System Management Guide

Chapter 8. Planning for Transfer Load Balancing

With Transfer Load Balancing, you can have more even distribution of calls between your ACD groups that handle the same function.   For example, an agent in a stock brokerage needs to transfer a call to an agent who handles mutual fund inquiries. The agent requests the number for a mutual fund group. If the mutual fund group that usually handles these calls is too busy, Transfer Load Balancing finds a less busy group of mutual fund agents and displays this number. The agent uses this number to transfer the call to the less busy mutual fund group.

This feature is particularly useful if your call center has several switches in more than one location. You can set up Transfer Load Balancing so that calls will be transferred to less busy ACD groups based on the   time of day. If your call center has service agents in New York and San Francisco, you can set up Transfer Load Balancing to transfer calls to a less busy group in New York until the San Francisco office opens. When both offices are open, transferred calls are distributed between the two offices. At the end of the New York day, all transferred calls will go to the less busy group in San Francisco.

How Transfer Load Balancing Works

A switch sends an event message to CallCoordinator indicating that a call entered or left a queue for a specific ACD group. CallCoordinator maintains a count for the queue that shows how many calls are waiting for that ACD group.   The Transfer Load Balancing feature works as follows:

1. A CallCoordinator agent decides that a call should be transferred and determines the name of the function that should handle the transferred call.

2. The CallCoordinator agent initiates a request for Transfer Load Balancing and gives the name of the desired function.

3. Transfer Load Balancing finds the least busy ACD group that handles the function requested by the agent.

   If the least busy ACD group is on a different switch from the   requesting agent, Transfer Load Balancing allocates an inter-switch tracking number to be able to track the call as it transfers between switches.

4. Transfer Load Balancing returns the primary number to be dialed (the least busy ACD group's pilot number if on the same switch, or the least busy ACD group's inter-switch tracking number if on a different switch) to the agent. Transfer Load Balancing also returns a backup number that is to be used if the call to the primary number fails.

5. The agent dials the primary number or initiates the host-initiated transfer. The transfer is completed.

Planning Tasks for Transfer Load Balancing

Planning for Transfer Load Balancing in your call center requires three steps:

1. Understanding the specific way the Transfer Load Balancing module works.

2. Evaluating whether Transfer Load Balancing is a useful feature for your call center.

3. Completing the necessary tasks to enable Transfer Load Balancing.

These tasks are described in the sections that follow.

Understanding the Transfer Load Balancing Module

CallCoordinator provides the Transfer Load Balancing module (CAMB600C) described in the sections that follow. If you are using Transfer Load Balancing, you enter this module name in the Exit name field for Transfer Load Balancing on the CallCoordinator System Settings panel and work sheet described in "COR Telephony Settings". You can also use a customized version of the Transfer Load Balancing module to meet your specific call center needs. Refer your system programmer to CallPath CallCoordinator/CICS Application Programming Guide for information on developing a customized module. However, it is recommended that you first install and use the Transfer Load Balancing module provided by CallCoordinator.

Before you can evaluate and prepare to enable this feature in your call center, you must understand three essential aspects of Transfer Load Balancing:

• Determining busy levels
• Calculating the percent busy number (PBN)
• Setting balance points.

The sections that follow cover these items in detail.

Determining Busy Levels

Transfer Load Balancing looks at the queue count for an ACD group and compares it to the balance points to determine busy level. The queue count in the CallCoordinator Balance Point table is incremented for each queue event. If the call is queued to multiple ACD groups, the queue count for the primary ACD group is the only one incremented. The queue count is decremented when the call is assigned or abandoned. (An ACD group is identified by its target pilot number.)

Transfer Load Balancing uses two balance points to determine the busy level of the queue for each ACD group. Balance point 1 is the number of calls in a queue that an ACD group can handle comfortably at any given time. Balance point 2 is the maximum number of calls in a queue that an ACD group can handle before overload occurs.

The busy levels are as follows:

Busy Level 0

The number of calls in queue is less than balance point 1. Calls are assigned to this group first.

