Page 1 585-214-071 Issue 1 October 1991 Call Management System for MERLIN LEGEND Communications System Supervisor’s Guide...
Page 2: Ordering Information
Copyright 1991 AT&T AT&T 585-214-071 All Rights Reserved Issue 1 Printed in U.S.A. October 1991 Notice Every effort was made to ensure that the information in this book was complete and accurate at the time of printing. However, information is subject to change. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Interference Notice This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC rules.
Page 3: Table Of Contents
Contents xiii About This Guide xiii Documentation Conventions Related Documentation How to Order Documentation Introduction to CMS CMS Supervisor’s Responsibilities Basic Terms and Key Concepts Automatic Call Distributor Lines and Line Groups Agents and Agent Splits Shift Configuration Main Splits and Secondary Splits lntraflow and Intraflow Threshold Logged Out State and Available State After-Call-Work (ACW) State...
Page 4 Contents Using Your PC with CMS Starting CMS Setting the Date and Time Set the Date Set the Time CMS Screen Layouts Entering and Editing Data Editing Prompt and Function Keys Guidelines for Entering Data 2-10 Alternate Editing Keys 2-11 Simple Editing Procedures 2-11 Getting Help...
Page 5 Contents 3-20 Changing Force Delay 3-20 Programming Automatic After-Call-Work (ACW) 3-22 Programming Call Flow 3-22 How Intraflow Works 3-23 Programming Considerations 3-24 Programming Instructions 3-25 Assigning Splits 3-26 Turning Flow On/Off 3-26 Setting the Intraflow Threshold 3-27 Turning All-Ring On/Off 3-29 Clearing Agents 3-30...
Page 6 Contents Agent Exceptions 4-13 Talk Time 4-14 ACW (After Call Work) 4-15 ACW Time Limit 4-16 Refused Call 4-17 Split Exceptions 4-17 Abandon Calls (Number of Abandoned Calls) 4-18 Calls Waiting (Number of Calls Waiting) 4-19 Oldest Call (Oldest Call Waiting) 4-20 Avg Speed (Average Speed of Answer) 4-21...
Page 7 Contents 5-10 Agent Phones 5-10 Line Buttons 5-11 Work State Buttons (Available, ACW) 5-11 Announcing Availability 5-12 Automatic ACW 5-13 Call Handling 5-14 Answering CMS Calls 5-15 Answering Non-CMS Calls 5-15 Answering Extension Calls 5-15 Placing Outside Calls 5-16 Placing Extension Calls 5-17 Conferencing a Call 5-18...
Page 8 Contents Personalized Ringing 5-29 Telephone Programming 5-31 Telephone Programming Instructions 5-31 Supervising CMS Startup Procedures Making Agents Available for CMS Calls Agent Telephone Button Requirements Agent Telephone Work States Changing Agent Status 6-10 Monitoring Call Management 6-11 Using the System Status Screen 6-13 Line Group Information 6-14...
Page 9 Contents 6-30 Multiple View Only Monitors 6-31 Dynamic Reconfiguration 6-32 Beginning Dynamic Reconfiguration 6-33 Function Keys 6-34 Reconfiguring Splits 6-35 Add Agent 6-35 Remove Agent 6-36 Move Agent 6-37 Replace Agent 6-37 New Agent 6-38 Change Split ID 6-38 Go to Configuration Screen 6-38 Agent Directory 6-39...
Page 10 Contents Generating Reports Keeping Historical Data Accurate Types of CMS Reports Daily Agent Split Summary Daily ACD Calls Other Daily Calls Additional Data Cumulative Agent Split Summary Daily Split Report 7-10 Time 7-10 ACD Calls 7-10 Other Calls 7-12 Additional Data for Daily Calls 7-13 Cumulative Split Report By Day 7-14...
Page 11 Contents Report Screen Messages 7-33 Exiting from Reports 7-34 Archiving and Restoring Data Transferring Historical Data onto Diskettes Saving the System Tables File Saving Historical Data Files Erasing Files from the Hard Disk Generating Historical Reports Saving the Current System Tables Restoring the Historical System Tables Restoring the Historical Data Files Resuming Data Collection...
Page 12 Contents 9-21 Other Problems 9-21 Call Management Problems Agent Problems 9-25 9-26 External Alert Problems 9-28 Fallback Plan MERLIN LEGEND CMS Factory Settings GL-1 G l o s s a r y IN-1 I n d e x x i i...
Page 13: About This Guide
About This Guide This guide assumes the Call Management System (CMS) has been initially installed and programmed. It provides the CMS Supervisor with information on each aspect of CMS operations and CMS programming for effective management, maintenance, and customization of CMS. Documentation Conventions Several special symbols and typefaces appear in this manual.
Page 14: Related Documentation
About This Guide Different typefaces are used throughout this guide: This typeface represents information the system displays, such as prompts. This bold typeface represents information you enter. This italic typeface represents a system response: Sample screens from Bon Voyage Travel (a hypothetical business) are used throughout this guide.
Page 15: How To Order Documentation
About This Guide How to Order Documentation The CMS documents listed above come with the system. You can order additional copies of those documents or the related MERLIN LEGEND sys- tem documentation from the AT&T Customer Information Center. To order, find the order number in the table below and call the telephone numbers given on the inside front cover of this guide.
Page 16: Introduction To Cms
Introduction to CMS This section provides a brief overview of the Call Management System (CMS), and the responsibilities of the CMS supervisor. A typical CMS application is shown using the example of an imaginary business called Bon Voyage Travel. CMS is an automatic call distributor (ACD) that answers calls and connects them to available agents.
Page 17: Cms Supervisor's Responsibilities
Introduction to CMS CMS Supervisor’s Responsibilities In many cases the MERLIN LEGEND system manager and the CMS supervi- sor are the same person; in other cases, the two roles may be assigned to different people. However, if different people are assigned to each role, the MERLIN LEGEND system manager and the CMS supervisor must work closely together to define the needs of both the MERLIN LEGEND system and CMS.
Page 18: Basic Terms And Key Concepts
Introduction to CMS management and agent productivity (See Chapter 7, “Generating Reports,” for ongoing data collection and Chapter 8, “Archiving and Restoring Data,” for storing CMS report data.) Troubleshooting (See Chapter 9, “Troubleshooting.”) Basic Terms and Key Concepts The terms and descriptions in this section provide the key to understanding how CMS works.
Page 19: Shift Configuration
Introduction to CMS Shift Configuration A shift configuration is an arrangement of line groups and agent splits for managing calls. You can create up to six different configurations to handle different calling patterns in your business. However, only one shift configuration can be active at a time, and no more than 28 agents can be in that configuration.
Page 20: Automatic After-Call-Work (Auto Acw) State
Introduction to CMS them. To return to the available state from the after-call-work state, agents simply touch their Available button. Automatic After-Call-Work (Auto ACW) State The automatic after-call-work (Auto ACW) feature 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.
Page 21: Supervisory Login/Logout
Introduction to CMS Supervisory Login/Logout The CMS supervisor can change an agent’s work state from the CMS PC or the supervisor’s console. From the Split Status Information screen, the super- visor simply enters the agent’s ID at the appropriate prompt and enters the new status (Logged out/Available/ACW).
Page 22: Answer Delay, Force Delay, And Priority Lines
Introduction to CMS Answer Delay, Force Delay, and Priority Lines The CMS supervisor can modify the basic call management sequence by using the CMS answer delay and force delay options, and by making one or more CMS lines priority lines. When no agent is available to answer the call, the answer delay setting determines how long a call rings before CMS answers and connects it to the delay message.
Page 23 Introduction to CMS Public Line Group 555-1816 555-1808 555-1818 555-8515 Special Line Group 555-8532 555-8518 555-8531 Charter Line Group 555-0911 555-0914 555-0912 555-0915 555-1913 555-0916 Corporate Line Group 555-0917 555-1918 Calls routed to main split Calls intraflowed to secondary split Figure 1-1.
Page 24 Introduction to CMS Personal Travel Split The Personal Travel split handIes calls from customers wanting to plan and book their personal vacations. There are seven agents in this split. Calls come into this split on two line groups: the Public line group and the Special line group The Public line group consists of four lines (555-1 816, 555-1808, 555-1818, and 555-851 5), which are adver-...
Page 25: Bon Voyage Travel's Other Call Traffic
Introduction to CMS Support Split The number of agents available for CMS calls in Bon Voyage Travel’s fourth split, the Support split, varies according to the incoming call traffic. The employees who staff this split have primary responsibilities that do not involve CMS, such as bookkeeping, advertising, and trip packaging.
Page 26: Cms And Other Businesses
Introduction to CMS CMS and Other Businesses Bon Voyage Travel’s line groups and agent splits are typical for a travel agency. Other businesses would have other names for their line groups and splits. For example, a wholesale distributor might have line groups and splits for inside sales and customer service (such as order tracking), while a bank may have line groups and splits dedicated to specific types of loans and cus- tomer services (credit card and billing inquiries).
Page 27 Introduction to CMS screen. He can use the [^] + [Prt Sc] keys to print any of these screens if he wants to. The screens provide a detailed picture of activity throughout the system. Using different screens, Pat can tell when to turn intraflow on or off, when a new agent may be having trouble handling calls, or when all lines in line group are busy.
Page 28: Using Your Pc With Cms
Using Your PC with CMS This chapter gives instructions for using your PC for the CMS Supervisor’s activities. The basic operations described here are starting CMS, setting the time and date, and entering and editing data. For further information about the operation of your PC, refer to the manuals provided with your PC.
Page 29: Using Your Pc With Cms
Using Your PC with CMS CMS R3.O 5:47p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel C A L L M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M F O R T H E A T & T M E R L I N ( c ) 1 9 9 1 b y A T &...
Page 30: Setting The Date And Time
Your PC with CMS Using Setting the Date and Time CMS uses the date and time from MS-DOS. The date and time are important parts of your daily CMS statistics and must be represented correctly on your PC screen. To change either the date or the time, follow the procedures below.
Page 31: Set The Time
Using Your PC with CMS Set the Time To check or change the time on your PC: 1. When the CMS Main Menu appears upon starting CMS, press [F8] (Exit to DOS). 2. When the DOS prompt appears, type and press [ time <...
Page 32: Cms Screen Layouts
Using Your PC with CMS CMS Screen Layouts This section describes the layout of CMS screens. If you have questions about MS-DOS, the layout of your keyboard, or other information about your PC, refer to the accompanying manuals. Figure 2-2 shows a typical CMS screen layout. 4:llp ADMIN CMS R3.0 03/04...
Page 33 Usinq Your PC with CMS The following types of information appear in each area of the screen. Each number below corresponds to a number to the left of the screen, ID line. The ID line contains: Business name. Status indicators concerning problems with the PC hard disk, the connections between CMS and the MERLIN LEGEND system control unit, or the connections between CMS and the voice announcement unit and/or printer.
Page 34 Using Your PC with CMS screen. Error messages remain on the screen until you correct the error. Prompt line. This line contains requests for your input. Prompts appear after you press most function keys or in response to certain error conditions. When no prompt appears, the words appear to the far Help...
Page 35: Entering And Editing Data
Using Your PC with CMS Entering and Editing Data You can enter and edit data only on certain CMS screens. These screens display the data entry prompt and the editing function keys. For example, the Shift Configuration screen shown in Figure 2-2 is not an editing screen. If we press [F2] (Line Groups) on that screen, CMS highlights the Line Groups sec- tion of the screen with a box (Figure 2-3).
Page 36: Editing Prompt And Function Keys
Using Your PC with CMS ADMIN CMS R3.0 3:25P 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel LINE GROUP OPTIONS AGENT SPLITS Answer Force Auto Agent Agent Delay ACW Group Lines Delay Split Pos ID Pos ID Split A PUBLC 4 37 IKE 3 CORP 16 TOM 1 PERS 39 TINA...
Page 37: Guidelines For Entering Data
Using Your PC with CMS The editing function keys for this screen and all editing screens are: F Previous Next F Cancel Enter Field 6 Field 1 Prompt D a t a where the To enter data at the prompt, simply type in the entry for the field To save the cursor is located.
Page 38: Alternate Editing Keys
Using Your PC with CMS Alternate Editing Keys In addition to the editing function keys, other keys perform some of the same tasks. Table 2-1 shows these alternate keys. Table 2-1. CMS Editing Keys Press [F1] Cancel a prompt. < [^] + [ ] Move to the beginning of the previous field.
Page 39: Getting Help
