In this deployment, Cisco Unified CCE software uses real-time reporting statistics gathered from the different peripherals (ACDs) to make routing decisions to route calls to the ACD at a site that is best suited to answer the call.

The following routing capabilities can be provided in this deployment.

• Site-based Routing: Cisco Unified CCE software, using ICM routing capabilities, can use real time reporting statistics gathered from the different peripherals (ACDs) to make routing decisions to route calls to the ACD at a site that is best suited to answer the call.

  Site selection can be scripted using real time Service and Skill Group metrics provided by the PG.

  Several metrics can be used to make the selection, such as Agent availability, CallsInProgress, and a Minimum Expected Delay (MED) calculation.

  Note	Cisco Unified CCE scripts provide a predefined MED (Minimum Expected Delay) calculation that can be used only with ICM Services.

• Agent Level Routing: Not Supported.

A typical script used to route calls in this deployment is illustrated and explained below.

• The script is associated with a Call Type. The example is shown for an enterprise that has two sites (Boston and New York), each running a call center.

• The call center at either site can provide call treatment to handle "Support" calls. "Support" is configured as a Service in Unified CCE.

• Both call centers have agents trained to handle calls for either "Laptop Support" or "Server Support". These categories are configured as Skill Groups in Unified CCE. The relationship of the Service to Skill Groups is configured as Service Members in Cisco Unified CCE.

• The Boston call center has an Avaya ACD (peripheral) connected with an Avaya PG, and the New York call center has an Aspect ACD (peripheral) connected with the Aspect PG. Service and Skill Groups are configured for each peripheral in Unified CCE.

The script illustrated above shows an example of pre-routing and ACD queuing, processed as follows:

1. The script is associated with a Call Type to route Support calls.

2. The script uses caller entered digits (CED) to determine the skill group (Laptop Support or Server Support) required to handle the call and/or the Service treatment (Support) required by the caller.

3. The script uses the LAA (longest available agent) node to look for an available agent across the enterprise who can handle the call.

   Unified CCE software routes the call to the call center site that has an available agent. The ACD at that site picks an agent and assigns the call.

4. If an agent is not available, the script uses the MED (Minimum Expected Delay) node to select a site that can handle the call with minimum delay.

   Once the site with the least expected wait time is selected, the call is routed to the ACD at that site.

   After the call arrives on the ACD, call treatment is provided by the ACD. If an agent is available, the ACD assigns the call to that agent.

   If an agent is not available, the ACD will queue the call to a skill group to wait for an available agent.

This section is an overview of reporting categories to use to meet the reporting needs for your enterprise in this deployment.

Two key factors that affect reporting are:

• Are you using ACD queuing or Enterprise queuing?

• Are you using Translation Routing to route calls to the ACD?

The information is therefore presented based in the four scenarios described in this section.

The manner in which you configure and script your Unified CCE system in this deployment greatly affects the accuracy and usefulness of your reporting metrics. This section assumes that calls are shared and routed across call centers for the application and are managed the same way.

Follow these guidelines for configuring and scripting Unified CCE to ensure that your reports display correct and relevant metrics for your "hybrid" contact center implementation.

Guidelines:

1. Ensure all calls are routed by Unified CCE software.

2. Deploy a Service Control VRU to provide treatment and to queue calls in the enterprise while waiting for an available agent in a skill group.

   In other words, queue calls to skill groups in Unified CCE (Enterprise queuing) for all call centers. Avoid using ACD queues.

3. For legacy ACDs where Unified CCE software is used for Enterprise Routing, consider the following:

   • Ensure all calls are routed by Unified CCE software.

   • Use Translation Routes for routing calls to the legacy ACD. Always use translation routing when routing calls between ACDs.

   • Once the call is routed by Unified CCE and is terminated on the legacy ACD, make sure no treatment occurs at the ACD.

   • Avoid having agents transfer calls directly to other agent stations or agent IDs. Instead, use post routing capabilities to have Unified CCE provide treatment and queuing for transferred calls.