Busy Level 1

The number of calls in queue is equal to balance point 1 or between balance point 1 and balance point 2. Calls may be directed to a less busy group.

Busy Level 2

The number of calls in queue is equal to or greater than balance point 2. The group is too busy and no calls are directed to this group, unless there are no groups at busy level 0 or busy level 1.

Selecting the Less Busy ACD Group

Transfer Load Balancing selects the less busy ACD group in the following way:

1. Priority is always given to local ACD groups over remote ACD groups. Local ACD groups are on the same switch as the agent who has requested Transfer Load Balancing. Remote ACD groups are on a different switch from the agent who has requested Transfer Load Balancing.

2. If a local ACD   group is at busy level 0, Transfer Load Balancing does not search any further. It returns the number of that ACD group to the requesting agent.

3. If all local ACD groups are at busy level 1 or 2, Transfer Load Balancing searches for a remote ACD   group that is at a lower busy level. Then Transfer Load Balancing does one of the following:

   • If Transfer Load Balancing finds a remote ACD group at a lower busy level, it returns the number of that ACD group to the requesting agent.

   • If Transfer Load Balancing finds more than one remote ACD group at the same lower busy level, it returns the number of the ACD group with the lowest percent busy number to the requesting agent. See "Calculating the Percent Busy Number (PBN)" for detailed information on how to calculate the percent busy number.

   • If Transfer Load Balancing does not find a remote ACD group at a lower busy level, it returns the number of the local ACD group to the requesting agent.

4. If there is no local ACD group, Transfer Load Balancing returns the number of the remote ACD group with the lowest busy level to the requesting agent. If Transfer Load Balancing finds more than one remote ACD group at the same busy level, it returns the number of the ACD group with the lowest percent busy number to the requesting agent. See "Calculating the Percent Busy Number (PBN)" for detailed information on how to calculate the percent busy number. If Transfer Load Balancing finds no acceptable remote ACD group, it returns the local backup number.

Calculating the Percent Busy Number (PBN)

The Percent Busy Number (PBN) is used when more than one ACD group   is at the lowest busy level. Transfer Load Balancing compares the queue count and Balance Points for each available ACD group to calculate which group is least busy:

When calculating the PBN, the decimal fractions are truncated. The PBN is calculated as follows:

PBN =

Percent Busy Number

QC  =

Queue Count

BP1 =

Balance Point 1

BP2 =

Balance Point 2

• If the Queue Count < BP1, and the ACD group is at busy level 0, then

  'PBN' equals 'QC' over 'BP1' times 100

• If the Queue Count is > or = BP1 and Queue Count is < BP2, the ACD group is at busy level 1, then

  'PBN' equals lparen 'QC' minus 'BP1' rparen over lparen 'BP2' minus 'BP1' rparen times 100

• If the Queue Count is > or = BP2, the ACD group is at busy level 2, then

  'PBN' equals lparen 'QC' minus 'BP2' rparen over lparen '10000' minus 'BP2' rparen times 100

Busy Levels and Percent Busy Numbers

Table 14 and the explanations that follow show how Transfer Load Balancing uses the busy levels and percent busy numbers (PBN) to assign calls to less busy groups.

Table 14. Busy Levels and Percent Busy Numbers

Group	Balance point 1	Balance point 2	Queue Count	Busy Level	PBN
Group 1	4	10	5	1	16%
Group 2	4	7	4	1	0%
Group 3	9	18	7	0	77%
Group 4	1	4	5	2	0%

Table 14 shows the following about each group:

• Group 1 is at busy level 1 because the queue count (5) is between balance point 1 (4) and balance point 2 (10). The PBN is 16%.

• Group 2 is at busy level 1 because the queue count (4) is equal to balance point 1 (4). The PBN is 0%. Both Group 1 and Group 2 are at the same busy level. Calls are assigned to Group 2 because Group 2 (0%) has a lower PBN than Group 1 (16%).

• Group 3 is at busy level 0 because the queue count (7) is less than balance point 1 (9).

