receive
ACD calls. Agents enter the ACW mode to perform ACD-related activities
AUX (Auxiliary) = An agent state in which agents are unavailable to
receive ACD calls. Agents enter Aux-Work mode when involved in non-ACD
activities such as taking a break, going to lunch, or placing an outgoing call.

ANI = Representation of the calling number, for display or for further use
to access
information about the caller.

Announcements = An pre-recorded message delivered to a caller in queue

requesting the caller to remain on-line, prompting the caller for information
or directing the caller to another destination.

BSR = Best Service Routing, is a feature, based on call vectoring, that

routes ACD calls to the split, skill, or contact center best able to service
each call. Best Service Routing can be used on a single switch, or it can be
used to integrate resources across a network of Enterprise Communication
Servers.

Direct Agent = Calls directed to a specific agent but treated like an ACD
call
DID (Direct Inward Dial) or DID = is a process involving calls coming
into the
communication server from the Central Office. The communication server
than
EWT
routes=the
Expected Wait Time
calls directly to thefor a call to beextension.
appropriate answered

Hunt Group = A group of extensions that are assigned the Station Hunting
feature so that a call to a busy extension reroutes to an idle extension in the
group.

II Digits = Intelligent Information digits to identify where call originated,

such as
cellular, prison, pay phone

LAI = Look Ahead Interflow for routing calls to another location

Queue = If calls cannot be answered immediately, they are routed to a call

collection point (split/skill queue or attendant queue) where calls are held
until a
split/skill agent or attendant can answer them.

Prompting = Information provided by a caller when “prompted”

VDN = An extension that provides access to the Vectoring feature on the
switch.
Vectoring allows a customer to specify the treatment of incoming calls based
on
the dialed number. Soft number used to direct calls to a vector (can also be
a
DNIS or DID)

Vector = The process of defining a program that determines how a specific

call
should be routed and what call treatment that call is to be given. This set of
vector
commands can be performed for an incoming or internal call. These
commands
make-up the programming that process a call.
 Hunt Groups/Splits/Skills

A hunt-group must be created in the Communication Manager before you

can
determine/design it as a split/skill. Below is an example of a hunt-group that
has been
designed as a skill. To view a hunt-group in the Communication Manager,
use the
command “disp hu xxx” (xxx represents the hunt-group/skill number). To
add a hunt group
use the command “add hu xxx”. You can also use the change command “ch
hu xxx”
 Agents and Login Identifications (IDs)
An agent is a person who answers calls that are automatically directed to them within
the Communications Manager by using Automatic Call Distribution (ACD). An agent
becomes available for an ACD call when they enter in a code or login to a phone. This
code is knows as a Login Identification or Login ID. To view a Login ID into the
Communication Manager you would enter the command “disp ag xxxx” or to add the
command would be “add ag xxxx” or to change the command would be “ch ag xxxx”.
 Vector Directory Number (VDN)

A VDN is an extension number used to access a call vector. Each VDN is mapped to
one call vector. VDNs are software extension numbers (that is, not assigned to
physical equipment). A VDN is accessed via direct dial CO trunks mapped to the VDN
(incoming destination or night service extension), DID trunks, and LDN calls. The
VDN can be Night Destination for LDN. To view a VDN in the Communication
Manager type the command “disp VDN xxxx”; to add a VDN type the command “add
VDN xxxx”; and to change a VDN type the command “ch VDN xxxx”
 Vectors

A vector is a series of commands that you design to tell the system how to
handle
incoming calls. A vector can contain up to 32 steps and allows customized
and personalized call routing and treatment. Use call vectoring to: play
multiple announcements; route calls to internal and external destinations;
collect and respond to dialed information
 Basic Vector Commands

• Adjunct Routing is available only when the CallVisor ASAI capabilities

and Basic Call Vectoring are optioned. The command causes a message to
be sent to an ASAI adjunct requesting routing instructions.

• Announcement provides the caller with a recorded verbiage.

• Busy gives the caller a busy signal and causes termination of vector
processing.

• Check conditionally checks the status of a split or skill for possible

termination of the call to that resource. The command either connects to an
agent in the split/skill or puts the call into its queue (at the specified
queuing priority level) if the condition specified as part of the command is
met.

• Collect Digits collects up to 16 digits that are either entered by the caller
during vector processing, sent by the network, or received from an adjunct.
An optional announcement can be played prompting the caller to use a
touch-tone phone to enter digits.

• Consider Split/Skill obtains the Expected Wait Time (EWT) and agent
• Converse-on Split integrates Voice Response Units (VRUs/IRs) with the
Communications Manager switch. Specifically, the command allows voice
response scripts to be executed while the call remains in queue, and it
allows the passing of data between the Communications Manager switch
and the VRU/IR.