Using Your PC with CMS Type over the characters you want to change, then Replace a long press the space bar after the last character of the new entry with a entry. The remaining characters in the previous entry shorter entry disappear.
Page 40: Programming Cms Shift Configurations
Programming CMS Shift Configurations This chapter describes the tasks involved in changing your CMS shift configurations, including: Building and editing shift configurations (assigning splits and line groups and programming call flow) Saving shift configurations Programming shift configurations Selecting a start-up configuration Backing up shift configurations.
Page 41 Programming CMS Shift Configurations Figure 3-1, “A Map for CMS Configuration Screens,” shows the relationship between the various screens used in CMS programming. To use the map, determine which function you wish to perform, then, starting with the CMS Main Menu, press the indicated function keys to move down the map to the desired action.
Page 42: Creating Or Changing Shift Configurations
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Creating or Changing Shift Configurations Creating or changing shift configurations involves these activities: Assigning agents to splits Programming line group options: Answer Delay (the number of seconds a call rings before CMS answers it), Force Delay (forces all calls in the line group to hear the entire recorded message before being connected to an agent, regardless of availability), and Auto ACW (the number of seconds after a completed call that an agent is...
Page 43 Programming CMS Shift Configurations ADMIN CMS R3.O 3:27p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel Administration Menu F1 Build/Edit Shift Configurations F2 Build Agent Directory (Names and IDs) F3 Administer Lines and Line Groups F5 Set Options F6 Select Exception Thresholds to be Monitored F8 Exit From the Administration Module SELECT ADMINISTRATION FUNCTION F1O - Help...
Page 44 Programming CMS Shift Configurations ADMIN CMS R3.O l:25p 07/19 Bon Voyage Travel AGENT DIRECTORY Last Name First Last Name First Harry HARRY Middon Beth BETH Anders Walter Baker son O’Rourke WALT Bakerson TOM2 Pantilly Ernie ERNIE Chanleys Diane Patrick Charlie CHUCK Norman Chapman...
Page 45 Programming CMS Shift Configurations Figure 3-4 is an example of a Configuration screen for building a new have to do with configuration. Notice that all areas on the screen that splits are either blank or display hyphens. The factory settings for the line group options and call flow are also displayed.
Page 46 Programming CMS Shift Configurations Under “Line Group Options” in the upper right corner of the screen: — Answer delay is set to 5 seconds. — Force delay is turned off. — Automatic After-Call-Work is set to 0 seconds (off). Under “Call Flow” in the lower right corner of the screen: —...
Page 47: Assigning Splits
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Assigning Splits Assigning agents to splits is the first step in building a configuration. The list of agents on the Agent Directory screen is your master list of agents. Follow the instructions below to assign agents to splits. NOTE: If you want to add an agent who is not listed on the agent directory screen, use the new agent activity ( [F5] ).
Page 48: Add Agent
Programming CMS Shift Configurations ADMIN CMS R3.O 3:39p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel AGENT SPLITS LINE GROUP OPTIONS Agent Num Answer Force Auto A g e n t Split Group Lines Delay Delay ACW Split A PUBLC 4 1 PERS B SPECL 3 2 CHART C CHART 6 3 CORP...
Page 49: Remove Agent
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Enter an unused position (extension) number between 10 and 67. DO NOT use extension numbers assigned to the CMS PC. Enter a split number (1 through 6). You may have up to six splits. Press [F8] (Enter Data) to save your data and return to the Split Configuration screen.
Page 50: Move Agent
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Move Agent To choose this activity, press [F3] (Move Agent). You can now shift an agent from one split to another or from one extension to another. The prompt line is displayed as follows: New Split #: New Pos #: MOVE AGENT : ID: Enter an agent ID.
Page 51: New Agent
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Press [F8] (Enter Data) to save data and return to the Split Configuration screen. The agent originally assigned to that extension is removed. Repeat steps 1 through 4 to replace another agent or press [F7] to return to the Configuration screen.
Page 52: Change Split Id
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Press [F8] (Enter Data) to save data and return to the Split Configuration screen. The new agent is added to the Agent Directory and is assigned to a split. Repeat steps 1 through 3 to add another agent or press [F7] to return to the Configuration screen.
Page 53: Agent Directory
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Agent Directory 1. To view the Agent Directory, press [F8] (Agent Directry) from the Configuration screen or press [F2] (Agent Directry) from the Administra- tion Menu. An Agent Directory screen like the one shown in Figure appears.
Page 54 Programming CMS Shift Configurations 2. If you want to make changes to the Agent Directory, press the function key for the activity you want to perform (add agent, remove agent, or change agent information). 3. Perform the activity as described on the following pages. NOTE: Record any changes you make on the Agent Directory Planning Form, found in the back cover pocket of this guide.
Page 55 Programming CMS Shift Configurations Enter the agent’s first name at the prompt (up to 8 letters, numbers, or special characters). Enter the agent’s ID at the prompt (up to 5 letters, numbers, or special characters). Remember, each ID must be unique. The IDs appear on the screen in uppercase letters, even if you enter lowercase letters.
Page 56: Assigning Line Group Options
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Changing Agent Information To change agent information in the Agent Directory, do the following: From the Agent Directory screen, press [F3] (Change Agt Info). The function keys change and the following prompt appears: Last Name: CHANGE AGENT INFO : ID: First: Enter the agent’s ID.
Page 57: Changing Answer Delay
Programming CMS Shift Configurations ADMIN CMS R3.O 3:57p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel LINE GROUP OPTIONS AGENT SPLITS A g e n t Num Answer Force Auto A g e n t Group Lines Delay Delay ACW Split Split A PUBLC 4 1 PERS B SPECL 3 2 CHART...
Page 58 Programming CMS Shift Configurations 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. If calls are likely to be on hold before an agent is available, you can increase the answer delay value in order to decrease the amount of time on hold.
Page 59: Changing Force Delay
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Changing Force Delay The force delay option controls the transfer of calls to and from the voice announcement unit. If force delay is on, calls that arrive for a group are not transferred to an agent until callers have heard the entire message, even if an agent is free.
Page 60 Programming CMS Shift Configurations agent into the ACW state for a programmed period of time. When that time has elapsed, auto ACW makes an agent available to receive calls. The agent remains in the ACW state for the number of seconds programmed for that line group (1–999).
Page 61: Programming Call Flow
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Programming Call Flow The way CMS routes incoming calls to agents is called call flow. Call flow programming includes the following: Assigning a main split and an optional secondary split for each line group Turning Intraflow on or off Setting an Intraflow threshold for each split Designating splits for All-Ring operation (optional).
Page 62: Programming Considerations
Programming CMS Shift Configurations — The amount of time the call has waited (that is, from the time the call started ringing until present) has exceeded the intraflow threshold for the main split. — There is no available agent in the main split. —...
Page 63: Programming Instructions
Programming CMS Shift Configurations its own calls. The secondary split’s intraflow threshold determines how long its own calls may wait before the split refuses to accept intraflowed calls. If a secondary split is not a main split as well, you don’t need to set a threshold for that split.
Page 64: Assigning Splits
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Assigning Splits To choose this activity, Press [F1] (Assign Splits). You can now assign main splits and secon- dary splits to line groups. The prompt is displayed as follows: Line Group Letter: _ Main Split #: _\ ASSIGN SPLITS : Secondary Split #: _ Initially, all splits are unassigned;...
Page 65: Turning Flow On/Off
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Turning Flow On/Off Main and secondary splits must be identified in the Call Flow section of the Configuration screen for intraflow to work. To choose this activity: Press [F2] (Flow On/Off). You can now turn intraflow on or off for a par- ticular line group.
Page 66: Turning All-Ring On/Off
Programming CMS Shift Configurations 2. Enter a split number (1 through 6). 3. Enter the number of seconds from 0 through 999. 4. Press [F8] (Enter Data). 5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 to set the intraflow threshold for another split, or press [F7] to return to the Configuration screen.
Page 67 Programming CMS Shift Configurations 3. The real agents do not need to be assigned to a split. If you do assign them to a split, they cannot be in the same split as the “ghost” agent. Consult the CMS Agent Splits Planning Form to see which of your splits, if any, should be All-Ring.
Page 68: Clearing Agents
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Clearing Agents To clear agents from a configuration: 1. From the Configuration screen, press [F5] (Clear Agents). This clears all agents from a shift configuration. The prompt appears as follows: Are you sure? (Y/N) : — CLEAR AGENTS : Data).
Page 69: Saving A Changed Configuration
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Saving a Changed Configuration When you build a new shift configuration or make changes in an existing one, the word appears on the configuration list to the left of the (changed) configuration number. You can store the last edited configuration in a previ- ously unused configuration or store it in place of another configuration.
Page 70 Programming CMS Shift Configurations ADMIN CMS R3.O 4:17p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel STORED SHIFT CONFIGURATIONS 1 - DAY (startup default) 2 - CONFIG_2 3 - UNUSED 4 - UNUSED 5 - UNUSED 6 - UNUSED F10 - Help F Choose F Select Save F Rename...
Page 71: Naming Or Renaming A Shift Configuration
Proqramminq CMS Shift Configurations Naming or Renaming a Shift Configuration When your CMS was installed, at least one shift configuration was built for you. You can have a total of six different configurations or call handling pat- terns in your CMS. If you do not name the configurations when you begin to build them, the system automatically supplies the name “Config x,”...
Page 72: Selecting A Startup Configuration
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Enter the new name (up to 10 letters, numbers, or special characters). NOTE: Configuration names can contain as many as 10 letters, numbers, or special characters. Spaces are not allowed, so you may want to use underscores instead.
Page 73: Backing Up And Restoring Shift Configurations
Programming CMS Shift Configurations Backing Up and Restoring Shift Configurations You should routinely make a backup copy of your shift configurations. That way the most current version is available to use if you need to restore your system after a problem. You should also copy the system tables at the same time you copy the shift configurations.
Page 74 Programming CMS Shift Configurations 5. To copy all your shift configurations from the hard disk onto the floppy diskette, type [< copy c: Shift*. cms a: 6. To copy the system tables onto the floppy diskette, type [ < copy c:systbls. cms a: Remove the data backup disk when the light on disk drive A goes out.
Page 75 Programming CMS Shift Configurations For more information on restoring CMS after system problems, see Chapter 9, “Troubleshooting.” 3-36 Backing Up and Restoring Shift Configurations...
Page 76: Changing System Options And Programming Exceptions
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions This chapter explains how you can program your CMS to meet the call management needs of your particular business by: Changing Options. Define your business name, service threshold, abandoned call threshold, and message length. You can also set your PC to beep whenever an unusual or undesirable situation occurs.
Page 77: Administration Menu
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions To use the map, determine which function you wish to perform, then, starting with the CMS Main Menu, press the indicated function keys to move down the map to the desired action. For example, to turn the alarm on or off, press the following keys in order: 1.
Page 78: Changing System Options