• Group 4 is at busy level 2 because the queue count (5) is greater than balance point 2 (4).

Setting Balance Points

Before setting balance points for a group, you must consider the following items:

• Time of operation
• Group characteristics
• Specific balance point settings.

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

Time of Operation

In setting balance points for a group, you first must look at the hours of operation for your call center. If the level of call activity varies during a day or from one day to another, you should define those time periods based on the differences in call activity. You might enter this information on the Balance Point Work Sheet. See "Balance Point Work Sheet" for information and a sample of this work sheet. The times specified on this work sheet are based on the specific switch on which the target pilot number is defined.

For example, assume the call activity for an ACD group that handles orders is as follows:

• An average of 50 calls per hour are transferred to the billing ACD group at target pilot number 64000 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

• An average of 25 calls per hour are transferred to the billing ACD group at target pilot number 64000 on Mondays and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

• An average of 5 calls per hour are transferred to the billing ACD group at target pilot number 64000 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., and between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

You would set up these four time periods for the billing ACD group as follows before considering the other factors involved in setting balance points:

• Days=Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; Time=10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Days=Monday, Friday; Time=10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Days=Monday through Friday; Time=8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Days=Monday through Friday; Time=4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Any day and time not specified in a detail record defaults to the ACD group and backup number.

Group Characteristics

After deciding the important time periods for transferred calls for each group, you must consider the following characteristics in setting balance points for each group:

• Average length of calls made to this group -- If the calls are short in duration, you can set the balance points at a higher level than if the average length of calls is long.

• The number of agents in this group -- If the group is one of the larger ones in your call center, you can set the balance points high, because there are more agents to handle calls in queue.

• The average amount of experience of the agents in this group -- Generally, the less experienced agents take longer to handle calls. The balance points should be set to lower numbers for less experienced agents to ensure that customers do not have to remain in queue very long.

• The function of this group -- This group might be a protected or special group that handles transferred calls only in an emergency. If this is the case, you should set the balance points low, with little difference between them, so that calls are rarely transferred to this group.

  If you do not want this group to handle any transferred calls for some specific time period, you should set both balance points to zero for that time period.

Specific Balance Point Settings

Specific balance point settings cause specific results with Transfer Load Balancing operation. You need to consider the following additional items before setting the balance points:

• To make an ACD group eligible for Transfer Load Balancing, you must enter information on the following work sheets and panels:
  • Additional Monitored Resources
  • Inter-switch Tracking Number
  • Load Balancing Function
  • Balance Point

• To exclude a particular day and time from consideration in Transfer Load Balancing, set both the balance points to 0.

• Setting Balance Point 1 to 998 (the maximum number allowed for Balance Point 1) and Balance Point 2 to 999 (the maximum number allowed for Balance Point 2) for an ACD group causes this group to be available for calls all of the time. This happens because the queue count is likely to remain below 998 so that the group will be at busy level 0.

• The maximum entry for Balance Point 2 is 999. It is usually possible to set Balance Point 2 high enough so that the group will not attain busy level 2.

After you have considered all of the above items, you can enter the balance points for each group on the Balance Point Work Sheet as described in "Balance Point Work Sheet". When your system has been in operation for several weeks, you might need to reset the balance points to improve your level of client service.

Adding a New ACD Group

When a new ACD group is added, or a new date/time record is added, the algorithm may not immediately toggle between two eligible ACD groups. The algorithm requires that the least selected of two or more eligible ACD groups is selected. This will result in one group being selected until its number of times selected catches up with the other eligible ACD groups. To avoid this, the CallCoordinator host needs to be recycled.

The Transfer Load Balancing Algorithm

The Transfer Load Balancing module uses an algorithm that distributes the load of transferred calls between groups on the same switch or between groups on more than one switch. The steps that follow show how Transfer Load Balancing works between groups on the same switch. The additional steps for Transfer Load Balancing between switches are described in the section that follows.

