AT&T 999-501-149 manual

AT&T 999-501-149 MERLIN ® lI COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM Feature Module 2 Call Management System System Manual[...]

©1988 AT&T All Rights Reserved Printed in USA Issue 1 September, 1988 NOTICE The information in this document is subject to change without notice. AT&T assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. MERLIN is a registered trademark of AT&T. MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. To order [...]

Contents Section 1: Introduction How to Use the CMS Documents 1-1 Section 2: Understanding CMS Overview 2-1 Key Concepts 2-2 A Typical CMS Application 2-5 Key Facts and Considerations 2-8 Section 3: Your 6300 WGS and CMS Overview 3-1 Duplicating the CMS Diskette Duplicate 3-3 Installing the CMS Software 3-5 Using Your PC with CMS 3-9 Section 4: Adm[...]

Section 7: Generating Reports Overview 7-1 Types of CMS Reports 7-2 How to Generate Reports 7-16 Section 8: Archiving Data Overview 8-1 Section 9: Troubleshooting Overview Startup Problems Call Management Problems System Errors Voice Announcement Unit Problems External Alert Problems Printer Problems Agent Problems Managing Calls if CMS is Disabled[...]

How to Use the CMS Documents CMS CMS PLANNING GUIDE INSTALLATION AND GETTING STARTED GUIDE CMS USER’S CARD The Call Management System (CMS) is the automatic call distributor (ACD) for the MERLIN® II Communications System with Feature Module 2. The CMS component of the MERLIN II system answers calls and connects them to available agents. When the[...]

CMS SYSTEM MANUAL This is the manual you’re reading now. It contains information on every aspect of the CMS operation and administration, from understanding CMS to troubleshooting. “ What’s in This Manual” previews the structure and contents of the system manual, and offers suggestions on the best ways to use it. What’s in This Manual The[...]

6 7 8 9 10 Handling CMS Calls. This section helps you make decisions about which size voice terminal your agents need, and which features they’ll use to handle CMS calls. It also includes information on programming and using these features. Generating Reports. This section describes the types of reports available from CMS, and how to select and p[...]

Overview The Call Management System for the MERLIN II Communications System with Feature Module 2 is a powerful tool for managing your incoming calls. With CMS, you can handle calls efficiently, distribute the workload equally among your agents, and collect data on call traffic and call handling performance. This section includes information that i[...]

Key Concepts To administer and use CMS, you should be familiar with the following terms, which are briefly defined: Automatic call Line groups Agents Agent splits distributor (ACD) Shift configurations Main and secondary splits Intraflow Intraflow threshold Logged out state Available state After-call-work (ACW) state Automatic after-call-work state[...]

When call management begins for a shift, the agents in the shift configuration are in the logged out state. CMS neither sends calls to nor keeps statistics on agents who are logged out, so the agents have to signal CMS that they are now ready to receive calls. They do so by touching the programmed button labeled Available on their voice terminals ([...]

If no agent is available, CMS waits a certain number of seconds, then answers the call and connects it to a delay message. The length of time CMS waits before answering the call is known as the answer delay. If an agent becomes available at any time during the answer delay interval or during the delay message, the call is immediately transferred to[...]

A Typical CMS Application ❍ Personal Trave l Spli t ❍ Support Spli t ❍ Charter Trave l Spli t ❍ Corporate Travel Spli t The following example shows how Bon Voyage Travel Agency, a hypothetical business, uses CMS. CMS AND BON VOYAGE TRAVEL At Bon Voyage Travel, agents plan and book trips for several types of customers. Most of the travel age[...]

BON VOYAGE TRAVEL’S OTHER CALL TRAFFIC The Personal Travel split handles calls from customers wanting to plan and book their personal vacations. There are seven agents in this split. Calls come into this split on two line groups: the Public line group and the Special line group. In this example, the Public line group consists of four lines (555-1[...]

CMS AND OTHER BUSINESSES Agents and nonagents use lines not assigned to CMS for all outgoing calls and nonrevenue producing incoming calls. Because this guide focuses on planning CMS, it refers to the components of Bon Voyage Travel’s MERLIN II system that are not assigned to CMS only when necessary to clarify some point about CMS planning and op[...]

Key Facts and Considerations Key facts and considerations concerning proper CMS installation, administration, and operation are emphasized throughout this guide. However, as a quick reference, the most fundamental CMS requirements are listed below. You may need to refer to either the CMS Planning Guide or the CMS Installation and Getting Started Gu[...]

STATION ASSIGNMENTS LINE GROUP AND AGENT SPLIT CONSIDERATIONS EXTERNAL ALERTS OTHER CONSIDERATIONS All CMS lines must have the MERLIN II system ringing option feature set for No Ring (at the main Each line of a line group agent’s voice terminal. attendant console). assigned to an agent CMS agent stations can be assigned any block must be assigned[...]

Overview UPGRADE If you are already familiar with this information from reading the MERLIN II Communications System Installation and Getting Started Guide for the Call Management System, skip over this section of the manual, and continue with Section 4, “Administering CMS.” The personal computer is an integral part of CMS. Two types of personal[...]

Software Considerations This CMS release is available on both a single 3 and 1/2 inch disk (to be used with the 6300 WGS) and on two 5 1/4 inch disks (to be used with either the 6300 WGS or the PC 6300). Previous releases of CMS were on a single 5 1/4 inch disk. New copy and installation procedures for both types of disks are described in this sect[...]

Duplicating the CMS Diskette Duplicate To protect your original CMS diskettes from damage or wear, make duplicates on the blank diskettes packaged with your software. Then you can store the originals in a safe place in case you need them later. You’ll need the following to make the duplicate: ● Your PC ● The original CMS diskettes, labeled ?[...]

When inserting the diskette, the label of the diskette should face upwards, and the notch in the side of the diskette (5 1/4 inch diskette) should be on the left. When you hear a click, indicating that the diskette has been fully inserted, press down the latch on drive A until you feel the latch lock. NOTE: The procedure is essentially the same whe[...]

Installing the CMS Software Perform the following software installation procedures the first time you install the CMS software or if errors occur that you cannot fix and you need to begin again. When you are finished, the system has copied the programs required for CMS operations onto the PC hard disk. To install the software do the following: INST[...]

However, there are other ways in which the installation procedure could be interrupted: If there are errors on your CMS duplicate copy that prevent the installation program from continuing, the following message appears on your screen: ❈❈❈❈ Error on Installation Floppy Disk Try Installation from another Floppy Discard the CMS duplicate copy[...]

In order to set up or add to this file on your PC you need to use a text editor. Use either EDLIN, the MS-DOS line editor, or another text editor you are familiar with. The following are the commands you need in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to start CMS automatically: cd cms cms If your hard disk does not have an AUTOEXEC.BAT file, you can use EDLIN (the[...]

SET THE TIME To check or change the time on your PC, do as follows: 1 When the C> prompt appears, type time and press [ ↵ ] . The following message appears on your screen: Current time is 0:01:30.00 Enter new time: 2 If the time is correct, press [ ↵ ] . If the time is incorrect, type in the correct hour and minute (for example, 9:03 ) and p[...]

Using Your PC with CMS SCREEN FORMATS This section describes the format of CMS screens, entering and editing data, and accessing help screens. If you have questions about MS-DOS, the layout of your keyboard, or other information about your 6300 WGS, refer to the manuals that accompanied it. The following screen shows a typical CMS screen format: ?[...]

3 Error line. Three types of messages can appear in the error line: ● Error messages indicate you made an invalid entry, such as entering a number in a field where only letters are valid. ● Exception messages indicate that one of the exception thresholds you have set has been reached, and an unusual or undesirable situation may be occurring, ?[...]

aGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS F Splits F Lin e F Cal l 1 2 Groups 3 Flow AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS CALL FLOW F10 - Help F Config 7 Screen ENTERING DATA AT PROMPTS Bon Voyage Travel ADMIN CMSIIR2 ll:00a 06/0 l Agent Agen t N UM Answer Force Aut o Split Pos ID Spli t Pos ID Group Lines Delay Delay AC W 1 PERS l6 TOM 3 CORP 37 IK E A PUBLIC 4 [...]

MOVING THE CURSOR ENTERING DATA Action: Your instructions for entering data in response to the prompt appear here. For instance: 1 Enter a configuration number. 2 Press [ F8 ] (labeled Enter Data). Many CMS prompts contain several empty fields, as in the following example: ADD AGENT: Last Name: First: ID: When a prompt appears, the cursor is positi[...]

EDITING DATA USING THE HELP SCREENS ● To ● To ● To ● To ● Your PC beeps and an error message appears if you skip a required field in a prompt and press [ F8 ] or [ ↵ ] . Important: To cancel any prompt, press [ F1 ] (labeled Cancel Prompt) or [ DELETE ] . Any data you entered in the prompt fields is ignored, the prompt disappears, and t[...]

Overview The starting point for administration is the Administration Menu, shown below. You can get to it from the CMS Menu and from several other screens. Bon Voyage Travel ADMIN CMSIIR2 10:36a 06/13 Administration Menu F1 Build/Edit Shift Configurations F2 Build Agent Directory (Names and IDs) F3 Administer Lines and Line Groups F5 Set Options F6[...]

