Queuing Profile Page
Services must have been created before you can manage your Queuing Profile.
Each Branch Operation Profile has one Queuing Profile. A Queuing Profile handles the queuing logic.
It is in a Queuing Profile that Services are chosen, Queues are created, Rules to put Visits into a Queue are defined and how Visits are called from which Queue is set up.
On this page, Services can be grouped together and that group can then be linked to a set of Segmentation rules that "selects" a queue for each visit.
It is also possible to see an overview of all Work Profiles, which select the next visit to call forward to a counter for the staff member logged in at that counter.
Service Groups
Services can be grouped together into Service Groups. A Service can, however, only be in one group. For each Service Group, a default Queue is created automatically.
To create a Service Group, click the +add Service Group button.
Select the Service(s) for the Queuing Type:
Segmentation
Often, you want to treat or serve your customers differently, depending on requested Service, or for example VIP levels or other customer categorisation. The system segregates the customers by putting them into different Queues. By using different Queues and number series, the customers will experience the waiting as fair.
The segmentation should be based on the following variables:
• Which Service the Customer has requested.
• The properties of the Customer (such as VIP Level and Language).
• If the Visit is an Appointment or not.
Segmentation Rules
Segmentation Rules identify the type of Customer/Visit and then select which Queue this Visit shall be placed into.
Each Segmentation Rule is connected to a Queue.
Segmentation rules are evaluated in the order they are entered. Once a Segmentation Rule is true, the queue selection is finished and the rest of the Segmentation Rules are not evaluated.
To add a Segmentation Rule to your Queuing Profile, click the Add Rule with Queue link. The following window is displayed:
Enter a Name for the Segmentation Rule, then define the rule.
The following rule definitions may, for example, be available:
• Where the language in the visit is set to <set value>.
• Where the gender in the visit is set to <set value>.
• Where the VIP level in the visit is one of the levels <set value>.
• When the visit is an Appointment.
• When the Appointment is <set value by over <set value> minutes.
Wherever <set value> is stated above, a value has to be configured by the user, as in the following example:
When done, click Ok and the rule is added.
Queues
Name
Name of the Queue.
Letter
Queue letters can be used to indicate that a ticket number belongs to a certain queue. The queue letter can be printed on the ticket and shown on the displays.
Sequence
The number sequence that applies to the queue in question.
Service Level
The Service Level indicates the maximum time that it is OK to wait in a certain queue. When customers are to be called, the Service Level determines which Queue the customer should be called from. E.g. If there are two queues and the first queue has the service level set to 10 minutes and the second has the service level set to 20 minutes. If the first visit in both queues has been waiting for 5 minutes, the visit in queue 1 has 5 minutes left to the service level while the visit in queue 2 has 15 minutes left. The visit in queue 1 will be called first.
There is no service level set on a Pool. Instead, a default value has been set to avoid that the system fails. The User Pool automatically gets a service level of 0 and the Service Point Pool automatically gets a service level of 1.
Type
From the drop-down list, select if the type of the Queue is Normal or Appointment.
This choice is only available if you have selected the
Segmentation Rules that implies that the Visits in the Queue are Appointments.
Pools
Pools are similar to Queues, but are used when customers need to be put on hold or parked aside the predefined customer journey. Users or Service Points may need to let a Customer for example fill in a form and at the same time continue serving the next customer. The way to do that is to transfer the Customer to the User or Service Point Pool. The Customer can later be called automatically from a Pool and Customers in a Pool do not have a certain order.
Pools can be connected to a Work Profile and thus follow the calling rule conditions, in the same way as regular Queues.
Work Profiles
A Work Profile defines which Queues or Pools to call from and in what order. This is set up in the Business Configuration application, on the Queuing Profile page, in the Manage Work Profile window:
To create a Work Profile, follow these steps:
1. Start by entering a name for the Work Profile.
2. Select which Queues and/or Pools to call from.
3. If several Queues and/or Pools have been selected, choose the default order to call by. For example “When no condition is valid, call by max waiting time.” For more information about Calling Rules, see below.
4. Add exceptions to the default call order. For more information about Exceptions, see below.
Calling Rules
A Calling Rule in a Work Profile is built on rules and conditions.
The most basic Calling Rule only calls from one Queue or Pool. However, more commonly, a Calling Rule can call from several Queues or Pools and can then be extended with a condition:
Call from Queue 1 except when "some condition". A condition could be "when waiting time in Queue 2 is above 20 minutes".
If a condition is added, a new rule must be added. An example could be:
"Call from Queue 1, except when waiting time in Queue 2 is above 20 minutes. Then, call from Queue 1 or Queue 2 with max waiting time".
The following Calling Rules are available:
• Call from Queue/Pool - this rule only calls from one Queue or Pool.
• Call from Queues/Pools in defined order - this rule will call from multiple Queues/Pools in a defined order. It will call from the first Queue/Pool until it is empty and then call from the next Queue/Pool, and so on.
Journey Manager Premium license required.
• Call from Queues based on max waiting time - this rule will call from multiple Queues/Pools and pick the Queue/Pool with the longest waiting time.
Journey Manager Entry license required.
• Call from Queues based on max visit lifetime - this rule will call from multiple Queues/Pools and pick the Queue/Pool with the longest visit lifetime.
Journey Manager Entry license required.
