Networked ACD supports ACD functions over a MITEL Switched Digital Network (MSDN) by allowing agent skill groups at different locations (on different systems) to service calls on the network independently of where the call first entered the network. ACD agents may be located at different systems for reasons such as language, coverage outside of local office hours, or location of agent skill groups in different areas.
Like ACD 2000, Networked ACD queues incoming calls to agent groups in ACD paths for direction to idle agents, and it can overflow incoming calls from an overloaded local agent skill group to another group. Calls can be distributed by an ACD path to agents in any one of its programmed agent skill groups or to remote agent subgroups.
MSDN D-channel signaling is used to queue calls remotely. When a remote agent becomes available to service a call, a signal is sent over the MSDN D-channel, and the agent is blocked from servicing any other call for a short period of time. The Distributor system (the system into which the original call was dialed) then sets up the call by using an MSDN B-channel for the voice channel. This method keeps B-channels free until a remote agent is available.
Examples of typical applications that would benefit from Networked ACD include:
sharing a load across a network
answering calls from a time zone where the local office is closed
sharing traffic with co-located (or nearby) systems which have low trunk costs and agents at each system
reducing time to answer, especially for incoming toll trunks (1-800 numbers)
Features of Networked ACD include:
Agent Identification Numbers - Each ACD agent is given a unique agent identification (ID) number, similar to a telephone directory number, that can be assigned a name in the telephone directory. Agents that move between more than one agent skill group may be assigned more than one unique agent ID number but can only use one at a time.
Agent Skill Group - An agent skill group is made up of a group of ACD agents, each having a unique identification number. Up to four agent skill groups can be programmed in an ACD path. An agent skill group can be programmed in one of two methods: an agent skill group may contain 1 or more agent IDs (local agent skill group), or it may contain a single remote agent subgroup (remote agents). The single remote agent subgroup directs calls through the system that receives calls and distributes them to a remote agent subgroup at another system.
ACD Remote Agent Subgroup - A group of agents who answer incoming ACD 2000 calls at a different system from which the calls were received. Networked ACD allows one or more agent skill groups containing a single remote agent subgroup to be programmed in a path.
Note: Networked ACD does not support Silent Monitor, Help features, threshold alerting, or queue status information of remote agent subgroups from the Distributor system.
Distributor system - In a Networked ACD environment, a Distributor system is a system with ACD 2000 operation that receives calls and distributes them to a remote agent subgroup on another system. It may also distribute calls to an agent skill group on itself.
Answering Point system (Remote system) - An Answering Point system is a system with a local ACD agent skill group that is a remote agent subgroup from an ACD 2000 operation on a Distributor system.
Interflow - Interflow is a time-based or load-based feature that takes an ACD call out of the path and routes it to the interflow answer point (if programmed). All calls that interflow lose their priority in the Queue.
Overflow - Calls are queued to a remote agent skill group on the Distributor system. Calls will not overflow or queue to an unavailable remote agent subgroup. If a queue attempt is made to a remote agent subgroup, an immediate overflow to the next group in the path will occur.
The Networked ACD feature is built around the ACD Path (a flexible call routing method for handling an incoming ACD call). When calls enter the ACD path, the path programming determines where the call will be routed. Networked ACD allows an incoming ACD call to be handled by an agent at a different system from where the call was received.
Note: Calls are queued for an agent skill group based on their priority and order of arrival at that path.
A path contains one primary agent skill group and up to three overflow groups. Calls that overflow maintain their position in the queue at the prime agent skill group and all overflow groups. Agent group overflow timers determine how long a call waits on a group before overflowing.
When an ACD path is unavailable, calls can be routed to a path unavailable answer point. A path becomes unavailable when any of the following occurs:
the path directory number is placed in do not disturb (DND) mode
the primary and all programmed overflow agent skill group directory numbers are put in the DND mode
all members of all agent groups in the path are logged out
a combination where all agent groups are either in DND mode or have no agents logged in.
A remote agent subgroup appears to the ACD path as an agent skill group. Any of the four agent skill groups may be a remote agent subgroup within a path. Remote agent subgroup operation has the following differences from a regular agent skill group:
A call cannot queue to a remote agent subgroup programmed with another remote agent subgroup. This prevents an infinite loop scenario where remote agent subgroups are programmed to queue to each other.