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions Changing System Options You may reset several system options. Initial settings are in effect for these options until you define new values. The options are listed below (with factory settings in parentheses): Service Level Limit (20 seconds) Abandoned Call Threshold (10 seconds) Audible Alarm (’on’) Delay Message Length (10 seconds)
Page 79 Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions 4:33p 03/04 ADMIN CMS R3.0 Bon Voyage Travel SET OPTIONS Opt ion Value 10 sec Service Level Limit Abandoned vs. Incoming Call Threshold 2 sec Audible Alarm (On/Off) 10 sec Delay Message Length Bon Voyage Travel Business Name F10 - Help F Admin...
Page 80: Adjusting The Service Level Limit
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions Adjusting the Service Level Limit The service level is a measure of how quickly your customers’ calls are answered. The service level is the percentage of calls that were connected to agents within a specified number of seconds (called the service level limit). For instance, during a particular hour your agents may answer 9070 of the CMS calls within 20 seconds.
Page 81: Adjusting The Abandoned Call Threshold
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions Adjusting the Abandoned Call Threshold One important function of CMS is tracking the number of abandoned calls, that is, the number of callers who hang up before they’ve been connected to an agent. if a CMS agent services a call in an amount of time less than this threshold, CMS considers the call abandoned.
Page 82: Setting The Audible Alarm
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions 3. Press [F8] (Enter Data). The prompt clears and the function keys change. 4. Choose another activity from this screen or press to return to the [F8] Administration Menu. Setting the Audible Alarm When the audible alarm is on, your PC beeps every time an exception mes- sage, a system message, or an error message appears.
Page 83: Entering Your Business Name
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions specify on the options screen, the following warning message appears on your screen: Check Message Length. WARNING – Message Unit Problem. The factory setting for the message length option is 10 seconds. To change the delay message length: From the Set Options screen, press [F4] (Delay Msg Length).
Page 84: Programming Exceptions
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions 3. Press [F8] (Enter Data). The prompt clears and the function keys change. Choose another activity from this screen or Press to return to the [F8] Administration Menu. Programming Exceptions An exception message indicates that a particular performance threshold has been reached or exceeded and an unusual or undesirable situation may be occurring.
Page 85: Instructions For Selecting Exceptions
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions able or inappropriate data. Consider these points when choosing the excep- tions for your business: In sales line groups, the exceptions that indicate the length of time all lines are busy and the number of abandoned calls are important. When all lines are busy, potential customers may not be able to get through and may call a competitor.
Page 86 Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions ADMIN CMS R3.O ll:20p 03/25 Bon Voyage Travel EXCEPTION SETTINGS S p l i t / L i n e G r o u p — , On/Off Exception AGENTS Talk Time >= xxx sec After Call Work >= xxx min ACW Time Limit >= xxx min Refused Call...
Page 87 Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions The function keys appearing on the Exception Settings screen are: [F1] (Agent Exceptns). Used to select exceptions for agents: talk time, ACW time, agent Iogout ACW, and refused call. [F2] (Split Exceptns). Used to select exceptions for splits: abandoned calls, calls waiting, oldest call waiting, and average speed of answer.
Page 88: Agent Exceptions
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions simply leave it blank. This feature allows you to turn on an exception for some splits or groups, but not all of them. To delete a threshold value, enter a hyphen (-) over the value you ------ want to erase.
Page 89: Talk Time
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions ADMIN CMS R3.O ll:22p 03/25 Bon Voyage Travel EXCEPTION SETTINGS S p l i t / L i n e G r o u p — On/Off Exception AGENTS [Talk Time >= xxx sec After Call Work >= xxx min ACW Time Limit >= xxx min Refused Call...
Page 90: Acw (After Call Work)
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions 2. Enter Press [F6] (Next Field) to keep the current value. off. 3. Enter the number of seconds (1 through 999) for the maximum talk time for each split. To leave the exception turned off for a split, enter a hyphen. Press (Enter Data) after the last field.
Page 91: Acw Time Limit
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions 5. Choose another activity from this screen, or press [F8] (Admin Exceptns) to return to the Exception Settings screen. 6. Press [F8] (Admin Menu) when you finish programming exceptions. The following is an example of a message that appears when the exception threshold is met: *** Split 3 - Agent BEN - After Call Work >= 5 min...
Page 92: Refused Call
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions Refused Call If you turn on this exception, CMS notifies you whenever an agent refuses a call. 1. Press [F4] (Refused Call). The following prompt appears: ON /OFF? REFUSED CALLS : 2. Enter off. 3.
Page 93: Abandon Calls (Number Of Abandoned Calls)
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions ADMIN CMS R3.O ll:23p 03/25 Bon Voyage Travel EXCEPTION SETTINGS I — - S p l i t / L i n e G r o u p — On/Off Exception AGENTS Talk Time >= xxx sec After Call Work >= xxx min ACW Time Limit >= xxx min Refused Call...
Page 94: Calls Waiting (Number Of Calls Waiting)
Chanqinq System Options and Programming Exceptions Enter to turn this exception on or off, or press [F6] (Next Field) to keep the current value. If you want to enter threshold values, enter a number 1 through 99 for each split. If you do not want to activate this exception for a particular split, enter a hyphen.
Page 95: Oldest Call (Oldest Call Waiting)
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions 2. Enter to turn this exception on or off, or press [F6] (Next Field) to keep the current value. 3. If you want to enter threshold values, enter numbers (before the slash) that are less than or equal to the number of lines assigned to each split (1 through 99).
Page 96: Avg Speed (Average Speed Of Answer)
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions If you want to enter threshold values, enter a number of seconds (1 through 999) for each split. If you do not want to activate this exception for a particular split, enter a hyphen. Enter an alert number or a hyphen in the field to the right of the slash.
Page 97: Line Group Exceptions
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions Enter press [F6] (Next Field) to keep the current value. If you want to enter threshold values, enter, to the left of the slash, a number of seconds (1 through 999) for each split. If you do not want to activate this exception for a particular split, enter a hyphen, Enter an alert number or a hyphen in the field to the right of the slash.
Page 98: Lines Busy (All Lines Busy)
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions ADMIN CMS R3.0 ll:24p 03/25 Bon Voyage Travel EXCEPTION SETTINGS I — S p l i t / L i n e G r o u p — On/Off Exception AGENTS Talk Time >= xxx sec After Call Work >= xxx min ACW Time Limit >= xxx min Refused Call...
Page 99: Holdtime Maximum (Maximum Line Holding Time)
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions The symbols (s/a) are shown to remind you that the threshold value (in seconds) is entered before the slash, and the alert number (if any) is entered after the slash. Enter to turn this exception on or off, or ress [F6] (Next Field) to keep the current value.
Page 100: Holdtime Minimum (Minimum Line Holding Time)
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions From the Line Group Exceptions screen, press [F2] (HoldTime Max- imum). The following prompt appears: MAXIMUM HOLDTIME (minutes) : ON/OFF? Line Group A: - B: - C: - D: - Enter to turn this exception on or off, or press [F6] (Next Field) to keep the current value.
Page 101: Assigning External Alerts To Exceptions
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions Enter to turn this exception on or off, or press [F6] (Next Field) to keep the current value. If you want to enter threshold values, enter a number of seconds (1 through 99) for each group. If you do not want to activate this excep- tion for a particular group, enter a hyphen.
Page 102 Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions These alerts, like most other equipment compatible with the MERLIN LEGEND system, must be installed, connected to the appropriate ports in the MERLIN LEGEND system, and programmed. General instructions for installing external alerts are given in the following list. Indepth instructions for programming from the CMS Administration screen are given in the remainder of this section.
Page 103: Conditions For Assigning Alerts
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions 6. The CMS supervisor sets exception thresholds for various groups and splits. The CMS supervisor assigns the alert numbers to any of the splits or line groups for which thresholds are set and for which visual alerts are to light up when the thresholds are met or exceeded.
Page 104: Assigning Alerts To Line Buttons
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions Assigning Alerts to Line Buttons To assign an external alert to an exception, follow these steps: 1. Press [F4] (Assign Alert) from the Exception Settings screen. The Alert Line Button Number prompt near the bottom of the Excep- tion Settings screen (where the arrow is pointing in Figure 4-7).
Page 105 Changing System Opitons and Programming Exceptions Whether an alert is assigned to one or more exceptions or to one or more lines or splits, an alert must be assigned to a line button in order to function. The function keys used on the screen are: —...
Page 106: Changing Or Removing Line Button Assignments
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions NOTE: You must be sure that the alert is physically connected at the specified line port. No message can tell you that the alert is or is not actually connected to the MERLIN LEGEND system control unit. ADMIN CMS R3.O 11:52p 03/25 Bon Voyage Travel EXCEPTION SETTINGS...
Page 107: Assigning Exceptions And External Alerts Simultaneously
Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions NOTE: CMS cannot manage calls during this activity. To remove a line button number from an alert, do as follows: 1. Press either [F5] (Previous Field) or [F6] (Next Field) to select the alert number field (1, 2, 3, or 4) from which you want to remove a line button number.
Page 108: Cms Telephones And Telephone Programming
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming This chapter includes information on the telephones used for CMS and how they work with your system. Step-by-step telephone programming instructions are given so that you can change the way the phones work with CMS as the needs of your business change. You may want to use MERLIN LEGEND system features with CMS.
Page 109: Cms Supervisor's Telephone
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming CMS Supervisor’s Telephone The CMS Supervisor’s telephone (MERLIN* II System Display Console) is shown in Figure 5-1. The labels on the telephone in the figure reflect the set- up of our imaginary business, Bon Voyage Travel. The circled numbers in Figure 5-1 refer to the description-of each part of the phone, given on the following pages.
Page 110 CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Display The telephone display shows the time and date and provides information that helps you handle calls and program the telephones in your system. Display Buttons These buttons are used for control of display and time-keeping functions. ICOM or SA Buttons Two line buttons are labeled ICOM (Intercom) or SA (System Access) depending on how your telephone system is set up.
Page 111 CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming DSS (Direct Station Selector) Buttons The DSS (Direct Station Selector) buttons let you contact any agent by touch- ing the button assigned to the agent’s extension. The lights next to the but- tons indicate which agents are busy on calls and which are not. Up to 3 agent telephones can be assigned to a DSS button.
Page 112 CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Message The light next to this button is turned on by the attendant, or receptionist, when a message is waiting. When this light is on, call the attendant for the message. Speaker Press this button to talk on a call without lifting the handset. Clock Functions Use this button to set the alarm, timer, day, and date.
Page 113: Supervisor's Mode
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Coverage Inhibit This button must be programmed if you will be using the Fallback Plan. For more about the Fallback plan, see page 9-28. Feature Button To activate features not programmed on line buttons, press the Feature but- ton, then dial the code for the feature you want to use.
Page 114: Changing Agent Status