FIGURE 4-1 A map of CMS administration screens. CMS MENU START CALL ADMINISTRATION PRINT MANAGEMENT MENU REPORTS STORED SHIFT CONFIGURATIONS SET ADMINISTER OPTIONS CONFIGURATION EXCEPTIONS AGENT DIRECTORY ADMINISTER LINES AND LINE GROUPS SERVICE LEVEL AGENT EXEPTIONS AGENT ABANDON SPLIT SPLITS THRESHOLD EXCEPTIONS LINE ALARM GROUPS ON/OFF CALL DELA[...]

Getting Started START CMS These procedures describe turning on the PC and selecting an administration activity from the Administration Menu. You may want to review “Key Facts and Considerations” at the end of Section 2 before administering CMS. ADMINISTERING To start administering CMS follow these steps: 1 Turn on your PC. If you use an AUTOEXE[...]

4 Press [ F4 ] (labeled “Admin CMS” ) to begin administering CMS. The Administration Menu screen, shown below, appears. Bon Voyage Travel ADMIN CMSIIR2 10:36a 06/13 Administration Menu F1 Build/Edit Shift Configurations F2 Build Algent Directory (Names and IDs) F3 Administer Lines and Line Groups F5 Set Options F6 Select Exception Thresholds to[...]

Building or Editing Shift Configurations A shift configuration is an arrangement of line groups and agent splits for managing calls. Before CMS can operate, you must build at least one shift configuration. You can build as many as six configurations to handle different calling patterns in your business. If you do not name the configurations when yo[...]

Administering shift configurations begins with the Stored Shift Configurations screen shown below. Pressing [ F1 ] (labeled “Config List” ) from the Administration Menu screen selects this screen. Bon Voyage Travel ADMIN CMSIIR2 10:38a 06/13 STORED SHIFT CONFIGURATIONS 1 - DAILY 2 - WEEKEND 3 - NIGHT 4 - EVENIN G 5 - UNUSED 6 - UNUSED F10 - Hel[...]

Editing a Shift Configuration BUILD OR EDIT A SHIFT CONFIGURATION This section describes how to build a new shift configuration or change an existing one. Your CMS will not manage calls while you are using these procedures. To edit an active shift configuration, follow the instructions in “Dynamic Reconfiguration” in Section 5. Building a shift[...]

Bon Voyage Travel ADMIN CMSIIR2 11:00a 06/01 AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS Agen t Agen t Num Answer Force Aut o Spli t Pos ID Spli t Pos ID Group Lines Delay Delay AC W 1 PERS 16 TOM 3 CORP 37 IK E A PUBLIC 4 5s On 5s 17 CLIFF 39 TINA B SPECL 3 5s Off 10s 19 ERNIE 49 DIANA C CHART 6 5s Off 5s 21 DEB 4 SUPPT 42 RO N D CORP 2 5s On 5s 23 BOB 43 NAN[...]

Administering Line Group Options. Program how you want CMS to control answering calls. Clearing a Configuration. Delete the contents of a configuration. Returning to Other Screens. Return to the Stored Shift Configurations screen and save the configuration you just built or edited, Return to the Admin Menu and select another administration activity[...]

ADMINISTER SPLITS To administer splits, press the function key for the activity you want to perform: [ F1 ] Add Agent. Use this function key to assign an agent to a split. The agent must already be listed on the Agent Directory screen. A split may have up to 28 agents. Prompt: ADD AGENT: ID: Pos # : Split #: Action: 1 Enter an agent ID. 2 Enter a p[...]

[ F3 ] Move Agent. Use this function key to shift an agent from one split to another or from one position to another. Prompt: MOVE AGENT: ID: New Pos #: _ New Split #: _ Action: 1 Enter an agent ID. 2 Enter a new position number, or press [ F6 ] (labeled “Next Field” ) to skip this field. If you skip this field, the agent keeps the same positio[...]

[ F7 ] Config Screen. Use this function key to return to the Configuration screen. [ F8 ] Agent Directory. Press this function key to return to the Agent Directory screen if you need to refer to or change agent information. Press [ F7 ] (labeled “Config Splits” ) on the Agent Directory screen to return to the Configure Splits screen. Administer[...]

FORCE DELAY AUTOMATIC AFTER- CALL-WORK (ACW) 4 Enter a number from 0 through 99 for the number of seconds a call is to be delayed for that group. The initial setting is five seconds, the approximate time from the beginning of one ring to the beginning of the next. 5 Press [ F8 ] (labeled “Enter Data”). The Configuration will reappear and the an[...]

3 Enter a group letter (A through D) for the group to be administered. 4 Enter the number of seconds (O through 999), for the number of seconds agents are to be in the ACW state. NOTE: “0” means the Auto ACW feature is not in effect. 5 Press [ F8 ] (labeled “Enter Data”). Administering Call Flow The activities in administering call flow do [...]

Bon Voyage Travel ADMIN CMSIIR2 10:49a 06/13 AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS Agen t Agen t Num Answer Force Aut o Spilt Pos ID Spli t Pos ID Group Lines Delay Delay AC W 1 PERS 16 TOM 3 CORP 37 IK E A PUBLIC 4 5s On 5s 17 CLIFF 39 TINA B SPECL 3 5s Off 10s 19 ERNIE 40 DIANA C CHART 6 5s Off 5s 21 DEB 4 SUPPT 42 RO N D CORP 2 5s On 5s 23 BOB 43 NANC[...]

5 If there is no agent available in the secondary split, the call remains waiting in the main split. The call will be answered by the first available agent in either the main split or the secondary split (if the secondary split’s intraflow threshold is not exceeded by another call). HINT: If your only consideration in building a shift configurati[...]

[ F3 ] Set Thresh. Use this function key to set the intraflow threshold for each split . This threshold is based on the number of seconds the oldest call has been waiting in a split. The initial setting is 30 seconds. Prompt: SET INTRAFLOW THRESHOLD: Split #: _ Threshold (seconds): Action: 1 Enter a split number (1 through 6). 2 Enter the number of[...]

Use [ F5 ] (labeled “All-Ring On/Off”) to change a split from All-Ring operation to normal automatic call distributor (ACD) operation, or vice versa. In the All-Ring column of the Call Flow area of the screen, On indicates that a split has All-Ring operation, and Off indicates normal ACD operation. Prompt: CHANGE ALL-RING OPERATION: Split #: _ [...]

Returning to Other Screens You can select two other screens from the Configuration screen. If you have just created or edited a configuration, the word (changed) appears next to the configuration name on the screen. You may want to go to the Stored Shift Configurations screen to save your new configuration or the old one you have edited. Pressing [[...]

Renaming a Shift Configuration To name or rename a configuration, press [ F3 ] (labeled “Rename Config”) on the Stored Shift Configurations screen. Configuration names can contain as many as 10 letters, numbers, or special characters. Spaces are not allowed, so you may want to use underscores instead. Prompt: RENAME CONFIGURATION: Config #: _ N[...]

Assigning Agent IDs The first step in administering agents is creating a “master list” of agents on the Agent Directory screen. Later on, you assign these agents to splits (teams of agents) that answer calls that come in on lines assigned to line groups. Each CMS agent needs a unique ID of up to 5 characters. You use this ID when you add, move,[...]

Prompt: Add AGENT: Last Name: First: ID: Action: 1 Make entries in these fields as follows: Last name: up to 12 letters, numbers, or special characters such as *or # First: up to 8 letters, numbers, or special characters ID: up to 5 letters, numbers, or special characters Remember, each ID must be unique. The IDs appear on the screen in uppercase l[...]

[ F7 ] Config Splits. Press this function key to select the Configure Splits screen. This function key only works if you have already selected a particular configuration to build or edit. [ F8 ] Admin Menu. Press this function key to return to the Administration Menu screen. Assigning Agent IDs 4-23[...]

Administering Lines and Line Groups Your CMS supports up to 28 telephone lines. You can arrange your lines in up to four line groups. If you want, you can assign all your lines to a single line group. Y OU should have determined the following information when you filled out the Line Groups Planning Form in the MERLIN II Communications System Planni[...]

Bon Voyage Travel ADMIN CMSIIR2 10:57a 06/13 ADMINISTER LINES AND LINE GROUPS Line Line Group A PUBLIC B SPECL C CHART D CORP Btn ID Priority Group Btn ID Priorit y 1 1816 2 1808 3 1818 4 8515 5 8532 6 8518 7 8531 8 0911 9 0912 10 0913 11 0914 12 0915 13 0916 14 0917 D CORP 15 0918 F10 - Help F Ad d F Remove F Mov e F Change F Change F Change F Adm[...]

[ F1 ] Add Line. Use this function key to add a line to CMS and assign it to a line group. IMPORTANT: Before adding a line to CMS, you must first assign the line to the PC. For information on how to do this, see “Assign Lines to the CMS PC” in the MERLIN II Communications System Getting Started Guide for the Call Management System. This procedu[...]

[ F4 ] Change Priority. Use this function key to assign priority to a line or to change a priority line to a nonpriority line. The priority of a line determines its position among the calls waiting to be answered by an agent. Priority lines are answered first and are indicated by a “+“ in the Priority column of the Administer Lines and Line Gro[...]