• Call from Queues/Pools based on service level - this rule will call from multiple Queues/Pools and pick the Queue/Pool with the first visit closest to the service level. E.g. If there are two Queues/Pools and the first Queue/Pool has the service level set to 10 minutes and the second has the service level set to 20 minutes. If the first visit in both Queues/Pools has been waiting for 5 minutes, the visit in Queue 1/Pool 1 has 5 minutes left to the service level while the visit in Queue 2/Pool 2 has 15 minutes left. The visit in Queue 1/Pool 1 will be called first.
Journey Manager Standard license required.
There is no service level set on a Pool. Instead, a default value has been set to avoid that system fails. The User Pool automatically gets a service level of 0 and the Service Point Pool automatically gets a service level of 1. Therefore the Calling Rule
Call by closest to service level is not recommended when using Pools.
The Queue Agent calling history for a Branch/Work Profile/User is reset each time a visit is called by the “Finally call by” section in any of the Work Profiles.
Conditions
The following Conditions may, for example, be available:
• When waiting time in <set value> is above <set value> minutes.
Example “When waiting time in Loans is above 10 minutes.”
• When waiting time in <set value> is <set value> minutes above the service level.
Example: “When waiting time in Loans is 5 minutes above the service level.”
• When time of day is between <set value> and <set value>.
Example: “When time of day is between 13:00 and 15:00.”
• When number of visits in <set value> <set value> <set value>.
Examples:
• “When number of Visits in Loans is > 15”
• “When number of Visits in Foreign Exchange is = 5.”
• “When number of Visits in Insurance is < 2.”
• When called <set value> <set value> visits from <set value> per Branch.
Example: “When called < 2 Visits from Platinum per Branch.”
• When called <set value> <set value> visits from <set value> for this work profile.
Example: “When called > 2 Visits from Platinum for this Work Profile.”
• When <set value> <set value> visits from <set value> for the calling user.
Example: “When called < 5 Visits from Queue 1 for the calling User.”
It is highly recommended that you do not have a mix of conditions in the same Work Profile.
Wherever <set value> is stated above, a value has to be configured by the user, as in the following example:
Calling Rule Conditions - Detailed Branch Example
Let’s say that you have a business where your Customers are divided into three categories: Platinum, Gold and Silver. These categories are mapped to a Queue each.
You could then, for example, set up your Work Profile in the following way:
This means that first the Platinum condition should be checked:
• If there are Visits in Queue Platinum, and less than 2 Visits have been called from Queue Platinum, since the Visit counters were reset, a Visit should be called from Platinum.
If, however, the Platinum condition is false, the Gold condition should be checked:
• If there are Visits in Queue Gold, and less than 1 Visits have been called from Queue Gold, since the Visit counters were reset, call a Visit from Queue Gold.
If both the Platinum and Gold conditions are false:
• Call first from the Silver Queue. If Silver is empty, start over from the beginning of the conditions, calling from Queue Platinum (with the Visit counter set to one for Platinum), and so on.
If there are Visits in all Queues, this would mean that they would be called in the following order: Platinum, Platinum, Gold Silver, Platinum, Platinum, Gold, Silver, etc.
This example is illustrated in the images below.
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
The Visit counters will be reset as soon as anybody at the Branch reached the “Finally call by...” part of the Work Profile, i.e the end of any Work Profile for that Branch. Thus, this scenario will not work if you are using more than one Work Profile in a Branch.
Calling Rule Conditions - Detailed Work Profile Example
Let’s say that you have a business where your Customers are divided into two categories: Platinum, and Gold. These categories are mapped to a Queue each.
You could then, for example, set up your Work Profile in the following way:
This means that first the Platinum condition should be checked:
• If there are Visits in the Platinum Queue, and less than 3 Visits have been called from that Queue, by the same Work Profile, since the Work Profile Visit counters were reset, a Visit should be called from Platinum.
If, however, the Platinum condition is false, the Gold condition should be checked:
• If there are Visits in the Gold Queue, and less than 3 Visits have been called from that Queue, by the same Work Profile, since the Visit counters were reset, call a Visit from Gold.
Finally, if both the Platinum and Gold conditions are false:
• Call first from the Platinum Queue, then start over from the beginning of the conditions, the Visit counter will be set to one, for Platinum.
If there are Visits in both Queues, this would mean that they would be called in the following order: Platinum, Platinum, Platinum, Gold, Gold, Gold, Platinum, Platinum, Platinum, etc.
This is illustrated in the image below:
Calling Rule Conditions - Detailed User Example
Let’s say that you have a business where your Customers are divided into two categories: Platinum, and Gold. These categories are mapped to a Queue each.
You could then, for example, set up your Work Profile in the following way:
This means that first the Platinum condition should be checked:
• If there are Visits in the Platinum Queue, and less than 3 Visits have been called from that Queue, by the same User, since the Visit counters were reset for that User, a Visit should be called from Platinum.
If, however, the Platinum condition is false, the Gold condition should be checked:
• If there are Visits in the Gold Queue, and less than 3 Visits have been called from that Queue, by the same User, since the Visit counters were reset for that User, call a Visit from Gold.
Finally, if both the Platinum and Gold conditions are false:
• Call first from the Platinum Queue, then start over from the beginning of the conditions, with the Visit counter set to one for Platinum.
If there are Visits in both Queues, this would mean that they would be called in the following order: Platinum, Platinum, Platinum, Gold, Gold, Gold, Platinum, Platinum, Platinum, etc.
This is illustrated in the image below:
For a detailed description of the concepts of waiting time and visit lifetime, please see
“Transaction Time, Waiting Time, and Appointment Waiting Time definitions” .