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming NOTE: If you want to see whether an agent is using his or her phone while your phone is in supervisor mode: Press [Message Status] [Message Status] will go on. The lights next to the DSS buttons The light next to off when the agent is not on the will go on when the agent is on the phone,...
Page 115: Barge-In
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming groups with up to 10 telephones can be assigned. A telephone can belong to more than one paging group. All 6 groups can be paged simultaneously using the Page All feature. When the extension number for a paging group is dialed using any SA or lCOM button, the announcement is heard over the speakerphones on all telephones assigned to the group.
Page 116 CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Table 5-1. Line/DSS Lights on the Supervisor’s Telephone Light Type Light Status Meaning Line Button Lights You are automatically connected to Steady red this line when you lift the handset or turn or the headset. Steady green Someone is using this line.
Page 117: Agent Phones
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Agent Phones Your agents may use multiline analog or MLX telephones. Available and ACW (workstate) buttons must be programmed on these telephones. Some- times these buttons are called ESS2 and ESS1. Single line sets may not be used with CMS.
Page 118: Work State Buttons (Available, Acw)
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Hybrid/PBX system phones do not have line buttons for each incoming line, but may have a line button for a non-CMS line. Agents use buttons labeled “SA” for both inside and outside calls, and must dial an access number (usu- ally 9) before dialing outside the system.
Page 119: Automatic Acw
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming . When an agent is unavailable to answer calls, he or she can press the ACW button and do after call paperwork (the ACW light turns on) or he or she can press the Available button (so that no lights are lit). In other words, the light next to the Available and ACW buttons tell the work state of the agent.
Page 120: Call Handling
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Call Handling This section gives instructions for basic handling of CMS calls, including use of optional headsets. Instruct agents on the meaning of their telephone lights and ringing patterns, as shown in Table 5-2. Table 5-2. Agent Phone SA/Intercom Lights and Ringing Patterns Ring Meaning Lights...
Page 121: Answering Cms Calls
CMS Telephones and Telephone programming NOTE: Several optional MERLIN LEGEND features can greatly enhance the call- handling capabilities of your CMS. Refer to the “Using MERLIN LEGEND Features with CMS” section for a discussion of these features. Answering CMS Calls When a CMS call comes in, CMS automatically distributes the call to an avail- able agent in the appropriate split, according to which agent has been avail- able the longest.
Page 122: Answering Non-Cms Calls
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming When the call is finished, the agent should: Hang up the handset. NOTE: If agents need to complete paperwork connected with a previous CMS call, they must touch [ACW] before hanging up, unless Auto ACW is in effect. Instruct the agents to hang up within 4 seconds after completing a CMS call.
Page 123: Placing Extension Calls
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming To place an outside call on a specific line, an agent should: 1. Touch the SA or line button for a line not associated with CMS. The green light next to the line button goes on. 2.
Page 124: Conferencing A Call
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming To place announced extension calls: 1. Touch [ICOM Voice] or [SA Voice]. 2. Lift the handset. 3. Dial the extension number. 4. Listen for a beep, then speak into the handset. If an agent often needs to call either you or another agent he or she can pro- gram an Inside Auto Dial button (see page 5-23), Notify button (see page 5- 24), or Manual Signal (see page 5-24) for that person on his phone.
Page 125: Transferring Calls
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Transferring Calls After answering a CMS call, the agent may need to transfer the call to another split (see page 5-25) or to another person in the MERLIN LEGEND system. When an agent needs to transfer a call to you, another CMS agent, or a per- son in the MERLIN LEGEND system, he or she must: 1.
Page 126: Optional Headset And Headset Adapter
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Optional Headset and Headset Adapter Your agents can use optional headsets with their MLX and analog phones. The headset used with each type of phone works differently. Each is described below. Headsets with MLX Telephones The headsets used with MLX phones are controlled by buttons on the agents’...
Page 127: Headset Operation
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Hand/Headset Mute-optional. This button turns the microphone in the headset (or handset) off so that the user can converse with another person without the caller hearing the conversation. NOTE: The [Mute] button on your telephone will not work with headsets. If you want to turn the microphone off while using a headset, you must use the Hand/Headset Mute feature.
Page 128: Feature Interactions
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Feature Interactions Auto Dial. If the telephone or telephone is in the headset mode, the user must select a line button before dialing an extension or an outside number using Auto Dial. Conference. Headset Auto Answer is disabled while a user is setting up a conference and must be activated manually.
Page 129: Using Merlin Legend Features With Cms
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming (the green light is on), and a call is ringing on the telephone, the user hears a tone and after a short pause is connected to the caller. NOTE: Auto Answer can be invoked only in the Enhanced Mode. Refer to Customer Instruction Booklet (CIB) for an explanation of Enhanced and Manual Mode of 502C Headset Adapter.
Page 130: Feature Button
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Dial a feature code. Many features have a 1-, 2-, or 3-digit feature code. If all your line buttons are programmed, you can still use addi- tional features by pressing the Feature button and dialing their feature codes.
Page 131: Notify
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Notify Notify is used to send a visual signal to another telephone. To use the feature, a Notify Send button must be programmed (and labeled) at the sig- nal sender’s telephone and a Notify Receive button must be programmed (and labeled) at the signal receiver’s telephone.
Page 132: Agent Assist
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming . Agent Assist Some systems are installed with Agent Assist buttons. These are used like manual signaling buttons, but they are programmed to signal the CMS super- visor. Transfer to Split or Queue Agents can transfer calls to all phones in another split (not just a particular agent in the split) if Transfer to Split or Transfer to Queue has been pro- grammed on your system.
Page 133: All-Ring Operation
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming NOTE: If the MERLIN LEGEND system administrator has set the system for One-Touch Transfer, a person can merely touch the Auto Dial button of the split to which the call is to be transferred. The person transferring the call does not need to touch [Transfer] beforehand.
Page 134: Ghost Telephones And Cover Buttons
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Lift the handset. The agent is automatically connected to the incoming call. CAUTION: When All-Ring is activated, agents are automatically logged in and can- not log out. Ghost Telephones and Cover Buttons In order for agents to use the All-Ring operation or Transfer-to-Split feature either you, as the CMS supervisor, or the MERLIN LEGEND system manager must assign a “ghost”...
Page 135: Ringing Options
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Ringing Options You can determine whether incoming calls ring immediately at a telephone or do not ring at all. (With your MERLIN LEGEND system, you can also program lines for delayed ringing, but this option is not recommended for CMS.) The following suggestions should help you choose ringing options for line buttons and for Cover buttons for the Transfer-to-Split and All-Ring operation features on an...
Page 136: Personalized Ringing
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming 3. Use the following codes to select the type of ringing for the line or line pool: Press [*] [3] [4] [5] to set all lines for No Ring. The red lights next to the line buttons go off Press [*] [3] [4] [7] to set all lines for Immediate Ring.
Page 137 CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming To program the preferred ringing pattern for a telephone, agents should: For an analog telephone, Slide the T/P switch to P. The telephone rings to signal program mode. Touch line button. Press [*] [3] [2] and the ring pattern number (1–8). The phone rings with a different ring each time a different ring number is pressed.
Page 138: Telephone Programming
CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Telephone Programming Your supervisor’s telephone and agents’ telephones were programmed for use with CMS when the CMS was installed. Optional MERLIN LEGEND features may have been programmed, as well. However, as the needs of your business change you may want to add a telephone to the CMS or change the features on some phones.
Page 139 CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming For the MLX telephones, dial the 3-character code [Feature] [0] [0] . In programming mode, both types of telephones ring every 5 seconds to remind you that you are programming and that you cannot place or receive talk.
Page 140 CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Table 5-3. Feature Programming Codes Feature Programming Feature Name Notes Code Make Available (supervisor *762 Use a button with lights. only) Make ACW (supervisor *761 Use a button with lights. only) Make Logout (supervisor *760 Use a button with lights.
Page 141 CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming Feature Programming Codes-continued Feature Programming Notes Feature Name Code *23 + target extension If possible, use a button Manual Signaling number with lights. Notify-Send *757 + target extension Button with lights will number show status of target extension.
Page 142: Supervising Cms
Supervising CMS The CMS Supervisor is responsible for the following daily activities, each described in this chapter: Startup Procedures. Tells how to start data collection and call management. Making Agents Available for CMS Calls. Describes how agents make themselves available for CMS calls and how they or the supervisor can change agent work states.
Page 143 Supervising CMS CMS MAIN MENU ADMINISTRATION START CALL REPORT MANAGEMENT MENU M E N U AGENT SPLIT D A I L Y SUMMARY C U M U L A T I V E INITIALIZE D A I L Y SPLIT STORED SHIFT CUMULATIVE BY DAY REPORT...
Page 144: Startup Procedures
Supervising CMS Startup Procedures To activate CMS, follow these steps: 1. Turn on your PC. The CMS Main Menu (Figure 6-2) appears. 5:47p 03/04 CMS R3.0 Bon Voyage Travel C A L L MA NAG E M E N T S Y S T E M ( C M S ) A T .
Page 145 Supervising CMS configuration each time. If you need to choose a different configuration each time you start call management, do not choose a startup configuration. To choose a startup configuration during call manage- ment, see the instructions on page 6-50. To activate a configuration to “Selecting a Startup from the Programming Menu, refer Configuration”...
Page 146 Supervising CMS While the Initialization screen is displayed, CMS checks cable connec- tions and CMS files and checks to see if sufficient file space exists to store data. (If you receive an error or warning message, turn to Chapter 9, “Troubleshooting,” for instructions). 3.
Page 147 Supervising CMS CMS R3.O 6:16p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel INITIALIZATION COMPLETE . . . READY FOR INPUT F10 - Help FReports Exit F Config F System 8Call Mgt 3 Status 1 Screen Figure 6-4. Initialization Complete Screen 4. Press the function key for the activity you want to perform. For informa- tion on moving the cursor, entering data, and editing data, see Chapter The function keys active on this screen are: —...
Page 148: Making Agents Available For Cms Calls
Supervising CMS [F3] (System Status). Use this function key to select the System Status screen, the “home” screen of the running CMS and your pri- mary source of information when monitoring call management. It summarizes the activity in each agent split and line group. For infor- mation on interpreting this screen, see “Using the System Status Screen”...
Page 149: Agent Telephone Work States
Supervising CMS Agent Telephone Work States Agents assigned to splits in an active configuration can place themselves in one of three work states: Logged out state Available state After-Call-Work (ACW) state. Logged Out State When call management begins, all agents are automatically in the logged out state.
