Call Flow Specification for Contact Center and CRM Integration

Call flows are important to specify and define early in the Contact Center and CRM Application Integration project. The shown below is a basic call flow, followed by some additional call flow details to consider. Contents
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1 Basic Call Flow 2 Customer Call Flow Example 3 Additional Call Flow Details o 3.1 Agent Login and Logout o 3.2 Agent Work Mode Settings o 3.3 Desktop Controls o 3.4 Call Attached Data

Basic Call Flow

Contact centers use call or interaction flows as the basic building blocks to defining customer service processes. Interaction flows can also be mapped to the different systems involved in the process to understand the system requirements. A basic customer call flow is useful to explain the role of Multi-Channel Integration Suite in managing the integration between CRM and contact center systems. This example is for an inbound customer phone call. For other channel interactions such as email and chat, the process flow is very similar.

Customer Call Flow Example

1. An incoming customer call reaches the contact centers PBX/ACD system, which prompts the customer to input a customer account number. 2. A call routing decision is made by the PBX/ACD, or a contact center application, based on the customer account number with the possible validation of the account number in the CRM application. 3. PBX/ACD signals the inbound call event to the CTI server along with the customer account number. 4. CTI server, through its standard communications API, passes the event data to the integration software; for example, the Multi-Channel Integration Suite (MCIS). 5. The integration software ( MCIS) communicates the event data to the CRM application. 6. CRM application uses the customer account number to perform a look-up of the customer information. 7. The agents desktop populates with the customer information, using the specific preconfigured screen (i.e. service order) simultaneous with the arrival of the call to the agents phone from the PBX. 8. Agent uses the CRM user interface to create or update the customers interaction information and softphone call controls to manage the interaction. 9. A record and details of the customer interaction is automatically stored as part of the customers interaction history.

Additional Call Flow Details

Agent Login and Logout
Agent can login and logout of queues through desktop controls. Login and logout is synchronized with the agents hard phone. Agents can login for individual or multiple channels simultaneously (i.e. phone, email and chat).

Agent Work Mode Settings

Agent can set work mode to specific work status: ready, not ready, or other work (AUX work) modes. The work mode settings synchronize with the ACD to support auto-in and after call work.

Desktop Controls
The integration supports the following standard telephony features:
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Answer call: an agent can answer an incoming call. Drop call: an agent can drop a connected call. Hold and Retrieve: an agent can place a call on hold and retrieve a call on hold. Make call: an agent can make or place a call. Blind transfer: an agent can transfer a call to another agent without consulting with the agent. Warm transfer (with Reconnect option): an agent can transfer a call to another agent after consulting with the agent. Optionally, the agent can reconnect to the call after the consultation. Conference (with Reconnect option): an agent can conduct a conference with another agent. Optionally, the agent can reconnect to a call after the conference.

Similar desktop controls are supported for email and web chat interaction management.

Call Attached Data

Transfer and conference functionality can be accompanied with relevant attached data including ANI, DNIS and any custom data provided by the underlying switch, IVR or vendor CTI software. (As well as additional data provided by the agent through the IC client [Ex. Activities])