AT&T MERLIN II Feature Module 2 Planning Manual page 9

When call management begins for a shift, the agents in the shift configuration
are in the logged out state. CMS neither sends calls to nor keeps statistics on
agents who are logged out. Agents have to signal CMS that they are ready to
receive calls by becoming available. They do so by touching the programmed
button labeled Available on their voice terminals (MERLIN II system
telephones) to enter the available state.
When agents need time to complete work on their most recent CMS call (such
as processing an order or updating a record), they can leave the available
state and enter the after-call-work (ACW) state by pressing the programmed
button labeled ACW on their voice terminals. CMS does not send calls to
agents who are in the after-call-work state, but it does keep statistics on them.
To return to the available state from the after-call-work state, agents simply
touch their Available button.
The automatic after-call-work (Auto ACW) feature allows the CMS administrator
to specify an amount of time for the after-call-work state. Auto ACW
automatically places agents into the after-call-work state upon completion of
an ACD call. During that time, agents receive no calls as they complete their
work. When the specified time elapses, agents are automatically made
available. Agents can make themselves available before the specified time
elapses by touching their Available button.
In addition to using the Available and ACW buttons on their phones to move
from one work state to another, agents in an active shift configuration always
know what state they're in by the status of the lights next to the buttons.
Available light on = available state
ACW light on = after-call-work state
Both lights off = logged out state
(To have both lights on is not possible.)
When agents touch the Available button to enter the available state, the light
next to the Available button goes on. When they touch the ACW button to
move from the available state to the after-call-work state, the light next to the
Available button goes off and the light next to the ACW button goes on.
Agents who plan to be away from their phones for an extended period or
who are doing work unrelated to CMS can also log themselves out of CMS.
They move from the available state to the logged out state by touching the
Available button and thus turning off its light. Likewise, they move from the
after-call-work state to the logged out state by touching the ACW button and
turning off its light. When both the ACW and Available button lights are off,
the agent is logged out.
Call management is the automatic distribution of incoming calls within a shift
configuration. When a call comes into CMS, the system goes through this
basic sequence of steps:
1 CMS looks for an available agent in the main split assigned to the line
group for the call.
2 If agents are available, CMS routes the call to the agent who has been
available for the longest period of time.
3 If no agent is available, CMS connects the call to the system's voice
announcement unit for a delay message. If an agent becomes available
while the delay message is playing, CMS immediately transfers the call to
the agent; the caller does not hear the complete delay message.
Key Terms and Concepts 5