AT&T AT&T SYSTEM 25 CALL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SYSTEM MANUAL
©1988 AT&T All Rights Reserved Printed in USA Call Management System System Manual Prepared by System 25 Document Development Group and the Technical Publications Group
Contents Section 1: Introduction How to Use the CMS Documents 1-1 Section 2: Understanding CMS Overview Key Terms and Concepts Optional CMS Features A Typical CMS Application Managing CMS CMS Components 2-1 2-2 2-5 2-10 2-13 2-15 Section 3: Your PC and CMS Overview Duplicating the CMS Diskettes Installing the CMS Software Using Your PC with CMS 3-1 3-2 3-5 3-10 Section 4: Administering CMS Overview Getting Started Administering Stations Administering CMS Lines and Line Groups Creating an Agent Direct
Section 6: Handling CMS Calls Overview The Agent’s Voice Terminal The CMS Supervisor’s Voice Terminal 6-1 6-2 6-10 Section 7: Generating CMS Reports Overview Types of CMS Reports 7-1 7-3 Section 8: Archiving Data Overview 8-1 Section 9: Troubleshooting Overview Startup Problems Call Management Problems Voice Announcement Unit Problems Printer Problems Agent Problems System Errors Running CMS from a Floppy Diskette Backup Managing Calls When CMS is Not Running 9-1 9-2 9-18 9-22 9-26 9-29 9-33 9-34 9-3
Section 1: Introduction
How to Use the CMS Documents The Call Management System (CMS) is the Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) for System 25. The CMS component of System 25 answers calls and connects them to available agents. When there’s more than one agent available for a call, CMS connects the call to the agent who has been idle the longest. If no agent is available, CMS connects the call to a delay message. When the message is finished playing, CMS places the call on hold until an agent becomes available.
CMS SYSTEM MANUAL (555-532-110) This is the manual you are reading now. It contains information on every aspect of CMS operation and administration, from understanding CMS to troubleshooting. The AT&T System 25 Call Management System, System Manual (CMS System Manual) can be used after the initial installation and administration described in the CMS Installation and Startup Guide. AGENT CARD (555-532-506) Copies of the card are packaged with this binder.
Administering CMS This section tells you how to use your PC to administer CMS. This includes identifying stations, identifying agents, identifying CMS lines, assigning voice announcement units, and building a shift configuration (an arrangement of line groups and agent splits for call management). This section also describes other administration tasks used to fine tune CMS for your business. These include setting options and exception thresholds to alert you of unusual and undesirable situations.
Documentation Conventions Several special symbols and typefaces appear in this manual. For instance, keys that appear on your keyboard are shown like this: [F1] (fuction key F1) and [Shift] + [Print Scrn] (press the [Print Scrn] key while holding down the [Shift] key to print a screen). The following typefaces are used to distinguish information you type (using the keyboard) from information that appears on your PC screen: This italic bold typeface represents information that you type on the PC screen.
Section 2: Understanding CMS
Overview The Call Management System for System 25 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 many types of data on call traffic and call handling performance. “Understanding CMS” includes information that is basic to understanding CMS. It is organized as follows: Key Terms and Concepts Explains important CMS terms. Optional CMS Features Describes four optional CMS features.
Key Terms and Concepts The terms listed below appear frequently in this manual and other CMS documents.
In a shift configuration, some agent splits are main splits and others are secondary splits. A main split has primary responsibility for answering calls for a line group. A secondary split acts as a backup to the main split for a line group. Agents in the secondary split answer calls that come in for the line group when all agents in the main split are busy or unavailable. Routing calls to the secondary split is called intraflow.
Call management is the automatic distribution of calls that come in on CMS lines. CMS provides two modes of call management, Day Service and Night Service. When Day Service mode is active, a call that comes into CMS goes through this basic sequence of steps: 1 . CMS looks for an available agent in the main split assigned to the line group on which the call came in.
Optional CMS Features As you plan your CMS, you may want to consider the following optional features for CMS operation: THE ASSIST FEATURE • The Assist and Transfer-into-Queue features help CMS agents in their daily routine. • • The Service Monitoring feature allows you to monitor your agents’ calls. When CMS is not managing calls, you can use the CMS contingency plan to distribute calls automatically to agents.
The CMS Transfer-into-Queue feature can be used by CMS agents and other System 25 users; for example, the System 25 Attendant can use this feature to transfer calls that come in on non-CMS lines to a particular CMS line group for servicing. The agent, or other System 25 user, transfers the call to a “ghost” single-line voice terminal whose associated System 25 port on a Tip Ring Line or Analog Line Circuit Pack is physically connected to a port on a Loop Start Trunk Circuit Pack.
FIGURE 2-1 Hardware Connections for the Transfer-into-Queue Feature. LEGEND: ZTN77 - C.O. Line Loop Start Trunk Circuit Pack B - 3 to 1 Splitter Connectorized Cable (OR6016) ZTN78 - Tip Ring Line Circuit Pack W1 - 1-Pair Inside Wiring Cable TN742 - Analog Line Circuit Pack C2 - Octopus Cable (WP90780) CMS Administration Requirements The transfer-queue line must be administered on the Admin Queued Transfer screen. See “Administering Transfer-Queue Lines” in Section 4 for details.
Hardware Requirement None. CMS Administration Requirements None. System 25 Administration Requirements Administer Personal Line buttons on your supervisor voice terminal. CONTINGENCY PLAN Feature Description When CMS is not managing calls, either because you are generating reports or administering the system, or in the event of PC problems which prevent CMS from managing calls, you can still distribute calls automatically to agents if you have implemented the CMS contingency plan.
IMPORTANT: The administration of fictitious System 25 voice terminal ports causes the following message to be entered as a Permanent System Alarm and also causes the Alarm light on the Attendant console to flash following a Warm Start of System 25: XXXXX Port Board Missing But Administered (XXXXX represents the port number of the fictitious port.) The Attendant Alarm light can be turned off by removing the Permanent System Alarm message through System 25 administration.
A Typical CMS Application In this part of the manual you’ll learn about a fictitious travel agency, Bon Voyage Travel, which uses CMS to manage the revenue producing incoming call traffic for its System 25 communications system. Examples based on Bon Voyage Travel are used in the remaining sections of this manual. CMS AND BON VOYAGE TRAVEL At Bon Voyage Travel, agents plan and book trips for several types of customers.
• The Public line group has nine lines, eight Central Office (CO) trunks and one transfer-queue line. There are four local lines with the published number 555-3070, and two WATS lines with the published number 800555-4185. The number for the local lines is published in the Yellow Pages and advertised in the local newspapers; the number for the WATS lines is advertised in several national travel magazines. There are also two priority lines with the number 800-555-4950.
Occasionally, customers who have previously made travel arrangements through a holiday club will call one of the Charter line group’s numbers to make personal travel arrangements. In these cases the agent in the Charter split who receives the call uses the Transfer-into-Queue feature to transfer the call to the Public line group’s queue of waiting calls. CMS then distributes the call to an agent in the Public Travel split.
Managing CMS Since System 25 must be administered to support CMS, the CMS Supervisor and the System 25 Administrator work together to ensure successful CMS operation. This section describes the typical CMS interactions and responsibilities of these two people. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CMS SUPERVISOR The CMS Supervisor has many responsibilities, all of which are described in this manual.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SYSTEM 25 ADMINISTRATOR 2-14 Managing CMS System 25 and CMS must be administered identically with respect to trunk numbers, port numbers, PDCs, and feature button assignments required by CMS. The following are typical responsibilities involved in maintaining harmony between the two systems: ● Assigning trunk numbers, ports, and PDCs to CMS equipment and facilities, both when CMS is installed and when more resources are needed.
CMS Components This section lists the hardware required for and trunks compatible with CMS. HARDWARE COMPATABLE WITH CMS • • • The following hardware and software are required for CMS: AT&T System 25: Release 2 An AT&T Personal Computer (PC), with the following characteristics: — Hard disk (10 MB and 512K RAM minimum) — One floppy diskette drive — MS-DOS 3.2, Version 2.
The following optional hardware can be used with CMS: ● Up to four Model DACON-DA-5SL voice announcement units (strongly recommended). One 14-foot 2-pair modular-plug station cord (D4BU-87) is required for each voice announcement unit. ● Headsets and headset adapters NOTE: A headset and headset adapter cannot be used with a 5-button voice terminal or a 10-button HFAI voice terminal. ●A music source compatible with the System 25 Music-on-Hold port (strongly recommended).
RECORDING MESSAGES The following steps describe how to record a message on your DACON voice announcement unit. Figure 2-3 shows you the front of the unit. FIGURE 2-3 The DACON-DA-5SL Voice Announcement Unit. NOTE: If you are recording only one message, the message can be up to 64 seconds in length. If you are recording two messages, one message on Channel 1 and one on Channel 2, you must divide the 64 seconds of message time between the two messages.
To listen to the recorded announcement on either of the channels: 1 Make sure the handset is plugged into the front panel jack. 2 If you want to listen to a message on Channel 1, make sure that the red light on the Channel button is off. If you want to listen to a message on Channel 2, the red light on the Channel button should be on. 2-18 CMS Components 3 Press the Play button. 4 Listen to the message through the handset.
Section 3: Your PC and CMS
Overview CMS runs on the AT&T Personal Computer (PC). By working with the CMS menus and screens, you can tailor CMS to suit your business needs. This section of the manual describes how to load the CMS software onto your PC’s hard disk and how to enter data into your PC. The information in this section is organized as follows: Duplicating the CMS Diskettes Describes how to make working copies of the CMS diskettes. (A set of blank diskettes has been packaged with the CMS binder.
Duplicating the CMS Diskettes Since it is important to protect your original CMS floppy diskettes from damage or wear, a duplicate (working copy) of each diskette was made when CMS was installed. Keep the originals in a safe place and use them only to make additional working copies.
4 When you are ready, press any key. The in-use light on disk drive A comes on while the system is reading the source diskette. WARNING Do not remove a diskette from the drive while the in-use light is on; data on the diskette may be damaged or lost. When the system has read the diskette, the following messages are displayed: Insert TARGET diskette in drive A: Strike any key when ready. . . 5 When the in-use light on drive A is off, remove the source diskette, insert a blank diskette, and press any key.
10 Type n when prompted to copy another diskette. 11 When the C> prompt appears, remove the duplicate diskette, write “SYSTEM 25 CMS REPORT AND ADMIN WORKING COPY” on a label using a felt tip pen, apply the label to the diskette, and store the diskette in its paper sleeve. Return the original diskette to its paper sleeve. 12 Store both the original and working copy CMS diskettes in a safe place. It is recommended that you store the working copy diskettes separately from the original diskettes.
Installing the CMS Software Installing the CMS software involves copying the contents of the working copies of the two CMS diskettes onto the PC’s hard disk. This was done when CMS was first set up for you. As part of the installation procedure, a CONFIG.SYS and an AUTOEXEC.BAT file were placed on your PC’s hard disk. If these files existed prior to CMS installation, the installation procedure edited these files. See “The CONFIG.SYS File” and “The AUTOEXEC.BAT File” later in this section.
4 After the contents of the “SYSTEM 25 CMS SYSTEM WORKING COPY” diskette have been copied onto the hard disk, the following messages are displayed: **** Please remove the diskette currently in floppy disk drive A. **** “Insert the diskette labeled SYSTEM 25 CMS REPORT AND ADMIN into drive A. Press ‘c’ to continue or ‘q’ to quit. 5 Remove the “SYSTEM 25 CMS SYSTEM WORKING COPY” diskette and place it in its protective cover.
