Overview Of Ars Administration 5 - AT&T MERLIN 3070 Administration Manual

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Overview of ARS Administration
You follow the six steps listed below to set up and activate ARS.
Steps 1 through 4, the planning steps, are described in detail on pages 58 through
73. If you've already filled out the ARS table forms provided in the Planning Guide
for the MERLIN System or if you want to change an existing ARS operation, turn
to page 73 to begin carrying out steps 5 and 6, administration and activation of ARS.
1. Using the Automatic Route Selection Worksheet in the Appendix, divide your
line pools into two categories:
Line pools used for toll calls (with area code).
Line pools used for local calls (without area code).
2. In view of the type of line in each line pool (local, WATS, etc.), determine:
How many different area codes each of your toll line pools should serve.
How many different exchanges each of your local line pools should
serve.
The number you enter on the worksheet is the number of area codes
or exchanges for which each line pool is the preferred calling method.
3. Setup your default routing for toll and local calls by making the following en-
tries in the Forms for Automatic Route Selection Tables provided in the
Appendix:
In the form for the Default Toll Table, Table 8, make your first entry in the
Pool column the number of the toll line pool that should be used to ser-
vice the largest number of different area codes.
in the form for the Default Local Table, Table 9, make your first entry the
number of the local line pool that should be used to service the largest
number of different exchanges.
You may choose to record the numbers of other pools as backup routes
if all the lines in the first-choice pool are busy.
4. Setup additional ARS tables to mute calls to particular area codes and ex-
changes for which different line pools should be used. These might include
calls that should be placed on WATS lines, FX lines, and other special-purpose
lines.
You can set up routing tables for as many as eight different types of calls such
as these.
5. Using the completed Forms for Automatic Route Selection Tables as a guide,
administer your ARS tables by inputting this information into your system.
6. Activate ARS.
If you haven't setup your ARS tables yet and would like more information on choos-
ing your default routes and setting up other tables, look through the two sections that
follow. They should help you decide how best to route calls, considering the kinds
of calls people in your business make and the different line pools that you have
available.
"About ARS Tables" explains the different types of entries you make in the tables.
"Preparing ARS Tables for a Typical Business" gives a step-by-step descrip-
tion of how an administrator sets up ARS routing patterns for his company. This
business uses an alternate long distance company and has the following line
pools:
— Local lines
— In-state (Band O) WATS lines
— Foreign Exchange (FX) lines
— Regional (Band 1) WATS lines
— Cross-country (Band 5) WATS lines
Look through the relevant sections of the example for suggestions on how to
route calls most efficiently for your own business.