This section discusses example configuration scenarios for the ACD.

Personal Extensions / Deputy Routing

When personal extensions are used, it is often desired, that the telephone should ring no matter what status the agent currently has in the ACD. This can be achieved using an IVR application, with the disadvantage, that the statistics for these calls will not show up in the acd statistics.

To create such scenarios, Release 3.11 of the ACD includes features which allow this to be configured much more easily without leaving the ACD.

Scenario

If the extension of a worker is called, the call should be routed according to the following schema:

• If the extension is free, the call should be routed to the extension, irrespective of the workers status in the ACD. Only one exception should be made: when the status is holiday.
• If the extension of the deputy is free, the deputy should be called, irrespective of the workers status in the ACD. The status holiday should, however, be respected.
• If neither of the above is possible, an overflow to another ACD group should occur.

Solution

• First of all, a status for "Holiday" is defined:
  

• This status is set by workers themselves, or by a supervisor, when workers are on holiday.

• An ACD group is defined for the worker. The following options are set:
  • Queue open when no agents logged in
  • The parameter Maximum Queueing Time can also be set. If this is set to 0, then extactly one attempt to reach the worker or deputy will be made. Otherwise set this, taking into consideration the setting of the parameter Maximum Agent Ring Time.
  • If call distribution when the incoming call is still in the ringing state is desired, do not configure music on hold or add any prompts to the group.
    
    
• When the worker is added to the ACD group, the option Call always except status holiday should be set:
  

• This option causes the status of the agent and login status to the ACD group to be ignored. The status of the phone will be considered, if a PBX connector is used in the solution.
• This option can, of course, also be set for the deputy.
• Finally, add a time Overflow Queue timeout - to route the call somewhere else if the worker and deputy are not available or do not answer the phone.

The result is, that the extension will always be called, unless the worker has a status Holiday, when the extension is free according to the PBX connector.