Setting Options After you have used CMS for a few days, you will have enough information to set several system options. Initial settings are in effect for these options until you define new values. The options are: ● Service Level Limit ● Abandoned Call Threshold ● Adible Alarm ● Delay Message Length ● Business Name NOTE: You may want to [...]

AUDIBLE ALARM want to set a low abandoned call threshold, and know that the possibility of mistaking an abandoned call for a “real” call, or vice versa will increase. The initial value for the abandoned call threshold is 10 seconds. You can have your PC beep every time an exception message, a system message, or an error message appears. An exce[...]

zET OPTIONS To set options, press the function key for the option you want to change. [ F1 ] Service Level. The service level is the percentage of calls connected to agents within a specified number of seconds (the service level limit). Prompt: SERVICE LEVEL: Percent of Calls Answered within n seconds. n: _ Action: 1 Enter a number 1 through 999. 2[...]

Selecting Exceptions An exception message indicates that a particular performance threshold has been reached or exceeded and an unusual or undesirable situation may be occurring. Exceptions allow you to customize performance goals for each split or line group. For instance, you may establish a threshold of 3 minutes as an acceptable talk time for o[...]

Instructions for Selecting Exceptions Pressing [ F6 ] (labeled “Select Exceptns”) on the Administration Menu screen selects the Administer Exceptions screen shown below. Bon Voyage Travel ADMIN CMSI IR2 11:12a 06/13 EXCEPTION SETTINGS Split / Line Group Exception On/Off 1/A 2/B 3/C 4/D 5 6 AGENTS Talk Time >= xxx sec Off - - - - - - After Ca[...]

4 5 6 7 8 Enter thresholds for splits or line groups. Keep these points in mind: You do not need to enter a threshold for each split or line group. If you don’t want to enter a threshold for a particular split or line group, simply leave it blank. This feature allows you to turn on an exception for some splits or groups, but not all of them. To d[...]

External exception alerts provide a signal that alerts you to unusual or undesirable situations affecting splits or line groups. For instance, the All Lines Busy exception notifies you when all lines in a line group have been busy more than a certain number of seconds. An alert may be triggered for any or all of the following exceptions: ● Number[...]

CONDITIONS FOR Generally, assigning alerts to line button numbers is the first step in ASSIGNING ALERTS administering alerts. An exception may have an alert assigned only under the following conditions: A line button number must be assigned to the alert number being used and it can only be assigned through CMS Administration (CMS is not managing ca[...]

Bon Voyage Travel ADMIN CMSIIR2 11:12a 06/13 EXCEPTION SETTINGS Exception On/Off 1/A Split / Line Group AGENTS Talk Time >= xxx sec After Call Work >= xxx min Agent Logout ACW >= xxx min Refused Call SPLITS #l Abandon Calls >= xx # Calls Waiting >= xx Oldest Call Wait >= xxx sec Avg Speed Answer >= xxx sec LINE GROUPS All Lines[...]

3 When you are finished changing line button numbers, press [ F8 ] (labeled “Enter Data”) to enter the data. ASSIGNING EXCEPTIONS simultaneously” You can assign some of the exception thresholds at the same AND EXTERNAL ALERTS time you assign external alerts to the exceptions. The prompts for Calls SIMULTANEOUSLY Waiting, Oldest Call, Avg Spee[...]

Selecting Agent Exceptions Agent exceptions allow you to monitor the activity of individual agents. You can use these exceptions to indicate reasonable expectations for call handling, and to see where extra training is necessary. You can set different exception thresholds for each split to tailor the exception for the type of calls each split handl[...]

[ F1 ] Talk Time. Talk time is the number of seconds an agent is connected to a call. If you turn on this exception, CMS notifies you when an agent’s talk time meets or exceeds the threshold set for that split. Prompt: TALK TIME (seconds): ON/OFF? Split 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: Action: 1 2 3 Type on or off . Press [ F6 ] (labeled “Next Field”) to ke[...]

[ F4 ] Refused Call. If you turn on this exception, CMS notifies you whenever an agent refuses a call. Prompt: REFUSED CALLS: ON/OFF? Action: 1 Type on or off. 2 Press [ F8 ] (labeled “Enter Data”). Exception: ❈❈ ❈ Split X - Agent XXXXX - Refused Call [ F8 ] Admin Exceptions. Press [ F8 ] (labeled “Admin Exceptns” ) to return to the A[...]

ADMINISTER A SPLIT EXCEPTION To administer a split exception, follow these steps: 1 Press the function key for that exception and refer to the description and instructions that follow this list. The exception message that appears when an exception threshold is met or exceeded is also listed. A typical example is ❈❈ ❈ Split X - # Calls Waiting[...]

3 If you wish to assign an alert to this exception, enter an alert number in the field to the right of the slash. If not, enter a hyphen. 4 Press [ F8 ] (labeled “Enter Data”) after the last field. Exception: ❈❈ ❈ Split X - # Calls Waiting > = XX [ F3 ] Oldest Call (Oldest Call Waiting). The oldest call is the call that has been waitin[...]

3 To assign an alert number, enter the number in the field to the left of the slash. If not, enter a hyphen. 4 Press [ F8 ] (labeled “Enter Data”) after the last field. Exception: ❈❈ ❈ Split X - Avg Speed Answer > = XXX seconds [ F8 ] Admin Exceptions. Press [ F8 ] (labeled “Admin Exceptns”) to return to the Administer Exceptions s[...]

ADMINISTER A LINE To administer a line group exception, follow these steps: GROUP EXCEPTION 1 Press the function key for that exception and refer to the description and instructions that follow this list. The exception message that appears when each exception threshold is exceeded is also listed. A typical example is ❈❈ ❈ Group B - All Lines [...]

[ F3 ] Hold Time Minimum (Minimum Line Holding Time). The line holding time refers to the number of seconds a line has been in use for a single call. If you turn on this exception, CMS notifies you when the length of time a line has been in use is less than the threshold you set. If the holding time of a line is consistently short, it may signal a [...]

6 The CMS administrator sets exception thresholds for various groups and splits. 7 The CMS administrator assigns the alert numbers to any of the splits or line groups for which thresholds are set and for which visual alerts are to light Up when the thresholds are met or exceeded. NOTE: If all external alert wiring and administration procedures are [...]

Backing Up Shift Configurations If you routinely make a backup copy of your shift configurations, you will have a current version to use if you need to restore your system after a problem. COPY SHIFT CONFIGURATIONS You should also copy the system tables at the same time you copy the shift configurations. The system tables contain the agent director[...]

If you ever lose a shift configuration (for instance, if you clear a configuration by accident), copy the desired configuration (or all configurations) from the duplicate as follows: 1 Repeat steps 1 through 3 in the previous procedure. 2 To copy all your shift configurations from the duplicate onto the hard disk, type copy a:shift .cms c: ❈ To c[...]

Overview You must complete several initial administration activities before you can manage calls with CMS. These activities, described in Section 4, “Administering CMS,” involve identifying your CMS lines and agents and building at least one shift configuration. If you have not completed these activities, refer to Section 4 and return to this s[...]

FIGURE 5-1 Map of the screens for call management. CMS MAIN MENU START CALL ADMINISTRATION REPORT MANAGEMENT MENU MENU AGENT SPLIT SUMMARY INITIALIZE STORED SHIFT CONFIGURATIONS SELECT AND INITIALIZE ONE CONFIGURATION SPLIT REPORT LINE GROUP REPORT DAILY CUMULATIVE DAILY CUMULATIVE BY DAY CUMULATIVE BY HOUR DAILY CUMULATIVE BY DAY CUMULATIVE BY HOU[...]

The Administator/Supervisor's Responsibilities The MERLIN II system administrator is responsible for establishing certain systemwide options and features, such as setting the system for square or pooled lines, assigning the lines that a voice terminal can access, or storing System Speed Dial codes in the MERLIN II system. In many systems the a[...]

The Attendant Console LINE BUTTONS AUTO INTERCOM BUTTONS The system administrator should have set your MERLIN II system for a large system, that is, for a system with more than eight lines or more than 20 voice terminals. A S CMS supervisor, you therefore must have a console that will accommodate a large system. For CMS to work with the MERLIN II S[...]

GROUP PAGE Conversely, a CMS agent can have either a Manual Signaling button or an Auto Intercom button to contact you. And, you can tell which agent is calling because the light next to that agent’s Auto Intercom button on your voice terminal flashes rapidly, If the agent has a Manual Signaling button for you on his or her voice terminal, the ag[...]

4 When you hear a beep, speak into your handset. (You hear a busy signal if all the voice terminals in the group are busy.) NOTE: The above group page codes are default codes. If the MERLIN II system has non-CMS activity, some codes may have undergone flexible numbering. If so, check the Master Planning Form and the Group Page Planning Form to see [...]

FIGURE 5-2 The MERLIN II System Display Console. ❑ Message ❑ Speaker ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Clock Functions ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ 555-0916 10 555-4372 555-7183 555-1816 20 30 40 ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ 50 ❑ 60 ❑ 700 ❑ 710 ❑❑ ❑ ❑ 11 21 31 41 555-5184 555-7182 555-1808 555-0917 ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ 51 ❑ 61 ❑ 701 ❑ 711 ❑ ❑ ❑ ?[...]

