Table of Contents

Network IVRs/VRUs

Network IVRs/VRUs

This chapter discusses the Network IVR/VRU feature that lets you divert a call to an interactive voice response unit for additional processing. It includes:

• An introduction to IVR/VRUs
  
  
• Information on how to configure IVR/VRUs
  
  
• A discussion on how to access IVR/VRUs in scripts
  
  
• Instructions on how to queue calls at IVR/VRUs
  
  

Introducing Network IVRs/VRUs

Each routing client can have one or more associated Network Voice Response Units (VRUs). A VRU is a telecommunications computer, also called an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit, that responds to caller-entered touch-tone digits.

The routing client can be a public network interexchange carrier (IXC) intelligent network, such as the BT INAP, or a private network peripheral, such as an Aspect or Lucent ACD.

Note   Network VRUs are only available for intelligent public network IXCs, not all public network IXCs.

A Network VRU supports ICM software's service control interface. An ICM routing script can divert a call to a Network VRU and instruct the VRU to perform specific processing before ICM software determines the final destination for the call.

Preparation for using the VRU feature includes:

• Setting up Network VRU targets with the Configuration Manager
  
  
• Inserting VRU nodes in the routing script
  
  

This chapter describes how to perform these tasks.

Note   For the remainder of this chapter, the term VRU will be used exclusively to be consistent with the on-screen prompts.

Configuring Network VRUs and VRU Scripts

Before you start configuring a Network VRU, you must know its type. The VRU type determines what routing script nodes ICM software needs to use to communicate with the VRU. For example, when interacting with a Type 3 VRU, ICM software will need to execute a routing script containing a Send to VRU node in order to successfully process a call.

Table 6-1 lists the VRU types that are currently available.

For Types 3 and 7 you must use the System Information dialog box to configure a range of correlation IDs. These IDs allow ICM software to match calls arriving at the VRU with calls sent there by ICM software. (For Types 2 and 8, ICM software uses the DNIS values associated with the translation route to match up the calls. For Type 6, no matching is required since the call is already at the VRU.)

Configuring Network VRUs

First, you need to define each logical VRU in the database.

How to configure a Network VRU

Step 2   In the Network VRU Explorer window, enable Add Network VRU by clicking Retrieve.

Step 3   Click Add Network VRU. The Network VRU property tab appears.

Step 4   Complete the Network VRU property tab.

Note   The Name and Type fields are required. For a description of the available types, see Table 6-1. All other fields are optional. For additional information refer to the online Help.

Step 5   Click Save to apply your changes.

Network VRU Labels

You must associate all VRU Types (except Type 6) with a Network VRU Label.

How to define a Network VRU label

---

Note   For information on defining labels, see the Cisco ICM Software Configuration Guide.

---

Step 2   Complete the Label property tab.

Note   The Routing client, Label, and Label type fields are required. All other fields are optional. For additional information refer to the online Help.

Step 3   Click Save to apply your changes.

Network VRU System Information

For Network VRUs, you must use the System Information dialog box to define a range of correlation IDs so ICM software can communicate with the VRU about the call.

How to set the default Network VRU and range of correlation numbers

Step 2   In the System Information window, select the Default Network VRU.

Step 3   Enter the Minimum Correlation Number.

Step 4   Enter the Maximum Correlation Number.

Note   For additional information refer to the online Help. For more information on the System Information window, see the Cisco ICM Software Configuration Guide.

Step 5   Click Save to apply your changes.

Network VRU Script Configuration

To allow a routing script to control the processing on the VRU, you must configure VRU-based scripts within ICM software. An ICM routing script can then direct the VRU to run a specific script.

Note   VRU scripts are defined and maintained on the VRU. ICM software only maintains a name for each VRU script. It does not maintain the scripts themselves.

How to configure VRU scripts

Step 2   In the Network VRU Script List window, enable Add by clicking Retrieve.

Step 3   Click Add. The Attributes property tab appears.

Step 4   Complete the Attributes property tab.