The CONFIG.SYS File In order for the CMS software to run properly, you must have a CONFIG.SYS file in the root (\) directory of the PC’s hard disk. This file must contain the following lines: BUFFERS =20 FILES =20 If the CONFIG.SYS file existed prior to CMS software installation, the above two lines were appended to the file when CMS was installed. If no file existed, a CONFIG.SYS file containing these lines was automatically created when CMS was installed. To view the contents of the CONFIG.
The AUTOEXEC.BAT File During the CMS installation process, an AUTOEXEC.BAT file containing the three lines below was placed on your PC’s hard disk. If the AUTOEXEC.BAT file existed on your PC’s hard disk prior to CMS installation, these three lines were added to the end of the file when CMS was installed. The three lines are: prompt $p$g cd c: \cms cms The first line causes the full pathname of the current directory to be displayed as part of the MS-DOS prompt.
Setting the Time and Date Since the date and time are significant parts of your daily CMS statistics, it is important that your PC screen show the correct date and the correct time. You can check the time and date by looking at the upper right-hand corner of any CMS screen. If the time or date is incorrect, you can easily change it on your PC. To check or change the date on your PC: 1 Exit to MS-DOS by pressing [F8] (labeled “Exit to DOS”) on the CMS Menu.
Using Your PC with CMS This section describes the format of CMS screens, the method of entering and editing data, and how to access help screens. If you have questions about MS-DOS, the layout of your keyboard, or other information about your PC, refer to the manuals that accompanied them. The general format of a CMS screen is demonstrated below in the Agent Directory screen. e SCREEN FORMATS c a 1 AGENT DIRECTORY ANNC CU1 CU2 Don’tPrtScr LoStorage d DAY CMS1.
d CMS Release number (for example, CMS1.0) e Time and date 2 The Information area contains menus or status information. 3 The Error line offers four types of messages: — Error messages indicate you made an invalid entry, such as entering a PDC that has already been assigned. — Exception messages indicate that one of the exception thresholds you have set has been reached, and an unusual or undesirable situation may be occurring.
Entering and Editing Data Entering and editing data is easy. You enter data by pressing function keys and responding to the prompt that appears on the prompt line on your screen. Prompts contain one or more fields (blank spaces) into which you type your responses. Whenever a prompt appears, the function keys are labeled as shown in the screen below. AGENT DIRECTORY ADMIN CMS1.
MOVING THE CURSOR 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 positioned at the beginning of the first field. Use the keys shown below to move the cursor within a prompt: Press Or To move the cursor [F5] (labeled “Previous Field”) [Shift] + [Tab] (while holding down [Shift], press [Tab] ) to the beginning of the previous field (except when the cursor is in the first field).
IMPORTANT: To cancel any prompt, press [F1] (labeled “Cancel Prompt”) or [Delete]. Any data you entered in the prompt fields are ignored, the prompt disappears, and the function key labels change from data entry labels to the labels for the particular CMS screen. EDITING DATA To change a character in a field: ● Move the cursor to the incorrect character and simply type another character over it.
Section 4: Administering CMS
Overview Administration enables you to tailor CMS for your business. 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. ADMIN CMS1.
● Setting Options Tailor CMS to your business needs by defining your Service Level Limit, Abandoned vs. Incoming Call Threshold, and Transfer Return Threshold. You can also set your PC to beep whenever an unusual or undesirable situation occurs. In addition, you can turn on and off a validation option that causes CMS to perform a check of PC-Port Personal Line button administration when call management is started.
The map of the CMS Administration screens in Figure 4-1 illustrates the interrelationships of the screens used for CMS administration. FIGURE 4-1 Menu Map for CMS Administration.
Getting Started These procedures describe turning on the PC and selecting an administration activity from the Administration Menu. STARTING CMS ADMINISTRATION To start administering CMS: 1 Make sure the PC’s floppy drive is empty; then turn on your PC. The AUTOEXEC.BAT file, installed on your PC’s hard disk during the CMS installation process, causes the CMS Menu to be displayed automatically after MS-DOS Resident Diagnostics are run. (For more information, see “The AUTOEXEC.BAT File” in Section 3.
2 Press [F4] (labeled “Admin CMS”) to begin administering CMS. The Administration Menu screen, shown below, appears. ADMINISTRATION MENU F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 ADMIN CMS1.
Administering Stations Administering stations with the CMS PC involves: • Entering the System 25 PDC, port number, and voice terminal type for each agent station (voice terminal) • Entering the PDCs and port numbers for up to two supervisor stations • Entering the PDCs and port numbers for the two PC jacks • Removing agent stations no longer needed for CMS • Changing the information associated with an agent station, supervisor station, or PC jack, as needed IMPORTANT: Port number and PDC assignments are ma
This section describes the following activities which you can perform from the Administer Stations screen: ● Adding an Agent Station Add an agent station to CMS. ● Removing an Agent Station Take an agent station out of CMS use. ● Changing Agent Station Information Change an agent station’s port number or voice terminal type.
308 = 22-Button BIS (with headset) 308 = 34-Button BIS (with headset) 308 = 34-Button BIS, Deluxe (with headset) 308 = 34-Button BIS with Display (with headset) 308 = 34-Button Deluxe BIS with Display (with headset) 309 = 34-Button Direct Trunk Attendant Console (DTAC) 311 = Switched Loop Attendant Console, Deluxe 4 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). [F2] Remove Agnt Stn (Remove Agent Station) Press this function key to display the prompts that allow you to remove an agent station from CMS.
[F5] Admin Supervsr (Administer Supervisor Station) Press this function key to display the prompt that allows you to add a supervisor station to CMS or to change supervisor station information displayed on the screen. You can enter data for either one or two supervisor stations. To change a field, enter information only in the field you want to change. Prompt: 2nd PDC: SUPERVISOR STATION(S): PDC: Port #: Action: 2nd Port #: 1 Enter the PDC for the first supervisor station.
Administering CMS Lines and Line Groups Your CMS supports up to 28 lines, including both CMS and transfer-queue lines. (Refer to the next section, “Administering Transfer-Queue Lines,” for more information.) 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. You can also divide lines into sub-groups (for reporting purposes), and/or assign priority to lines.
ADMINISTER LINE GROUPS SCREEN To administer lines and groups: . ● Keep your CMS Line Groups Planning Form handy. It includes information about each of your CMS lines and line groups. ● Press the function key for the activity you want to perform. ● Perform the activity according to the instructions on the following pages.
4 Enter a unique line ID of up to five letters or numbers to help you identify the line. You may want to use the last four digits of the telephone number, an ID which associates the line with a particular line group (such as SERV1 or SALE1), or an ID which indicates the type of line (such as WATS1). NOTE: A CMS line ID cannot begin with the letter “Q.” Only transfer-queue lines can have ID’s beginning with a “Q.” 5 Enter the 4- digit System 25 trunk number (0001 through 9999).
[F4] Chg CMS LineInfo (Change CMS Line Information) Press this function key to display the prompts that allow you to: ● Add, delete, or change a CMS line’s sub-group ● Change the System 25 port number of a CMS line ● Change the line ID of a CMS line ● Change the System 25 trunk number of a CMS line ● Change the trunk type of a CMS line ● Turn priority on or off for a CMS line Prompt: CHANGE CMS LINE INFORMATION: for Old Line ID: Action: 1 Enter the line ID of the line to be changed.
[F5] Assgn/Chg Group ID (Assign/Change Group ID) Press this function key to display the prompt that allows you to assign or change a line group’s ID. IDs help you identify the line groups on the status screens and reports. A line group and a split can have the same ID. Prompt: ASSIGN/CHANGE GROUP ID: Group (A-D): _ New ID: Action: 1 Enter a line group letter (A through D). 2 Enter the new line group ID (up to 5 letters or numbers). 3 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”).
Administering Transfer-Queue Lines Each line group can have up to three transfer-queue lines assigned to it. Each transfer-queue line is automatically assigned as a priority line. The priority status of a transfer-queue line can only be changed from the Line Status screen. (See “Using the Line Status Screen” in Section 5.) Transfer-queue lines allow an agent to transfer a call to another line group’s queue. When the call is received by that line group, it is then treated as a new incoming CMS call.
ADMINISTER QUEUED TRANSFER SCREEN To administer transfer-queue lines: ● Keep the Transfer-into-Queue Planning Form handy. ● Press the function key for the activity you want to perform NOTE: When you add, remove, or move a transfer-queue line, or add, remove, or change the sub-group of a transfer-queue line, inaccuracies may occur in the historical data.
[F2] Remove Que Line (Remove Transfer-Queue Line) Press this function key to display the prompts that allow you to remove a transfer-queue line. The information for both the trunk port and the single-line station port associated with the transfer-queue line is removed when you use this function. Prompt: REMOVE TRANSFER QUEUE LINE: Port #: Action: 1 Enter the port number of the trunk associated with the transfer-queue line. 2 Press [F8] (labeled "Enter Data").
Prompt: CHG INFO: ID: Action: SbGrp: Tk Prt#: T r k # : P D C : SL Prt#: You must enter the ID; the other fields are optional. Enter information only in the field(s) you want to change. Leave a field blank if you do not want to change it. 1 Enter the line ID of the transfer-queue line. 2 Enter up to two letters, numbers, or special characters for the sub-group in which the line is to be included, or enter a hyphen (-) if you do not want the line to be in a sub-group.
Administering Announcements Your CMS supports up to four voice announcement units for providing delay messages to callers. The voice announcement units are connected to System 25 ports and have PDCs associated with them. To administer voice announcement units, press [F7] (labeled “Admin Anncs”) on the Administer Line Groups screen. The Administer Announcement screen, shown below, appears. ADMIN CMS1.
If you make any changes listed in the above Note and attempt to exit CMS administration, you are prompted to print the System 25 administration instructions. Print the instructions and have the System 25 Administrator make the appropriate changes. For more information, see “Printing System 25 Administration Instructions, ” later in this section.
[F3] Change Annc (Change Announcement Information) Press this function key to display the prompt that allows you to update or correct the ID, System 25 port number, or PDC for a voice announcement unit. Unless you are correcting a typing error, changing a port number or PDC also requires System 25 administration. Prompt: CHANGE ANNC INFO: Annc #:__ Annc ID: Action: 1 Port #: PDC: Enter the number of the announcement unit you want to change (1 through 4).
Assigning Announcements Certain information about the daily use of voice announcement units is administered from the Assign Announcement screen. To reach the Assign Announcement screen, you must first select an announcement from the Select Announcement screen. Press [F6] (labeled “Assign Anncs”) on the Administer Announcement screen to reach the Select Announcement screen, shown below. ADMIN CMS1.
A box appears around the data for the voice announcement unit you selected, and the screen title changes to Assign Announcement, and the function keys are relabeled as shown below. ADMIN CMS1.
[F2] Chg Max Msg Len (Change Maximum Message Length) The CMS software uses the maximum message length field to determine if each voice announcement unit is hanging up after playing the Day Service delay message. When you first administer an announcement, CMS gives this field an initial setting of 10 seconds.
An X in the line group column for an announcement unit indicates that the unit is assigned to that line group. A hyphen (-) indicates the unit is not assigned to that line group. To assign a voice announcement unit to a line group (or remove it from that group) press the appropriate function key. As you press the function key, the mark in the column toggles between “X” and “-”. [F8] Admin Anncs (Administer Announcements) Press this function key to return to the Administer Announcement screen.
Creating an Agent Directory The Agent Directory screen contains a "master list" of CMS agents. It lists all CMS agents alphabetically by last name. Each CMS agent needs a unique ID of up to 5 characters. You use this ID when you add, remove, or move an agent. Agents are also identified by ID in exception messages. You can assign up to 60 agent IDs. However, only 28 agents can be assigned to a single shift configuration.