Startup Procedures To activate CMS, follow these steps: 1 Turn on your PC. If you use an AUTOEXEC.BAT file to automatically start the CMS program, the CMS Menu appears. Go to step 4. (For informatiom on creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT file, refer to “Starting up the CMS Program Automatically” in Section 3.) 2 When the C> prompt appears, type cd cms[...]

Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 3:46p 06/02 INITIALIZATION IN PROGRESS ... SELECT CONFIGURATION STORED SHIFT CONFIGURATIONS 1 - DAILY 2 - WEEKEND 3 - NIGHT 4 - EVENING 5 - UNUSED 6 - UNUSED SELECT CONFIGURATION: Config #: F Cancel F Previous F Next F Enter 1 Prompt 5 Fiel d 6 Field 8 Data While this screen is displayed, CMS checks cable connections a[...]

Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 3:47p 06/02 INITIALIZATION COMPLETE ... READY FOR INPUT F Config F System F Reports 1 Screen 3 Status 5 F10 - Help F Exit 8 Call Mgt NOTE: You can choose to have a particular shift configuration begin automatically during system startup, CMS performs another series of system checks. For more information on activating a[...]

[ F5 ] Reports. Use this function key to select the Report Menu screen. You can select reports from the Report Menu and print them out. This screen is accessible even while CMS is managing calls. For more information, see Section 7, “Generating Reports.” [ F8 ] Exit Use this function key to stop call management. You are prompted to confirm your[...]

Making Agents Available for CMS Calls AGENTS' VOICE TERMINAL BUTTON REQUIREMENTS Since it is important that your CMS knows when an agent is available for CMS calls, agents must understand how to designate the work state they are in. In this way, your CMS can run efficiently and maintain accurate records. Each agent must have on his or her voic[...]

AVAILABLE STATE AFTER-CALL-WORK STATE All agents are automatically placed in the logged out state when you stop managing calls with one shift configuration and begin managing calls with another. Individual agents are automatically placed in the logged out state in the following instances as well: ● When you add, move, or replace an agent ● When[...]

AUTOMATIC AFTER- An agent receiving a call from a line group with automatic ACW does not CALL-WORK STATE have to touch the ACW button to announce unavailability upon completion of a call. The agent has a set period of time that was administered for the agent’s line group for finishing paperwork connected with the previous CMS call. This hands-fre[...]

Monitoring Call Management Once you begin call management (as described earlier in “Startup Procedures“), you can monitor activity in the line groups and splits through the status screens. These screens, described in this chapter, are as follows: ● System Status screen. This screen is considered the “home” screen during call management. I[...]

Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 4:04p 06/02 SYSTEM STATUS LINE GROUP INFORMATION Lin e Lines Split Group Busy Tota l Main Sec Flo w A PUBLIC 0 4 1 3 On B SPECL 0 3 1 3 On C CHART 0 6 2 4 On D CORP 0 2 3 - Off SPLIT INFORMATION Agents Waiting Abandon Intrflo w Calls Handled Ser v Spli t ACD Avail ACW Out Oth Num Old Num Delay In Out Num AvgTalk ASA Le[...]

To access another screen from the System Status screen, to change to Day or Night Service, or to exit call management, press the corresponding function key: [ F1 ] Day/Night. Press this function key to change the system from Day Service mode to Night Service mode or vice versa. For more information, see “Selecting Day or Night Service,” later i[...]

Key to System Status Data SYSTEM STATUS LINE GROUP INFORMATION SPLIT INFORMATION LINE GROUP INFORMATION SPLIT INFORMATION Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 4:04p 06/02 Line Lines Split s Group Busy Total Main Sec Flo w A PUBLIC ❍ 1 ❍ 2 031 3 041 3 On On B SPECL C CHART 062 4 On D CORP 023 - Off Agent s Waitng Abandon Intrflow Calls Handled Serv Spl[...]

Using the Split Status Screens With the Split Status screens, you can get a detailed picture of the activities of each agent in each split. For instance, you can see how many calls each agent has answered and the average time an agent spends on a call. The same data are collected for each split. Each Split Status screen contains one split’s data.[...]

Error messages are displayed if an agent is already in the status entered, or if an ID is entered for an agent that is not in the split, or if either of the prompt fields is left blank. If an ACD call is in progress when the supervisor initiates the change, the new status takes effect upon completion of the call, and a message to that effect is dis[...]

Key to Split Status Data SPLIT STATUS INFORMATION SPLIT 1: PERS SPLIT STATUS AGENT STATUS Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 4:03p 06/02 1 ❍ 2 ❍ ACD Calls Other Pos ID Status Num AvgTlk AvgACW Xfr Rfusd Num AvgTlk 16 TOM LoggedOut 0 0:00 3 ❍ ❍ 0 0 0 0:00 4 LoggedOut 0 0:00 5 17 CLIFF ❍ 0:00 0:00 0 0 0 0:00 19 ERNIE LoggedOut 0 0:00 0:00 0 0 0 [...]

SPLIT STATUS 10 Number of calls waiting in each split and length of time the oldest call has been waiting CALL FLOW 11 Main and secondary split assignments and intraflow status Using the Line Status Screen The Line Status screen, shown below, summarizes the activity for each line in each line group. Pressing [ F5 ] (labeled “Line Status”) from [...]

To change a line’s priority or select another screen, press the corresponding function key: [ F1 ] Change Priority. Use this function key to change a line from a priority line to a nonpriority line, or vice versa. The priority of a line determines its position among the calls waiting to be answered by an agent. Priority lines are answered first a[...]

Key to Line Status Data CALL FLOW LINE STATUS Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 4:02p 06/02 LINE STATUS ❍ 1 ❍ Call s 2 Call s SPLIT STATUS Grp Line P Stat Num HoldT Grp Line P Stat Num HoldT Waiting A 1816 Idle 0 0m C 0 Busy/6 Total 0 Calls 3 ❍ Spli t Num Old 1808 Idle 0 0m 1 PERS 0 0s 1818 6 ❍ Idle 0 0m D 091 7 Idle 0 0m 2 CHART 0 0s 8515 Idle[...]

Using the Events Log Screen The Events Log screen displays the last 19 exceptions and system problems with the time and date they occurred. Exception messages alert you to unusual or undesirable situations. Pressing [ F4 ] (labeled “Events Log”) on any status screen selects the Events Log screen. A typical example is shown below. Bon Voyage Tra[...]

[ F7 ] Config Screen. Press this function key to select the Configuration screen. From that screen you can begin dynamic reconfiguration of your system. For more information, see “Dynamic Reconfiguration,” later in this section. [ F8 ] System Status. Press this function key to select the System Status screen. It summarizes the activity in each [...]

Dynamic Reconfiguration Once you activate a shift configuration (as described earlier in “Startup Procedures”), you can modify it through dynamic reconfiguration. For example, you can reassign agents or turn on intraflow to handle unexpected changes in incoming call traffic. Such changes are immediately activated in the current configuration. I[...]

From the configuration screen you can perform three types of reconfiguration (described below) or select other screens. ● Reconfigure Splits. Through the Configure Splits screen, you can add, move, or remove the agents in splits. ● Change Line Group Options. With the line groups prompt, you can change the number of seconds calls ring before CMS[...]

[ F7 ] Config List. Press this function key to select the Stored Shift Configurations screen. From this screen you can activate a different configuration, save or rename a configuration, or select a default configuration for startup. For more information, see “Using the Stored Shift Configurations screen,” later in this section. [ F8 ] System S[...]

Action: 1 Enter an agent’s ID. 2 Enter the agent’s position number (a MERLIN II system 2-digit intercom number). 3 Enter a split number (1 through 6). 4 Press [ F8 ] (labeled “Enter Data”). [ F2 ] Remove Agent. Use this function key to remove an agent from the current configuration. (The agent entry remains on the Agent Directory screen, ho[...]

[ F5 ] New Agent. Use this function key to add a new agent (one who is not listed in the Agent Directory) to the current configuration. Agents added using the Configure Splits screen are simultaneously added to the Agent Directory. When new agents are added to a split, they are placed automatically in the logged out state. Prompt: NEW AGENT: Last N[...]

Think of answer delay as a trade-off between the time a customer spends listening to ringing and the time the customer spends on hold. You can use a different answer delay value for each line group, depending on the type of lines in the group and the amount of time the caller is likely to wait before an agent is available. The initial setting for a[...]

To change answer delay for any line group, press [ F1 ] (labeled “Answer Delay”) and the following screen with the answer delay prompt appears: Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 3:57p 06/02 AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS Agent Agent Num Answer Force Aut o Split Pos ID Spli t Pos ID Group Lines Delay Delay AC W 1 PERS 16 TOM 3 CORP 37 IK E A PUBLIC[...]

AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS CALL FLOW AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS FORCE DELAY Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 3:58p 06/02 Agen t Spli t Pos ID 1 PERS 16 TOM 17 CLIFF 19 ERNIE 21 DEB 23 BOB 24 SHERM 25 WALT 2 CHART 27 BEN 28 SAM 29 NORM 31 DI 32 CARLA 33 BJ 35 MAX Agen t Num Answer Force Aut o Spli t Pos ID Group Lines Dela y 3 CORP Delay ACW [...]