Calls queued to a remote agent do not seize a voice channel until an agent is available. When a remote agent is available to take a call, it is reserved for a fixed period of time to allow the remote call to be set up.
A call ringing a remote agent that reaches its interflow timeout will not interflow unless the agent does not answer and becomes automatically logged out.
While ringing a remote agent, a caller will be disconnected from music or a playing RAD and hear ringback tone.
A remote agent subgroup is subject to the following conditions:
The priority of a call remains the same locally; however, a call queued to a remote agent subgroup can be assigned a different priority. This new priority is programmed in the ACD Remote Agent Subgroups form in the Distributor system.
All incoming DPNSS trunks through which ACD calls are received have the same interconnect number. All members of a remote agent subgroup have the same interconnect number. Verify that these two numbers are not interconnect restricted from each other. Otherwise, calls may be interconnect restricted from being routed to members of the remote agent subgroup.
CAUTION: Due to MSDN requirements, to successfully queue to a remote agent subgroup, the routing digits to the path on the Distributor system must be programmed in the Answer Point system.
For a network containing unique node IDs for the Distributor and Answer Point systems, the node ID and path digits must translate to an ARS destination on the Answer Point system. For a network where the Answer Point and Distributor systems have the same node ID, the path's directory number must translate to an ARS destination or a remote directory number (available only if Portable Directory Numbers feature is enabled).
If your site is configured as a cluster, instead of programming the paths to direct calls to remote subgroups, you can program the paths to direct calls to remote cluster agent skill groups. This approach simplifies programming and does not use up agent skill group resources (agent sub-groups) on the Distributor system.
To program a path to a remote cluster agent skill group:
Log into the System Administration Tool of the Answer Point system. Program the agent skill group into the ACD Agent Skill Groups form.
If RDN Synchronization is supported for the cluster, program the agent skill group directory number into the Telephone Directory form of the Answer Point system. SDS distributes the directory number to all the cluster elements.
On the Distributor system, program the path to the remote cluster agent skill group by entering the agent skill group directory number into the Primary Agent Skill Group ID field or into one of the Overflow Agent Skill Group ID fields of the ACD Paths form.
Enter values for the Remote Agent Skill Group Priority field and Remote Agent Blocking Timer fields in the ACD Paths form. The values in these fields are only applied when calls are queuing remotely to the agent skill group.
Reports available include:
Real Time Events: Real Time Events (RTE) records show the activity of the ACD 2000 system. Call events report individual ACD 2000 agent activities, and group statistics provide a cumulative report on path and agent skill group congestion. The Distributor system does not generate real time events for agent skill groups programmed as remote agent subgroups.
Distributor system: Real Time Events are generated for paths with remote agent skill groups, but statistics are not available from the Answer Point system for the paths on the Distributor system.
Answer Point system: Two fields for captured statistics are added to the remote agent group at the Answer Point system. If Networked ACD is not selected, these fields remain blank. The fields and their format are:
Number of Remote Calls Waiting (000 - 999) in columns 24 - 26
Longest Remote Call Wait Time (MMSS) in columns 27 - 30.
At the Answer Point system, the following two fields have changed names:
Number of Local Calls Waiting (000 - 999) in columns 14 - 16
Longest Local Call Wait Time (MMSS) in columns 20 - 23.
The following Answer Remote ACD 2000 Call event is generated whenever an agent at an Answer Point system answers a call originating from a Distributor system:
the function code (column 4) is "S"
the path number field is increased to 14 digits (columns 11 -24) and replaces the directory number.
Station message detail recording (SMDR) features provide additional details about call rerouting and call transfer when the ANSWER PLUS MITEL Call Distribution (MCD) feature is enabled. It also provides further enhancements when the Networked ACD feature is enabled.
For Networked ACD, set the following Station Message Detail Recording options to yes:
External SMDR
Report Incoming Calls
Extended Digit Length
OLI Node ID Format for Incoming Trunk Calls
Network Format
Report Outgoing Calls.
