System Management Guide

Chapter 4. Planning for Agent Operations

Before installing CallCoordinator in your call center, you must make decisions about agent operations. Agent operations includes the items that affect the day-to-day use of CallCoordinator by the CallCoordinator agents in your call center. These items include:

• Agent signon and sign-off
• Multiple agents sharing one extension
• Agent call handling
• Agent Detail Settings

These items are discussed in detail in the sections that follow.

Signon and Sign-Off

You can use the signon and sign-off panel provided by CallCoordinator or you can customize the signon and sign-off process for your agents. If your agents are accustomed to signing on to applications with a customized panel, your application programmer can use the Sign     On API described in Chapter 4, "Planning for Agent Operations" to customize the signon process for your call center. Refer your system programmer to the CallPath CallCoordinator/CICS Application Programming Guide for more detailed information about this API.

Agent Security

Besides the system security you are using, you can also use two different APIs to provide agent security. These two aspects of agent security are:

• Sign On Security
• Copy Screen Security.

Sign On Security

Sign on security means that an application program validates the agent's signon request. An unauthorized agent is not allowed access to CallCoordinator, and your system security is improved. If you use this option, you should use your resource security facilities to limit access to the VA90 transaction. Your programmer can use the Sign On API to provide agent security. See the CallPath CallCoordinator/CICS Application Programming Guide information on this API.    

Copy Screen Security

Copy screen security means that an application program validates an agent's request to copy the server agent's screen. For example, an agent in the credit department of an auto parts supplier calls an agent in the order department about the delivery schedule for a client's order. If the order agent requests a copy of the credit agent's client information panel, the application program will verify that the order agent is authorized to receive a copy of the credit or server agent's panel. An unauthorized agent will not be allowed access to the confidential credit information for clients.

To enable this option, your application programmer uses the Screen Copy API described in CallPath CallCoordinator/CICS Application Programming Guide.     If you use this option, you should use your resource security facilities to prevent access to the VAA1 transaction.

Multiple Agents Sharing One Extension

You can assign more than one agent to the same extension. This is especially useful if your call center has more than one shift of agents working. Or, you might have part-time agents that only work four hours a day. With CallCoordinator, several agents can share the same extension. You must define a separate profile for each agent when you complete the Agent Detail Work Sheet described in "Agent Detail Settings".

For example, XYZ Airlines provides 24-hour telephone service for its customers. There are three different shifts of agents; the first is from midnight to 8 a.m., the second is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the third is from 4 p.m. to midnight. At extension 89417, Jim Anderson works the first shift, Megan Green works the second shift, and Emily Parker works the third shift. When Jim finishes his shift, he signs off CallCoordinator so that Megan can sign on to CallCoordinator. And, when Megan finishes her shift, she signs off CallCoordinator so that Emily can sign on to CallCoordinator. Each agent is defined separately on the Agent Detail Work Sheet and entered separately on the Agent Detail panel, but the extension identifier for each agent is 89417.

Agent Call Handling

The agent call handling settings determine how the agent takes care of CallCoordinator calls. These settings are entered on the Agent Detail Work Sheet.     Your system administrator enters this information on the Agent Detail     panel during installation.

Some of these fields also appear on the COR Telephony Settings Work Sheet and the   COR General Settings Work Sheet as noted in the questions below.   If you have already entered a value in any of these common fields, this value will be accepted as the default. Do not make another entry on the Agent Detail Work Sheet unless you want to change a value for a specific agent.

For example, if an agent or group of agents use a different business application transaction from the initial transaction identifier entered as the default on the COR Telephony Settings Work Sheet, you enter the transaction   identifier for the application on the Agent Detail Work Sheet. The value entered on the Agent Detail panel overrides the default entered on the COR Telephony Settings   panel for this agent. If any of these agents need to use the default business application, they can change the initial transaction identifier to the default value or blanks on the Agent Sign On/Off panel when they sign on to CallCoordinator. Then, the default entered on the COR Telephony Settings panel is used.