Example Pressing [ F2 ] (labeled “Line Groups”) from the Configuration screen selects the line group function. A box appears around the line group area of the Configuration screen and a different set of function keys appears at the bottom of the screen. Refer to the following example. Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 3:59p 06/02 AGENT SPLITS LINE [...]

To change force delay for any line group, respond to the prompt: Prompt: Force Delay: Group Letter:_ Action: 1 Enter a group letter. 2 Press [ F8 ] (labeled “Enter Data”), and the new data will be displayed. The first screen shows the group letter entered on the prompt; the screen following shows the force delay turned on after the data was ent[...]

AUTOMATIC ACW The automatic ACW option controls the length of after-call-work time, from O to 999 seconds. If 0 time is designated for a line group, the Auto ACW feature is not in effect. Pressing [ F2 ] (labeled “Line Groups”) on the Configuration screen, and ( [ F3 ] (labeled “Auto ACW”) on the subsequent screen provides the prompt and fu[...]

To change Auto ACW for any line group, press [ F3 ] (labeled “Auto ACW”) and the following screen with the Auto ACW prompt appears: Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 4:14p 06/02 AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS Agen t Agent Num Answer Force Aut o Spli t Pos ID Spli t Pos ID Group Lines Delay Delay AC W 1 PERS 16 TOM 3 CORP 37 IK E A PUBLIC 4 45s On [...]

Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 4:15p 06/02 AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS Agen t Spli t Pos ID 1 PERS 16 TOM 17 CLIFF 19 ERNIE 21 DEB 23 BOB 24 SHERM 25 WALT 2 CHART 27 BE N 28 SAM 29 NORM 31 D I 32 CARLA 33 B J 35 MAX Agen t Num Answer Force Aut o Spli t Pos ID Group Lines Delay DeIay AC W 3 CORP 37 IK E A PUBLIC 4 45s On 5s 39 TINA B SPECL 3 5s O[...]

Configuration screen, except a box appears around the Call Flow area and the function key labels change. Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 3:59p 06/02 AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS Agen t Agent Num Answer Force Aut o Spli t Pos ID Spli t 1 PERS 16 TOM 3 CORP 17 CLIFF 19 ERNIE 21 DEB 4 SUPPT 23 BOB 24 SHERM 5 - 25 WALT 6 - 2 CHART 27 BEN 28 SAM 29 NOR[...]

[ F3 ] Set Thresh (Set Intraflow Threshold). Use this function key to change the intraflow threshold for a split. This threshold is based on the number of seconds the oldest call has been waiting in a split. You may need to set an intraflow threshold for both main splits and secondary splits. The initial setting is 30 seconds. For more information [...]

Using the Stored Shift Configurations Screen The Stored Shift Configurations screen, shown below, is very similar during call management and administration. Bon Voyage Travel DAY CMSIIR2 4:25p 06/02 STORED SHIFT CONFIGURATIONS 1 - DAY 2 - 28AGTS 3 - 14AGTS 4 - 14&14 5 - UNUSED 6 - UNUSED F10 - Help F Select F Sav e F Rename F Choose F Config F [...]

If you are changing from one shift configuration to another, calls are handled as follows during the change: ● If you have made changes during dynamic reconfiguration, you are prompted to choose whether you want to save the changes. If you do not save the new configuration, it will revert to the last saved configuration. ● Calls currently waiti[...]

[ F3 ] Rename Config. Use this function key to name or rename a configuration. Configuration names can be up to 10 letters, numbers, or special characters. Spaces are not allowed, so you may want to use underscores instead. Remember that if you rename a configuration “UNUSED,” the system deletes the configuration. Prompt: RENAME CONFIGURATION: [...]

Selecting Day or Night Service CMS provides two modes of call management: Day Service and Night Service. During Day Service, one of your shift configurations is active and CMS routes calls to agents. During Night Service, CMS answers incoming calls, connects them to the voice announcement unit, and disconnects the calls after the message is over. Y[...]

3 If you typed y to change mode, the prompt line reads: change to Day Message and Press Any Key to Start Day Service. When the prompt appears, the system stops answering ringing calls (that is, the calls keep ringing). Any calls already connected to the voice announcement unit stay connected until the message is finished, and are then disconnected.[...]

Day-to-Day Operation of CMS Your day-to-day interaction with CMS primarily involves monitoring system status during call management and using dynamic reconfiguration to make any needed changes in the configuration being used to manage calls. The following example illustrates how the CMS administrator at Bon Voyage Travel interacts with the system d[...]

The Events Log Report lists many occurrences of the all lines busy exception, which signifies that many people hear a busy signal when they call. Pat can use exception information like this to see if more lines should be added to some line groups. 5-48 Day-to-Day Operation of CMS[...]

Overview When a call comes into CMS, the system looks for an available agent in the main split assigned to the line group for the call. If agents are available, CMS routes the call to the agent who has been available the longest. After answering the call, the agent may need to: ● Transfer calls to another split or agent ● Call another split for[...]

The MERLIN II System Voice Terminal The MERLIN II system voice terminal provides the user with basic telephone functions, such as Transfer and Hold. However, in order for the agents to use the Available and after-call-work (ACW) state buttons, and the Manual Signaling, Auto Intercom, Transfer-to-Split, and All-Ring operation features, either you or[...]

FIGURE 6-1 The BIS-10 Voice Terminal. AT&T BIS-10 ❑ ❑ Pool 893 Pat Payne ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Trans to Pool 9 ❑ ❑ Personal ❑ ❑ Pool 9 ACW ❑ ❑ ❑ Intercom ❑ Available ❑ Voice ❑ ❑ ❑ Intercom 555-5184 ❑ Ring ❑ Conference Transfer Drop Hold Stop Pulse ❑ ❑ ❑ The MERLIN II System Voice Terminal 6-3[...]

The Digital Voice Terminal Your agents may use a 7406 digital voice terminal. The 7406 voice terminal has three columns of buttons. (See Figure 6-2.) The lower two buttons in the leftmost column are reserved for intercom calls. The top button in the leftmost column and the second button from the top in the middle column are used for line buttons in[...]

Selecting a Voice Terminal for Your Agents LINE BUTTONS Your agents’ voice terminals may need the following types of buttons: ● Line and/or line pool buttons ● Available and after-call-work state buttons ● Auto Intercom and/or Manual Signaling buttoms ● A Cover button for the Transfer-to-Split and All-Ring operation features The following[...]

Each CMS line group should be assigned to a separate line pool in order to prevent people not working with CMS from placing or receiving calls on those lines. CMS lines should not be placed in the same line pool as lines not assigned to CMS. All CMS lines and line pools on an agent’s voice terminal should be set to No Ring. (See “Ringing Option[...]

● An Auto Intercom button for another split. Splits that need to transfer calls to other splits may want an Auto Intercom button for the intercom numbers of the “ghost” voice terminals of each of the splits they transfer calls to. See “A Note on Ghost Voice Terminals.” For this purpose, you should give the intercom numbers of the “ghost[...]

ALL-RING OPERATION If agents in a split are frequently away from their voice terminals (for instance, in a warehouse), you can set Up All-Ring operation for that split. Each agent in an All-Ring split needs a special button to receive calls, When a call comes in for the split, it rings at all the voice terminals that have a Cover button for the “[...]

Programming a Voice Terminal The MERLIN II system voice terminals come with fixed features agents can use immediately. They must also add features to their voice terminals so that they can announce their availability or unavailability for CMS calls and handle CMS calls more efficiently. Either you or the agent can assign these features to available[...]

Programming Feature name code Notes Available ✱ 301 Use a button with lights ACW ✱ 302 Use a button with lights Auto Intercom ✱ 91 + intercom If possible, use a number button with lights Manual ✱ 6O + intercom Signaling number Programming Feature name codes Notes ✱ All-Ring 4O + the intercom Use a button with operation and number of the s[...]

Announcing Availability for CMS Calls THE AVAILABLE AND ACW BUTTONS During call management, agents assigned to splits in an active configuration can place themselves in one of the following work states: ● ● ● Available state. When an agent is available for CMS calls, the light next to the Available button must be on. After-call-work (ACW) Sta[...]

ANNOUNCING When call management begins, all agents are automatically placed in the AVAILABILITY logged out state. The agent must indicate when he or she is available for CMS calls by turning on the light next to Available. In order to do this, the agent can ANNOUNCING UNAVAILABILITY AUTOMATIC ACW 1 Touch Available. The light next to Available goes [...]

SUPERVISORY LOGIN/LOGOUT If administered, the Auto ACW feature begins working after an agent receives his or her first call. Upon completion of the call, the agent is placed into ACW for the administered time and then returned to the available state automatically. An agent receiving a call from a line group with automatic ACW does not have to touch[...]

Using MERLIN II System Features with CMS ANSWERING With a MERLIN II system voice terminal an agent can easily place and answer both outside and intercom calls, set up a conference call, transfer calls, and use the Auto Intercom and Manual Signaling features to contact other people in the MERLIN II system. An agent can also choose a ringing pattern [...]