Page 150 Supervising CMS able for CMS calls again, he or she can touch [Available] and the light next to that button goes on. Available State When agents no longer need to be in the After-Call-Work or Logged Out state and are available again for CMS calls, they can announce their availability by turning on the light next to [Available].
Page 151: Changing Agent Status
Supervising CMS When the specified time for the Automatic ACW has passed, the light next to [ACW] goes off and the light next to [Available] turns on. The agent is made available automatically for the next incoming call. If an agent is finished with the paperwork before the specified time has elapsed, the agent can touch [Available] on the telephone, which turns on the light next to the button.
Page 152: Monitoring Call Management
Supervising CMS To change agent status from the supervisor’s telephone: 1. Press the appropriate button on the telephone (Make Available, Make Logout or Make ACW). 2. Press the DSS button for the agent whose status you want to change. If these buttons are not programmed on your telephone, refer to Chapter 5 for programming instructions and codes.
Page 153 Supervising CMS The following terms are used on CMS Status screens to distinguish between different types of calls: Serviced vs. abandoned. These terms distinguish between incoming calls that were or were not handled by an agent. “Serviced” calls come into CMS and are connected to an agent for a longer time than the aban- doned call threshold.
Page 154: Using The System Status Screen
Supervising CMS Using the System Status Screen The System Status screen (Figure 6-5) summarizes the activity in each line group and agent split so you can tell at a glance if CMS is operating efficiently. This screen can be selected from the Initialization screen or any status screen.
Page 155: Line Group Information
Supervising CMS When CMS transfers a call to an agent, the call disappears from the group of calls waiting to be answered by an agent and the call appears in the ACD column. The System Status screen shows an agent to be on an ACD call while the call is ringing at the agent’s telephone.
Page 156: Split Information
Supervising CMS Split Information The number and ID of each split. Split The number of agents currently active on ACD calls Agents, ACD including ringing calls at agent stations. Active calls include both calls currently connected to an agent and calls the agent has placed on hold. The number of agents currently available to receive Agents, Avail ACD calls.
Page 157 Supervising CMS Waitng, Old The number of seconds the current oldest call has been waiting to be transferred to an agent in each split. Call waiting time includes initial ringing time and CMS hold time. The waiting time ends when the call begins ringing at the position of the agent who answers it.
Page 158: Function Keys
Supervising CMS The average time (in minutes and seconds) that Calls Handled, Avg Talk 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. The average speed of answer for completed calls, Calls Handled, which is the average number of seconds that these calls waited for an agent.
Page 159: Using The Split Status Screens
Supervising CMS For more information, see “Using the Events Log Screen, ” in this chapter. — [F5] (Line Status). Press this function key to select the Line Status screen. This screen displays information about every line and every line group. For more information, see “Using the Line Status Screen,”...
Page 160 Supervising CMS The left section of the screen describes the activities of each agent in a par- ticular split and summarizes the activity in the entire split. The right side of the screen keeps you in touch with the system as a whole by summarizing calls waiting for all splits and intraflow assignments.
Page 161: Agent Status
Supervising CMS Agent Status P o s - I D The first two columns list the agent’s position number, which is the MERLIN LEGEND system extension number of the agent’s telephone, and the agent’s ID, an assigned “name” of up to five char- acters.
Page 162: Split Status
Supervising CMS ACD Calls, The average amount of time (in minutes and AvgACW seconds) the agent has spent in the After-Call-Work state following an ACD call. Only completed After- Call-Work sessions are used to calculate this aver- age. Time spent on other than ACD (“other”) calls while in the After-Call-Work state is not included.
Page 163: Call Flow Information
Supervising CMS Call Flow Information The bottom right section of the screen shows how splits are assigned to line groups and whether intraflow is turned on. Function Keys To select another screen or perform a function from the Split Status screen, press the corresponding function key: –...
Page 164 Supervising CMS NOTE: This feature is not in effect when CMS is in Night Service. When in Night Service, CMS does not display the F1 function key in the Split Status screen. [F3] (Next page) or (previous page). press these function keys to toggle between the pages of the “SPLIT STATUS INFORMATION”...
Page 165: Using The Line Status Screen
Supervising CMS Using the Line Status Screen The Line Status screen (Figure 6-7), summarizes the activity for each line in each line group on an hourly basis. To select the Line Status screen, Press [F5] (Line Status) from any other status screen. CMS R3.0 6:36p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel...
Page 166: Line Status
Supervising CMS The left section of the Line Status screen summarizes the activity for each line and line group. The right side of the screen keeps you in touch with the sys- tem as a whole by summarizing calls waiting for all splits and call flow assign- ments.
Page 167: Line Group Summary
Supervising CMS Othr: The line is being used by an incoming or out- going non-CMS call. NOTE: When a CMS call that comes in on a CMS line is transferred by an agent, the status of the CMS line AGTID” to “Other” when the changes from “...
Page 168: Split Status
Supervising CMS The total number of completed ACD calls to the line XX Calls group during the current hour. Both serviced and abandoned calls are included. Split Status The top right section of the screen summarizes calls waiting for each split. Waitng, Num The number of calls currently waiting in a split.
Page 169: Function Keys
Supervising CMS Function Keys To change a line’s priority or select another screen, press the corresponding function key: [F1] (Change priority). Use this function key to change a line from a priority line to a nonpriority line, or vice versa. The priority of a line determines its position among the calls waiting to be answered by an agent.
Page 170: Using The Events Log Screen
Supervising CMS Using the Events Log Screen The Events Log screen (Figure 6-8) displays the last 19 exceptions, routine events (such as a normal shutdown), and system problems with the time and date they occurred. To view the Events Log screen, press [F4] (Events Log) from any status screen.
Page 171: Multiple View Only Monitors
Supervising CMS If an exception indicates a problem that needs immediate correction, you can do so through dynamic reconfiguration. (For more information, see “Dynamic Reconfiguration,” in this chapter.) Function Keys To access another screen from the Events Log screen, press the correspond- ing function key: —...
Page 172: Dynamic Reconfiguration
Supervising CMS Dynamic Reconfiguration Once you activate a shift configuration (as described in “Startup Procedures” you can modify it through dynamic reconfiguration. For example, you can reassign agents or turn on intraflow to handle unexpected changes in incom- ing call traffic. Such changes are immediately activated in the current configuration.
Page 173: Beginning Dynamic Reconfiguration
Supervising CMS Beginning Dynamic Reconfiguration All dynamic reconfiguration activities are selected from the Configuration screen (Figure 6-9). To select the Configuration screen, press [F1] (Config Screen) at the Initialization screen (or the System Menu) or [F7] (Config Screen) from any status screen. The current configuration is displayed. CMS R3.O 6:41p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel AGENT SPLITS...
Page 174: Function Keys
Supervising CMS Keys Function Press the function keys listed below to perform dynamic reconfiguration activities or select other screens. select the Configure Splits screen and reas- [F1] (Splits). Press this key to For more information, see “Reconfiguring sign, add, or remove agents. Splits,”...
Page 175: Reconfiguring Splits
Supervising CMS Reconfiguring Splits Press [F1] (Splits) from the Configuration screen to select the Configure Splits screen (Figure 6-10). It looks similar to the Configuration screen except a box appears around the Agent Splits portion of the screen and the function keys are relabeled.
Page 176: Add Agent
Supervising CMS To reconfigure splits, press the function key for the activity you want to perform and follow the instructions: Add Agent Press [F1] (Add Agent) to assign an agent listed on the Agent Directory screen to a position and split in the current configuration. When you add agents, they are automatically placed in the logged out state.
Page 177: Move Agent
Supervising CMS Move Agent Moving an agent to a different position in the same split does not affect the data being collected for that agent. Moving an agent from one split to another, however, results in incomplete data for the hour in which the move was made.
Page 178: Replace Agent
Supervising CMS Replace Agent 1. Press [F4] (Replace Agent) to substitute agents at a particular Position and split. This is equivalent to removing one agent and adding another agent to the same position and split. The second agent is placed automatically in the logged out state.
Page 179: Go To Configuration Screen
Supervising CMS Change Split ID 1. Press [F6] (Change Split ID) to assignor change a split ID. The following prompt appears: Split #: _ New Split ID: CHANGE SPLIT ID: 2. Enter a split number (1 through 6). 3. Enter a split lD (up to 5 letters, numbers, or special characters). 4.
Page 180: Changing Line Group Options
Supervising CMS Changing Line Group Options You can change the current setting for the answer delay, force delay, or Auto ACW options at any time from the Line Group Options screen. Press [F2] (Line Groups) from the Configuration screen to select the Line Group Options screen (Figure 6-1 1), It looks similar to the Configuration screen except a box appears around the Line Group Options portion of the screen and the function keys are relabeled.
Page 181: Answer Delay
Supervising CMS Answer Delay A description of the answer delay option appears on page 3-18. To change the answer delay, do the following: From the Line Group Options screen, press [F1] (Answer Delay). The editing function keys appear with this prompt: ANSWER DELAY : Group Letter: _ How Many Seconds:...
Page 182: Changing Automatic Acw
Supervising CMS Changing Force Delay A description of the force delay option appears on page 3-20. To change force delay, do the following: From the Line Group Option screen, press [F2] (Force Delay). The Force Delay editing keys appear with this prompt: Group Letter: _ FORCE DELAY : Type in the group Ietter for the line group you want to program.
Page 183: Reconfiguring Call Flow
Supervising CMS Enter the number of seconds (O through 999), for the number of seconds agents are to be in the ACW state. NOTE: “0” means the Auto ACW feature is not in effect. Press [F8] (Enter Data). Repeat steps 1 through 5 to program Auto ACW for another line group, or press [F7] to return to the Configuration screen.
Page 184: Assign Splits
Supervising CMS CMS R3.O 7:06p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel LINE GROUP OPTIONS AGENT SPLITS Num Answer Force Auto A g e n t A g e n t Delay ACW Split Pos ID Group Lines Delay Split Pos ID A PUBLC 4 3 CORP 37 IKE 16 TOM...
Page 185: Flow On/Off
Supervising CMS Initially, all splits are unassigned; choose which split answers calls for each line group. If you do not want to assign a secondary split, leave that field unchanged. To remove a secondary split already assigned to the line group, type a hyphen in that field.
Page 186: Set Intraflow Threshold
Supervising CMS Press [F8] (Enter Data) for that line group automatically changes from Off to The intraflow designation On or vice versa. Repeat steps 1 through 3 to turn intraflow on or off for another line group, or press [F7] to return to the Configuration screen. Choose an activity from the Configuration screen or press [F7] to return to the Stored Shift Configurations screen.
Page 187: All-Ring On/Off
Supervising CMS All-Ring On/Off NOTE: Agents will be unable to log out if you use All-Ring. To choose this activity: Press [F5] (All-Ring On/Off). You can now change a split from automatic call distributor (ACD) to all-ring operation, or vice versa. In the AH-Ring column of the Call Flow area of the screen, indicates that a split has all-ring operation, and...
Page 188: Using The Stored Shift Configurations Screen
Supervising CMS Using the Stored Shift Configurations Screen lar during The Stored Shift Configurations screen (Figure 6-1 3), is very simi call management and programming. The shift configuration currently in use for call management is shown in reverse video on the screen. If you made any changes to the configuration, but have not yet saved them, the word appears to the left of that (Changed)
Page 189: Select Configuration