Prompt: ADD AGENT: Last Name: Action: 1 Enter the agent’s last name, up to 12 letters, numbers, or special characters (such as * or #), with no spaces between them. The last name appears in uppercase and/or lowercase letters, exactly as you type it. First: I D : 2 Enter the agent’s first name, up to 8 letters, numbers, or special characters, with no spaces between them. The first name appears in uppercase and/or lowercase letters, exactly as you type it.
Action: 1 Enter the agent ID as it appears on the screen. 2 Enter the new last name, or leave the field blank if you don’t want to change it. 3 Enter the new first name, or leave the field blank if you don’t want to change it. 4 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). [F5] Next Page/Prev Page (Next Page/Previous Page) If the Agent Directory contains more than 30 entries and the first page is displayed, [F5] is labeled “Next Page.” Pressing this key allows you to look at the second page of the Agent Directory.
Building or Editing Shift Configurations A shift configuration is an arrangement of line groups and agent splits for managing calls. Before CMS can begin managing calls, you must build at least one shift configuration. You can build as many as six configurations to handle different calling patterns in your business. For instance, a business may require Day, Evening, and Weekend configurations. CMS Night Service mode (which is different from System 25 Night Service) can be used when no agents are on duty.
Administering shift configurations begins with the Configuration List screen shown below. Pressing [F4] (labeled “Config List” ) from the Administration Menu screen selects this screen. ADMIN CMS1.
Building or Editing a Shift Configuration This section describes how to build a new shift configuration or change (edit) an existing one. Your CMS cannot manage calls while you are using these procedures. (To edit an active shift configuration without stopping call management, follow the instructions in “Dynamic Reconfiguration” in Section 5.
CONFIGURATION ADMIN CMS1.
The following Configuration screen illustrates a new configuration that has yet to be built. The items in the following list correspond to the circled letters in the previous screen. They show the initial settings supplied for a new configuration. a Split numbers 1 through 6 are displayed in the Agent Splits area. b Split IDs will be displayed if the splits have been previously named. Otherwise, a hyphen (-) will appear in the “Split” column. c Answer delay is set to 5 seconds.
– Administering Call Flow Assign splits to cover line groups, turn intraflow on or off, or set Intraflow Thresholds for splits. – Clearing a Configuration Delete the contents of a configuration. – Returning to Other Screens Return to the Configuration List screen by pressing [F7] (labeled “Config List” ), where you can save the configuration you have just built or edited. Return to the Administration Menu by pressing [F8] (labeled "Admin Menu") to select another administration activity.
To configure splits, press the function key for the activity you want to perform: [F1] Add Agent Press this function key to display the prompt that allows you to assign an agent to a split. The agent must already be listed on the Agent Directory screen and the station must already appear on the Administer Stations screen. A split may have up to 28 agents. A total of 28 agents can be assigned to a shift configuration.
Action: 1 Enter the ID for the agent you want to move. 2 Enter the agent’s new PDC or leave this field blank if you want the agent to stay at the same station. 3 Enter the agent’s new split number (1 through 6) or leave this field blank if you want the agent to stay in the same split. 4 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). [F4] Replace Agent Press this function key to display the prompt that allows you to substitute one agent for another at a particular agent station.
Prompt: CHANGE SPLIT ID: Split # (l-6):_ New Split ID: Action: 1 Enter the split number (1 through 6). 2 Enter the new split ID (up to 5 letters or numbers), or enter a hyphen (-) to delete the split ID. 3 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). [F7] Config Screen (Configuration Screen) Press this function key to return to the Configuration screen. [F8] Agent Directory (Agent Directory) Press this function key to return to the Agent Directory screen if you need to refer to or change agent information.
Administering Answer Delay and Force Delay Pressing [F2] (labeled “Ans/Forc Delay”) from the Configuration screen displays the Configure Delay screen, shown below. CONFIGURE DELAY Split 1 PUBLIC 2 BUSNS 3 CHART 4 SUPPT AGENT SPLITS |-Agent-| |-Agent-| PDC ID Split PDC ID 4 SUPPT 417 CRAIG 401 LINDA 418 BARB 402 JOEL 424 CJ 403 IEN 5 404 JENNY 6 405 SCOTT 406 BILL 407 SARAH 408 JOHN 409 JIM 410 BERNE 411 DON 412 ALLAN 415 ANDY 416 LOU ADMIN CMS1.
Consider these factors when choosing an Answer Delay value for a line group: ● If you have toll lines (such as 800 lines), you begin paying for a call as soon as the line is answered by CMS. If calls are likely to be on hold before an agent is available, increasing the Answer Delay value decreases the time on hold, and, hence, the cost of the call. ● You can increase the Answer Delay if you know callers will have to wait for an agent.
Administering Call Flow Administering call flow includes the following tasks: ● Assigning ● Turning ● Setting a main split and a secondary split (optional) for each line group intraflow on or off for a line group an Intraflow Threshold for each split Intraflow is the process of transferring calls from a main split’s queue to an available agent in the secondary split. A main split has primary responsibility for answering calls for a line group (or groups).
CONFIGURE CALL FLOW Split 1 PUBLC 2 BUSNS 3 CHART 4 SUPPT ADMIN CMS1.
– There is an available agent in the secondary split. – The oldest call in the secondary split’s queue has not waited longer than the Intraflow Threshold for the secondary split. 5 If there is no agent available in the secondary split, the call stays in the main split’s queue. 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).
[F3] Set Thresh (Set Intraflow Threshold) Press this function key to display the prompt that allows you to set the Intraflow Threshold for a split. This threshold sets the number of seconds the oldest call waits in a main split’s queue before becoming eligible for intraflow. You need reasonable thresholds for your main splits. For more information on choosing your thresholds, see “Administering Call Flow” earlier in this section. The initial setting is 30 seconds.
Clearing a Configuration Pressing [F5] (labeled "Clear Config") on the Configuration screen displays the prompt that allows you to clear the contents of a shift configuration. You might want to do this if you have made several data entry errors and want to begin again instead of making changes. If you clear the contents of the configuration, the values on the Configuration screen return to their initial settings. Prompt: CLEAR CONFIG: This deletes contents of config.
Saving an Edited (Changed) Configuration When you build a new shift configuration or make changes in an existing one, the word (edited) appears on the Configuration List screen to the left of the configuration number. You can store the last edited configuration in a previously unused configuration or store it in place of another configuration. For example, you could edit configuration 1 (DAY in our example) and replace the original with the updated copy.
Renaming a Shift Configuration To name or rename a configuration, press [F3] (labeled “Rename Config” ) on the Configuration List screen. Configuration names can contain up to 10 letters, numbers, or special characters. Spaces are not allowed, so you may want to use hyphens or underlines instead. Renaming a configuration "UNUSED", will clear the configuration. Prompt: RENAME CONFIGURATION: Config # (1-6): _ New Name: Action: 1 Enter the configuration number (1 through 6).
Setting Options After you have used CMS for a few days, you should have enough information to set several system options. Initial settings are in effect for the following options until you define new values: ● Service Level Limit ● Abandoned ● Audible ● Transfer vs. Incoming Call Threshold Alarm On/Off Return Threshold ● CMS-Port Personal Line Button Verification Pressing [F5] (labeled “Set Options”) on the Administration Menu screen selects the Set Options screen, shown below. ADMIN CMS1.
The Service Level Limit you choose depends on your particular type of business. The Service Level Limit is measured from the time a call first rings at System 25 until the call is answered by an agent. This includes Answer Delay time, time connected to the voice announcement unit (if any), time on hold waiting to be transferred to an agent, and ringing time at an agent station. You need to decide how quickly you want the majority of your calls answered.
● If no other agents are available when the Transfer Return Threshold is reached and the caller has already heard an announcement, the call continues to ring at the original agent’s voice terminal until an agent becomes available. At that time, CMS transfers the call to the available agent. NOTE: If the agent does not answer the call before the Transfer Return Threshold is reached, the agent is considered to have “refused” the call, and the agent’s station is placed in the ACW state.
[F3] Alarm On/Off (Audible Alarm On/Off) You can choose to have your PC beep every time an exception message, system message, or error message appears. The word ON in this field means the PC beeps. The word OFF means the PC does not beep. Initially, the alarm is ON. Action: ● Press [F3] to change the value that appears in the Audible Alarm field on your screen.
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 one split and 4 minutes as an acceptable Talk Time for another split.
Instructions for Selecting Exceptions Pressing [F6] (labeled “Select Exceptns”) on the Administration Menu screen selects the following Select Exceptions screen. SELECT EXCEPTIONS ADMIN CMS1.
3 Type on in the ON/OFF field of the prompt to turn the exception on, or type off to turn the exception off. 4 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 selected splits or groups.
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 help determine where extra training might be necessary. You can set different exception thresholds for each split to tailor the exception for the type of calls each split handles. For instance, some splits may need more ACW time than others.
[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:__ Action: 2:___ 3:____ 4:___ 5:____ 6 : _ _ _ 1 Type on or off, or leave the field blank if you want to keep the current value. 2 Enter the number of seconds (1 through 999) for the maximum Talk Time for each split.
[F3] Agent Logout (Agent Logout ACW)gent If you turn on this exception, CMS automatically logs out an agent who has been in the ACW state as long or longer than the threshold you set. You are notified when the exception threshold is reached and the agent is logged out. Prompt: AGENT OUT (minutes): ON/OFF?__ S p l i t 1 : _ _ _ 2 : _ _ _ 3 : _ _ _ 4 : _ _ _ 5 : _ _ _ 6 : _ _ _ Action: 1 Type on or off, or leave the field blank if you want to keep the current value.
Selecting Split Exceptions Split exceptions alert you to unusual or undesirable situations affecting a whole split. For example, you can be notified when the number of calls waiting in a split’s queue meets or exceeds a threshold you set. Split exceptions can alert you to a need for more agents or faster call handling. Pressing [F2] (labeled "Split Exceptns") from the Select Exceptions screen selects the Split Exceptions screen shown below. The box indicates the split exceptions. ADMIN CMS1.
[F1] Abandon Calls (Number of Abandoned Calls) When a caller hangs up before speaking to an agent, or an agent is connected to a caller for less than the Abandoned vs. Incoming Call Threshold, the call is considered an abandoned call. If you turn on this exception, CMS notifies you whenever the number of abandoned calls in an hour reaches or exceeds the threshold you set for the split.
[F3] Oldest Call (Oldest Call Waiting) The oldest call is the call that has been waiting the longest in a split’s queue. If you turn on this exception, CMS notifies you when the number of seconds the oldest call has been waiting meets or exceeds the threshold you set. Prompt: OLDEST CALL (sec): ON/OFF?__ Split 1:___ 2:___ 3:___ 4:___ 5:___ 6:___ Action: 1 Type on or off, or leave the field blank if you want to keep the current value.
Selecting Line Group Exceptions Line group exceptions alert you to unusual or undesirable situations affecting lines or line groups. For instance, the All Lines Busy exception notifies you when all lines in a line group or all lines in a sub-group of that line group have been busy more than a specified number of seconds. Pressing [F3] (labeled “Group Exceptns”) from the Select Exceptions screen selects the Group Exceptions screen, shown below. The box indicates the line group exceptions.
[F1] Lines Busy (All Lines Busy) The All Lines Busy exception refers to the number of seconds all lines in a line group (or all lines in a sub-group of that line group) are busy. If you turn on this exception, CMS notifies you when the threshold you set is met or exceeded. NOTE: If there are transfer-queue lines in the line group, all the CMS and transfer-queue lines in the group must be busy for the exception message to be displayed.
