DATA SHEET Cisco Blended Agent: Bringing Call Blending Capability to Your Enterprise Cisco ICM software has traditionally enabled companies to distribute inbound service volume to a variety of termination points including ACDs, IVRs, home agents and network terminations. The addition of Cisco Blended Agent and its combination of outbound dialing modes complements the ICM platform s powerful inbound call handling capability with a robust outbound call management solution. Call blending offers a way to increase resource utilization in a call center. Cisco Blended Agent enables the multifunctional call center to leverage the ICM s enterprise management allowing contact center managers in need of outbound campaign solutions to take advantage of the enterprise view that ICM maintains over agent resources. Cisco Blended Agent includes the following components: a Campaign Manager, Import Process, CTI Desktop Components, Dialer and a Blended Agent Configuration Tool. These components allow contact managers to import existing campaign calling lists, as well as define, configure, schedule and execute outbound dialing campaigns. Cisco Blended Agent integrates seamlessly with the Cisco ICM software. The Campaign Manager is integrated directly to the ICM Logger while the Configuration Tool runs on an Admin Workstation and the CTI Desktop components integrate into the existing CTI Desktop software. All outbound call results are stored in the ICM Logger database and reporting on outbound activity is handled within the same interface as standard ICM inbound reports. The Blended Agent Dialer resides on its own server and communicates over a network connection with the Campaign Manager and CTI Server. Blending is coordinated at an enterprise level, enabling the ICM to direct live calls to the best available agents at a site where there is a Blended Agent Dialer installed. To handle large volume campaigns, the solution can scale by adding multiple dialers at one or more sites. All contents are Copyright 1992 2001 All rights reserved. Important Notices and Privacy Statement. Page 1 of 5
Public Network Central Controllers Campaign Manager Campaign Administration Peripheral Gateway CTI Server BA Dialer BA Dialer Blended Agent CTI Desktop Legacy ACD Voice Data Product Features and Benefits ICM Integration The Cisco Blended Agent solution is implemented as disparate modules of software and hardware resident on various ICM components as well as components specific to Blended Agent. The Campaign Manager resides on the ICM Logger platform. Here it builds on the existing database used by the Logger and utilizes IP to communicate with each dialer in the enterprise. The dialers are installed on separate servers that communicate with the ICM CTI processes, the Logger, and agent desktops. These channels of communication are necessary for the dialers to receive and deliver dialing information and call control instructions. In order to give ICM the ability to decide which agents will handle outbound contacts, Blended Agent skill groups are defined in the ICM configuration. The ICM administrator can then utilize ICM scripts to transition agent groups between inbound, outbound and blended modes. Dialer Integration The Blended Agent Dialer component is responsible for requesting campaign lists from the Campaign Manager, placing outbound calls, reserving agents, and classifying calls. Each dialer receives skill group information about the ACD it is attached to through CTI Server. Once the dialer receives a list of contacts from the Campaign Manager it begins to calculate the number of outbound lines required. The Dialer then begins to reserve agents and place calls. After calls are placed they are classified as live answer, RNA, busy, answering machine, SIT tones, etc. The dialer then transfers live calls to reserved agents through the attached ACD. The Dialer communicates all call activity to the ACD through the CTI Server and ACD PIM. The Blended Agent Dialer employs the use of analog or digital T1 Dialogic cards connected to the switch. Call origination and call classification are done through the Dialogic cards. The Dialer places all calls from the Dialogic card through the ACD. Blended Agent currently supports the Avaya G3 ACD. All contents are Copyright 1992 2001 All rights reserved. Important Notices and Privacy Statement. Page 2 of 5
Dialing Modes Outbound Predictive The Outbound Predictive mode is a dedicated dialing mode that handles contacts by continually adjusting the number of call originations needed per agent to achieve near 100 percent agent utilization. The Dialer does this by calculating the average wait time and average handle time that agents are experiencing. Outbound Preview The Outbound Preview mode is also dedicated. This enables the Dialer to first reserve or lock an agent by placing a phantom call on the ACD. Once reserved, Blended Agent will post a screen pop to the agent CTI desktop allowing the agent to dial, skip or cancel the request. (Note: phantom phones are not necessary to place phantom calls.) Each of these dedicated modes, Predictive and Preview, can be triggered by events that can be dynamic or static in their nature. In a static scenario, events such as time of day, day of week, etc. will trigger a script to place skill groups into an outbound mode. In a dynamic scenario, events such as minimum expected delay, service level, abandon rates, number of inbound calls handled, etc. trigger a script to place a skill into an outbound mode. Similar to both types of triggers, the length of time that a skill is in an outbound mode is configurable based on the business need. Progressive Power Dialing Blended Agent enables campaign administrators to configure the dialing rate such that Blended Agent will not attempt to predict the number of lines needed per agent and will instead dial a set number of lines per agent. This number can be configured and set to a single line per agent. This feature attempts to guarantee that an agent is available when a customer answers his or her phone. Blended Modes While in a blended mode, Blended Agent enables the ICM to deliver both inbound and outbound (Preview) calls to the same group of agents dynamically. Differing from the dedicated modes, blending enables an agent to switch between receipt of inbound and outbound calls on a call-by-call basis. Blended Agent does not allow agents themselves to change their individual state between inbound and outbound. The transition from inbound to outbound modes is dynamically executed via an ICM administration script. This is done within ICM scripting based on skill group settings in the ICM. Agents can, however, logout and log back in, which will dynamically adjust call delivery to their skill based on ICM calculations. The CTI Desktop employs the use of ECC (Extended Call Context) call variable information to determine if a new call appearance at the desktop is an inbound or outbound call. This mechanism also enables delivery of contact information from the campaign list to support a robust screen pop just before the outbound call is placed. Again, on a call-by-call basis, the agents desktop will determine what type of call is coming in and can present the agent with the appropriate tools to handle the call. Campaign Management Blended Agent provides a tool for administering the Blended Agent software and for managing dialing campaigns. The Configuration Tool resides on an ICM AW and operates independently of all other ICM-related utilities. The software included in the tool enables a call center manager to configure campaigns, create query rules for the campaign and import dialing lists. The Configuration Tool is also the mechanism used to configure all system parameters for the Dialer. All contents are Copyright 1992 2001 All rights reserved. Important Notices and Privacy Statement. Page 3 of 5