Transfer Load Balancing on One Switch

The Transfer Load Balancing algorithm distributes the load of transferred calls between groups on one switch as follows:

1. The agent initiates a request for Transfer Load Balancing by entering a function on the application panel. Transfer Load Balancing searches the Load Balancing Function table to find a match for the function requested and the calling agent's switch ID.

2. If a match is found, the backup number is saved. If no match is found between the function requested and the switch, the backup number for the calling agent's switch is saved.

3. Transfer Load Balancing then selects the eligible ACD groups by checking all the entries in the Balance Point table. To be eligible for consideration:
   • The ACD group must provide the required function.
   • The switch must be operable.
   • The ACD group's available day and time must be acceptable.

4. Transfer Load Balancing calculates a busy level number for each eligible ACD group and then selects the ACD group with the lowest busy level. See "Determining Busy Levels" for more information on busy levels.

5. If more than one group is at the same busy level, a Percent Busy Number (PBN) is calculated. See "Calculating the Percent Busy Number (PBN)" for more information on the PBN. The ACD group with the lowest PBN is selected. If there is a tie for PBN, then the available ACD group which has been selected least, is selected.

6. After an ACD group is selected, the target pilot number for that ACD group is displayed for the agent as the primary number for the agent to use. The backup number is also displayed for the agent.

Transfer Load Balancing Between Switches

The Transfer Load Balancing module uses the same algorithm to distribute the load of transferred calls between ACD groups on several switches. However, the following conditions are checked besides the basic algorithm:

• If any ACD group on the switch that initiates the Transfer Load Balancing request is tied for lowest busy level number with any ACD group on another switch, the ACD group on the switch that initiates the Transfer Load Balancing request is selected.

• If the group selected is on the switch initiating the Transfer Load Balancing request, then the primary number returned to the agent is the target pilot number found on the Load Balance Function table for the selected group.

• If the group selected is not on the switch that initiated the Transfer Load Balancing request, then the primary number returned is the inter-switch tracking number that has been reserved for the selected group.

Evaluating Transfer Load Balancing

To evaluate whether Transfer Load Balancing would be effective in your call center, answer the following questions:

1. Does your switch support Transfer Load Balancing?

   Check the CallPath Services reference book for your switch.

2. Does your call center include any of the following? The options are:

   • More than one switch in a network

   • More than one group that handles the same function on one switch or on two or more switches in a network

   • Groups that handle the same function in more than one time zone.

   Transfer Load Balancing could be very effective in any of these situations.

Preparing to Enable Transfer Load Balancing

If you decide to use Transfer Load Balancing in your call center, you must complete the following tasks:

• Coordinate the programming tasks with your application programmer
• Implement the guidelines for enabling Transfer Load Balancing
• Complete the work sheets that contain information used by the system administrator during installation.

The sections that follow explain these tasks.

Coordinating the Programming Tasks

As call center manager, you work with the application programmer to complete the following programming tasks related to Transfer Load Balancing:

1. Your application programmer modifies your applications to provide access to the Load Balancing program. This program is responsible for maintaining counts of queued calls and handles the user interface to Transfer Load Balancing. Your application panel will need the following fields for the user:

   • Input field for a functional area or ACD group name such as sales or service where an agent can transfer calls. Your application needs to be able to send this name to CallCoordinator to search for a pilot number based on this name.

   • Output fields for primary and backup extension numbers the agent dials to transfer calls. These numbers are pilot numbers for ACD groups that handle specific functions.
        

2. Your application programmer can customize Transfer Load Balancing for your application. Using the Transfer Load Balancing API as the interface, your application programmer can develop a different algorithm or logic to determine the less busy group in your call center. Before attempting to customize the standard algorithm, you should be very experienced in using this standard algorithm in your call center.

3. If you are using Transfer Load Balancing with the Coordinated Voice and Data Transfer feature, refer to the programming information in Chapter 7, "Planning Coordinated Voice, Data Consultation, Conference" and "Enabling Coordinated Voice, Data Consultation, Conference".