   • Avoid handling Redirection on No Answer (RONA) situations on the ACD. Instead use post routing capabilities to have the RONA calls routed by Unified CCE.

4. Plan for Call Type Reporting. To run this type of reporting:

   • Configure a separate call type for each type of treatment offered. For example: Create a separate call type for treating Support calls and Sales calls across all ACDs in your call centers.

   • If you want to separate Information Gathering VRU metrics from queue metrics, configure a separate call type for queuing.

   • Configure a separate call type associated with Redirection on No Answer situations. This enables you to direct calls that Ring No Answer to a routing script designed for this situation. This also enables you to use Call Type reports to report on this Redirection on No Answer and to see how calls that redirect on no answer are eventually handled.

   • Configure a separate call type associated with call transfers. This enables you to direct the transfer to a different routing script.

5. Create a custom formula using skill group metrics for site selection based on expected delay. This is required as the predefined MED (Minimum Expected Delay) calculation provided by Unified CCE scripts is not applicable for Agent Level Routing configurations.

6. Configure Enterprise Skill Groups for Enterprise Skill Group reporting. Avoid grouping skill groups from the same peripheral into an Enterprise Skill Group.

A typical ICM script used to route calls in this deployment is shown below.

In this example:

• The enterprise has two sites (Boston and New York), each running a call center.

• A Call Type is defined that is associated with the routing script. This Call Type is used to define the treatment provided by the call centers.

• The call treatment to handle "Support" calls is provided by Unified CCE software through the call type and script association.

• The call center at each site has agents who are skilled to handle calls for either "Laptop Support" or "Server Support". These categories are configured as Skill Groups in the ICM.

  The Boston call center has an Avaya ACD (peripheral) connected with an ARS PG. The New York call center has an Aspect ACD (peripheral) connected with an ACD PG.

• Skill Groups are configured for each peripheral in the ICM.

The script above is used for the following:

1. The script is associated with a Call Type to route support calls. The call type is used to define the treatment provided by the call centers.

2. The script uses Caller entered digits (CED) to determine the skill group (Laptop Support or Server Support) required to handle the call.

3. The script uses the LAA (longest available agent) node to look for an available agent at a particular call center. In this case the call may have arrived at the Boston call center, and you prefer to look for an available agent from that call center first.

4. If an agent is not available, the script uses the LAA (longest available agent) node to look for an available agent across the enterprise.

5. If an agent is not available, the script instructs the ICM software to translation route the call to the VRU and queue the call (Enterprise queuing).

6. Depending on the call center where there is an available agent, the ICM software does the following:

   • If an agent is available at the New York call center, the call routes to the Aspect ACD. The ACD at the site then picks an agent and assigns the call.

   • If an agent is available at the Boston (ARS) call center, Unified CCE software selects the agent and provides instructions to the routing client (VRU) to direct the call to the agent.

In order to get accurate and useful reporting metrics in this type of deployment, it is important to consider several factors that affect reporting. For more information, see Enterprise Routing.

Some of these factors include:

• Two reporting models used to provide reporting statistics for the application: Services are used for Enterprise Routing and Call Types for Agent Level Routing.

• The use of a Service Control VRU in your deployment to provide initial call treatment and enterprise queuing when sharing queues (skill groups) across call centers. This entails queuing calls to skill groups waiting for an available agent across your enterprise.

• The reporting on queuing statistics—ACD queues and Enterprise queues.

• The use of the Translation Routing mechanism to route calls to legacy ACDs for enterprise routing. This allows for call types to be used to provide reporting statistics for the application (Cradle to Grave). Translation Routing is implicit with Agent Level Routing.

• Routing scripts set up for your call center operations.

The table below defines the report categories to use to meet the reporting needs for your enterprise.

Enterprise Reporting

• Use Call Type reports for an enterprise view of reporting statistics for the application, including queue statistics.

• Use Enterprise Skill Group reports for an enterprise view of reporting statistics when calls are routed to a particular skill group, including queue statistics.