[F3] HoldTime Minimum (Minimum Line Holding Time) The line holding time refers to the length of time 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 line problem.
Printing System 25 Administration Instructions System 25 must be administered to support CMS operation. In order for CMS to function properly, System 25 must reflect the same port numbers, PDCs, voice terminal types, trunk numbers, and trunk types as CMS.
You can also access the screen at any time by pressing [F7] (labeled “ S25 Admn Instrctn” ) from the Administration Menu screen. With this screen you can: • Obtain a Full Print of the System 25 Administration Instructions ( [F1] ) You only need this report initially to administer System 25 for CMS.
WARNING If you selected this option because you made changes, CMS will not work correctly until System 25 is administered to reflect these changes. In the meantime, follow the instructions for “Managing Calls When CMS is Not Running”, in Section 9 of this manual. [F2] Partial Print Request the Partial Print of System 25 Administration Instructions whenever you make changes after the initial System 25 administration for CMS.
WARNING CMS will not work correctly until the System 25 administration is complete. In the meantime, follow the instructions for “Managing Calls When CMS is Not Running”, in Section 9 of this manual. [F3] Update S25 File After you have obtained the System 25 Administration Instructions Partial Print, press this function key to update the System 25 file with all the changes made prior to your last Partial Print of System 25 instructions.
Backing Up Shift Configurations By routinely making a backup copy (on a diskette) of your shift configurations and system tables files, you will have a current version to use if you need to restore your system after a problem. If your hard disk drive ever becomes inoperable, you can also use your backup copy to run CMS from the floppy disk drive. However, you cannot save historical data or administer CMS when you run CMS using the floppy diskette.
9 To return to the cms directory on disk drive C, do the following. At the A> prompt type c: then press [Enter]. At the C> prompt type cd . . then press [Enter]. 10 To display the CMS Menu, type cms and then press [Enter].
Section 5: Supervising CMS
Overview “Supervising CMS” means starting and monitoring call management, making changes in the configuration being used to manage calls, and operating CMS day to day. This section is organized as follows: Startup Procedures Describes turning on your PC and starting data collection and call management. Making Agents Available for CMS Calls Describes how agents make themselves available for CMS calls and how they can enter the After-Call-Work state or Logged Out state.
FIGURE 5-1 Menu Map for Call Management.
Startup Procedures To start CMS call management, follow these steps: 1 Turn on your PC. If your PC automatically starts the CMS program, the CMS Menu, shown below, appears soon after you turn on the PC. For information on automatic startup, refer to “The AUTOEXEC.BAT File” in Section 3 of this manual. If you do not use automatic startup, do the following: ● When the MS-DOS prompt C> appears, type cd \ cms and press [Enter]. ● When c> appears again, type cms and press [Enter].
2 Press [F1] (labeled “Start Call Mgt”) to begin call management. 3 If you have previously selected a particular shift configuration to begin automatically during call management startup, go to step 5. For more information about activating a configuration automatically, see “Selecting a Startup Configuration” in Section 4 of this manual. If you have not preselected a startup shift configuration, a list of configurations and a prompt appear, as shown below. INITIALIZATION DAY CMS1.
5 The following Initialization screen appears. INITIALIZATION DAY CMS1.0 6:10p 04/20 INITIALIZATION IN PROGRESS 6 CMS performs a series of checks. If the CMS-Port Personal Line Button Verification option is on, the following message appears below the “INITIALIZATION IN PROGRESS” message: PC-Port Verification In Progress--May Last Up to 4 Minutes CMS will verify that the Personal Line appearances of the CMS trunks are correctly administered on PC jack CU1.
7 After successful system checks, the following screen appears and call management begins. INITIALIZATION DAY CMS1.0 6:10p 04/20 INITIALIZATION COMPLETED CMS IS NOW MANAGING CALLS F Con fig 1 Screen F System 3 Status F10 - Help F Exit 8 Call Mgt NOTE: When call management begins, all agents are automatically in the Logged Out state. To make themselves available, agents have to press the Available button on their voice terminals.
[F8] Exit Call Mgt (Exit Call Management) Press this function key to stop call management. You are prompted to confirm your request. Your CMS stops answering new incoming calls but continues to function until all calls already answered by CMS, whether connected to the voice announcement unit, on hold waiting for an agent, or connected to an agent are completed. The status screens continue to be updated as long as calls are being handled.
Making Agents Available for CMS Calls Since it is important that CMS knows when an agent is available for CMS calls, agents must understand how to indicate the work state they are in. In this way your CMS can run efficiently and maintain accurate records. Agents assigned to splits in an active configuration can be in one of three agent states: state. An agent is available for CMS calls when the light next to the agent’s Available button is on. ● Available (ACW) state.
Available State When call management begins, all agents are automatically placed in the Logged Out state. Tell your agents when CMS call management has begun so they can make themselves available for CMS calls. Those agents who are ready for CMS calls can turn on the light next to the Available button at their voice terminals by pressing the Available button.
Monitoring Call Management Once you begin call management (as described earlier in “Startup Procedures“), you can monitor line group and split activity through the status screens. The following status screens are described in this section: ● System Status screen This screen is considered the “home” screen during call management. It summarizes the activity in each line group and split. ● Split Status screens There is a Split Status screen for each split.
STATUS SCREEN TERMS The System Status, Split Status, and Line Status screens provide continuously updated data to help you monitor your CMS. The following terms are used in the remainder of this section to distinguish between different types of calls: • Serviced vs. Abandoned “Serviced” calls have come into CMS and were connected to an agent for longer than the Abandoned vs. Incoming Call Threshold. “Abandoned” calls have come into CMS but were not handled by an agent.
Using the System Status Screen The System Status screen, an example of which is shown below, summarizes the activity in each line group and agent split. It is considered the “home” screen during call management. For an explanation of the data on this screen, see “Key to System Status Screen Data,” later in this section. SYTEM STATUS DAY CMS1.0 10:26a 05/19 LINE GROUP INFORMATION Line ❘ ...Lines... ❘ ❘ ...Splits...
You can access the screen used to change the system from Day Service mode to Night Service mode by pressing [F1] (labeled “Set Opt/Chg Mode”) on the System Status screen. In Day Service mode, CMS routes calls to agents. In Night Service mode, CMS connects incoming calls to a voice announcement unit and disconnects them when the announcement is over. For more information, see “Selecting Day or Night Service,” later in this section.
[F6] Split Status Press this function key to view a Split Status screen for a particular split. You are prompted for the split number. The Split Status screens give you a detailed picture of the activity in each split. You can change the status of an agent to Available or Logged Out from these screens. For more information, see “Using the Split Status Screen” and “Key to Split Status Screen Data,” later in this section.
Key to System Status Screen Data The numbers in the following list correspond to the circled numbers provided in the above screen. LINE GROUP INFORMATION 1 Line Group The line group letter and line group ID. 2 Lines Busy The number of lines in the line group that are not idle. They may be connected, ringing, or on hold. 3 Lines Total The total number of lines assigned to the line group. 4 Splits Main The number of the main split assigned to the line group.
ANNOUNCEMENT UNIT STATUS 7 Announcement Unit Status Number, ID, and status of each voice announcement unit. Statuses are as follows: — : the unit is not assigned to that particular line group or is not administered in CMS. BUSY: the unit is in use on a CMS call, but the call is not connected to a line in that line group. CNCT: the unit is connected to one of the line group’s calls. IDLE: the unit is in service and assigned to that line group, but is not connected to a call at the moment.
13 Agents Othr During Day Service, the number of agents in the Available or ACW state that are currently active on non-ACD calls such as outgoing calls, nonACD incoming calls, and inside calls. Active calls include calls currently connected to agents and calls agents have placed on hold. Also included are agents handling calls transferred directly to them by other agents using the System 25 Transfer feature, even if the calls originally came in on CMS lines.
20 Calls Handled Num The total number of ACD calls serviced by a split. This includes completed calls only; abandoned calls are not counted. 21 Calls Handled Avg Talk The average time (in minutes and seconds) that agents in a particular split spent on each CMS call they completed. Talk time includes time that calls were put on hold by an agent. Completed intraflowed calls are also included. 22 Calls Handled ASA The average speed of answer (ASA) for completed calls.
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. You can also make an agent available or unavailable for CMS calls by logging the agent in or out from the Split Status screen. The same type of data is collected for each split. Each Split Status screen contains one split’s data.
To log in or log out an agent or view the next or previous page of a list of agents, press the corresponding function key: [F1] Log In Agent Press this function key to place an agent currently in the Logged Out state into the Available state. The agent must be in the displayed split of the active configuration. The light next to the agent’s Available button will automatically turn on, and the light next to the Logged Out button will turn off.
To select another screen from the Split Status screen, press the corresponding function key: [F4] Events Log Press this function key to select the Events Log screen, which lists the 19 most recent exception, warning, and system error messages. For more information, see “Using the Events Log Screen,” later in this section. [F5] Line Status Press this function key to select the Line Status screen, which displays information about every line and every line group.
Key to Split Status Screen Data The numbers in the following list correspond to the numbers circled in the sample screen above. The statistics presented on this screen reflect the current hour only. AGENT STATUS 5-22 Monitoring Call Management 1 PDC The PDC of the agent’s voice terminal. 2 ID The ID assigned to the agent.
3 Status The agent’s current status. During CMS Day Service an agent’s status can be as follows: Aval: The agent is currently available to accept an ACD (CMS) call. The light next to the agent’s Available button is on, and the agent’s voice terminal is on-hook. ACD: The light next to the agent’s Available or ACW button is on, but the agent is busy on an ACD (CMS) call or has placed an ACD call on hold. The associated line ID is displayed in the “Line” column.
8 Calls Rfusd The number of ACD (CMS) calls that rang at an agent’s station and were not answered by the agent before the Transfer Return Threshold was reached. NOTE: A CMS call continues to ring at an agent station beyond the Transfer Return Threshold if no other agent is available and the caller has already heard the announcement (or no announcement is available).
19 Other AvgTlk SPLIT STATUS CALL FLOW INFORMATION The average talk time per non-ACD call. The top right section of the screen summarizes calls waiting for all splits. 20 Split The number and ID of the split. 21 Waiting Num The number of CMS calls that are waiting to be transferred to an agent in the split. 22 Waiting Old The number of seconds the current oldest call has been waiting to be transferred to an agent in a particular split.
Using the Line Status Screen The Line Status screen, a sample of which is shown below, summarizes the activity for each line in each line group. Pressing [F5] (labeled “Line Status”) from any other status screen, the Configuration screen, or the Events Log screen selects the Line Status screen. LINE STATUS Day CMS1.0 10:28a 06/14 LINE STATUS Sub ❘ .Calls. ❘ SPLIT STATUS ❘ .Calls.
To change a line’s priority or select another screen, press the corresponding function key: [F1] Change Priority Press this function key to display the prompt that allows you to change a CMS or transfer-queue line from a priority line to a nonpriority line, or vice versa. The priority of a line determines its position in the queue of calls waiting to be answered by an agent. Priority lines are answered first and are indicated by a “+” in the P (priority) column of the Line Status screen.
Key to Line Status Screen Data The numbers in the following list correspond to the numbers circled in the above screen. The statistics described on this screen reflect information for the current hour only. LINE STATUS 5-28 Monitoring Call Management 1 Gp The letter assigned to the line group. 2 SubGp The sub-group ID of the line. 3 Line The ID of the line. 4P Line priority status. A "+" in this column indicates that the line is a priority line.