Refer to the section "Features, Functions, and APIs" in CallPath CallCoordinator/CICS Application Programming Guide for a summary of Transfer Load Balancing information. Your application programmer can refer to CallPath CallCoordinator/CICS Application Programming Guide for detailed instructions on enabling Transfer Load Balancing in your call center.

Completing the Work Sheets

The COR Telephony Settings Work Sheet has three Transfer Load Balancing fields. Refer to the work sheet you have completed to verify that the Transfer Load Balancing settings you entered are correct. See "Transfer Load Balancing" for more information on these settings.

There are four additional work sheets that include specific information about the Transfer Load Balancing feature:

• Load Balancing Function Work Sheet      
• Balance Point Work Sheet    
• Inter-switch Tracking Number Work Sheet    
• Switch-to-Switch Dialing Prefix Work Sheet      

If your call center has only one switch, you must complete only the Load Balancing Function Work Sheet and the Balance Point Work Sheet for Transfer Load Balancing. However, if you are using Transfer Load Balancing between switches, you must complete all four work sheets. The information on these work sheets will be entered on the CallCoordinator panels by your system administrator during installation.

Load Balancing Function Work Sheet

If you have one or more switches in your CallCoordinator system using Transfer Load Balancing, you must enter information on the Load Balancing Function Work Sheet. Your system administrator uses this work sheet during installation to enter the information on the Load Balancing Function panel.

You use the Load Balancing Function Work Sheet to define:

• The function backup telephone numbers for each function and ACD Group
• One or more ACD groups for each function.

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

Defining Backup Telephone Numbers:   A backup telephone number is displayed when an agent requests Transfer Load Balancing. The agent uses the backup number if the pilot number for the desired function is not available. When defining backup telephone numbers, you complete the following steps:

1. Define a default backup telephone number for each ACD Group by entering the greater than sign (>) in the Function field on the Load Balancing Function Work Sheet. This number is used when an agent on that switch requests a function that does not have a backup number.

2. Define a default backup telephone number for every specific function on each ACD Group. This entry is useful if you want your agents to talk to a specific person when using the backup telephone number for a specific function. For example, you might want agents to consult with a senior agent when a call cannot be transferred to the target pilot number for the desired function.

Completing the Load Balancing Function Work Sheet:   Before completing the Load Balancing Function Work Sheet, answer the following questions:

1. What is the function or job of this group of agents? (1)

2. What is the ID of the ACD Group for these agents? (1)

3. What is the backup number for this function for each ACD Group? This is the number to which calls are directed when the pilot number is unavailable. (3)

See the example of entries for ACD Groups on the sample Load Balancing Function Work Sheet that follows.

The detail entries show:

• For one AIRLINE function, the ACD group that handles this function is ACD001 on SWITCH02, and the pilot number is 64000. The function backup number is 1608, and the ACD Group backup number is 64001.

• For a second AIRLINE function, the ACD group that handles this function is ACD002 on SWITCH02, and the pilot number is 65000. The backup number is 2608, and the ACD Group backup number is 65001.

• For a third AIRLINE function the ACD group that handles this function is ACD003 on SWITCH02, and the pilot number is 66000. The backup number is 1607, and the ACD Group backup number is 66001.

Note: The ACD Groups that you specify on your work sheet, can be obtained from the Additional Monitored Resource work sheet (VA48). See Table 8.

Table 15. Sample of Load Balancing Function Work Sheet

CallCoordinator - Work Sheet VA4C Transfer Load Balancing LOAD BALANCING FUNCTION
Authorized by:				Date:
Act *,1	Function *,2	ACD Group *,2	Function Backup Tel No +,2
1/2/3/4	1-10 characters	1-6 characters	1-10 characters	Comments
EXAMPLE ENTRIES FOR ACD GROUPS
	(1)>	(2)ACD001	(3)64001
	>	ACD002	65001
	>	ACD002	66001
EXAMPLE ENTRIES FOR FUNCTIONS
	(1)AIRLINE	(2)ACD001	(3)1608
	AIRLINE	ACD002	2608
	AIRLINE	ACD003	1607
Footnotes: * Entry in this field is required + Entry in this field is required for ACD Group backup numbers. 1 Action codes: 1=add new entry, 2=change entry, 3=delete entry, 4=insert. 2 Valid characters are A-Z and 0-9.