Lights Line status Red light steady This is either the line you are now using or the line you will get when you lift your handset. Green light steady This is the line that either you or someone else is using. Green light flashing This is the line on which a call is coming in. Green light flashing This is the line of a call you have put rapidly on h[...]

CONFERENCING A CALL USING THE MANUAL SIGNALING AND AUTO INTERCOM FEATURES If there is someone whom the agent often needs to call (for example, when the agent needs to call you for assistance), the agent can program an Auto Intercom button for the person. When the agent needs to call the person, he or she can just touch that person’s Auto Intercom[...]

need help.” An agent can also use the Manual Signaling button for placing an intercom call. If an agent programs this feature on a button with lights, the green light next to the button goes on when you or the other person uses his or her voice terminal. To 1 To 1 2 3 signal someone in the MERLIN II system: If the agent has a call in progress, he[...]

3 When the other person answers, the agent can lift the handset. To place an announced intercom call with an Auto Intercom button: 1 If the red light next to it is not already on, touch Intercom-Voice. 2 Touch the Auto Intercom button for the intercom number the agent wants to dial. The agent’s voice terminal speaker goes on and he or she hears a[...]

Transferring Calls with Voice Announcement An agent can announce a call before transferring it by following this procedure: 1 Touch Transfer. 2 Touch Intercom-Voice. 3 Touch the Auto Intercom button or dial the intercom number of the person to whom the call is to be transferred. If the agent has a Manual Signaling button for the person, he or she c[...]

TYPES OF RINGING SOUNDS PROGRAMMING PERSONALIZED Pickup button. (For information about how to program a Call Pickup button, see “Programming a Voice Terminal” in this section.) To pick up a call using Call Pickup, the agent must: 1 2 3 4 or 1 2 3 Touch Intercom-Ring or Intercom-Voice. Lift the handset. Dial *9. Dial the special intercom number [...]

RINGING OPTIONS For a digital voice terminal, 1 Touch Shift. 2 Touch Select Ring. You hear the voice terminal’s current ring. 3 Touch Select Ring repeatedly until you hear a ringing 4 To save the selected ringing sound, touch Shift again. sound you like. You can determine whether incoming calls ring immediately at a voice terminal or do not ring [...]

Overview CMS provides a wealth of Management Information System (MIS) data through both on-line and historical reports. They can help you manage your resources efficiently and keep your costs in line. For instance, you can use reports to forecast staffing needs and determine whether line groups need more or fewer lines. The reports are generated fr[...]

Types of CMS Reports The CMS reports are described individually in this order: Daily Agent Split Summary Cumulative Agent Split Summary Daily Split Report Cumulative Split Report Daily Line Group Report Cumulative Line Group Report Events Log Report Daily reports cover one day’s activities from 12:00 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. Cumulative reports sum[...]

Agent Split Summary DAILY AGENT SPLIT This report provides summary data on each agent in a given split. CMS SUMMAR Y provides an Agent Split Summary for each split. This report can help you: ● Understand the skills of your top performers and transfer those skills to other agents. ● Implement incentive programs by providing objective data about [...]

DAILY ACD CALLS OTHER DAILY CALLS ADDITIONAL DATA Num ACD Calls. The number of calls each agent handled while logged into that split. The number includes intraflowed calls and excludes abandoned calls. The number on the summary line is the total number of ACD calls handled by all agents in the split. Avg Talk Time. The average amount of time an age[...]

CUMULATIVE AGENT A Cumulative Agent Split Summary report can be generated for any past SPLIT SUMMARY consecutive period from 2 to 93 days. The information for ACD and other calls as well as additional data will reflect the entire consecutive period specified. The column headings are the same as that for the Agents Splits Daily report; the data item[...]

A typical Daily Split Report appears below. TIM E ACD CALLS Bon Voyage Travel DAILY SPLIT REPORT SPLIT 2: CHART Period: 06/10/88 ACD CALLS OTHER CALLS Avg Num Num Avg Avg Num Num Avg Avg % Speed Calls ACD Flow Flow Talk After Xfr Other Talk Num ACD Serv Time Ans Aband Calls In Out Time Call Calls Calls Other Pos Time Levl 9:00a 8s 0 19 0 0 2:09 0:5[...]

OTHER CALLS ADDITIONAL DATA FOR DAILY CALLS CUMULATIVE SPLIT REPORT BY DAY ● Avg Talk Time. The average amount of time agents spent connected to each ACD call. The summary line displays the average amount of time per call, not per agent. ● Avg After Call. The average amount of time agents spent in the after- call-work state per call. ● Num Xf[...]

A typical Cumulative Split Report By Day appears below: CUMULATIVE SPLIT REPORT BY HOUR Bon Voyage Travel CUMULATIVE SPLIT REPORT BY DAY SPLIT 2: CHART Period: 06/10/88 - 06/13/88 ACD CALLS OTHER CALLS Avg Num Num Avg Avg Num Num Avg Avg % Speed Calls ACD Flow Flow Talk After Xfr Other Talk Num ACD Serv Day Ans Aband Calls In Out Time Call Calls Ca[...]

A typical Cumulative Split Report by Hour appears below. Bon Voyage Travel CUMULATIVE SPLIT REPORT BY HOUR SPLIT 2: CHART Period: 07/11/88 - 07/14/88 ACD CALLS OTHER CALLS Avg Num Num Avg Avg Num Num Avg Avg % Speed Calls ACD Flow Flow Talk After Xfr Other Talk Num ACD Serv Hour Ans Aband Calls In Out Time Call Calls Calls Other Pos Time Levl 12:00[...]

Line Group Report DAILY LINE GROUP This report gives hour-by-hour data for a given line group. It includes data REPORT for every hour that CMS is in Day Service or Night Service mode during the 24-hour period the report covers. You can use this information to control your expenses for telephone lines, for instance: ● A high number of abandoned ca[...]

The column descriptions for the above report are as follows: TIM E ACD CALLS CALLS OTHER CALLS ● Time. The beginning of the hour in which data were collected. ● Calls Offered (Night/Day). The number of ACD calls to the line group during a given hour. This number includes abandoned calls as well as calls connected to agents. ● Num Calls Aband.[...]

ADDITIONAL DATA FOR ● % All Lines Busy. The percentage of time in each hour that all lines in the DAILY CALLS group were simultaneously busy. ● Busiest hours. The three hours with the largest total holding time for ACD calls. The busiest hour is shown first (lower portion of screen), followed by the second and third busiest hours. NOTE: Calls i[...]

CUMULATIVE LINE GROUP A Cumulative Line Group Report By Hour can be generated for any REPORT BY HOUR consecutive period from 2 to 93 days. Most of the column headings are the same as for the Daily Line Group Report and the Cumulative Line Group Report by Day. However, the leftmost column head for this report is “Hour." The hours in a day dur[...]

Events Log Report The Events Log Report lists the 50 most recent exceptions and system messages, along with the date and time they occurred. Depending on how often exceptions and system messages occur in your system, this report may span several days or part of one day. A typical Events Log Report follows: Bon Voyage Travel EVENTS LOG REPORT Time D[...]

You can use this report to review the following possible problem areas: Split staffing or configuration problems By monitoring the abandoned-call, average-speed-of-answer and oldest- call-waiting exceptions, you can see if you need to add more agents or activate intraflow during peak hours. Exception thresholds that are set too low For instance, if[...]

How to Generate Reports You can select and print MIS reports whether or not CMS is managing calls. You can print the reports individually, or you can choose to print all the reports (except the Events Log Report) at once. The Events Log Report must be printed separately. If you have trouble with your printer, refer to “Printer Problems” in Sect[...]

3 Press the function key for the report(s) you want to print: For example, if you press [ F2 ] (labeled “Split Report”), the following screen appears: Bon Voyage Travel REPT CMSIIR2 10:33a 08/09 PRINT SPLIT REPORT F1 - Cancel Report F2 - Print Daily Report F3 - Print Cumulative Report by Day F4 - Print Cumulative Report by Hour Enter F2 for Dai[...]

Bon Voyage Travel REPT CMSIIR2 10:35a 08/09 PRINT SPLIT REPORTS F1 - Cancel Report F2 - Print Daily Report F3 - Print Cumulative Report by Day F4 - Print Cumulative Report by Hour Select Start Date: 8 / 01 / 88 Select End Date: 8 / 08 / 88 F Cancel F Previous F Next F Enter 1 Prompt 5 Fiel d 6 Field 8 Data Using [ F5 ] (labeled “Previous Field’[...]

SUMMARY ON GENERATING ALL REPORTS SCREEN MESSAGES 3 Enter the desired date or period, as applicable, and the report will print. To generate all reports, follow these basic steps: 1 From the REPORT MENU, select [ F4 ] (labeled “All Reports”). 2 Press either [ F2 ] (labeled “Daily Report”), [ F3 ] (labeled “Cum by Day”), [ F4 ] (labeled ?[...]

Overview Archiving is the process of copying historical data from the hard disk to diskettes. You need to archive data when the hard disk begins to run out of space and you want to save your old files. You should archive data once a month to keep the system running efficiently. This section discusses how to archive data and contains information abo[...]