5 Status The line status, which can be one of the following: Ring: A call ringing on the line, but CMS has not answered it. Idle: The line is not in use. Q u e u e d : The call is in the CMS hold state. The call has already been played the announcement and is on hold, waiting for an agent to become available. AGTID: The call has been transferred to an agent with the ID, AGTID, but the call has not yet been answered by an agent.
SPLIT STATUS The top right section of the screen summarizes calls waiting for all splits. CALL FLOW INFORMATION 5-30 Monitoring Call Management 11 Split The number and ID of the split. 12 Waiting Num The number of CMS calls that are waiting to be transferred to an agent in the split. 13 Waiting Old The number of seconds the current oldest call has been waiting to be transferred to an agent in a particular split.
Using the Events Log Screen The Events Log screen displays the last 19 exception, warning, and system error messages with the time and date they occurred. For more information about exception messages, see “Setting Exceptions” in Section 4 of this manual. Pressing [F4] (labeled “Events Log”) on any status screen or the Configuration screen selects the Events Log screen. A sample Events Log screen is shown below. EVENTS LOG DAY CMS1.
[F6] Split Status Press this function key to view the Split Status screen for a particular split. (You are prompted for the split number.) The Split Status screens give you a detailed picture of the activity in each split. You can also make an agent available or unavailable for CMS calls by logging the agent in or out from this screen. For more information, see “Using the Split Status Screens” and “Key to Split Status Screen Data,” earlier in this section.
Supervising Your Agents As the CMS Supervisor, you may find the CMS Service Monitoring and Assist features useful in supervising your CMS agents. These features require System 25 button administration on your voice terminal. SERVICE MONITORING The CMS Service Monitoring feature provides a means of monitoring agents’ calls without being detected by the agent or the caller. This feature can be very useful in the agent training process.
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 increases in incoming call traffic. Such changes are immediately activated in the current configuration. If you want, you can save the changes before you shut down CMS or before you select another shift configuration.
From the Configuration screen you can perform the types of reconfiguration described below or select other screens. Each of these topics is described in detail later in this section. • Reconfiguring Splits Press [F1] (labeled “Splits”) to reach the Configure Splits screen. Through this screen you can add, move, or remove the agents in splits. You can also change the ID of a split. • Changing Answer Delay or Force Delay Press [F2] (labeled “Ans/Fore Delay”) to display the Configure Delay screen.
Reconfiguring Splits Pressing [F1] (labeled “Splits”) from the Configuration screen selects the Configure Splits screen, shown below. It looks the same as the Configuration screen except that a box appears around the Agent Splits portion of the screen and the function keys are relabeled. Use this screen to reassign, add, or remove agents in the active configuration. CONFIGURE SPLITS Split 1 PUBLC 2 BUSNS 3 CHART 4 SUPPT DAY CMS1.
[F2] Remove Agent Press this function key to remove an agent from the active configuration. (The agent entry remains on the Agent Directory screen.) Prompt: Action: REMOVE AGENT: ID: 1 Enter the agent’s ID. 2 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). 3 When the confirmation prompt appears, type y to confirm your request or n to cancel it. 4 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). [F3] Move Agent Press this function key to move an agent from one agent station to another and/or from one split to another.
[F4] Replace Agent Press this function key to substitute agents at a particular agent station. This is equivalent to removing one agent and adding another agent to the same agent station in the same split. NOTE: The agent you added remains in the same state as the agent being replaced. Prompt: REPLACE AGENT: Remove Agent ID: Action: 1 Enter the ID of the agent to be removed. and Add Agent ID: 2 Enter the ID of the new agent. (This agent must already be entered into the Agent Directory.
[F6] Change Split ID Press this function key to assign, change, or delete a split ID. Each split ID must be unique. However, a split and a line group can have the same ID. Prompt: CHANGE SPLIT ID: Split # (l-6): _ New Split ID: Action: 1 Enter a split number (1 through 6). 2 Enter a split ID (up to 5 uppercase letters or numbers). 3 Press [F8] (labeled "Enter Data" ).
Reconfiguring Answer Delay or Force Delay You can change the current setting for the Answer Delay or Force Delay option at any time. ANSWER DELAY The Answer Delay is the number of seconds CMS lets a call ring before connecting it to a voice announcement unit if no agent is available to service the call. 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.
CONFIGURE DELAY AGENT SPLITS |--Agent--| |--Agent--| Split PDC ID Split PDC ID 1 PUBLC 401 LINDA 4 SUPPT 417 CRAIG 418 BARB 402 JOEL 424 CJ 403 IEN 404 JENNY 5 405 SCOTT 6 406 BILL 2 BUSNS 407 SARAH 408 JOHN 409 JIM 3 CHART 410 BERNE 411 DON 412 ALLAN 4 SUPPT 415 ANDY 416 LOU DAY CMS1.
Reconfiguring Call Flow If you experience unexpected changes in call traffic, you may need to reconfigure call flow assignments in the active configuration. For instance, you may decide to reassign secondary splits or turn on intraflow for some line groups. Pressing [F3] (labeled “Call Flow” ) from the Configuration screen selects the Configure Call Flow screen, a sample of which is shown below.
3 Enter a secondary split number (1 through 6), or enter a hyphen (-) if you do not want to assign a secondary split. Leave the field blank if you do not want to change it. 4 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). [F2] Flow On/Off (Turn Intraflow On/Off) Press this function key to turn intraflow on or off for a particular line group. Each line group’s intraflow status appears in the Intraflow column of the Call Flow area of the screen.
Using the Configuration List The Configuration List screen, shown below, is very similar during call management and administration. CONFIGURATION LIST DAY CMS1.0 3:18p 04/18 STORED SHIFT CONFIGURATIONS (edited) 1 - DAY (Startup) 2 3 4 5 6 — — — — — F Select F Save F Rename F Choose 1 Config 2 Config 3 Config 4 Startup EVENING WEEKEND UNUSED UNUSED UNUSED F10 Help F Config F System 7 Screen 8 Status The shift configuration currently in use for call management is shown in reverse video.
To use the Configuration List, press the function key for the activity you want to perform: [F1] Select Config (Select Configuration) Press this function key to select a different shift configuration for call management. Prompt: SELECT CONFIGURATION: Config # (1-6): ___ Action: 1 Enter a configuration number (1 though 6). 2 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). 3 When the confirmation prompt appears, type y to confirm your request or n to cancel it. 4 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”).
Prompt: SAVE CONFIGURATION: in Config #: ___ Action: 1 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”) to save the edited configuration under the same configuration name and number as the original (in other words, to replace the original with the edited copy). or Enter another configuration number and press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”) to save the edited configuration under a different configuration number.
Prompt: CHOOSE STARTUP CONFIGURATION: Config # (1-6 or ‘-’ for none): ___ Action: 1 Enter the configuration number of the startup configuration, or enter a hyphen (-) if you do not want a startup configuration. 2 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). The word (startup) appears next to the configuration you selected. [F7] Config Screen (Configuration Screen) Press this function key to display the Configuration screen for the active configuration.
Quick Reference Guide to Dynamic Reconfiguration This guide shows what screens to select if you want to activate a different configuration or make changes to the active 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 each call to an agent. During Night Service, CMS answers each incoming call, connects it to the appropriate voice announcement unit, and disconnects the call after the message is over.
CHANGING TO NIGHT SERVICE To change from Day Service to Night Service: Prompt: SERVICE MODE: Change to NIGHT Service? (Y/N):___ Action: 1 Type y to change to Night Service mode or type n to keep call management in Day Service mode. 2 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). 3 If you typed y to change mode, the prompt reads: Change Anncs for NIGHT, then press F8 when ready; or to Cancel press F1. Until you press a key in response to this prompt, CMS will not answer any ringing calls.
CHANGING TO DAY SERVICE To change from Night Service to Day Service: Prompt: SERVICE MODE: Change to DAY Service? (Y/N): ___ Action: 1 Type y to change to Day Service mode or type n to keep call management in Night Service mode. 2 Press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). 3 If you typed y to change mode, the prompt reads: Change Anncs for DAY then press F8 when ready; or to Cancel press F1. When the prompt appears, CMS stops answering ringing calls (that is, the calls keep ringing).
CMS OPERATION DURING You can access all your status screens while CMS is in the Night Service NIGHT SERVICE mode. If you start Night Service during a data collection hour, then for the rest of that hour the status screens show whatever Day Service data had been collected prior to the switchover, plus any Night Service data collected. After that hour is over, the screens show only Night Service data. The System Status screen shows Night Service data for the number of busy lines and for calls waiting.
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 Supervisor at Bon Voyage Travel interacts with the system during a typical day. THE CMS SUPERVISOR’S ACTIVITIES AT BON VOYAGE TRAVEL At 9 A.M.
Section 6: Handling CMS Calls
Overview When a call comes into CMS during Day Service, 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 idle the longest.
The Agent’s Voice Terminal This section describes the voice terminals and the features that enable CMS agents to handle ACD (CMS) calls efficiently. The CMS Agent Card also describes procedures for using the agent voice terminal for CMS. The information in this section supplements the information in the AT&T System 25 Multiline Terminal User Guide. That guide describes many other System 25 features you may find useful.
All agent voice terminals will require buttons with lights for the following features: • System Access buttons. Each agent voice terminal must have at least one System Access button. Two System Access buttons are recommended. • Agent State buttons. Three agent-state buttons, Available, ACW (AfterCall-Work), and Logged Out, are required on each agent voice terminal. In addition, the optional Assist feature requires a button with lights. • Assist button.
FIGURE 6-1 Typical Button Assignments on a CMS Agent Voice Terminal. 1 The volume control adjusts speaker and ringer loudness. 2 Conference, Drop, Transfer, and Hold help the agent handle calls more efficiently. 3 The T/P switch is used to program and test voice terminal features. For CMS operation, the switch must be set to the middle position.
Using the Agent Voice Terminal for CMS Your CMS agents can announce their availability or unavailability for CMS calls, place and answer both inside and outside calls, signal you for assistance, transfer calls, and, when CMS is not managing calls, answer calls that come into a DGC group. In the following procedures, some button names have brackets surrounding them, such as [AVAILABLE] or [DSS]. This indicates the feature assigned to the button.
To enter the Logged Out state, the agent should do the following: • Press [LOGGED OUT]. (The light next to the Logged Out button turns on, and the light next to the Available or ACW button turns off.) When ready for CMS calls again, the agent should press the Available button. (The light next to the Available button turns on.) ANSWERING CMS CALLS During Day Service, when a CMS call comes in, the CMS automatically distributes the call to the agent in the appropriate split who has been idle the longest.
USING THE ASSIST BUTTON At times an agent may want to signal you that assistance is needed. To do so, the agent can press the Assist button. (This will not interrupt the current CMS call.) This action turns on the green light next to the corresponding Assist button at your voice terminal. To find out what line the agent is using so that you can join the agent’s call in progress, look at the CMS Line Status screen or appropriate Split Status screen.
Transferring Calls to a Specific Person on System 25 To transfer a call to a specific person on System 25, the agent must do the following: 1 Press [TRANSFER]. (The green light next to the button of the call winks, indicating the call is put on hold.) 2 Listen for dial tone. 3 Dial the person’s PDC or press the [DSS], [FLEX DSS], or [REP DIAL] button for that person. NOTE: If the agent misdials the number, the agent can return to the held call by pressing the button next to the winking light.
DGC GROUPS Direct Group Calling (DGC) groups may be set up to provide an alternate means of call distribution when CMS is not able to distribute calls. When CMS is managing calls, all agents must remove themselves from their assigned DGC groups so that CMS can distribute calls to them. If CMS is not able to distribute calls, the agents must return to their DGC group assignments so that System 25 can distribute calls to the CMS agents.