Supervising CMS During call management, you can perform these activities with the Configuration Screen: Select a shift configuration for call management or change from one configuration to another. Save the changes you made during dynamic reconfiguration. Rename a configuration. Choose a startup configuration. use the Configuration Screen, press the function key for the activity you want to perform using the procedures given on the following pages.
Page 190: Save Configuration
Supervising CMS All ACD calls connected to agents (in-progress calls) are considered “completed” (for the purpose of report statistics) at the time of the request to select a new configuration. The new configuration is activated as follows: Calls currently connected to agents are credited as “other” calls in the split in the new configuration.
Page 191: Rename Configuration
Supervising CMS The following prompt appears: Replace Contents of Config # X – \ SAVE CONFIGURATION: NAME ? (Y/N) : _ Where x is the name of the configuration and the name of the NAME configuration. 3. Type y to confirm your request or to cancel it.
Page 192: Selecting Day Or Night Service
Supervising CMS The following prompt appears: (Enter ‘-’ for none) \ CHOOSE STARTUP CONFIGURATION: Config #: _ Enter a configuration number, or enter a hyphen if you do not want a startup configuration. Press [F8] (Enter Data). appear next to the configuration you ords (startup default) selected.
Page 193: Change To Night Service
Supervising CMS 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, the screens show only Night Service data. The System Status screen shows Night Service data for the number of busy lines and calls waiting.
Page 194: Change To Day Service
Supervising CMS The word NIGHT appears to the left of the CMS version on the lD line. Incoming calls are connected to the night message and then disconnected. 5. Press a function key to select another activity or screen. Change to Day Service From the System Status screen, press [F1] (Day/Night) to change from Night Service to Day Service.
Page 195: Printing Cms Screens
Supervising CMS 6. Press a function key to se lect another activity or screen. Printing CMS Screens To print a copy of any screen, press [^] + [Prt Sc] while the screen is displayed. WARNING: If you see the message Don’tPrtSc on the ID line or Printer Not on the error line, do not Ready.
Page 196: Generating Reports
Generating Reports CMS provides a wealth of Management Information System (MIS) data through both on-line and historical reports. These reports can help you manage your resources efficiently and keep your costs in line. For instance, you can use reports to forecast staffing needs and determine whether line groups need more or fewer lines.
Page 197: Keeping Historical Data Accurate
Generating Reports Keeping Historical Data Accurate When you make certain types of changes in shift configurations, you can affect all the historical data for a line group, agent, or split. These changes include: Removing an agent from the Agent Directory Adding a line to a line group, removing a line from a line group, or moving a line from one line group to another Assigning an agent an ID that once belonged to another agent...
Page 198 Generating Reports the file names, including the extension. (A file name is made up of two parts: the name and extension separated by a period. For example, a file could be named exclog.cms. ) 4. After running the CMS program on the old files, you may delete the files by typing: del <filename>...
Page 199: Types Of Cms Reports
Generating Reports Types of CMS Reports The CMS reports are described individually in this order: Daily Agent Split Summary Cumulative Agent Split Summary Daily Split Report Cumulative Split Report Daily Line Group Report Cumulative Line Group Report Events Log Report Daily reports cover one day’s activities from 12:00 a.m.
Page 200: Daily Agent Split Summary
Generating Reports Daily Agent Split Summary The Daily Agent Split Summary (Figure 7-1 ) provides summary data on each agent in a given split. CMS provides an Agent Split Summary for each split. This report can help you: Understand the skills of your top performers and transfer those skills to other agents.
Page 201: Daily Acd Calls
Generating Reports Bon Voyage Travel DAILY AGENT SPLIT SUMMARY SPLIT 1: PERS Date: 03/11/91 ACD CALLS OTHER CALLS Total Work Talk Talk After Rfusd Other Talk ACD Time Agent Time Time Calls Time Call Call Call Other Time Staffed Bakerson 0:07 0:08 0:15 0:00 33% 12.2hr...
Page 202: Other Daily Calls
Generating Reports Avg Talk Time. The average amount of time an agent spent on each ACD call. Average talk time includes intraflowed calls and excludes abandoned calls. In the summary line, the average talk time is the average time per call, not per agent. Avg After Call.
Page 203: Additional Data
Generating Reports Additional Data % ACD Time. The percentage of time the agent spent on CMS-related work, that is, on ACD calls and in the after-call-work state. Total Time Staffed. The total amount of time the agent’s telephone was off-hook in a given split for a given day, and under a given ID (rounded to the nearest tenth hour).
Page 204 Generating Reports Bon Voyage Travel CUMULATIVE AGENT SPLIT SUMMARY SPLIT 1: PERS 02/15/91 - 03/15/91 Period : ACD CALLS OTHER CALLS, N u m Total Talk After Work Talk Rfusd Other Talk ACD Time Agent Time Time Call Call Other Time Staffed Calls Time Call 12 0:07 49% 145.Ohr Bakerson...
Page 205: Daily Split Report
Generating Reports Daily Split Report The Daily Split Report (Figure 7-3) shows the statistics for a particular split by hour and summarized for hours. Time spent in Iogout state is not recorded. During Night Service, only data on “other” calls are recorded in the Daily Split Report.
Page 206 Generating Reports Bon Voyage Travel DAILY SPLIT REPORT PERS SPLIT 1: Date: 03/11/91 ACD CALLS OTHER CALLS, Cnct Avg % Speed Calls Flow Fl Talk After Aftr Other Talk Num ACD Serv Time Call SrvLv Calls Other Pos Time Levl Time Aband Calls In 0:08...
Page 207: Other Calls
Generating Reports Flow In. The total number of ACD calls intraflowed into this split dur- ing a given hour. The number excludes abandoned calls. Flow Out. The total number of calls intraflowed out of this split and answered by agents in another split. The number excludes aban- doned calls.
Page 208: Additional Data For Daily Calls
Generating Reports Additional Data for Daily Calls Avg Num Pos. The average number of agent positions staffed during the hour. % ACD Time. The percentage of time agents spent on CMS-related work (that is, their talk time on ACD calls and their after-call-work time). Serv Levl.
Page 209: Cumulative Split Report By Day
Generating Reports Cumulative Split Report By Day A Cumulative Split Report by Day (Figure is a summary report that can 7-4) be generated for any consecutive period from 2 to 93 days. Most of the column headings are the same as for the Daily Split Report. However, the leftmost column head for this report is “Day.”...
Page 210 Generating Reports Bon Voyage Travel CUMULATIVE SPLIT REPORT BY DAY SPLIT 1: PERS 02/15/91 - 03/15/91 Period: ACD CALLS OTHER CALLS, Cnct Avg % Flow F1 Talk After Aftr Other Talk Num ACD Serv Speed Calls Time Call SrvLv Calls Other Pos Time Levi Aband Calls In Out 03/02...
Page 211: Cumulative Split Report By Hour
Generating Reports Cumulative Split Report By Hour A Cumulative Split Report Report By Hour (Figure 7-5) is a summary report that can be generated for any consecutive period from 2 to 93 days. Most of the column headings are the same as for the Daily Split Report and the Cumulative Split Report by Day.
Page 212 Generating Reports Bon Voyage Travel CUMULATIVE SPLIT REPORT BY HOUR SPLIT 1: PERS Period : 02/15/91 - 03/15/91 ACD CALLS OTHER CALLS, Cnct Avg % Speed Calls Flow Flow Talk After Aftr Other Talk Num ACD Serv Time Hour Aband Calls In Out Call SrvLv Calls Other Pos Time Levi 5828...
Page 213: Daily Line Group Report
Generating Reports Daily Line Group Report The Daily Line Group Report (Figure 7-6) gives hour-by-hour data for a given line group. It includes data for every hour that CMS is in Day Service or Night Service mode during the 24-hour period the report covers. You can use this information to control your expenses for telephone lines, for instance: A high number of abandoned calls may indicate too few agents.
Page 214 Generating Reports Bon Voyage Travel DAILY LINE GROUP REPORT Size: 8 lines PUBLC GROUP A: Date: 03/11/91 T R A F F I C O T H E R C A L L S ACD CALLS % All N u m H o l d C C s N u m...
Page 215: Time
Generating Reports Time Time. The beginning of the hour in which data were collected. ACD Calls Calls Offered (Night/Day). The number of ACD calls to the line group during a given hour. This number includes abandoned calls as well as calls connected to agents.
Page 216: Other Calls
Generating Reports Occ. Shows how efficiently the line group is being used. It is expressed as a percentage that shows, for example, that the lines are in use 70% of the time. This field can be used to determine changes to the line group.
Page 217: Cumulative Line Group Report By Day
Generating Reports Additional Data for Daily Calls % All Lines Busy. The percentage of time in each hour that all lines in the group were simultaneously busy. Busiest hours. The three hours with the largest total holding time for ACD calls. The busiest hour is shown first (lower portion of screen), followed by the second and third busiest hours.
Page 218 Generating Reports Bon Voyage Travel CUMULATIVE LINE GROUP REPORT BY DAY GROUP A: PUBLC Size: 8 lines Period : 02/15/91 - 03/15/91 ACD CALLS T R A F F I C O T H E R C A L L S N u m H o l d Calls...
Page 219: Cumulative Line Group Report By Hour
Generating Reports C u m u l a t i v e R e p o r t B y H o u r A Cumulative Line Group Report By Hour (Figure 7-8) can be generated for any consecutive period from 2 to 93 days. Most of the column headings are the same as for the Daily Line Group Report and the Cumulative Line Group Report by Day.
Page 220 Generating Reports Bon Voyage Travel CUMULATIVE LINE GROUP REPORT BY HOUR PUBLC Size: 8 lines GROUP A: 02/15/91 - 03/15/91 Period : ACD CALLS T R A F F I C O T H E R C A L L S Calls N u m H o l d...
Page 221: Events Log Report
Generating Reports Events Log Report The Events Log Report (Figure 7-9) lists the 50 most recent exceptions and system messages, along with the date and time they occurred. Depending on how often exceptions and system messages occur in your system, this report may span several days or part of one day.
Page 222 Generating Reports Bon Voyage Travel EVENTS LOG REPORT Event Time Date 8:24a 03/11 *** Split 1 - # Calls Waiting >= 1 *** Spilt 1 - # Calls Waiting >= 1 8:25a 03/11 *** Split 1 - # Calls Waiting >= 1 8:26a 03/11 *** Spilt 1 - # Calls Waiting >= 1 8:27a 03/11...
Page 223: How To Generate Reports
Generating Reports How to Generate Reports You can print the reports individually, or you can choose to print all the reports (except the Events Log Report) at once. The Events Log Report must be printed separately, If you have trouble with your printer, or an error message appears on the screen, see Chapter 9, “Troubleshooting.”...
Page 224 Generating Reports CMS R3.0 7:20p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel REPORT MENU F1 - Print Agent Split Summary F2 - Print Split Report F3 - Print Line Group Report F4 - Print All Reports (F1, F2, & F3) F6 - Print Events Log Report F8 - Exit Reports Menu Generating Agent Split Summary...
Page 225 Generating Reports CMS R3.O 7:21p 03/04 Bon Voyage Travel PRINT SPLIT REPORT F1 - Report Cancel F2 - Print Daily Report F3 - Print Cumulative Report by Day F4 - Print Cumulative Report by Hour Printer Now Ready Enter F2 for Daily, F3 for F10 - Help Cum.
Page 226 Generating Reports b. Enter the date for the report you want printed. c. Press [F8] (Enter Data). The report is printed and the Report Menu screen reappears. 4. To print a Cumulative Report by Day: Press [F3] (Cum by Day). The following prompt appears: Select End Date: Select Start Date:_...
Page 227: Summary On Generating Individual Reports
Generating Reports Summary on Generating Individual Reports For any report you want to generate, follow these basic steps: 1. Select the report type from the Report Menu: — Press [F1] (Agent Summary) to Print the Agent Split Summary. — Press [F2] (Split Report) to Print the Split Report. —...
Page 228: Report Screen Messages
Generating Reports Report Screen Messages Screen display messages keep you informed as to the printing status or error status of the reports you are generating. Some examples are listed below: If CMS is managing calls when you request a report to be printed, the mes- sage line reads: Scheduling [report name ] .
Page 229: Exiting From Reports
Generating Reports Exiting from Reports When your report is selected and is being generated, you are returned to the Report Menu screen where you can either press another function key to select another report or you can exit the Report Menu. NOTE: Do not queue more than three reports while CMS is handling calls.
Page 230: Archiving And Restoring Data
Archiving Restoring Data Archiving is the process of copying historical data from the hard disk to diskettes. You need to archive data when the hard disk begins to run out of space and you want to save your old files. You should archive data once a month to keep the system running efficiently.