Campaigns can be configured to provide callbacks to certain parties. Callbacks can be initiated based on the request of a party to be called back, or be automatically initiated by the system based on failure to contact a live party. To satisfy regulatory requirements, all outbound dialing solutions must support functionality to restrict dialing to specific contacts. Blended Agent enables managers to implement Do Not Call Lists into their campaigns via the Import Process. The list is global to all campaigns and as such will be honored by all live campaigns. Blended Agent also handles management of permitted dial times set by regulatory bodies by implementing a time zone lookup that enables the Campaign Manager to calculate the current time at the customer location. Integration with Cisco CTI The Blended Agent Dialer relies on communications to and from CTI Server. These communications are necessary for call transfer, call conferencing, handling the Extended Call Variables of the ICM, and listening to all ACD messages to obtain skill group statistics. Called party information is delivered to the agent desktop through the use of the Cisco CTI Server. This delivery occurs within sub-second timeframes to allow the most efficient handling of live calls by the agent. Existing Cisco CTI Desktop controls are augmented with functionality to enable handling of Blended Agent calls. These extended features include providing preview capability to the agent to present the agent with options for accepting an outbound call. In addition, a mode indicator enables agents to view their current state preview, predictive or normal inbound call. To process callbacks, the agent is presented with a callback button once a contact has been established with a live party. The callback button enables the agent to set a mutually agreed upon time for the customer to be called back. The agent may also select the Personal Callback option, which allows the agent scheduling the callback to receive the call once the customer is connected. Basic called party information such as phone number, and account number is moved from the Blended Agent Campaign Manager to the desktop via the use of ICM Extended Call Context variables. Reporting Blended Agent s sophisticated data storage design allows the ICM to manage inbound and outbound calls within the same environment. Even when agents are receiving blended calls, the data recording is fulfilled so managers can report on the inbound and outbound activity separately. The same powerful reports that are offered today for inbound calls are mirrored in functionality to enable reporting on outbound or blended calls. These templates are part of the Cisco Blended Agent installation. In addition, users can report on specific dialer operation statistics. These statistics include abandoned calls detected, live voices detected, answering machines detected, campaigns being dialed, and number of agents being supported. Many of the reports offered are for real-time monitoring of outbound call statistics. Real-time reports are delivered through the ICM s Monitor ICR software. Service Information Delivered directly or through our partner eco-system, Cisco provides strategic and consultative support that maps to each stage of the call blending solution life cycle: planning, design, implementation and operation (PDIO). Rapid Deployment Services Rapid deployment services allow businesses to confidently plan, design and implement Cisco Blended Agent to receive rapid results, averaging Cisco experience and proven practices. With Cisco rapid deployment services for Cisco Blended Agent customers can deploy more efficiently and cost effectively tapping into experienced, expert resources available globally. Contact your Account Manager for more details and pricing on these custom services. All contents are Copyright 1992 2001 All rights reserved. Important Notices and Privacy Statement. Page 4 of 5
Software Application Support Plus Upgrades (SASU) provides maintenance and troubleshooting to keep Blended Agent software operational and highly available. SASU provides companies with 24x7 access to the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC), 24x7 access to the TAC Web site that contains an extensive technical library, knowledge bases, online tools, and minor and major software releases. Cisco industry-leading technical support improves the availability and reliability of the application and provides all a business needs to secure its technology infrastructure. Summary Outbound dialing and call blending are vital to companies that desire outbound capabilities and demand maximum utilization of call center resources. Combining the power of the Cisco ICM and Cisco CTI, Blended Agent provides the ability to design complex outbound campaigns, maximize the use of skilled agents, utilize individual dialing modes and deliver rich call contact information to a best in class CTI desktop enabling businesses to achieve higher levels of productivity and customer satisfaction. Corporate Headquarters 170 West Tasman Drive San Jose, CA 95134-1706 USA Tel: 408 526-4000 800 553-NETS (6387) Fax: 408 526-4100 European Headquarters Cisco Systems Europe 11, Rue Camille Desmoulins 92782 Issy-les-Moulineaux Cedex 9 France www-europe.cisco.com Tel: 33 1 58 04 60 00 Fax: 33 1 58 04 61 00 Americas Headquarters 170 West Tasman Drive San Jose, CA 95134-1706 USA Tel: 408 526-7660 Fax: 408 527-0883 Asia Pacific Headquarters Cisco Systems Australia, Pty., Ltd Level 9, 80 Pacific Highway P.O. Box 469 North Sydney NSW 2060 Australia Tel: +61 2 8448 7100 Fax: +61 2 9957 4350 Cisco Systems has more than 200 offices in the following countries and regions. Addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers are listed on the Cisco Web site at /go/offices Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Bulgaria Canada Chile China PRC Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Dubai, UAE Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong SAR Hungary India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Japan Korea Luxembourg Malaysia Mexico The Netherlands New Zealand Norway Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Scotland Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom United States Venezuela Vietnam Zimbabwe Copyright 2001, All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. Cisco, Cisco Systems, and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document or Web site are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (0108R) SPS 9/2001