The CMS Supervisor’s Voice Terminal As the CMS Supervisor, you are required to have one 34-button deluxe voice terminal. On your voice terminal you may want the following features: • A Personal Line appearance for each CMS and transfer-queue line is recommended in order to provide you with the ability to do Service Monitoring. These Personal Line button assignments will also allow you to answer and/or join CMS calls, if the need arises. One button with lights is required for each Personal Line appearance.
4 Press [SPEAKER] to join the call. You will not be able to speak to either person unless you lift your handset. If you listen to the call through the handset instead of through the voice terminal speaker, the caller and agent may be able to hear surrounding room noise. 5 Press [SPEAKER] again to leave the call.
Section 7: Generating CMS Reports
Overview In addition to real-time status screens, CMS provides a wealth of Management Information System (MIS) data through historical reports. They can help you manage your resources efficiently and cost effectively. For instance, you can use reports to forecast staffing needs and to see if line groups need more or fewer lines. The reports are generated from historical data stored on the hard disk. You can print reports whenever CMS is not managing calls.
WARNING Several types of changes that you can make could affect the historical data for a line group, agent, or split.
Types of CMS Reports The CMS reports are described individually in this order: • Agent Split Summary • Split Report • Line Group Report • Sub-Group Report • Events Log Report The first four reports give you the option of selecting either a Daily Report or a Cumulative Report. You can choose to print all daily or all cumulative reports at the same time by using the Print All Reports option described in this section. Daily reports cover one day‘s activities from 12:00 A.M. through 11:59 P.M.
How to Generate Reports You can select and print MIS reports whenever you are not administering CMS and are not using CMS to manage calls. (If you need to automatically distribute calls when you are generating reports, follow the directions in “Managing Calls When CMS is Not Running” in Section 9 of this manual.) To generate a report, go to the CMS Menu and follow these steps: 1 Press [F5] (labeled "Print Reports"). The Print Reports Menu screen, shown below, appears. PRINT REPORTS MENU REPT CMS1.
3 Press the function key for the type of report(s) you want to print. – [F1] Print Agent Split Summary for all splits active. – [F2] Print Split Report for all splits active. – [F3] Print Line Group Report for all line groups active. – [F4] Print Sub-Group Report for all line groups. – [F5] Print All Reports (Fl, F2, F3, and F4) for all active line groups and splits. – [F7] Print Events Log Report.
Agent Split Summary Press [F1] (labeled “Agent Summary”) on the Print Reports Menu screen to reach the Print Agent Summary screen, shown below. PRINT AGENT SUMMARY REPT CMS1.0 10:04a 04/20 F1 Print Daily Agent Split Summary F2 Print Cumulative Agent Split Summary F8 Return to Print Reports Menu PRINT AGENT SPLIT SUMMARY REPORT: F Daily F Cumltive 1 Report 2 Report F10 - Help F Reports 8 Menu You can request either a daily or a cumulative Agent Split Summary Report from this screen.
To print the Daily Agent Split Summary Report: 1 Press [F1] (labeled “Daily Report”) on the Print Agent Summary screen. The following prompt appears: PRINT DAILY AGENT SUMMARY: Select Report Date:___/___/___ 2 If the date next to “Select Report Date” is correct, press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). If you want to select a different date than the one shown in the prompt, enter the new date and press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). A sample Daily Agent Split Summary is shown below.
To print the Cumulative Agent Split Summary Report: 1 Press [F2] (labeled “Cumltive Report”) on the Print Agent Summary screen. 2 The following prompt appears: PRINT CUMULATIVE REPORT BY DAY: Starting:___/___/___ Ending: ___/___/___ 3 If the dates next to “Starting” and "Ending" are correct, press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). If you want to use a different starting and/or ending date than the ones shown in the prompt, enter the desired date(s) and press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”).
Key to Agent Split Summary Data The numbers in the following list correspond to the circled numbers in the sample Agent Split Summary screen above. NOTE: Activities in progress at the end of an hour are included in the statistics for the hour in which the activities were completed. AGENT 1 Agent The agent’s last name (up to 12 characters) and first name (up to 8 characters), as it appears in the Agent Directory.
OTHER CALLS ADDITIONAL DATA 7-10 Types of CMS Reports 4 Avg After Call The average amount of time (in minutes and seconds) the agent spent in each ACW state period. It is calculated by adding up the amount of time the agent spent in the ACW state (that is, the time the light next to the agent’s ACW button was lit and the agent station was on-hook), divided by the number of ACD calls the agent completed.
Split Report Press [F2] (labeled “Split Report”) on the Print Reports Menu screen to reach the following Print Split Report screen. REPT CMS1.0 10:04a 04/20 PRINT SPLIT REPORT F1 Print Daily Split Report F2 Print Cumulative Split Report by Day F3 Print Cumulative Split Report by Hour F8 Return to Print Reports Menu F1O - Help F Reports 8 Menu PRINT SPLIT REPORT: F Daily F Cumltive F Cumltive 1 Report 2 Day Rep 3 Hour Rep You can request either a daily or cumulative Split Report from this screen.
The following is a sample Daily Split Report. DAILY SPLIT REPORT SPLIT 1: PUBLC Date: 04/20/88 ❘ ----------ACD CALLS--------- ❘ ❘ -OTHER CALLS- ❘ Avg Num Num Num Avg Avg % Avg Avg Speed Calls ACD Flow Flow Talk After Other Talk Num ACD Serv Ans Aband Calls In Out Time Call Calls Other Pos Time Levl Time ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7:00a 12s 1 5 1 0 2:56 4:44 20 0:46 2.
To print the Cumulative Split Report: 1 Press the function key that corresponds to the desired cumulative report, either [F2] (labeled “Cumltive Day Rep”) or [F3] (labeled “Cumltive Hour Rep”). One of the following prompts appears: PRINT CUMULATIVE REPORT BY DAY: Starting:___/___/___ Ending: ___/___/___ or PRINT CUMULATIVE REPORT BY HOUR: Starting:___/___/___ Ending: ___/___/___ 2 If the dates next to “Starting” and “Ending” are correct, press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”).
Key to Daily Split Report Data The numbers in the following list correspond to the numbers circled in the sample Daily Split Report above. TIME 1 Time The start time of each data collection hour. Hours in which no agents were logged into the split during Day Service mode, or no calls were placed or received at an agent station during Night Service mode, are not shown on the report.
OTHER CALLS 3 Num Calls Aband The number of ACD calls which were disconnected before reaching the Abandoned vs. Incoming Call Threshold set by the CMS Supervisor on the Set Options screen. 4 Num ACD Calls The total number of completed ACD calls to agents during a given hour. Abandoned calls are not counted. Calls still in progress at the end of the hour are included in the next hour’s data.
ADDITIONAL DATA 7-16 Types of CMS Reports 11 Avg Num Pos The average number of agent stations (to the nearest “tenth of an agent”) staffed during a given hour. The average is determined by dividing the total number of minutes all agents in the split are logged in during the hour by 60. 12 % ACD Time The percentage of time agents spent on CMSrelated work (on ACD calls and in the ACW state).
Line Group Report Press [F3] (labeled “Line Grp Report”) on the Print Reports Menu screen to select the Print Line Group Report screen, shown below. PRINT LINE GROUP REPORT REPT CMS1.
If you want to select a different date than the one shown in the prompt, enter the new date and press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). A sample Daily Line Group Report is shown below.
One of the following prompts appears: PRINT CUMULATIVE REPORT BY DAY: Starting: ___/___/___ Ending: ___/___/___ or PRINT CUMULATIVE REPORT BY HOUR: Starting: ___/___/___ Ending: ___/___/___ 2 If the dates next to “Starting” and "Ending" are correct, press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). If you want to select a different starting and/or ending date than the ones shown in the prompt, enter the new date(s) and press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data"). A sample Cumulative Line Group Report by Hour is shown below.
Key to Line Group Report Data The numbers in the following list correspond with the circled numbers in the above sample Line Group Report. TIME 1 Time The start time of the data collection hour. ACD CALLS 2 Calls Offered Night The number of ACD calls to the line group during each hour CMS was in Night Service mode. The figure does not include calls answered at non-agent stations. 3 Calls Offered Day The number of ACD calls to a line group during each hour while CMS was in Day Service mode.
OTHER CALLS 5 Num Calls Handled The number of completed ACD calls (including intraflowed calls) to the line group while CMS was in Day Service mode. Calls still in progress at the end of the data collection hour are included in the next hour’s data. Abandoned calls are not included. 6 Avg Hold Time The average amount of time (in minutes and seconds) each incoming call held a line.
ADDITIONAL DATA 7-22 Types of CMS Reports 11 % All Lines Busy The percentage of time in a given hour that all lines (both CMS and transfer-queue lines) in the line group were simultaneously busy. 12 Busiest Hours The three data collection hours with the largest ACD Calls Total Hold Time values appear, in descending order, under the totals line. Fewer than three hours will appear if there were fewer than three hours in which calls were handled.
Sub-Group Report Press [F4] (labeled “Sub-Grp Report”) on the Print Reports Menu screen to select the Print Sub-Group Report screen, shown below. PRINT SUB-GROUP REPORT REPT CMS1.0 10:04a 04/20 F1 Print Daily Sub.
To print the Daily Sub-Group Report: 1 Press [F1] (labeled “Daily Report”) on the Print Sub-Group Report screen. The following prompt appears: PRINT DAILY SUB-GROUP REPORT: Select Report Date: ___/___/___ 2 If the date next to “Date” is correct, press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). If you want to select a different date than the one shown in the prompt, enter the new date and press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). A typical Daily Sub-Group Report is shown below.
To print the Cumulative Sub-Group Report: 1 Press the function key that corresponds to the desired cumulative report, either [F2] (labeled “Cumltive Day Rep”) or [F3] (labeled “Cumltive Hour Rep”). One of the following prompts appears: PRINT CUMULATIVE REPORT BY DAY: Starting: ___/___/___ Ending:___/___/___ or PRINT CUMULATIVE REPORT BY HOUR: Starting: ___/___/___Ending:___/___/___ 2 If the dates next to “Starting” and Ending” are correct, press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”).
Key to Daily Sub-Group Report Data The numbers in the following list correspond with the circled numbers in the sample Daily Sub-Group Report above. TIME 1 Time The start time of the data collection hour. ACD CALLS 2 Calls Offered Night The number of ACD calls to the line sub-group during each hour the CMS was in Night Service mode. The figure does not include calls answered at non-agent stations.
OTHER CALLS 5 Num Calls Handled The number of completed ACD calls (including intraflowed calls) to the line sub-group while the CMS was in Day Service mode. Calls still in progress at the end of the data collection hour are included in the next hour’s data. Abandoned calls are not included. 6 Avg Hold Time The average amount of time (in minutes and seconds) each incoming call held a line in the sub-group.
ADDITIONAL DATA 7-28 Types of CMS Reports 11 % All Lines Busy The percentage of time in a given hour that all CMS and transfer-queue lines in the line subgroup were simultaneously busy. 12 Busiest Hours The three data collection hours with the largest ACD Calls Total Hold Time values appear, in descending order, under the totals line. Fewer than three hours will appear if there were fewer than three hours in which calls were handled.
Print All Reports Press [F5] (labeled “All”) on the Print Reports Menu screen to print all four types of reports. A sample Print All Report screen appears below. REPT CMS1.
ALL CUMULATIVE REPORTS If you want to print all four types of cumulative reports, follow this procedure: 1 Press the function key that corresponds to the desired cumulative report, either [F2] (labeled “Cumltive Day Reps”) or [F3] (labeled “Cumltive Hour Rep”).