Page 231: Transferring Historical Data Onto Diskettes
Archiving and Restoring Data Transferring Historical Data onto Diskettes In order to print historical reports from archived data, you must have archived the system tables and historical data files for the days in which you’re interested. The system tables file contains the information that identifies the lines, splits, and agents for which historical data have been saved.
Page 232: Transferring Historical Data Onto Diskettes
Archiving and Restoring Data \(root.directory) other directories \ c m s not related to CMS you may create \cms\cmsrept \ c m s \ c m s m g m t systbls.cms shift2.cms d y y m m d d . c m s (where yymmdd is a year, month, shift1.cms...
Page 233: Saving The System Tables File
Archiving and Restoring Data Use the following procedures to save the required files on a diskette. Saving the System Tables File These procedures work for both 3 1/2” or 5 1/4” diskettes. To copy the sys- tem tables file, do as follows: Put a formatted diskette into drive A on your PC.
Page 234: Saving Historical Data Files
Archiving and Restoring Data Saving Historical Data Files To save the historical data files, do the following: Put a formatted diskette into drive A on your PC, or use the one you just copied the system tables file to. Be sure to close the locking bar. Make certain you are in MS-DOS and you have the DOS prompt.
Page 235: Erasing Files From The Hard Disk
Archiving and Restoring Data Erasing Files from the Hard Disk To erase files you have already archived from the hard disk, do as follows: 1. Make certain you are in MS-DOS and you have the DOS prompt. From the CMS Administration Menu, you can press [F8] (Exit to DOS) to get to the prompt.
Page 236: Saving The Current System Tables
Archiving and Restoring Data Saving the Current System Tables You must save the current system tables in a temporary file so that you don’t lose them when you copy the historical system table files to the hard disk. cannot be running CMS while you are saving these files. These opera- tions must be performed either before or after CMS is started or stopped.
Page 237: Restoring The Historical Data Files
Archiving and Restoring Data 4. The historical system tables file is now on the hard disk in place of the current system tables file. Restoring the Historical Data Files You should still be in the cmsmgmt directory. 1. Put the floppy diskette containing the historical data you want to print out into drive A on your PC.
Page 238: Resuming Data Collection
Archiving and Restoring Data Resuming Data Collection Now that you have the historical reports, you must restore the hard disk to its previous condition before starting CMS. Otherwise, CMS cannot effectively store new data when it resumes managing calls. To do this, you must erase the historical data from the hard disk—they remain saved on the diskette—...
Page 239: Restoring The Current System Tables
Archiving and Restoring Data Restoring the Current System Tables To restore the current system tables to their appropriate place in the cms directory, do the following: 1. To get to the cmsmgmt directory, type cd C:\cms\cmsmgmt 2. To restore the system tables, type copy stemp systbls.cms You should now have the historical reports you wanted, and CMS should be ready to store new data.
Page 240: Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting This chapter suggests corrective action for problems that may occur with CMS. You should use this chapter whenever you detect a problem or the system displays error, warning, or other messages not usually associated with CMS. The messages that indicate trouble are organized alphabetically within type, as described below: Error Messages identify problems that cause CMS to stop managing calls.
Page 241: Error Messages
Troubleshooting Solutions to other problems you may experience are also grouped by type: Call Management Problems, such as incoming calls not being correctly processed. Agent Problems, such as agents receiving other agents’ calls. External Alert Problems, such as an alert failing to signal when an exception has occurred.
Page 242 Troubleshooting ERROR--- CMS Card Faulty or Not Found. CMS Cannot Manage Calls. Status Indicator: CU 1 (flashing) and CU 2 (on steady) Audible Signal:A single short beep from the PC CMS cannot manage calls until this problem Effect on Call Management: is corrected.
Page 243 Troubleshooting ERROR--CU 1 Faulty or Disconnected. CMS Cannot Manage Calls. Status Indicator: CU 1 (flashing) Audible Signal: A single short beep from the PC and a longer beep from the CMS card Effect on Call Management: CMS cannot manage calls until this problem is corrected.
Page 244 Troubleshooting 1. Reverse the cables plugged into the CU1 The cable is faulty. and CU2 ports on the CMS PC. If the CU1 indicator on the screen stops flash- ing and the CU2 indicator appears, the problem is either a faulty cable or a faulty MERLIN LEGEND system component.
Page 245 Troubleshooting ERROR--No Configuration Found. ADMINISTER System. Effect on Call Management: CMS cannot manage calls until this problem is corrected. See “Fallback Plan” at the end of this chapter. Possible Cause Corrective Action Display the Stored Shift Configurations One or more steps in screen.
Page 246: Warning Messages
Troubleshooting Warning Messages While problems that generate warning messages do not prevent CMS from managing calls, they do adversely affect call management in various ways. This section describes those effects and gives instructions for correcting the problems. WARNING--CU 2 Faulty or Disconnected. Status Indicator: CU 2 CMS manages calls somewhat more slowly Effect on Call Management:...
Page 247 Troubleshooting and CU2 ports on the PC. If the CU2 indicator stops and the CU1 indicator appears, the CU2 jack on the CMS card is not faulty. 2. Return the cables to their original ports on the CMS PC so that CU1 works and CMS can resume managing calls.
Page 248 Troubleshooting Select message 1, or record message 2. Message 2 is selected, but not recorded. Program lines for CU1 and CU2 identically. Lines are not identically programmed for CU1 and CU2. WARNING--Message Unit Problem. Check Message Length. Status Indicator: Corrective Action Possible Cause Listen to and time the delay message for both The delay message is at...
Page 249 Troubleshooting WARNING--No Main Split Assigned to One or More Line Groups. Effect on Call Management: Calls coming in on lines with no main splits assigned to them go unanswered. Possible Cause Corrective Action Assigning agent splits to From the Initialization screen: line groups is not com- Press [F1] to display the Configuration screen.
Page 250 Troubleshooting WARNING--One or More Line Groups has No Lines. Calls cannot come into a line group with no Effect on Call Management: lines. Corrective Action Possible Cause the Initialization screen: From At least one agent split is Press [F1] to display the Configuration assigned to at least one screen.
Page 251 Troubleshooting . WARNING--One or More Main Secondary Splits Has No Agent. Effect on Data Collection: assigned to a line group have no If both the main and secondary splits of lines are not answered. agents, calls coming in on that group If the main split has agents but the secondary split does not, calls coming in on that group of lines cannot be intraflowed.
Page 252 Troubleshooting WARNING--Only x Day’s Space Left for Storing History Data. LoStorage Status Indicator: Possible Cause Corrective Action Too much historical data 1. Exit to DOS. has accumulated on the 2. Erase at least one day’s data files. If you want to save your files, follow the instruc- hard disk.
Page 253 Troubleshooting WARNING--Printer Not Ready. Using Prt Sc Key Will Halt CMS. Status Indicator: Don’tPrtSc Effect on Call Management: If you use the [Prt Sc] key when this mes- sage is displayed, CMS will stop managing calls. If CMS stops managing calls, all data collec- Effect on Data Collection: tion stops, but resumes when the problem is corrected.
Page 254: System Errors
Troubleshooting System Errors While CMS is managing calls, messages beginning with may appear SYSERR on the error line of a status screen and also on the Events Log screen. What They Mean message usually indicates that a CMS file has been damaged. SYSERR For example, you may have accidentally deleted a CMS file, or a power surge may have damaged one.
Page 255: If Cms Has Stopped Managing Calls
Troubleshooting . If CMS has Stopped Managing Calls Try to view the Events Log screen to see what sequence of error mes- sages was generated. Reboot the PC by pressing the reset button or by turning the PC off and then on again.
Page 256: Other Messages
Troubleshooting Other Messages Press F8. Initialization Complete--Fatal Error. Corrective Action Possible Cause 1. Press [F8] to display CMS menu. Feature button has failed on-line verification during 2. Use centralized telephone programming initialization. to remove this assignment from button 34 on the CMS supervisor telephone. 3.
Page 257: Other Messages
Troubleshooting (When Printer Ready, Select a Labeled Printer Not Ready. Function Key. ) Status Indicator: Don’tPrtSc If you use the [Prt Sc] key when this mes- Effect on Call Management: sage is displayed, CMS may stop managing calls. If CMS stops managing calls, all data col- Effect on Data Collection: lection stops, but resumes when the problem is corrected.
Page 258: Other Problems
Troubleshooting REPORT ABORTED -- Printer Not Ready. Corrective Action Possible Cause 1, Make sure paper is loaded in the printer The printer has no paper, and the paper isn’t jammed. or the paper is jammed. 2. Press the Form Feed button on the printer to make sure the paper feeds properly.
Page 259 Troubleshooting PROBLEM: Calls coming in on some lines are not being processed properly by CMS. Possible Cause Corrective Action The lines were not pro- Contact the MERLIN LEGEND system grammed identically on manager and complete the Line Status Test to verify line assignments. See CU1 and CU2.
Page 260: Other Problems
Troubleshooting PROBLEM: CMS stops managing calls. No error message appears on the screen, and the function keys don’t work. No calls are processed while CMS is not Effect on Call Management: working. If CMS restarts during the same data collection Effect on Data Collection: hour, data for that hour are saved.
Page 261 Troubleshooting PROBLEM: A large number calls are disconnecting. Possible Cause Corrective Action The loop-start reliable Contact the MERLIN LEGEND system manager and reprogram the loop-start reliable disconnect is set to No, disconnect to Yes. but the local phone com- pany sends a reliable disconnect signal.
Page 262 Troubleshooting PROBLEM: An agent’s properly programmed ACW and Available buttons do not respond correctly or agents are inconsistently put into the ACW or Available states. Possible Cause Corrective Action If Auto ACW is in effect, agents should not The agent’s line group is programmed for Auto touch the ACW button.
Page 263 Troubleshooting PROBLEM: Agents continue receiving CMS calls after touching the ACW but- ton to indicate they are unavailable for CMS calls. Possible Cause Corrective Action The agents are touching Remind the agents to touch the ACW button before they hang up. the ACW button after they hang up.
Page 264: Agent Problems
Troubleshooting PROBLEM: Agents stationed close to each other have trouble determining whose telephone is ringing. Possible Cause Corrective Action Remind the agents to personalize the ringing The agents’ telephones on their telephones as described under “Using have the same ringing pat- MERLIN LEGEND with CMS”...
Page 265: External Alert Problems
Troubleshooting PROBLEM: Agent telephones ring part of one ring each time a call arrives. Possible Cause Corrective Action Lines are not set to No Set lines to No Ring. Ring. External Alert Problems External alert problems do not produce warnings or direct adverse effects; however, when exception thresholds are exceeded and this condition contin- ues, CMS does not operate efficiently.
Page 266 Troubleshooting PROBLEM: External Alert stays on after all exceptions to which it has been assigned have been brought below the exception thresholds. Possible Cause Corrective Action Heavy call traffic can Check to be sure all exceptions have stayed below their thresholds. If they have, simply cause a delay in the exter- nal alert turning off.
Page 267: Fallback Plan
Troubleshooting Fallback Plan During normal operation, the CMS PC distributes all CMS calls to CMS agents. However, if the CMS PC malfunctions, the CMS fallback plan pro- vides the capability to distribute these calls correctly but not to maintain his- torical records or reports.
Page 268 MERLIN LEGEND CMS Factory Settings Several of the MERLIN LEGEND programming options have been set at the factory before shipping. Some of those settings you change for using MERLIN LEGEND CMS, while others you don’t. Table A-1 provides a summary of the MERLIN LEGEND programming options used by CMS and their factory settings.
Page 269 MERLIN LEGEND CMS Factory Settings Table A-1. MERLIN LEGEND Factory Settings (for CMS) Programming Option Factory Setting Page System Mode Renumber System 2-Digit Loop-Start Reliable Disconnect 1-14 1-29 Coverage Delay 3 rings Auto Logout 1-27 Group Type Return Time interval 4 rings Transfer Audible Music-On-Hold...