Copying the System Tables File To copy the system tables file, do as follows: 1 If you are not in the cms directory on the hard disk, type cdcm s 2 To get into the cmsmgmt directory, type cd cmsmgmt 3 To copy the system tables file for the current date, type copy c:systbls.cms a:syymmdd.cms where yymmdd is the date. For example, to copy the system[...]

GENERATING HISTORICAL If you have transferred old CMS data from the hard disk onto diskettes, you REPORTS may later want a report or a complete set of reports for a particular date. The procedures that follow explain how to copy the system tables and data files for the date from the diskette onto the hard disk, so that you can then generate reports[...]

RESTORING DATA COLLECTION CONDITIONS Generating Reports The system tables and data for the date(s) you’re interested in should now be in the correct locations on the hard disk. To generate the reports you want, follow the instructions under the heading “How to Generate Reports” in Section 7. Now that you have the historical reports, you have [...]

Overview This section of the manual suggests corrective action for problems that may occur with your CMS. It is organized as follows: Startup Problems. Suggests corrective action for problems the CMS program detects during startup Call Management Problems. Identifies problems that can cause CMS to stop managing calls and suggests corrective action [...]

Startup Problems The information on the following pages identities and suggests corrective action for problems that may occur when you are starting up CMS. The problems are grouped according to the kind of message they cause to appear in the information portion of the Initialization screen, as follows: ● Error messages ● Warning messages Scan t[...]

ERROR—No Configuration Found. ADMINISTER System. Effect on Call Management: Until this problem is corrected, CMS cannot manage calls, See “Managing Calls if CMS is Disabled” at the end of this section of the manual. Possible cause You omitted one or more steps when you built your shift configurations. Corrective action 1 In sequence, press [ [...]

ERROR—CU 1 Faulty or Disconnected. CMS Cannot Manage Calls. Status lndicator: CU 1 [flashing) Effect on Call Management: Until this problem is corrected, CMS cannot manage calls. See “Managing Calls if CMS is Disabled” at the end of this section of the manual. Possible cause Corrective action There’s a loose Make sure one end of the cable i[...]

Warning Messages WARNING—CU 2 Faulty or Disconnected. Status Indicator: CU 2 Effect on Call Management: CMS manages calls somewhat more slowly without CU 2. You may notice an increase in abandoned calls during periods of heavy incoming call traffic until you correct this problem. Possible cause Corrective action There’s a loose cable Make sure [...]

WARNING—NO Main Split Assigned to One or More Line Groups. Effect on Call Management: Calls coming in on lines with no main splits assigned to them go unanswered. Possible cause You have not finished assigning agent splits to line groups. Corrective action From the Initialization screen: 1 Press [ F1 ] to get the Configuration screen. 2 In the Ca[...]

WARNING—One or More Main or Secondary Splits Has No Agent. Effect on Call Management: If both the main and secondary splits assigned to a line group have no agents, calls coming in on that group of lines will not be answered. If the main split has agents but the secondary split does not, calls coming in on that group-of lines cannot be intraflowe[...]

WARNING—Only x Day’s Space Left for Storing History Data. Status Indicator: LoStorage Possible cause There’s room on the hard disk for “x“ days of historical data. This message appears when there is room for less than ten days’ data. WARNING—Out of Disk Space on Drive C:--NO Storage of History Data. Status Indicator: NoStorage Possibl[...]

WARNING—Printer Not Ready. Using Prt Sc Key Will Halt CMS. Status Indicator: Don’tPrtSc Effect on Call Management: If you use the [ Prt Sc ] key when this message is displayed, CMS stops managing calls. Possible cause Corrective action The printer is not Make sure that the printer is plugged in and receiving power. turned on, and that the Ready[...]

Call Management Problems The information on the following pages identifies and suggests corrective action for problems that may occur while CMS is managing calls. Scan the pages to locate the error message or problem description that identifies your problem. Then take the recommended corrective action. IMPORTANT: All the problems identified here br[...]

Possible cause The cable is faulty. The jack assigned to CU 1 in the MERLIN II system control unit is faulty. 1 2 The CU 1 jack on the CMS card is faulty. Corrective action Try switching the cables plugged into CU 1 and CU2. Unplug the cable from CU 1 and plug it into CU 2, and vice versa. If the CU 1 indicator on the screen stops flashing and the [...]

ERROR—CMS Card Faulty or Not Found. CMS Cannot Manage Calls. Status lndicator: CU 1 (flashing) and CU 2 (on steady) Audible Signal: A single short beep from the PC Effect on Call Management: Until this problem is corrected, CMS cannot manage calls. See “Managing Calls if CMS is Disabled” at the end of this section of the manual. Effect on Dat[...]

PROBLEM: Calls coming in on some lines are not being processed properly by CMS. Possible cause The lines were not properly administered to the attendant jacks assigned to the PC. Corrective action To administer the lines, follow the instructions under the heading “Assigning Lines to the CMS (PC) Attendants” in “Step 2: Administering Your MERL[...]

System Errors WHAT THEY MEAN WHAT TO DO While CMS is managing calls, messages beginning with SYSERR may appear on the error line of a status screen and also on the Events Log screen. A SYSERR usually indicates that a CMS file has been damaged. (For example, a user may have accidentally deleted a CMS file, or a power surge may have damaged one. ) A [...]

Voice Announcement Unit Problems WARNING—Message Unit Out of Service. Check Power and Cables. Status Indicator: MSG Effect on Call Management: Until this problem is corrected, CMS cannot connect calls to the delay message. Callers hear ringing until an agent answers. Possible cause Corrective action The voice announcement unit is not receiving po[...]

External Alert Problems No warnings or direct adverse effects; however, when exception thresholds are exceeded and this condition continues, CMS does not operate efficiently. PROBLEM: External Alert does not light when an exception occurs. Possible cause Alert is not connected to port for which it was administered or Alert number is not associated [...]

Printer Problems WARNING—Printer Not Ready. Using Prt Sc Key Will Halt CMS. Status Indicator: Don‘tPrtSc Effect on Call Management: If you use the [ Prt Sc ] key when this message is displayed, CMS stops managing calls. Effect on Data Collection: If CMS stops managing calls, all data collection stops, but it resumes normally when the problem is[...]

Printer Not Ready. (When Printer Ready, Select a Labeled Function Key.) Status Indicator: Don’tPrtSc Effect on Call Management: Same as for previous problem. . Effect on Data Collection: Same as for previous problem. Possible cause The printer is not receiving power. There’s no paper in the printer, or the paper is jammed. There’s a loose cab[...]

Agent Problems PROBLEM: An agent is not receiving any CMS calls. Possible cause The agent isn’t using the Available and ACW buttons correctly o r the buttons may not have been programmed properly. The agent has not been added to the shift configuration currently being used for call management. Corrective action Refer the agent to the information [...]

PROBLEM: Agents continue to receive CMS calls after touching the ACW button to indicate they are unavailable for CMS calls. Possible cause The agents are touching the ACW button after they hang up. Corrective action Remind the agents to touch the ACW button before they hang up. PROBLEM: An agent’s voice terminal rings when the call is for another[...]

PROBLEM: Agents stationed close to each other have trouble determining whose voice terminal is ringing. Possible cause Corrective action The agents’ voice terminals have the same ringing pattern. Remind the agents to personalize the ringing on their voice terminals. Refer them to the information on personalized ringing under the heading “Using [...]

Managing Calls if CMS is Disabled If CMS becomes disabled, you and your agents must answer and distribute calls using MERLIN II system features until the problem is solved and CMS resumes managing calls. The following information assumes that you (the supervisor) will act as the administrator/attendant for your CMS lines until CMS is running again.[...]

Square System Every agent’s voice terminal has a separate line button for each CMS line the agent’s split answers. Agents can tell from the lights next to the line buttons which lines are ringing, in use, or on hold. They should be able to manage the calls coming into their splits themselves. To manage calls, do the following: ● Have the agen[...]

directly. You (the attendant) must answer all CMS calls and transfer them to available agents. This requires that you monitor the lights on your voice terminal very closely. To manage calls, do the following: ● Have the agents leave their voice terminals set to “No Ring.” ● Answer all incoming calls and transfer them to available agents. ?[...]

Overview This section contains the following quick reference guides: ● Quick Reference Guide to Your PC Keyboard ● Quick Reference Guide to Entering and Editing Data ● Quick Reference Guide to Dynamic Reconfiguration ● Map of Screens for CMS Administration ● Map of Screens for Call Management You may want to make copies of some or all of [...]

Quick Reference Guide to Your PC Keyboard The instructions in this manual refer to the 6300 WGS keyboard. The type of keyboard you are using depends on the type of PC to which it is connected. The function keys discussed in this guide are the same on both keyboards. The design differences between the two keyboards affect the position of the keys, b[...]

Quick Reference Guide to Entering and Editing Data THE PROMPT USING THE KEYS Press [ F1 ] (Cancel Prompt) [ F5 ] (Previous Field) [ F6 ] (Next Field) [ ^ ] + [ > ] < [ > ] (the right arrow key on the numeric keypad) [ < ] (the left arrow key on the numeric keypad) [ F8 ] (Enter Data) ENTERING DATA Many CMS prompts contain several empty [...]

