What's the difference between Call Priority Queuing and Priority Routing?

[startryst]

and what is the difference between Skills-based Routing and competency based routing?

[venkasub]

Hi,

Here is the description for Resource Group, Skill-Based Agents and Competency-Based Routing.

Resource groups are collections of agents that your CSQ uses to handle incoming Cisco IP ICD calls. To use resource group-based CSQs, you must specify a resource group. The calls in CSQ are routed based on one of the below resource selection criteria

* Longest Available-Selects the agent who has been in the Available state for the longest amount of time.

* Linear-Selects the agent with the highest priority.

* Circular-Selects the next available agent in the resource group order.

* Most Handled Contacts-Selects the agent who has answered the most handled calls.

* Shortest Average Handle Time-Selects the agent who generally spends the least amount of time talking to customers.

ICD Skills-Based Agents - Allows an agent to be independent from a particular resource group. You can route a caller with specific needs to a

resource (an agent) who has the skills needed to handle the call. With Skills-Based Routing (SBR), skill levels are based on an agent's knowledge

of a particular subject. You can assign multiple skills to each resource. In Skill-Based selection model, the resource is selected based on one of

the below resource selection criteria.

* Longest Available-Selects the agent who has been in the Available state for the longest amount of time.

* Most Handled Contacts-Selects the agent who has answered the most handled calls.

* Shortest Average Handle Time-Selects the agent who generally spends the least amount of time talking to customers.

In 3.0, if an agent meets the minimum competency for a CSQ, they will be considered as an eligible resource. The actual Agent selection criteria (eg. Longest Available) determines which of the eligible agents will get the call.

From 3.1, Competency-Based Routing-Allows contacts to be routed to resources based on the resource skill proficiency level, when skills-based routing is configured.

Specifically when a pool of resources is available and waiting for the system to route contacts to it, Competency-Based Routing will determine which resource to select on the basis of the skill proficiencies, instead of on the basis of other criteria such as longest available or most handled contacts. Competency-Based

Routing provides the functionality to route calls to the most or to the least skilled resources.

In 3.1 there are new Agent Selection criteria. Most Skilled and Least Skilled. This allows for an eligible agent with a higher (or lower) competency level to be selected first.

Here is some info from documentation.

From CCO:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/sw_ap_to/apps_3_1/english/admn_app/cra_adm/prov_icd.htm#1030484

Most Skilled-Used for expert agent call distribution. Selects the agent with the highest total competency level and who has been available for the longest amount of time.

The total competency level is determined by adding the agent’s competency level in each assigned skill.

Least Skilled-Used for expert agent call distribution. Selects the agent with the lowest total competency level and who has been available for the longest amount of time. The total competency level is determined by adding the agent's competency level in each assigned skill.

Example of Most Skilled :

Agt1 has competency of 7

Agt2 has competency of 9

CSQ has minimum competency of 6

Selection model = Most Skilled

Agt2 gets selected first.

In the case of multiple skills, the competency levels are summed and the higher total gets picked.

In the case of a tie (equal competency levels) the selection automatically defaults to Longest Available.

Hope it helps.

Regards

Venkat

[venkasub · Accepted solution]

Continuation......

Priority Queuing - The Set Priority step can be used to assign a priority (1 to 10), or increase it/decrease it. This allows for a given

Contact (eg. caller) to be given higher/lower priority than other contacts that are in the same queue. In other words, reflects contact's

priority for all CSQ's for which it is queued. In the script, you need to use the Set Priority Step to assign a call higher or lower priority in queue.

Check out the following URL, which describes about "Set Priority" step under "ICD Step Description" palette

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/sw_ap_to/apps_3_1/english/admn_app/step_ref/icd.htm

[yogeswar · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I feel there is not much difference between Priority Queuing and Priority Routing. When you increase the priority of a contact using "Set Priority" step, this particular contact picks up higher priority(based of the value set for priority) and will be routed to the next available agent.

Eg.

Say there are three contacts entering into the callcenter - Contact1, Contact2 and Contact3. All these three contacts are queued for CSQ1 in the order

Contact1

Contact2

Contact3.

Assume based on business logic, script flow determines Contact2 is a VIP customer and needs to be handled first. Using "Set Priority" step the priority of Contact2 is increased to say 8. Now the order of contacts in the queue CSQ1 is

Contact2

Contact1

Contact3.

When any agent in CSQ1 is available, Contact2 gets routed to the agent. Hence Contact2 is routed based on high priority which is basically determined by the business logic.

Do let me know if your query is addressed.

Regards

Yogi

[startryst]

Thanks a lot!

Another question is how to pick up ANI and DNIS in CRA script?

the difference be "route on skill" and "route on skill competecy" is the first one just support "Longest Available,Most Handled Contacts and Shortest Average Handle Time" and each agent can support multiple queue and resource group can just support only one, but the agent does not have higher level and lower level distinguishability and the route on skill competency support this, please feel free to make me sure, is that right?

How to use ANI and DNIS to make an conditional routing?

what is overflow?interflow?intraflow?

Cisco said:"Custom Routing based on enterprise data (e.g. Priority Routing)" and "Dynamic Priority Queuing" is two features, but it seems the same matter, am i right?

"Route on Skill Competency Level" is the lease skilled and most skilled routing mechanism, am i right?

