Create an Interactive Workflow
Topic Last Modified: 2012-07-12
When you create an interactive workflow you can choose a welcome message for the workflow, the music to play when users are on hold, and the days and hours that the workflow is available.
Interactive workflows support up to two levels of questions, with each question having up to four possible answers. The interactive voice response (IVR) asks the caller a question that has up to four possible answers, and depending on the caller’s response, routes the caller to a queue or asks a second question. The second question can also have four possible answers. Depending on the answer to the second-level question, the caller is routed to the appropriate queue. For details about IVR design, see Design Call Flows by Using Interactive Voice Response.
You can use wave (.wav) or Windows Media audio (.wma) files for settings such as messages or the music that is played when users are on hold. For details about supported audio file formats, see Response Group Audio File Requirements.
To create an Interactive workflow
Log on as a member of the RTCUniversalServerAdmins group, or as a member of one of the predefined administrative roles that support Response Group. If you are not logged on as a member of one of these roles, you are prompted for alternate credentials.
Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Lync Server Control Panel. For details about the different methods you can use to start Lync Server Control Panel, see Open Lync Server Administrative Tools.
In the left navigation bar, click Response Groups, and then click Workflow.
On the Workflow page, click Create or edit a workflow.
In the Select a Service search field, type part or all of the name of the ApplicationServer service that you want to add.
In the list of services, select the service you want, and then click OK.
Note
The Response Group Configuration Tool webpage opens. You can also open the Response Group Configuration Tool webpage directly from a Web browser by connecting to https://<webPoolFqdn>/RgsConfig.
Under Create a New Workflow, next to Interactive, click Create.
If you are not ready for users to start calling the workflow, clear the Activate the workflow check box.
To allow federated users to call the group, select the Enable for federation check box. You must also have an external access policy that applies to the Response Group application configured for federation.
Note
The global external access policy applies to the Response Group application. You can configure the global policy for response group federation by using Lync Server Control Panel or by using the Set-CsExternalAccessPolicy cmdlet to set the EnableOutsideAccess parameter to True. Keep in mind that global policy settings apply to all users unless they are assigned a site or user policy. Therefore, before changing this setting for response groups, make sure that the federation setting meets the requirements of your organization. For details about how policies apply to users, see Configure Communications with External Users. For details about the federation setting, see Set-CsExternalAccessPolicy.
To hide the identity of agents during calls, select the Enable agent anonymity check box.
Note
Anonymous calls cannot start with instant messaging (IM) or video, although the agent or the caller can add IM and video after the call is established. An anonymous agent can also put calls on hold, transfer calls (both blind and consultative transfers), and park and retrieve calls. Anonymous calls do not support conferencing, application sharing and desktop sharing, file transfer, whiteboarding and data collaboration, and call recording.
Warning
A consultative transfer is where the agent who received the call first (that is, the "transfer initiator") talks to the agent or user that they want to transfer call to (that is, the "transfer receiver") before they actually transfer the call. Consultative transfers are supported when the transfer receiver is not anonymous. If the transfer initiator consultative transfers a call to a PSTN or a Lync user and uses the anonymous option, the call will appear to transfer properly to the receiver. However, the transfer will fail and the transferred caller is disconnected. The transfer initiator can be either anonymous or known, but the effect is the same if the transfer receiver is anonymous.
In Enter the address of the group that will receive the calls, type the address of the group that you want to answer calls to the workflow.
In Display name, type the name that clients, such as Lync 2010, are to display.
Note
Do not include the "<" or ">" characters in the display name. Do not use the following display names because they are reserved: RGS Presence Watcher or Announcement Service.
In Telephone number, type the line URI for the response group (for example, +14255550165).
In Display number, type the number as you want it to appear for the response group (for example, +1 (425) 555-0165).
(Optional) In Description, type a description for the workflow that you want to appear on the contact card in Lync 2010.
Under Step 2 Select a Language, click the language to use for speech recognition and text-to-speech.
If you want to configure a welcome message, under Step 3 Configure a Welcome Message, select the Play a welcome message check box, and then do one of the following:
To enter the welcome message as text that is converted to speech for callers, click Use text-to-speech, and then type the welcome message in the text box.
Note
Do not include HTML tags in the text you enter. If you include HTML tags, you will receive an error message.
To use a Wave or Windows Media Audio file recording for the welcome message, click Select a recording. If you want to upload a new audio file, click the a recording link. In the new browser window, click Browse, select the audio file that you want to use, and then click Open. Click Upload to load the audio file.
Note
All user-provided audio files must meet certain requirements. For details about supported file formats, see Response Group Audio File Requirements.
Under Step 4 Specify Your Business Hours, in the Your time zone box, click the time zone of the workflow.
Note
The time zone is the time zone where the callers and agents of the workflow reside. It is used to calculate the open and close hours. For example, if the workflow is configured to use the North American Eastern Time zone and the workflow is scheduled to open at 7:00 A.M. and close at 11:00 P.M., the open and close times are assumed to be 7:00 Eastern Time and 11:00 Eastern Time respectively. (You must enter the times in 24-hour time notation.)
Select the type of business hours schedule you want to use by doing one of the following:
To use a predefined schedule of business hours, click Use a preset schedule, and then select the schedule you want to use from the drop-down list.
Note
You must have defined at least one preset schedule previously to be able to select this option. You define preset schedules by using the New-CSRgsHoursOfBusiness cmdlet. For details, see (Optional) Define Response Group Business Hours and Holidays
Note
When you select a preset schedule, Day, Open, and Close are automatically filled with the days and hours that the response group is available.
To use a custom schedule that applies only to this workflow, click Use a custom schedule.