Agent Control of the Work Environment

Most of the settings for the agent environment can be changed by the agent on the CallCoordinator Agent Sign On/Off panel. This provides extensive agent flexibility and control in your call center. Agents must be aware of the effects of changing these settings and should change them only when a request is made by the system administrator. Your application programmer can use the Sign On API and the Sign Off API to develop         another agent signon and sign off panel.

After signing on to CallCoordinator, the agent might want to change the work environment on a temporary basis without signing off CallCoordinator. For example, an agent might want to perform some non-CallCoordinator tasks on his/her terminal. While completing these tasks, an CallCoordinator call is received. The agent answers the call and puts the caller on hold. After finishing the non-CallCoordinator tasks, the agent restores the CallCoordinator panel for this one call.

The agent needs to be able to:

• Disable automatic panel display feature and complete non-CallCoordinator tasks using a non-CallCoordinator panel; your application programmer can enable this option using the Set Agent Mode API described in the     CallPath CallCoordinator/CICS Application Programming Guide. The agent can access this function on the Agent Utility panel.
• Display the CallCoordinator panel for a single CallCoordinator call; your application programmer can enable this option by using the Casual User Restore     API described in the CallPath CallCoordinator/CICS Application Programming Guide. The agent can access this function on the Agent Utility panel.

Refer your application programmer to the CallPath CallCoordinator/CICS Application Programming Guide for specific instructions on using these APIs.

Agent Detail Settings

As call center manager, you must answer some key questions about your call center agents before completing the Agent Detail Work Sheet.     The number following each question matches the number on the correct field on the sample work sheet on Table 9.

If you group agents that have the same job function and settings when completing the Agent Detail Work Sheet, your system administrator can use the copy feature found on the Agent Detail panel. This eliminates reentering the same information for each agent.

Your system administrator uses this work sheet to enter information on the Agent Detail panel during installation. See Table 9 for a sample of the work sheet.

For each agent ID, answer the following questions:

1. What is the agent's ID? These characters identify an agent to the host application programs. You can also use the same agent ID for other host applications. This field is required. (1)

2. What signon mode should be used at this agent's terminal?
   • Y - normal signon mode (enabled)
   • P - disabled signon mode which means the terminal does not receive automatic screen activity; allows the agent to use the terminal for other applications without being interrupted by CallCoordinator
   • I - no initial screen is displayed when a call comes in to the terminal; intended for an IVR.
   This field is required. (2)

3. What is the switch ID for this agent? Refer to your Switch Detail Work Sheet for this information. This field is required. (3)      

4. What is the agent's extension number? Consult with your switch system administrator to get the extension numbers for all of the CallCoordinator agents. This field is required. (4) Does your switch use Position Id for monitoring? If so, specify the Position Id for the agent here. This is an alternative address or identifier for the telephone of this Agent ID.

   If you use this field, review the Agent monitoring and Make call resource type parameters for this agent's switch.

   Note: Some switches use the Position ID to report events to CallCoordinator on status changes of telephone calls. Refer to the CallPath Services reference manual for your switch. (5)

5. What job or function does the agent perform? This is an optional identifier field. (6)

6. Do you want this agent's record to be activated in CallCoordinator? If you do not activate the agent's record, then the agent cannot sign on to CallCoordinator. (7)

7. What group does the agent belong to or what title is assigned to the agent? This is an optional identifier field. (8)

8. Is the language the agent prefers to use to display panel data and messages different from the one defined on the COR General Settings panel? The language code specified in this field must correspond to one of the languages available with this product. (9)

9. Do you want an alarm sent along with messages displayed on the agent's terminal? Do not make an entry in this field unless the default value you entered on the COR General Settings Work Sheet is not appropriate for this agent. (10)    

10. Do you want your agents to receive a transfer message when a transfer is completed? This can be especially helpful if the agent does not talk to the transferred-to agent before transferring the call. Do not make an entry in this field unless the default value you entered on the COR Telephony Settings Work Sheet is not appropriate for this agent. If you make an entry in this field, you must make an entry in the Clear screen field. (11)

11. If a transfer message is received, should the existing panel be cleared when the transfer message appears? If agents often transfer calls for consultation purposes, they might want to display the existing panel during the consultation. Do not make an entry in this field unless the default value you entered on the COR Telephony Settings Work Sheet is not appropriate for this agent. If you make an entry in this field, you must make an entry in the Transfer msg field. (12)