Note   The Name, Network VRU, VRU script name, and Timeout fields are required. All other fields are optional. For additional information refer to the online Help.

Step 5   Click Save to apply your changes. The ICM software database manager automatically generates a unique Network VRU Script ID.

Accessing VRUs in ICM Scripts

After you have configured a Network VRU and VRU scripts, you can use the Script Editor to write a routing script to send a call to the VRU and invoke a specific VRU script.

To send calls to the Network VRU and invoke VRU scripts, you use the following objects:

• Send To VRU node (for VRU Types 3 and 7)
  
  
• Translation Route to VRU node (for VRU Type 2)
  
  
• Run VRU Script node
  
  

For information on how ICM software tracks the interaction with the VRU, see VRU Error Checking.

The sections that follow describe these VRU routing script objects.

Send To VRU Node

The Send To VRU node diverts a call to a VRU for further processing.

Note   This node is valid for use with Type 3, Type 5, and Type 7 VRUs. (For information on VRU types, see Table 6-1.)

When ICM software executes the Send to VRU node, it does the following:

• First, it checks whether the routing client has an associated Network VRU for the customer and then it checks for a label.
  
  
  • If the label exists, ICM software returns that label to the routing client and suspends script execution until it receives confirmation that the call has been delivered to the VRU.
    
    
  • If the label does not exist, script execution continues with control flowing through the node's failure output terminal.
    
    
• Next, it waits for confirmation that the call has been delivered to the VRU:
  
  
  • If ICM software receives confirmation, script execution continues with control flowing through the node's success output terminal.
    
    
  • If ICM software does not receive confirmation, execution continues with control flowing through the node's failure output terminal.
    
    

Once ICM software establishes that the call has been successfully delivered to the VRU, it can then execute a Run VRU Script node instructing the VRU to run its own script. You can also subsequently determine a final destination for the call and return a label to the routing client.

Note   If the call is delivered to the VRU but then abandoned, script execution ends. In monitor mode, a special label on the Send To VRU node accounts for these cases.

How to add a Send to VRU node

Within Script Editor, place the Send to VRU object in the workspace. (You do not have to set any properties.)

Translation Route to VRU Node

Translation Route to VRU node forwards the call to the VRU but keeps the call active for processing on ICM software. This is useful for executing scripts that reside on the VRU.

Note   This node is valid for use with Type 2 and Type 8 VRUs. (For information on VRU types, see Table 6-1.)

How to add a Translation Route to VRU node

Step 2   Click the Change button in the Select Type section of the dialog box. The Select Type dialog box appears.

Step 3   Select the Target Type (Enterprise Service, Service, or Service Array).

Step 4   Optionally, select a Business Entity and Enterprise Target.

Step 5   Specify whether the Translation Route to VRU node is to act like a Select or Distribute node:

• Distribute Among Targets. (Radio button.) The Translation Route to VRU node is to act like a Distribute node, distributing calls among the targets based on the relative values.
  
  
• Select Most Eligible Target. (Radio button.) The Translation Route to VRU node is to act like a Select node, using the following rules:
  
  
  • Pick the target with the maximum value / Pick the target with the minimum value.
    
    
  • Accept target if (that is, evaluate an acceptance rule).
    
    
  • Start with first target / Start with next target.
    
    

Step 6   Click OK to close the Select Type dialog box.

Step 7   Click the Add Targets button. The Add Targets dialog box appears, listing available targets of the type you specified.

Step 8   Use the Available Targets list and the Add button to select targets.

---

Note   If you chose Enterprise Service as a target type, you can select just one item from the list. If you chose Service or Service Array, you can select one or more items from the list.

---

Step 9   Click OK to close the Add Targets dialog box. The target members you selected appear in the Properties dialog box.

Step 10   Continue defining Target information for each target member:

• Consider If. (Optional.) A formula that must evaluate to "true" for the target when ICM software executes the Translation Route to VRU node, or that target will not be considered.
  