Page 270 Glossary This glossary defines these sets of expressions used in CMS. CMS Terms. Defines key terms used in this manual to describe the setup and operation of CMS. The list includes LEGEND system terminology y. Status Screens. Explains the terms used to identify the various statistics presented in the System Status, Split Status, and Line Status screens.
Page 271 Glossary CMS Terms Key words and phrases used in CMS are defined below. Abandoned A call that comes into CMS but is disconnected by Call the caller before being serviced by an agent. Abandoned The minimum number of seconds an agent must Call Threshold connected to a call for it to be considered a ser- viced call.
Page 272 Glossary Alarm beeping, if a line group has been exceeded occurs for system turned on by the supervisor, also errors and other screen messages. A CMS mode in which any call coming into an agent All-Ring Operation split rings simultaneously at the telephones agents in the split.
Page 273 Glossary Available State An agent work state in which the agent is idle and available to handle CMS calls. Agents in this state are not active on an ACD or other than ACD call, not in an after-call-work or logged out state, or have not yet answered a ringing ACD call.
Page 274 Glossary The process of making changes to the CMS Dynamic configuration currently being used to manage calls. Reconfiguration An indication that a particular performance thres- Exception hold for an agent, split, or line group has been reached or exceeded and an unusual or undesir- able situation may be occurring.
Page 275 Glossary more appropriate to the needs of his or her busi- ness. Force Delay An answering option that causes callers to hear the entire delay message before being transferred to an available agent. If forced message delay is off, calls are transferred as soon as an agent becomes available, even if the message has not finished.
Page 276 Glossary after-call-work state for longer than a specified exception threshold. The agent split with primary responsibility for Main Split answering calls that come in on a particular line group. A mode of CMS in which the system answers calls, Night Service connects them to a voice announcement unit, and then disconnects the calls when the message is over.
Page 277 Glossary You choose ringing options for line buttons and for Ringing Options Cover buttons for the Transfer-to-Split and All-Ring operation features on an agent’s telephone. The ringing options are: No Ring: All CMS line on an agent’s tele- phone must be programmed for No Ring to prevent all the CMS stations from ringing each time a new call enters the system.
Page 278 Glossary A CMS call that has been connected to an agent for Serviced Call longer than the abandoned call threshold. An arrangement of CMS line groups and agent Shift splits that, when activated, determines how CMS Configuration calls are routed to agents. CMS allows you to define as many as six different shift configurations.
Page 279 Glossary The number of times a transferred call rings before Transfer returning to the telephone from which it was Return Interval transferred. CMS Status Screens The System Status, Split Status, and Line Status screens provide data that is continuously updated to help you monitor your CMS system. The following terms are used on CMS Status screens to distinguish between different types of calls: Serviced vs.
Page 280 Glossary ACD vs. Other. These terms distinguish between the types of incom- ing and outgoing calls on the LEGEND system. ACD: Incoming calls to CMS lines which are answered by the CMS and transferred to an available agent are considered “ACD” (automatic call distributor) calls.
Page 281 Glossary Lines Total The total number of lines in the group. Splits, Main The number of the main split assigned to the line group. If no main split is assigned, a hyphen appears instead of a number. The number of the secondary split assigned to the Splits, Sec line group for intraflow.
Page 282 Glossary The number of agents currently active on calls not Agents, Oth related to ACD work such as outgoing calls, other than ACD incoming calls, extension calls, and transferred calls. Active calls include calls currently connected to an agent and calls the agent has placed on hold.
Page 283 Glossary Abandon, Delay The average number of seconds a call spent in the system before it was abandoned. Intrflow, In The number of serviced calls intraflowed into a par- ticular split from another split. Calls are credited to the split after they are completed. Intrflow, Out The number of serviced calls originally meant for a particular split but intraflowed to a secondary split.
Page 284 Glossary Split Status Screen This section explains the terms used to identify different types of information on the Split Status screen. The statistics presented on this screen are col- lected on an hourly basis. NOTE: If an agent answers an ACD call and then transfers the call to another agent or to a nonagent, the statistics for the call are not included in the data shown on the Split Status screen.
Page 285 Glossary LoggedOut: The agent is in the logged out state and is unavailable to take calls. Night: The agent’s telephone is hung up, and the CMS is in Night Service. ACD Calls, The number of completed ACD calls the agent has serviced.
Page 286 Glossary Split Status The top right section of the screen summarizes calls waiting for each split. Waiting, Num The number of calls in a split that are ringing, con- nected to the delay message, or on hoId waiting for an agent. The number of seconds the current oldest call has Waiting, Old been waiting to be answered by an agent in a par-...
Page 287 Glossary Line Status Screen This section explains the terms used to identify different types of information on the Line Status screen. The statistics described on this screen are col- Iected on an hourly basis. Line Status The letter assigned to the line group. The number of the line(s) assigned to each group.
Page 288 Glossary Ofhr: The line is being used by an incoming or out- going non-CMS call. NOTE: When a CMS call that comes in on a CMS line is transferred by an agent, the status of the CMS line changes from” AGTID”...
Page 289 Glossary XX Total The total number of lines in the line group. The total number of completed ACD calls to the line XX Calls group during the current hour. Both serviced and abandoned calls are included. Split Status The top right section of the screen summarizes calls waiting for each split. Waitng, Num The number of calls currently waiting in a split.
Page 290 Glossary CMS Reports in the CMS reports gen- This section explains the terms used to identify data erated from the Report Menu: The Daily Agent Split Summary Report shows data averaged/totaled over an entire day (midnight to midnight). The Cumulative Agent Split Summary Report shows data averaged/totaled over a specified number of days ranging from 2 to 93 days.
Page 291 Glossary The agent’s name: last name (up to 12 characters) Agent and first name (up to 8 characters). The number of completed calls the agent serviced ACD CALLS, Num ACD Calls while logged into this split. The total includes intraflowed calls serviced by the agent. The Num ACD Calls should be identical to that shown in the Daily Split Report.
Page 292 Glossary OTHER CALLS, The number of calls not related to CMS that are Num Other handled by the agent in the data collection period. The figure includes data from both Day and Night Calls Service. (The figure in the totals line under this column should be identical to the Num Other Calls total in the Daily Split Report.) The average amount of time the agent spent on...
Page 293: Cumulative Agent Split Summary
Glossary Cumulative Agent Split Summary This report provides summary data on each agent in a given split over a specified period, from 2 to 93 consecutive days. The start and end date specified are on the report. The column headings in this report are the same as for the daily report; the totals under the headings reflect the cumulative period of time specified.
Page 294 Glossary The total number of completed calls to agents dur- ACD CALLS, Num ACD Calls ing a given hour. Calls still in progress at the end of the hour are included in the next hour’s data. The Num ACD Calls should be identical to that shown in the Daily Agent Split Summary.
Page 295 Glossary The number of calls that waited longer than the ACD CALLS, Cnct After specified service level before being answered by an SrvLv agent in this split. The number of calls not related to CMS that are OTHER CALLS, Num Other completed by agents in the split during a given hour.
Page 296: Daily Line Group Report
Glossary The percentage of completed calls that were con- Serv Levi within the Service netted to an agent in the split Level Limit. (The default value for the Service Level Limit is 20 seconds, but can be changed by the system manager.
Page 297 Glossary Time The start time of the data collection hour. ACD CALLS, The number of ACD calls which seized the lines of Calls Offered the line group during the given hour while the CMS Night was in Night Service. The figure does not include calls answered by nonagents.
Page 298 Glossary ACD CALLS, The total amount of time (to the nearest minute) all lines were held (in use) by incoming calls. The tots Hold Time Total includes times for serviced and abandoned calls, and for calls placed to both the Day and Night Ser- vices, but does not include times for calls answered by nonagents.
Page 299 Glossary The percentage of time in a given hour that all lines Lines Busy in the line group were simultaneously busy. Busiest Hours The three data collection hours with the largest ACD Calls Total Hold Time values appear, in descending order, under the totals line. Cumulative Line Group Report (by Day or Hour) This report provides hour-by-hour data on a line group over a specified...
Page 300 Index Daily, 7-5 to 7-8 Agent status Abandon calls changing, 5-7 4-18 setting exception, Agent work states, 6-8 Abandoned call threshold, changing, 5-7 Agents Abandoned calls definition, 6-12 clearing, 3-29 to 3-29 About This Guide, xii Alerts assigning to exceptions, 4-26 to 4-32 ACD, 1-3, 6-12 All-Ring On/Off ACW (After Call Work)
Page 301 CMS reports glossary of, GL-21 to GL-30 description of, to 7-27 CMS status screens Backing up shift configurations, 3-35, glossary of, GL-10 to GL-20 3-34 to 3-35 CMS supervisor responsibilities, 1-2 Barge-In, 5-8 CMS Telephones and Telephone Business name Programming, 5-1 to 5-34 entering, 4-8 CMS terms glossary of, GL-2 to GL-10...
Page 302 Editing prompt, 2-9 Cumulative Split Report by Day, 7-14 to 7-15 Entering data, 2-8 to 2-11 Erasing files from the hard disk, 8-6 Cumulative Split Report By Hour, 7-16 to 7-17 Error messages, 9-2 to 9-7 Current system tables, 8-7, 8-10 Events Log Report, 7-26 to 7-28 Events Log screen, 6-29 to 6-30 Exception Settings screen, 4-11...
Page 303 Generating reports Initialization Complete screen, 6-6 exiting, 7-34 Initialization Screen, 6-5 historical, 8-8 Inside Auto Dial, 5-23 individual, 7-32 Intraflow screen messages, 7-33 explanation of, 3-22 to 3-23 summary, 7-32 Ghost telephones, 5-27 Glossary GL-1 to GL-30, CMS reports, GL-21 to GL-30 CMS status screens, GL-10 to GL-20 CMS terms, GL-2 to GL-10 Lights...
Page 304 Print Split Report screen, 7-30 MERLIN LEGEND system features using with CMS, 5-22 to 5-29 Programming codes, 5-33 to 5-34 WARNING, 5-22 Reconfiguring call flow MERLIN LEGEND system manager 6-42 to 6-46, responsibilities, 1-2 Reconfiguring splits Message Status button, 5-7 6-34 to 6-38, Monitoring call management, 6-11 to 6-30 Refused call...
Page 305 Select Configuration, 6-48 System tables current, 8-7 Service level limit, 4-5, 4-5 current, 8-10 Serviced calls, 6-12 Set Options screen, 4-4 Set Intraflow Threshold, 6-45 Shift configurations building or editing, 3-3 to 3-34 copy procedure, 3-34 Talk time Split Configuration screen, 3-9 setting exception, 4-14 Split exceptions Telephone programming...
Page 306 FCC Notification and Repair Information This equipment is registered with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in accordance with Part 68 of its rules. In compliance with those rules, you are advised of the following: MEANS OF CONNECTION: Connection to the telephone network shall be through a standard network interface jack USOC RJ11 C.
Page 307 FCC Notification and Repair Information Your local telephone company may make changes in its facilities, equipment, operations, or procedures that affect the proper functioning of this equipment. If they do, you will be notified in advance to give you an opportunity to main- tain uninterrupted telephone service.

AT&T Call Management System Supervizor's Manual

About this Guide

Introduction to CMS

Using Your PC with CMS

Programming CMS Shift Configurations

Changing System Options and Programming Exceptions

CMS Telephones and Telephone Programming

Agent Phones

Call Handling

Optional Headset and Headset Adapter

Using MERLIN LEGEND Features with CMS

Supervising CMS

Dynamic Reconfiguration

Selecting Day or Night Service

Printing CMS Screens

Generating Reports

How to Generate Reports

Archiving and Restoring Data

Troubleshooting

Other Problems

Fallback Plan

Quick Links

Related Manuals for AT&T Call Management System

Summary of Contents for AT&T Call Management System