12. Do you want the agent to receive system recovery messages? Do not make an entry in this field unless the default value you entered on the COR Telephony Settings Work Sheet is not appropriate for this agent. Note that if this field is set to N on the COR Telephony Settings panel, this setting cannot be overridden by the setting on the Agent Detail panel.     (13)

13. What is the agent class? This field is optional. You can use this field to show information about an agent ID, such as whether this agent ID actually is assigned to an IVR or other device.   (14)

14. What initial transaction should be displayed for this agent? Do not make an entry in this field unless the default value you entered in the Init trans ID field on the COR Telephony Settings Work Sheet is not appropriate for this agent. (15)

15. Should call related data be sent to your application when the application transaction is started by CallCoordinator? This data can include ANI and DNIS numbers.   If your application is set to receive data from its own sources when the transaction is started, set the SPM Start option field to N. If your application has been modified to use data that is sent by CallCoordinator, set the SPM Start option field to Y.

    Do you want to take advantage of CICS Dynamic Transaction Routing (DTR)? If so, set the SPM Start option field to I for the application to be invoked by a RETURN TRANSID IMMEDIATE command WITHOUT data, or to R. for the application to be invoked by a RETURN TRANSID IMMEDIATE command WITH data.

    If you set this field to N or I you can retrieve call data by using the Inquire Call Data API. Refer your application programmer to the CallPath CallCoordinator/CICS Application Programming Guide for information about using this API.

    Leave the field blank unless you entered an initial transaction ID for this agent in the Init trans ID field. If the field is blank, the system uses the value defined on the COR Telephony Settings panel.

    Note that if you change this value to Y or I in error, the data can cause problems with your application. Consult with your application programmer to find out the correct setting for this field. (16)

16. What is the CICS transaction that identifies the user application you have selected to handle screen processing? Refer to "User Screen Control" for more information about User Screen Control. This field is optional and works with the User Control field. (17)

17. Is screen processing handled by CallCoordinator or by User Screen Control? Refer to "User Screen Control" for more information about User Screen Control. This field is optional. If you enter Y, then the transaction identifier must be defined in the preceding field (User Trans ID) or the value entered on the COR Telephony Settings panel is used. (18)

Table 9. Sample of the Agent Detail Work Sheet

CallCoordinator - Work Sheet VA44 AGENT DETAIL
Authorized by:						Date:
Field Name	Field Entry	Entry Format		Field Name	Field Entry	Entry Format
Agent ID *	(1)	1-10 characters		Agent mode *	(2)	1 character (Y,P, or I)
Switch ID *	(3)	1-8 characters		Ext ID Number *	(4)	1-10 characters
Signed on COR	X	Field maintained by system		Position ID	(5)	1-8 characters
Function	(6)	1-10 characters (A-Z;0-9)		Record status *,1	(7)	Y (yes) or N (no)
Group	(8)	1-8 characters (A-Z;0-9)
Term ID	XXXXXX	Field maintained by system
Lang code 2	(9)	3 characters or blank		Sound alarm 2	(10)	Y (yes), N (no), or blank
Transfer msg 3, 5	(11)	Y (yes), N (no), or blank		Clear screen 3, 5	(12)	Y (yes), N (no), or blank
Recovery msg 3,4	(13)	Y (yes), N (no), or blank		Agent class	(14)	1 character
Init trans ID 3	(15)	1-8 characters (CICS trans ID)		SPM Start option 3	(16)	Y, N, R, I, or blank
User trans ID 3	(17)	1-8 characters (CICS trans ID)		User control 3	(18)	Y (yes) or blank
Footnotes: * Entry in this field is required. 1 Y=agent entry complete; N=agent entry incomplete. 2 If field is blank, system uses value defined on the COR General Settings panel. 3 If field is blank, system uses value defined on the COR Telephony Settings panel. 4 If this field is set to N on the CallCoordinator System Settings panel, you cannot change the setting on this panel. 5 If you make an entry in either the Transfer msg or the Clear screen field, you must make an entry in both fields.