Balance Point Work Sheet

If you have one or more switches in your CallCoordinator system using Transfer Load Balancing, you must enter information on the Balance Point Work Sheet. Your system administrator uses this work sheet during installation to enter the information on the Balance Point panel.

You use this work sheet to define the balance points for each ACD Group, target pilot, day, and time combination. For example, you might want to set different balance points for different days of the week, depending on your call center traffic.

For Transfer Load Balancing to work correctly, you must make default entries for each ACD Group on the Balance Point Work Sheet. The default entry requires a greater than sign (>) in the day and time fields. The balance points should be set to the most frequently used values for your system.

Before completing the Balance Point Work Sheet, answer the following questions:

1. What is the ID of the ACD Group for this balance point? (1)

2. For what day of the week do you want the balance points to apply? You might want to have different balance points for different days of the week, depending on your call center traffic. (2)

3. For what time period do you want the balance points to apply? You might want to have different balance points for different times, depending on your call center traffic. (3)

4. What balance points do you want to set for this ACD Group? Refer to "Setting Balance Points" for some guidelines on setting balance points. (4)

For example, if you decide that for ACD015 the balance points should be set to 2 and 6 for most days and times, you enter the default greater than sign (>) in the Day and Time fields. This means that this ACD Group will be available for transferred calls only when the queue count is between 2 and 6 (other factors are also considered such as percent busy number). However, if you notice that this group is always too busy to take any transferred calls between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. every morning, you can set the balance points to 0 for this specific period. No calls will be transferred to this group by Transfer Load Balancing between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.. The sample work sheet in Table 16 illustrates these examples.

Table 16. Sample of Balance Point Work Sheet

CallCoordinator - Work Sheet VA4B Transfer Load Balancing BALANCE POINT
Authorized by:						Date:
Act *	ACD Group *	Day *,1	Time From *,1	Time To *,1	Bal Pt1 *	Bal Pt2 *
1/2/3/4 2	1-6 characters	1 char. 3	1-7 chars. 4	1-7 chars. 4	1-3 digits	1-3 digits
Example of default entry.	(1)ACD015	(2) >	(3) >	(3) >	(4) 2	(4) 6
Example of detail entry.	ACD015	>	8:00am	10:00am	0	0
Footnotes: * Entry in this field is required 1 For every ACD Group, create a default entry using the greater than sign (>) in the Day and Time fields. 2 Action codes: 1=add new entry, 2=change entry, 3=delete entry, 4=insert. 3 Day codes: 0=Sunday, 1=Monday, 2=Tuesday, 3=Wednesday 4=Thursday, 5=Friday, 6=Saturday, >=Any day. 4 When entering the time, use the format selected on the COR General Settings panel.

Inter-switch Tracking Number Work Sheet

If you have more than one switch in your CallCoordinator system using Transfer Load Balancing, you must enter information on the Inter-switch Tracking Number Work Sheet. Your system administrator uses this work sheet during installation to enter the information on the Inter-switch Tracking Number panel.

You use this work sheet to define the inter-switch tracking numbers assigned to ACD Group. Before completing the work sheet, answer the following questions:

1. What is the ID of the ACD Group for which you are defining the inter-switch tracking number? (1)

2. What is the inter-switch tracking number (reservable number) for this group? The inter-switch tracking number is also called the reservable number because it is the number reserved for a particular agent that he or she dials when using the Transfer Load Balancing feature to transfer calls between switches. When the agent initiates this type of transfer, CallCoordinator sends the inter-switch tracking number (reservable number) with the correct prefix for this pair of switches. CallCoordinator also uses this inter-switch tracking number for call tracking on switch to switch transfers.