  
• Select Max/Select Min Value of. A formula that determines which of the targets is selected.
  
  
• Route. (Drop-down list.) The route on which to send the call if this target is selected. (The list contains all routes associated with the target.)
  
  
• Translation Route. (Drop-down list.) The route to send the call for initial VRU processing if this target is selected. (The list contains all translation routes associated with the same peripheral as the target.)
  
  

  ---

  Note   You must specify a value for this field. When a call is sent to a translation route, the PG retrieves the final route from ICM software and coordinates the other processing with the VRU.

  ---

• Per-node success connection. (Radio button.) Select this option to attach one success output terminal to the node. This terminal is used regardless of which target is selected.
  
  
• Per-target success connection. (Radio button.) Select this option to attach a success output terminal to each target in the node.
  
  

  ---

  Note   This option could be useful in scripts where you want to manipulate specific variables after choosing a target.

  ---

Step 11   Optionally, click the Validate button.

Step 12   Optionally, modify the Labels tab.

Step 13   Click OK to submit the changes and close the dialog box.

Run VRU Script Node

ICM software's Run VRU Script node instructs the Network VRU to execute a specific script. You can use multiple Run VRU Script nodes to execute a series of scripts on the VRU.

Note   This node is valid for use with all the VRU types listed in Table 6-1.)

Execution of ICM software routing script waits for the Run VRU script to finish:

• If the VRU script runs successfully, control then passes through the success terminal of the VRU Script node.
  
  
• If the VRU script does not run successfully for any reason, then control passes through the failure terminal of the Run VRU Script node.
  
  

  ---

  Note   Once a RunScript node exits through the Failure branch, it should test the variable Call.VRUStatus. If the value is equal to STATUS_TIMED_OUT (2), then it should avoid executing any subsequent RunScript nodes. The reason is that this status code implies that the VRU is very likely hung. Sending another RunScript to the VRU at this point messes things up even more, and there isn't any way for the VRU PIM to identify this situation and take care of it.

  ---

  ---

  Note   If the current call is not at a VRU when the Run VRU Script node executes, ICM software sends the call to the associated Network VRU.

  ---

How to add a Run VRU Script node

---

Note   This dialog box lists all Network VRU scripts you have configured in the Configuration Manager.

---

Step 2   Select the ICM Script/VRU Script Name you want to execute.

Step 3   Optionally, modify the Comments tab.

Step 4   Optionally, modify the Labels tab.

Step 5   When finished, click OK to submit the changes and close the dialog box.

VRU Error Checking

A special call variable, VruStatus, allows you to check the result of the last VRU node (Send To VRU/Translation Route to VRU/Run VRU Script) that ICM software processed. Table 6-2 lists this variable's value.

Queuing Calls at VRUs

You can queue a call at a Network VRU until a specific resource becomes available. A call can be queued for one or more skill groups, an enterprise skill group, or one or more scheduled targets. As soon as an agent becomes available at one of the specified targets, the call is removed from queue and sent to the target.

Note   You can also stop queuing for a call by using the Cancel Queuing node in a routing script.

Figure 6-4 shows an example of the queuing logic in a routing script.

In this example, the call is first diverted to the Network VRU. This step is required before you queue the call. Next, the call is queued for three skill groups. If the call is successfully queued, the script cycles between a Wait mode and a Run VRU Script node so that the caller hears an announcement every 30 seconds. If an agent in one of the skill groups becomes available, the call is removed from queue and taken back from the VRU. Routing script execution ends and the call is delivered to the target.

Note   In this scenario, you probably want the VRU script to be interruptible so that the routing script can retrieve the call immediately when the resource becomes available.

The Script Editor has three queue nodes:

• Queue node. Places the call in a queue for one or more skill groups, an enterprise skill group, or one or more scheduled targets.
  
  
• Queue Priority node. Adjusts the priority of call in a queue for one or more skill groups or scheduled targets.
  
  
• Cancel Queuing node. Removes the current call from any queues to which it has been assigned by a preceding Queue node.
  