Events Log Report The Events Log Report lists the 200 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. Below is a portion of a sample Events Log Report.
Section 8: Archiving Data
Overview Archiving is the process of copying historical data from the hard disk onto floppy 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 about the directories and files CMS uses.
Copying the System Tables File To copy the system tables file, do as follows: 1 If you are in CMS, exit to MS-DOS by pressing [F8] (labeled Exit to DOS) on the CMS Menu. 2 Access the cmsmgmt directory on the hard disk by typing cd \ cms \ cmsmgmt and pressing [Enter]. 3 To copy the system tables file for the current date, type copy c:systbls.cms a:syymmdd.cms where yymmdd is the date, and press [Enter]. For example, to copy the system tables file on 04/19/88, copy it to a file called s880419.cms.
GENERATING HISTORICAL REPORTS If you have transferred old CMS data from the hard disk onto floppy diskettes, you 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 floppy diskette onto the hard disk, so that you can then generate reports for that date.
Generating Reports The system tables file 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 in “Generating CMS Reports” in Section 7. RESTORING DATA COLLECTION CONDITIONS Now that you have the historical reports, you must restore the hard disk to its previous condition. Otherwise, CMS cannot effectively store new data when it resumes managing calls.
Section 9: Troubleshooting
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 call management startup. Call Management Problems Identifies problems that can cause CMS to stop managing calls and suggests corrective action. Voice Announcement Unit Problems Suggests corrective action for problems that effect voice announcement units.
Startup Problems The following pages identify and suggest corrective action for problems that may occur when you start up CMS call management. The problems are grouped as follows, according to the kind of message they cause to appear in the information portion of the Initialization screen: • Error messages • Warning messages Use these pages to find the message that identifies your problem, and take the corrective action(s) described.
• ERROR--NO Configurations Found. Must ADMINISTER System. Effect on Call Management: Until this problem is corrected, CMS cannot manage calls. See “Managing Calls When CMS is Not Running” at the end of this section. Possible Cause Corrective Action You omitted one or more steps when you built your shift configurations. 1 From the Initialization screen, in sequence, press [F8] (labeled "Exit Call Mgt"), [F4] (labeled “Admin CMS”), and [F4] (labeled “Config List”) to get to the Configuration List screen.
• ERROR--CUX Faulty or Disconnected. CMS Can’t Manage Calls (X refers to PC jack CU1 or PC jack CU2). Status Indicator: CU1 or CU2 (flashing) Audible Signal: A beep from the CMS PC Interface Card. Effect on Call Management: Until this problem is corrected, CMS cannot manage calls. See “Managing Calls When CMS is Not Running” at the end of this section. Possible Cause Corrective Action There’s a loose cable connection between the CU1 and/or CU2 jack and the System 25 wall jack.
• ERROR--CMS Card Not Found or Faulty. CMS Can’t Manage Calls. Effect on Call Management: Until this problem is corrected, CMS cannot manage calls. See “Managing Calls When CMS is Not Running” at the end of this section. Possible Cause Corrective Action The CMS PC Interface Card is installed incorrectly. 1 From the Initialization screen, press [F8] (labeled “Exit Call Mgt”), then press [F8] (labeled "Exit to DOS") to exit to MS-DOS. 2 Turn off the PC and unplug it from the power source.
Warning Messages Problems that generate warning messages on the Initialization screen do not halt the CMS call management startup procedure. While these problems do not prevent CMS from managing calls, they do adversely affect call management in various ways as indicated, and should be corrected as quickly as possible. • WARNING--SYSTEM ACCESS Not Working (PC CUX Port’s Button #7). (where X refers to either PC jack CU1 or PC jack CU2).
• WARNING--EXCLUSION Not Working (PC CU1 Port’s Button #8). Effect on Call Management: Some CMS calls are disconnected before being connected to an agent station. Possible Cause Corrective Action The modular cables connected to PC jacks CU1 and CU2 are reversed. Reverse the cables connected to PC jacks CU1 and CU2. Then restart CMS call management from the CMS Menu. PC jack CU1 is connected to the wrong System 25 ATL port. Check that PC jack CUl is connected to the wall jack assigned to CU1.
• WARNING--PERS LINE Not Working (CU1’s Button # NN for Trunk XXXXX) (where NN is the button number on CU1 and XXXXX is the Line ID associated with the CMS or transfer-queue line). Effect on Call Management: CMS does not recognize an incoming call, and therefore, does not answer the call. Possible Cause 9-8 S t a r t u p Problems Corrective Action The modular cables connected to PC jacks CU1 and CU2 are reversed. Reverse the cables connected to PC jacks CU1 and CU2.
• WARNING--DSS Not Working (CU1’s Button # NN for VAU XXXXXX, PDC ZZZZ) (where NN is the button number on PC jack CU1, XXXXXX is the voice announcement unit ID, and ZZZZ is the voice announcement unit’s PDC). Effect on Call Management: Calls cannot be transferred to the voice announcement unit. Possible Cause Corrective Action The modular cables connected to PC jacks CU1 and CU2 are reversed. Reverse the cables connected to PC jacks CU1 and CU2. Then restart call management from the CMS Menu.
• WARNING--AGENT STATUS Not Working (CU2’S Button # NN for PDC ZZZZ) (where NN is the button number on PC jack CU2 and ZZZZ is the PDC of the agent’s voice terminal). Effect on Call Management: CMS agents do not receive CMS calls. Possible Cause 9-10 Startup Problems Corrective Action The modular cables connected to PC jacks CU1 and CU2 are reversed. Reverse the cables connected to PC jacks CU1 and CU2. Then restart CMS call management from the CMS Menu.
• WARNING--One or More Line Groups Has No Lines. Effect on Call Management: Calls cannot come into a line group with no lines. Possible Cause Corrective Action You have at least one agent split assigned to a line group containing no lines. 1 From the Initialization screen, press [F1] (labeled "Config Screen") to get to the Configuration screen.
• WARNING--NO Agents Covering Line Group(s). Press CONFIG SCREEN. 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 intraflowed.
• WARNING--NO Main Split Assigned to One or More Line Groups. Effect on Call Management: Calls coming into a line group with no main split assigned to it will be answered only if intraflowed. Possible Cause You have at least one line group with no main split assigned to it, but with a secondary split assigned to it. Corrective Action 1 From the Initialization screen, press [F1] (labeled “Config Screen”) to get to the Configuration screen.
• WARNING--Only x Day’s Space Left for Storing History Data. Status Indicator: LoStorage Possible Cause This message appears when there is room for less than ten days of historical data. Corrective Action 1 Exit to MS-DOS by pressing [F8] (labeled “Exit to DOS”) on the CMS Menu. 2 Access the cmsrept directory by typing cd \ cms \ cmsrept then press [Enter]. 3 Type dir, then press [Enter] to display the names of all the files in the directory. Data files are in the form dyymmdd.
• WARNING--Out of Disk Space on Drive C:--No Storage of History Data. Status Indicator: NoStorage Effect on Data Collection: CMS continues to manage calls, but all data collection stops until the problem is corrected. Possible Cause There’s no room on the hard disk for new data. Corrective Action 1 Exit to MS-DOS by pressing [F8] (labeled “Exit to DOS”) on the CMS Menu.
• WARNING--Printer Not Ready. Using Prt Sc Key Will Halt CMS. Status Indicator: Don’t PrtSc Effect on Call Management: If you press [Shift] + [Print Scrn] when this message is displayed, CMS stops managing calls. Effect on Data Collection: If you press [Shift] + [Print Scrn] when this message is displayed, all data collection stops, but resumes normally when the problem is corrected. Statistics for time logged in are not affected. Possible Cause Corrective Action The printer is not receiving power.
• WARNING-Annc #N, XXXXXXX, is Not Hanging Up. Check Unit. (N represents the announcement unit number and XXXXXXX is the Announcement ID.) Status Indicator: ANNC Effect on Call Management: Until the problem is corrected, CMS cannot connect calls to the designated announcement unit. The Announcement Unit Status field on the System Status screen displays BRKN and the Annc Condtn field on the Select Announcement and Assign Announcement screens also shows BROKN.
Call Management Problems The following pages identify and suggest 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 bring call management to a halt. In most cases, CMS resumes managing calls as soon as the problem is corrected.
• PROBLEM: The PC stops functioning, and call management stops, but no message appears on the screen. Audible Signal: The alarm on the CMS PC Interface Card comes on and stays on. Effect on Call Management: Until this problem is corrected, CMS cannot manage calls. See “Managing Calls When CMS is Not Running” at the end of this section of the manual. Effect on Data Collection: When this problem occurs, data collection stops, and all data from the current hour are lost. Possible Cause The PC has failed.
• ERROR--CU X Faulty or Disconnected. CMS Can’t Manage Calls (X refers to either PC jack CU1 or PC jack CU2). Status Indicator: CU1 or CU2 (flashing) Audible Signal: A single short beep from the PC and a longer beep from the CMS PC Interface Card Effect on Call Management: Until this problem is corrected, CMS cannot manage calls. See “Managing Calls When CMS is Not Running” at the end of this section of the manual. Effect on Data Collection: When this message appears, data collection stops.
• PROBLEM: CMS stops managing calls. No error message appears on the screen, and the function keys don’t work. Effect on Call Management: No calls are processed. Effect on Data Collection: Only statistics for time logged in are collected. Possible Cause You pressed [Shift] + {Print Scrn] when the printer was not ready. Corrective Action • See “Printer Not Ready” message under the heading, “Printer Problems” later in this section for a list of corrective actions.
Voice Announcement Unit Problems After correcting a voice announcement unit problem, bring the unit back into service as follows: 1 From the System Status screen, press [F2] (labeled “Select Anncs” ). 2 Press [F1] (labeled “Select Annc”). 3 Enter the number of the announcement unit; then press [F8] (labeled “Enter Data”). 4 Press [F3] (labeled “Change Condtn” ) once to change the announcement unit condition from BROKN to REMVD. 5 Press [F3] again to change the condition to AVAIL .
• WARNING--Annc #N, XXXXXXX, (PDC = YYYY) Not Responding. Check Unit (where N represents the announcement unit number, XXXXXXX is the Announcement ID, and YYYY is the announcement unit’s PDC). Status Indicator: ANNC Effect on Call Management: The voice announcement unit has failed the startup/back-in-service test. Until the problem is corrected, CMS cannot connect calls to the designated announcement unit.
• WARNING--Annc #N, XXXXXXX, is Not Hanging Up. Check Unit. (N represents the announcement unit number and XXXXXXX is the Announcement ID.) Status Indicator: ANNC Effect on Call Management: Until the problem is corrected, CMS cannot connect calls to the designated announcement unit. The Announcement Unit Status field on the System Status screen is updated to BRKN and the Annc Condtn field on the Select Announcement and Assign Announcement screens are updated to BROKN.
• WARNING--Annc # N, XXXXXXX, Not Answering. Check Unit. (N represents the Announcement Number and XXXXXXX is the announcement ID.) Status Indicator: ANNC Effect on Call Management: Until the problem is corrected, CMS cannot connect calls to the designated voice announcement unit. The Announcement Unit Status field on the System Status screen is updated to BRKN and the Annc Condtn field on the Select Announcement and Assign Announcement screens is updated to BROKN.
Printer Problems • WARNING--Printer Not Ready. Using Prt Sc Key Will Halt CMS. Status Indicator: Don’t PrtSc Effect on Call Management: If you press [Shift] + [Print Scrn] when this message is displayed, CMS stops managing calls. Effect on Data Collection: If you press [Shift] + [Print Scrn] when this message is displayed, all data collection stops, but resumes normally when the problem is corrected. Statistics for time logged in are not affected.