   You must define several inter-switch tracking numbers (reservable numbers) for each ACD Group. To decide how many numbers to define for each group, consider the following items:

   1. Determine the length of the interval for the inter-switch tracking number when it is assigned and in use for:
      • Dialing
      • Switch to switch response
      • Reserved duration or the number of seconds the inter-switch tracking number is reserved before it is released to a new request. The product default is two seconds.

   2. After determining this interval, find out how many calls are transferred to that inter-switch tracking number for each interval.

   3. Review the switch to switch traffic for this target pilot number and determine the average number of calls transferred per interval.

   4. Multiply the average number of calls transferred per interval by 2 or 3. Use this number as a guideline for defining inter-switch tracking numbers for this target pilot number.

      For example, assume the interval for the inter-switch tracking number is 20 seconds per transfer. The average number of calls transferred per interval is 2. Multiply the average number of calls (2) by 2 or 3. You define 4 to 6 inter-switch tracking numbers for this ACD Group. (2)

Table 17. Sample of Inter-switch Tracking Number Work Sheet

CallCoordinator - Work Sheet VA4D Transfer Load Balancing INTER-SWITCH TRACKING
Authorized by:			Date:
Act *	ACD Group *	IST Number *
1/2/3/4 1	1-6 characters	1-10 characters	Comments
	(1)	(2)
	ACD017	26000
	ACD016	26393
	ACD020	3000
	ACD019	3010
	ACD015	39401
	ACD019	4000
	ACD018	6000
Footnotes: * Entry in this field is required 1 Action codes: 1=add new entry, 2=change entry, 3=delete entry, 4=insert.

Switch-to-Switch Dialing Prefix Work Sheet

If you want to use Transfer Load Balancing with more than one switch in your CallCoordinator system, you must enter information on the Switch-to-Switch Dialing Prefix Work Sheet. Your system administrator uses this work sheet during installation to enter the information on the Switch-to-Switch Dialing Prefix panel.

You use this work sheet to define the dialing prefix used to transfer calls between switches. After answering the questions below, complete the Switch-to-Switch Dialing Prefix Work Sheet.

1. What is the switch ID for the group of agents requesting the transfer? The entry in the From Switch ID field must match the switch ID used by CallPath/CICS and on the Switch Detail panel. You can create a default entry for the requesting switch by entering a greater than sign (>) in this field. This means that agents on every switch dial the same prefix to call a specific switch. The example on the work sheet that follows shows that calls from every switch going to SWITCH01 use a dialing prefix of 6. Calls from every switch going to SWITCH02 use a dialing prefix of 7. (1)

2. What is the switch ID for the group of agents receiving the transferred call? The entry in the To Switch ID field must match the switch ID used by CallPath/CICS and on the Switch Detail panel. (2)

3. What is the dialing prefix assigned to this pair of switches? This prefix is added to the inter-switch tracking number (reserved number) of the switch that is receiving the transferred call. This combined number is dialed by the agent to transfer a call between this pair of switches when using the Transfer Load Balancing feature. (3)

For example, on the Switch-to-Switch Dialing Prefix Work Sheet that follows, the dialing prefix for any switch calling SWITCH01 is 6. The dialing prefix for any switch calling SWITCH02 is 7. The dialing prefix for SWITCH01 and SWITCH02 calling SWITCH03 is 8.

Table 18. Sample of Switch-to-Switch Dialing Prefix Work Sheet

CallCoordinator - Work Sheet VA4A Transfer Load Balancing SWITCH-TO-SWITCH DIALING PREFIX
Authorized by:				Date:
/ct *	From Switch ID *, 2	To Switch ID *	Dialing Prefix *
1/2/3/4 1	1-8 characters	1-8 characters	1-8 characters	Comments
	(1)>	(2)SWITCH01	(3)6	Example of default entry.
	>	SWITCH02	7	Example of default entry.
	SWITCH01	SWITCH03	8	Example of detail entry.
	SWITCH02	SWITCH03	8	Example of detail entry.
Footnotes: * Entry in this field is required 1 Action codes: 1=add new entry, 2=change entry, 3=delete entry, 4=insert. 2 Use the greater than sign (>) in this field to specify any "from" switch.