EDITING DATA Follow the instructions in the table below to change entries. USING THE HELP SCREENS To Change a character in a field Add characters at the end of an entry Insert characters in an entry Replace a long entry with a shorter one Do this Move the cursor to the incorrect character and type another character over it. Press [ > ] after the[...]

Quick Reference Guide to Dynamic Reconfiguration This guide shows what screens to select if you want to activate a different configuration or make changes in the current configuration. While CMS is running, you can: ● Reconfigure agent splits ● Change line group options ● Reconfigure call flow ● Use the Stored Shift Configurations screen to[...]

Map of Screens for CMS Administration FIGURE 10-3 Map of Screens for CMS Administration CMS MENU START CALL ADMINISTRATION PRINT MANAGEMENT MENU REPORTS STORED SHIFT AGENT ADMINISTER LINES SET ADMINISTER MANAGEMEN T DIRECTORY AND LINE GROUPS OPTIONS EXEPTIONS CONFIGURATION AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUPS ALARM ON/OFF CALL FLOW SERVICE LEVEL ABANDON THRESH[...]

Map of Screens for Call Management FIGURE 10-4 Map of Screens for Call Management CMS MAIN MENU START CALL ADMINISTRATION REPORT MANAGEMENT MENU MENU INITIALIZE STORED SHIFT CONFIGURATIONS SELECT AND INITIALIZE ONE CONFIGURATION AGENT SPLIT DAILY SUMMARY CUMULATIVE SPLIT DAILY REPORT CUMULATIVE BY DAY CUMUATIVE BY HOUR INITIALIZATION SYSTEM EXIT CA[...]

Overview This glossary defines these sets of expressions used in CMS. ● CMS Terms. Defines key terms used in this manual to describe the setup and operation of CMS. The list includes MERLIN II system terminology. ● CMS Status Screens. Explains the terms used to identify the various statistics presented in the System Status, Split-Status, and Li[...]

CMS Terms Key words and phrases used in CMS are defined below, Abandoned Call Abandoned Call Threshold ACD (Automatic Call Distributor) ACD Call ACW (after- call-work) State Agent Position Agent Split Alert All-Ring Operation Answer Delay A call that comes into CMS but is disconnected by the caller before being serviced by an agent. The minimum num[...]

Auto ACW (Automatic after-call-work) State Auto Intercom Button Available State Button Access to Line Pools CMS Hold Time Completed Call Configuration, Shift Dial Access to Line Pools Dynamic Reconfiguration An administered state in which the agent receives no ACD calls. CMS automatically puts an agent’s voice terminal into this state upon the co[...]

Exception Exception Threshold Exception Alert External Exception Alert Force Delay Initial Setting Intraflow Intraflow Threshold An indication that a particular performance threshold for an agent, split, or line group has been reached or exceeded and an unusual or undesirable situation may be occurring. Exception messages appear on the administrato[...]

Jack, Control Unit Line Group Logged Out State Main Split Manual Signaling Night Service Other Calls Pooled System One of several numbered receptacles on the MERLIN II system control unit into which connections for telephone lines and voice terminals are plugged. A group of interchangeable telephone lines on which CMS calls can be answered by the s[...]

Refused Call A call that rings at an available agent’s position, is not answered within the transfer return interval, and then returns to CMS. When a call is refused, the agent’s position is automatically put into the logged out state. Ringing Ringing Options Two types of ringing are important to CMS: initial ringing occurs during the answer de[...]

Shift An arrangement of CMS line groups and agent Configuration splits that, when activated, determines how CMS calls are routed to agents. CMS allows you to define as many as six different shift Configurations. Split, Agent See Agent Split. Supervisory A feature that allows a supervisor to change an Login/Logout agent’s work status (Available/AC[...]

CMS Status Screens The System Status, Split Status, and Line Status screens provide data that is continuously updated to help you monitor your CMS system. The following terms are used to distinguish between different types of calls: ● Serviced vs. abandoned. These terms distinguish between incoming calls that were or were not handled by an agent.[...]

SPLIT INFORMATION Lines Total Splits Main Splits Sec Flow Split Agents ACD Agents Avail Agents ACW Agents Out Agents Oth Waiting Num The total number of lines in the group. The number of the main split assigned to the line group. If no main split is assigned, a hyphen appears instead of a number. The number of the secondary split assigned to the li[...]

Waiting Old The following terms Abandon Num Abandon Delay Intraflow In Intraflow Out Calls Handled Num Calls Handled Avg Talk Calls Handled ASA Serv Levl The number of seconds the current oldest call has been waiting to be transferred to an agent in a particular split. Call waiting time includes initial ringing time and CMS hold time. The waiting t[...]

Split Status Screen AGENT STATUS This section explains the terms used to identify different types of information on the Split Status screen. The statistics presented on this screen are collected on an hourly basis. NOTE: If an agent answers an ACD call and then transfers the call to another agent or to a nonagent, the statistics for the call are no[...]

SPLIT STATUS CALL FLOW INFORMATION ACD Calls The number of ACD calls that the agent did not Rfusd answer. Other Num The number of completed other than ACD calls the agent has made or received. Other AvgTlk The average amount of time (in minutes and seconds) the agent has spent on completed “other” calls. This includes any time during which the [...]

Line Status Screen LINE STATUS This section explains the terms used to identify different types of information on the Line Status screen. The statistics described on this screen are collected on an hourly basis. Grp The letter assigned to the line group. Line The number of the line(s) assigned to each group. P Line priority status. A “+” in thi[...]

SPLIT STATUS CALL FLOW INFORMATION The top right section of the screen summarizes calls waiting ‘for all splits. Waiting Num The number of calls in a split that are ringing, connected to the delay message, or on hold waiting for an agent. Waiting Old The number of seconds the current oldest call has been waiting to be answered by an agent in a pa[...]

CMS Reports This section explains the terms used to identify data in generated from the Report Menu: ● ● ● ● The Daily Agent Split Summary Report shows data an entire day (midnight to midnight). the CMS reports averaged/totaled over The Cumulative Agent Split Summary Report shows data averaged/totaled over a specified number of days ranging[...]

ACD CALLS Avg After Call ACD CALLS Avg Work Time ACD CALLS Num Xfr Calls ACD CALLS Num Rfusd Calls OTHER Num Other Calls OTHER Avg Talk Other % ACD Time Total Time Staffed The average amount of time (in minutes and seconds) the agent spent in the after-call-work state. The average does not include any time spent on the phone during an after-call-wo[...]

Cumulative Agent Split Summary This report provides summary data on each agent in a given split over a specified period, from 2 to 93 consecutive days. The start and end date specified will be on the report. The column headings in this report are the same as for the daily report; the totals under the headings will reflect the cumulative period of t[...]

ACD CALLS Flow Out ACD CALLS Avg Talk Time ACD CALLS Avg After Call ACD CALLS Num Xfr Calls OTHER CALLS Num Other Calls OTHER CALLS Avg Talk Other Avg Num Pos The total number of completed calls intraflowed out of this split and answered by agents in another split during a given hour. The average amount of time (in minutes and seconds) agents in th[...]

% ACD Time The percentage of time agents spent on ACD- related work (on CMS calls and in the after-call- work state). The figure in the totals line under this column should be identical to the % ACD Time total in the Daily Agent Split Summary. Serv Levl The percentage of completed calls that were connected to an agent in the split within the Servic[...]

Daily Line Group Report This report provides hour-by-hour data for a given line group, The report shows entries for each hour that the CMS is in either Day or Night Service mode during the 24hour period the report covers. Time ACD CALLS Calls Offered Night ACD CALLS Calls Offered Day ACD CALLS Num Calls Aband ACD CALLS Num Calls Handled ACD CALLS H[...]

BUSlEST HOURS XFR CALLS Hold Time Total OTHER CALLS Num Other Calls OTHER CALLS Hold Time Avg OTHER CALLS Hold Time Total % All Lines Busy The total amount of time (to the nearest minute) all lines were held (in use) by transferred calls. The number of “other” calls which seized the lines of the line group during a given “hour. Calls still in[...]

Cumulative Line Group Report (by day or hour) This report provides hour-by-hour data on a line group over a specified period, from 2 to 93 consecutive days. Statistics can be generated for a Cumulative Line Group Report to reflect cumulative days or cumulative hours, for each hour that CMS is in either Day or Night Service. Most of the column headi[...]

Index A Abandoned call threshold, definition of, 4-28 ACW, administering, 4-13 – 4-14 Administration, starting, 4-3 – 4-4 Administrator/supervisor responsibilities, 5-3 After-call-work state, 2-2, 2-3, 5-12, 5-13 Agent Directory screen, using, 4-21 – 4-23 Agent Exceptions, selecting, 4-38 – 4-40 administer, 4-38 Agent IDs, assigning, 4-21 ?[...]

I Intraflow, 2-2 example of, 4-15 – 4-16 Intraflow threshold, 2-2, 2-4 L Line buttons, need for, 6-5 – 6-6 Line Group Exceptions, selecting, 4-43 - 4-45 administering, 4-44 Line Group Report, 7-10 – 7-13 cumulative by day, 7-12 cumulative by hour, 7-13 daily, 7-10 Line groups, 2-2 Lines and Line Groups, administering, 4-24 – 4-27 Logged out[...]