• Printer Not Ready. (When Ready, Select a Labeled Function Key.) Possible Cause Corrective Action The printer is not receiving power. Make sure that the printer is plugged in and turned on, and that the Ready light is on. There’s no paper in the printer, or the paper is jammed. 1 Make sure there’s paper in the printer and the paper isn’t jammed. 2 Make sure the paper is aligned properly. 3 Press the Form Feed button on the printer to make sure the paper feeds properly.
• REPORT ABORTED-Printer Not Ready. 9-28 Printer Problems Possible Cause Corrective Action There’s no paper in the printer, or the paper is jammed. 1 Make sure there’s paper in the printer and the paper isn’t jammed. 2 Press the Form Feed button on the printer to make sure the paper feeds properly. 3 When the printer is ready, repeat your print request.
Agent Problems • PROBLEM: An agent is not receiving any CMS calls. Possible Cause Connective Action The agent isn’t using the Available, ACW, or Logged Out buttons correctly. Refer the agent to “Using the Available, ACW, and Logged Out Buttons” in Section 6, “Handling CMS Calls” in this manual. The agent has not been added to the shift configuration currently being used for call management.
• PROBLEM: Agents continue to receive CMS calls when their Available lights are not lit. Possible Cause Corrective Action The agents are pressing the ACW button after they hang up. Remind the agents to press the ACW button before they hang up. The agent is not removed from the DGC group. Therefore, System 25 (not CMS) is distributing calls to the agent.
• PROBLEM: Agents sometimes find the light next to the Available button is off even though they did not turn it off. Possible Cause Corrective Action CMS sent a call to the agent’s voice terminal (perhaps when the agent was away from the desk) and it went unanswered. Remind agents that any time CMS sends a call to a voice terminal and it goes unanswered, the voice terminal is automatically placed in the ACW state. Agents should press the Available button to make themselves available again.
• PROBLEM: The agent presses the Available, ACW, or Logged Out button, but can’t change the status of the associated light. Possible Cause Corrective Action The agent terminal switch is in Program Mode. Take the voice terminal out of Program Mode by moving the top left hand switch on the agent’s voice terminal to the midpoint (neutral) position.
System Errors 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. WHAT THEY MEAN 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 SYSERR does not necessarily mean that CMS has stopped managing calls. For example, if the only SYSERR you receive is SYSERR-Possible Help File Damage. Reinstall CMS.
Running CMS from a Floppy Diskette Backup If the PC’s hard disk becomes damaged, you may still be able to manage calls with CMS by running the CMS program from the "SYSTEM 25 CMS SYSTEM WORKING COPY" diskette. In order to be able to do this, the diskette must contain the latest version of the CMS shift configurations and system tables. (The procedure for copying the needed files onto diskettes is described in Section 4, “Backing Up Shift Configurations.
Managing Calls When CMS is Not Running If you need an alternate method of distributing calls to agents when CMS is not ruining, use the System 25 Direct Group Calling (DGC) Contingency Plan. This feature should have already been administered by the System 25 Administrator or CMS installer. If this feature has not been administered, you can use the Alternative Contingent Plan described later in this section.
ALTERNATIVE TO CONTINGENCY PLAN If you have not set up a DGC contingency plan, you can still distribute your calls manually, as follows: 1 Unplug the cord connected to PC jack CU1. 2 Plug the cord into a 34-Button Deluxe voice terminal. 3 Answer the calls and transfer them to the appropriate agents.
Section 10: Ongoing System Administration
Overview Once the System 25/CMS installer has installed and administered CMS and System 25, you can begin CMS operation. However, as the needs of your business change, you may find that you need to add or remove lines, stations or voice announcement units. If this happens, you can make the necessary CMS administration changes and then request a Partial Print of System 25 administration instructions.
The Partial Print The page(s) of the Partial Print have the same format as those in the initial administration instructions. However, the words “CMS PARTIAL PRINTOUT” appear on each page as a reminder that these administration instructions reflect only changes in System 25 administration made since the last System 25 File Update or Full Print of System 25 administration instructions.
The Partial Print 10-3
The voice terminal buttons that are labeled on a Partial Print Button Layout page reflect the button features that need to be added, changed, or deleted. As in the illustration, the numbers and labels across the top of the buttons indicate the following: a The button number b The System 25 button feature c The button feature code. In this example, Buttons 35 and 37 show button features that need to be added because of the addition of a line and a voice announcement unit, respectively.
Adding Lines, Stations, or Voice Announcement Units In general, when adding lines, agent stations, supervisor stations or voice announcement units to CMS, update the CMS Planning Forms with the new information, and complete the necessary System 25/CMS implementation forms. (Refer to the CMS Planning Guide for instructions.) Then administer CMS to reflect these additions, and generate a Partial Print.
TRANSFER-QUEUE LINES To add a transfer-queue line, obtain a trunk number and System 25 port assignment for the transfer-queue line’s Loop Start Trunk port and a PDC and System 25 port assignment for single-line port from the System 25 Administrator. Update the Transfer-into-Queue Planning Form with the new information. Referring to the Transfer-into-Queue Planning Form, administer the transferqueue line on the CMS Admin Queued Transfer screen.
Changing Station, Line, PC Jack, or VAU Information When making changes in PDCs or port numbers of CMS equipment or facilities, obtain the completed System 25/CMS implementation forms from the Administration Records binder and make the desired changes on these forms. Update the appropriate CMS Planning Forms with this information, and administer the changes on the appropriate CMS screens. Then generate a Partial Print of System 25 administration instructions.
Removing Lines, Stations, or Voice Announcement Units If there are lines, stations or voice announcement units that are no longer needed for CMS, update the CMS Planning Forms with this information and administer those changes on the appropriate CMS screens. Then generate a Partial Print of System 25 administration instructions and give it to the System 25 Administrator for administration.
Glossary
Overview This glossary defines key terms used to describe the setup and operation of CMS. The list also includes System 25 terminology related to CMS. For an explanation of the various statistics presented in the System Status, Split Status, and Line Status screens, see Section 5, “Supervising CMS.” The terms used to identify the information contained in the CMS reports are explained in Section 7, “Generating Reports.
CMS and System 25 Terms G-2 CMS and System 25 Terms Abandoned call A call that came into CMS and was either disconnected by the caller before being serviced by an agent, or was connected, but the talk time was less than the Abandoned vs. Incoming Call Threshold. Abandoned vs. Incoming Call Threshold The minimum number of seconds an agent must be connected to a call for it to be considered a serviced call. Calls that are disconnected before reaching this threshold are considered abandoned calls.
Assist Button A button administered on an agent’s voice terminal that, when pressed, turns on the light beside a corresponding button on the CMS Supervisor’s voice terminal. This optional feature enables an agent on an ACD call to signal the supervisor for help without interrupting the call. The System 25 Station-to-Station Message Waiting feature is used to implement this feature. ATL Analog Terminal Line.
G-4 CMS and System 25 Terms Direct Group Calling (DGC) A System 25 feature that allows incoming calls to be directed to a specific group of voice terminals. The DGC Group Coverage feature, if administered, can be used to manage CMS calls when CMS call management is not running. Dynamic Reconfiguration The process of making changes to the CMS configuration currently being used to manage calls.
Initial Setting The factory-set (default) value for a system option which allows CMS to operate immediately after installation. The CMS Supervisor may later fine tune system performance by replacing some initial settings with values more appropriate to the needs of the business. Internal Call A connection between two System 25 users. Intraflow The automatic transfer of a call waiting in the main split’s queue to an agent in the secondary split.
G-6 CMS and System 25 Terms Night Service Mode A mode of CMS operation in which the system answers calls, connects them to a voice announcement unit, and then disconnects the calls when the message is over. Other Calls Non-ACD calls, such as outgoing calls, non-ACD incoming calls, internal calls, and calls transferred to an agent by another person (except Transferinto-Queue calls). Personal Dial Code (PDC) A number with up to four digits assigned to each System 25 ATL port or single-line port.
Repertory Dialing A feature that allows multiline voice terminal users to store a frequently dialed number in System 25’s memory and associate that number with a particular Rep Dial button. The user can then dial the stored number by pressing the Rep Dial button.
G-8 CMS and System 25 Terms Status LED The green light on a voice terminal that shows the status of a call appearance or a feature button by the state of the light (on, off, flashing, winking, or broken flutter). System Access Buttons System 25 users can place and receive internal and external calls using System Access buttons. All ACD calls appear on agent System Access buttons. System Administrator A person responsible for specifying and administering features and services for System 25.
Index A Abandoned Call Threshold, definition of, 4-48 ACD. See Automatic Call Distributor ACW Button, using, 6-5. See also After-Call-Work State Administering Announcements, 4-19 — 4-21 Administer Announcement screen, 4-19 using the Administer Announcement screen, 4-20 — 4-21 Administering Answer Delay and Force Delay, 4-38 — 4-39.
C Call Flow, 5-30 administering, 4-38 — 4-41 Configure Call Flow screen, 5-42 reconfiguring, 5-42 — 5-43 Call Management, 2-2, 2-4 Menu Map for, 5-2 monitoring, 5-10 problems, 9-18 — 9-21 typical application of CMS, 2-10 — 2-12 Call Management System (CMS), 1-1, 2-1, 2-4, 5-1 Day Service mode, 2-2 — 2-4 day-to-day operation of, 5-53 handling calls, 6-1 — 6-10 managing, 2-13 — 2-14. See also Managing CMS Menu screen, CMS, 5-3 Night Service mode, 2-3 — 2-4 startup procedures, 5-3 — 5-7 testing.
D DACON-DA-5SL Voice Announcement Unit, 2-16 — 2-17 Daily Agent Split Summary Report, 7-6 — 7-7 Daily Split Report, 7-11 Data editing, 3-13 — 3-14 entering, 3-13 — 3-14 using the Help screens, 3-14 validating, 3-14 Day Service Mode, 2-3 — 2-4 changing to, 5-51 selecting, 5-49 Day-to-Day Operation of CMS, 5-53 CMS supervisor’s activities at Bon Voyage, 5-53 D8W-87.
Key to Line Group Report Data, 7-20 — 7-22 Key to Line Status Screen Data, 5-28 — 5-30 call flow information, 5-30 line group summary line, 5-29 line status, 5-28 — 5-29 split status, 5-30 Key to Split Status Screen Data, 5-22 agent status, 5-22 — 5-24 call flow information, 5-25 split status, 5-25 split summary line, 5-24 Key to System Status Screen Data, 5-15 — 5-18 announcement unit status, 5-16 line group information, 5-15 split information, 5-16 — 5-18 L Line Group(s), 2-2 assigning, 4-29 planning fo
Q Quick Reference Guide to Dynamic Reconfiguration, 5-48. See also Dynamic Reconfiguration R Reconfiguring Answer Delav or Force Delav, 5-40 — 5-41 Configure Delay screen, 5-41 Reconfiguring Call Flow, 5-42 — 5-43 Reconfiguring Splits, 5-36 — 5-39 Recording Messages, 2-17 — 2-18 Renaming a Shift Configuration, 4-46 Repertory Dial Button, 2-6 Reports, types of, 7-1 CMS Agent Split Summary, 7-1, 7-3.
Support Split, 2-11, 4-29 System Errors, 9-33 System Manual, 1-2 System Status Screen, using, 5-12 — 5-14 key to screen data, 5-15 — 5-18 System Tables File, 4-67 — 4-68, 8-2.