[yogeswar · Accepted solution]

Hi,

1. To obtain ANI and DNIS use the following...

Step : Get Call Contact Info

Go to the properties window and set the following fields to hold the ANI and DNIS values.

Calling Number -> ANI

Called Number -> DNIS

You can perform conditional routing...

a. Assume you are performing conditional routing based on ANI.

b. Assume ANI value is stored in a string variable X.

c. The script flow will be...

--->If(X=="23333")then

----->True

-------->Select Resource(CSQ1)

......

----->False

-------->If(X=="33333")then

----------->True

--------------->Select Resource(CSQ2)

----------->False

--------------->Call Redirect (to some extension)

2. Single agent can have belong to multiple CSQs, multiple skills but can have only one resource group.

3. Higher level and lower level distinguishability and the route on skill competency...

Check if the following info answers your question...

-Most Skilled-Used for expert agent call distribution. Selects the agent with the highest total competency level and who has been available for the longest amount of time. The total competency level is determined by adding the agent's competency levels for each of their assigned skills that are also assigned to the CSQ.

Example 1:

Agent1 has Skill1(5) and Skill2(6) and Skill3(7)

Agent2 has Skill1(4) and Skill2(6) and Skill3(7)

CSQ1 has Skill1(min=1) and Skill3(min=1) and selection criteria "Most Skilled"

For CSQ1, the total competancy level for Agent1 is 12(NOT 18) and Agent2 is 11(NOT 17).

In the above case Agent1 will always be selected. Only if Agent1 is busy/logged out Agent2 will be selected.

Example 2:

Agent1 has Skill1(5) and Skill2(6) and Skill3(7)

Agent2 has Skill1(5) and Skill2(5) and Skill3(7)

CSQ1 has Skill1(min=1) and Skill3(min=1) and selection criteria is "Most Skilled".

Hence for the CSQ1, the total competancy level of Agent1 is 12 and Agent2 is also 12. In this the selection criteria defaults to longest available agent.

Example 3:

Agent1 has Skill1(5) and Skill2(6) and Skill3(7)

Agent2 has Skill1(5) and Skill2(5) and Skill3(7)

CSQ1 has Skill2(min=1) and selection criteria is "Most Skilled".

In the above case Agent1 will always be selected. Only if Agent1 is busy/logged out Agent2 will be selected.

4. Have sent you response on Overflow, interflow and intraflow...

Regards

Yogi

[startryst]

one small question about 2.

Resource selection criteria is either resource group based or resource skill based, right? So if I use resouce skill based the resource group will not be worked, right? can resource group and resource skilled work together? It seems not,right?

So agents belong to multiple CSQs and have multiple skill is only available in Select Resource skill based criteria, right?

[yogeswar]

Hi,

1. CSQ can be created based on Resource Groups / Skills Groups and cannot have both together. These Resource Groups and Skills groups are called as "Resource Pool Selection Models".

2. If Resource Groups are used for the Resource

Selection Model, Resource Selection Criteria

includes:

• Longest Available—Selects the agent who has

been in the Ready State for the longest amount

of time.

• Linear—Selects the next available agent with

the highest priority. Priority is determined by

the order of agents in the Show Resources list;

the higher the agent in the list, the higher the

agent’s priority.

• Circular—Selects next available agent with

the highest priority, based on the last agent

selected and the order of agents in the Show

Resources list.

• Most Handled Contacts—Selects the agent that

has answered the most ICD calls.

• Shortest Average Handle Time

Model—Selects the agent with the smallest

average call-handling time.

3. If Resource Skills are used for the Resource Pool

Selection Model, Resource Selection Criteria

includes:

• Longest Available — Selects the agent who

has been in the Available state for the longest

amount of time.

• Most Handled Contacts — Selects the agent

who has answered the most handled calls.

• Shortest Average Handle Time — Selects the

agent who generally spends the least amount

of time talking to customers.

• Most Skilled — Used for expert agent call

distribution. Selects the agent with the highest

competency level and who has been available

for the longest amount of time.

• Least Skilled — Used for expert agent call

distribution. Selects the agent with the lowest

competency level and who has been available

for the longest amount of time.

4. Question: So agents belong to multiple CSQs and have multiple skill is only available in Select Resource skill based criteria, right?

Ans: Yes.

Refer the following URL for more information on Skills/ Resource Groups /CSQs...

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/sw_ap_to/apps_3_5/english/admn_app/apadm35.pdf

- Pg.No:17-12.

Regards

Yogi

[startryst]

Thanks a lot,all questions have been resolved.

Thanks again!

[julienkroes]

Hi,

Just another question about this scenario.

If i use: Assume you are performing conditional routing based on ANI.

b. Assume ANI value is stored in a string variable X.

c. The script flow will be...

--->If(X=="23333")then

----->True

-------->Select Resource(CSQ1)

......

----->False

-------->If(X=="33333")then

----------->True

--------------->Select Resource(CSQ2)

----------->False

--------------->Call Redirect (to some extension)

How can i use the IF statement in this case?

I thought i had to use a BOOLEAN expression for true/false.

I can not use the Get Call Contact Info for DNIS in the if statement.

Any thoughts on this.

The rest of my script is working fine.

Regards,

Julien

[startryst]

Perfect! Thanks a lot, I'll try these in my lab...