If you are creating a custom schedule for this workflow, click the check boxes for the days of the week that the response group is available.
If you are creating a custom schedule, type the Open and Close hours when the response group available.
Note
The Open and Close hours must be in 24-hour time notation. For example, if your office works a 9-to-5 work day and closes at noon for lunch, the business hours are specified as Open 9:00, Close 12:00, Open 13:00, and Close 17:00.
If you want to play a message when the office is not open, select the Play a message when the response group is outside of business hours check box, and then specify the message to play by doing one of the following:
To enter the message as text that is converted to speech for the caller, click Use text-to-speech, and then type the message in the text box.
Note
Do not include HTML tags in the text you enter. If you include HTML tags, you will receive an error message.
To use an audio file recording for the message, click Select a recording. If you want to upload a new audio file, click the a recording link. In the new browser window, click Browse, select the file that you want to use, and then click Open. Click Upload to load the audio file.
Note
All user-provided audio files must meet certain requirements. For details about supported file formats, see Response Group Audio File Requirements.
Specify how to handle calls after the message is played (if a message is configured):
To disconnect the call, click Disconnect Call.
To forward the call to voice mail, click Forward to voice mail, and then type the voice mail address. The format for the voice mail address is <username>@<domainname> (for example, bob@contoso.com).
To forward the call to another user, click Forward to SIP URI, and then type a user address. The format for the user address is <username>@<domainname>.
To forward the call to another telephone number, click Forward to telephone number, and then type the telephone number. The format for the telephone number is <number>@<domainname> (for example, +14255550121@contoso.com). The domain name is used to route the caller to the correct destination.
Under Step 5 Specify Your Holidays, click the check boxes for one or more sets of holidays that define the days when the response group is closed for business.
Note
You need to define holidays and holiday sets before you configure the workflow. Use the New-CsRgsHoliday and New-CsRgsHolidaySet cmdlets to define holidays and holiday sets. For details, see (Optional) Define Response Group Business Hours and Holidays.
If you want to play a message on holidays, select the Play a message during holidays check box, and then specify the message to play by doing one of the following:
To enter the message as text that is converted to speech for the caller, click Use text-to-speech, and then type the message in the text box.
Note
Do not include HTML tags in the text you enter. If you include HTML tags, you will receive an error message.
To use an audio file recording for the message, click Select a recording. If you want to upload a new audio file, click the a recording link. In the new browser window, click Browse, select the file that you want to use, and then click Open. Click Upload to load the audio file.
Note
All user-provided audio files must meet certain requirements. For details about supported audio file formats, see Response Group Audio File Requirements.
Specify how to handle calls after the message is played (if a message is configured):
To disconnect the call, click Disconnect Call.
To forward the call to voice mail, click Forward to voice mail, and then type the voice mail address. The format for the voice mail address is <username>@<domainname> (for example, bob@contoso.com).
To forward the call to another user, click Forward to SIP URI, and then type a user address. The format for the user address is <username>@<domainname>.
To forward the call to another telephone number, click Forward to telephone number, and then type the telephone number. The format for the telephone number is <number>@<domainname> (for example, +14255550121@contoso.com). The domain name is used to route the caller to the correct destination.
Under Step 6 Configure Music on Hold, choose what you want callers to listen to while waiting for an agent by doing one of the following:
To use the default music on-hold recording, click Use default.
To use an audio file recording for the on-hold music, click Select a music file. If you want to upload a new audio file, click the a music file link. In the new browser window, click Browse, select the file that you want to use, and then click Open. Click Upload to load the audio file.
Note
All user-provided audio files must meet certain requirements. For details about supported file formats, see Response Group Audio File Requirements.
Under Step 7 Configure Interactive Voice Response, under the The user will hear the following text or recorded message heading, specify the question to ask callers as follows:
To enter the question in text format, click Use text-to-speech, and type the question in the text box.
Note
Do not include HTML tags in the text you enter. If you include HTML tags, you will receive an error message.
Note
The "#" symbol is translated by the text-to-speech engine as the word "number". If you need to refer to the # key, you should use the key name, rather than the symbol, in your prompt. For example, "To talk to sales, press the pound key."
To use a prerecorded audio file that contains the question, click Select a recording, and then click the a recording link to upload the file. In the new browser window, click Browse, select the audio file, and then click Open. Click Upload to load the file, and then optionally you can type the question in the text box (this enables the question, and the caller’s response, to be forwarded to the responding agent).
Note
All user-provided audio files must meet certain requirements. For details about supported file formats, see Response Group Audio File Requirements.
Under Response 1, specify the first possible answer to the question by doing the following:
Important
Do not use quotation marks (") in any voice responses. Quotation marks cause the IVR to fail.
Note
You can choose to allow callers to answer using speech, alphanumeric keypad input, or both.
If you want to allow the caller to respond using speech, enter the answer in Enter a voice response.
If you want to allow the caller to respond by pressing a key on the keypad, in Digit, click the keypad digit.
Specify whether to route the caller to a queue, or to ask another question as follows:
To route the caller to a queue, click Send to a queue, and in Select a queue, click the queue that you want to use.
To ask another question, click Ask another question, and then click Use text-to-speech and type the question, or click Select a recording. Use the response groupings in this section to specify up to four possible responses to the additional question and the queue to use for each response. To specify a third or fourth possible response, click the Response 3 check box or the Response 4 check box.
Specify up to three more possible answers to the original question by repeating steps 28 and 29 to specify the possible responses and the action to take for each response. To specify a third or fourth possible answer, click the Response 3 check box or the Response 4 check box.
Click Deploy.