• Disconnect ends treatment of a call and removes the call from the switch.
This command also allows the optional assignment of an announcement that
will play prior to disconnecting the caller.

• Goto Step is a branching step that allows conditional or unconditional

movement to a preceding or succeeding step in the vector. Conditional
branching is determined by a number of factors (for example, number of
calls queued in the split/skill, number of staffed agents in the split, etc.).

• Goto Vector is a branching step that allows conditional or unconditional

movement to another vector. Conditional branching is determined by a
number of factors (for example; number of calls queued in the split, number
of staffed agents in the split, etc.).

• Messaging Skill allows the caller to leave a message for a specified

• Queue-to unconditionally queues a call to a split/skill, and assigns a
queuing priority level to the call in case no agents are available. A call sent
with this command either connects to an agent in the split/skill, or enters its
queue.

• Route-to Digits routes the call to the destination specified by a set of

digits collected from the caller by the previous collect digits step.

• Route-to Number routes the call to the destination specified within

vector processing.
• Stop terminates the processing of vector steps.

• Wait-Time is used to specify whether the caller will hear ringback, system
music, silence, or an alternate audio or music source while the call is
waiting in queue.
 Condition Testing within the Commands

• Number of staffed agents in a Split/Skill

• Number of available agents in a Split/Skill

• Number of calls queued at a given priority to a Split/Skill

• Amount of time that the oldest call has been waiting in a Split/Skill

• Average Speed of Answer for a Split/Skill or a VDN

• Expected Wait Time for a Split/Skill or for a call that has entered vector
processing

• Number of calls active in a VDN

• Caller identity (ANI)

• Time-of-day and day of the week that the call is placed

 Announcements

An announcement is a recorded message a caller can hear while the call is

in a queue, or if a call receives intercept treatment for some reason. An
announcement is often used in conjunction with music. The source for
announcements can be either integrated or external. To view an
announcement in the Communication Manger type the command “disp
integrat xxx” to add an announcement type “add integrat xxx” to change
type “ch integrat xxx”.
 Vu Stats

VuStats presents Basic Call Management System (BCMS) statistics on

phone displays. Agents, supervisors, call center managers, and other users
can press a button and view statistics for agents, splits or skills, VDNs, and
trunk groups. These statistics reflect information collected during the
current BCMS interval, information collected since
the agent logged in or since the day began, or historical data accumulated
over an
administered number of intervals. The information is limited to 40
characters displayed at
a time. VuStats can display on demand or update periodically. With VuStats,
any digital display voice-terminal user can view BCMS statistics otherwise
available only on BCMS
reports or management terminals. These statistics can help agents monitor
their own
performance or can be used to manage splits or small call centers.

NOTE: Although VuStats can run with either BCMS or CMS enabled, neither
is
 Holiday Tables
Holiday Vectoring is an enhancement that simplifies vector writing for
holidays. It is
designed for customers who need to reroute or provide special handling for
date-related calls on a regular basis.
This feature provides the user with the capability to administer as many as
99 different
Holiday Tables, then use those tables to make vectoring decisions. Each
table can contain up to 15 dates or date ranges. All of this can be done in
advance to ensure seamless call routing over holidays when staffing is
reduced or contact centers are closed.
When vector processing encounters a goto xxx if holiday in table # step,
it
determines if the current date and time qualifies as a holiday according to
the given table. That information is then used to decide whether the goto
condition is true or false, and therefore, whether to goto the given step or
vector or not. The date and time match is done at the time that the
call is in vector processing. It is done just like time-of-day routing. This
means that it is checking the system date and time on the Processor Port
Network (PPN), rather than the local port network time on the Expansion
Port Network (EPN).
 Vector Routing Tables (VRT)

Vector Routing Tables contain lists of numbers that can be used to test a
goto...if digits
command. Digits that are collected with the collect digits step can be tested
to see if they are either in or not-in the specified table. Entries in the tables
can include either the + or ? wildcard.
The + represents a group of digits and can only be used as the first or last
character of the string.
The ? represents a single digit. Any number of them can be used at any
position in the
digit string.
Most of the time Vector Routing Tables are used in ANI look-up. You can
test ANI against
entries in a Vector Routing Table. These Vector Routing Tables contain lists
of numbers that can be used to test a goto...if ani command. ANI can be
tested to see if it is either in or not-in the specified table.
To view a VRT type the command “disp vrt xxx”; to change a VRT type “ch
vrt xxx”; to see
a list of all VRTs administered type “li vrt xxx”.
This concludes our
class
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questions?