  

  ---

  Note   The queue nodes are valid for use with Type 2, Type 3, Type 5, Type 6, Type 7, and Type 8 VRUs. (For information on VRU types, see Table 6-1.)

  ---

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

Queue Node

The Queue node places the call in a queue for one or more skill groups, an enterprise skill group, or one or more scheduled targets. If an agent becomes available in one of the skill groups or at one of the scheduled targets, the call is routed to that resource.

Note   If the current call is not at a VRU when the Queue node executes, ICM software sends the call to the associated Network VRU. (This does not apply to Type 2 VRUs, which are VRUs at customer premises.)

You cannot reference two types of targets (skill groups and scheduled targets, for example) within a single Queue node. However, you can execute multiple Queue nodes sequentially to queue a call to different target types.

The Queue node includes a Priority field, which sets the initial queuing priority for the calls processed through this node versus other calls queued for the same target. The Priority is expressed as an integer from 1 (top priority) to 10 (least priority).

If more than one call is queued to a group when an agent becomes available, the queued call with the lowest priority number is routed to the target first. For example, assume an agent in a skill group becomes available and two calls are queued to that skill group. If one call has priority 3 and the other has priority 5, the call with priority 3, the lower value, is routed to the skill group while the other call continues to wait.

How to add a Queue node

Step 2   Click the Change button in the Queue Type section of the dialog box. The Queue Type dialog box appears.

Step 3   Select a Target Type (Enterprise Skill Group, Scheduled Target, or Skill Group).

---

Note   You cannot reference more than one type of target within a single Queue node. To queue a call to more than one target type, execute multiple Queue nodes sequentially.

---

Step 4   Optionally, select a Business Entity and Enterprise Target.

Step 5   Optionally, select a Priority to set the initial queuing priority for calls processed through this node versus other calls queued for the same target: 1 for top priority to 10 for least priority. (The default is 5.)

Step 6   Click OK to close the Queue Type dialog box.

Step 7   Click the Add Targets button. The Add Targets dialog box appears, listing available targets of the type you specified.

Step 8   Use the Available Targets list and the Add button to select targets.

Step 9   Click OK to close the Add Targets dialog box. The target members you selected appear in the Properties dialog box.

Step 10   Optionally, continue defining Target Type information for each target member:

• Route. (Drop-down list.) The route to send the call to when an agent in the target type becomes available. (The drop-down list includes all routes associated with the target.)
  
  
• Translation Route. (Drop-down list.) The route to send the call for initial VRU processing if this target is selected. (The list contains all translation routes associated with the same peripheral as the target.)
  
  
• Scheduled Target. Individual targets to which the call is queued.
  
  

  ---

  Note   This list appears only if the Target Type chosen is Scheduled Target.

  ---

Step 11   Optionally, modify the Labels tab.

Step 12   When finished, click OK to submit the changes and close the dialog box.

Queue Priority Node

The Queue node sets the initial queue priority for a call in a queue. You can override this setting with the Queue Priority.

For example, you might modify the script in Table 6-1 to increase the priority of a call after it has waited for a period of time. Figure 6-6, below, shows one way to handle this.

In this example, once the caller has heard the announcement, instead of cycling back to the first Wait node, the call goes to a second Wait node. If 20 seconds passes without an agent in one of the skill groups becoming available, the priority of the call is changed to 2.

How to add a Queue Priority node

Step 2   Specify the queuing priority for a call processed through this node: 1 for top priority to 10 for least priority. This determines the priority the call has versus other calls queued for the same target.

Step 3   Optionally, modify the Comments tab.

Step 4   Optionally, modify the Labels tab.

Step 5   Click OK to submit the changes and close the dialog box.

Cancel Queuing Node

Use the Cancel Queuing node to remove the current call from any queues.

How to add a Cancel Queuing node

Step 2   Specify descriptive text to be displayed in the node.

Step 3   Optionally, modify the Labels tab.

Step 4   Click OK to submit changes and to close the dialog box.