IP Office Auto Attendant – 3 Simple steps to create and maintain them

By the end of the ‘IP Office Auto Attendant – 3 Simple steps to create and maintain them’, you will have a clear understanding how Auto Attendant gets created, how they work, and how to fix the most common day-to-day issues, when it comes to maintain the IP Office Auto Attendants.

As engineers, we get to help and identify day-to-day problems that might seem very technical and complex to others. Years ago, I got to help a customer who had issues with their automated attendant. This business had different departments and hours of operations.

Here, I provide these steps to help you identify regular IP Office Automated Attendant Issues

• 1- Survey and Identify the Solution
• 2- Develop a workflow
• 3- Workflow best practices
• A.- Resources
• B.- Quick Tip

1.- Survey and Identify the Solution

Before surveying the customer site, you have to understand what type of voicemails are available with the IP Office system. There are 4 modes that you can configure voicemail with Avaya IP Office, Embedded, Audix/IPOffice Mode, Centralized VM, and Group Mode.

Embedded Mode – This mode is similar to the Avaya Aura Communications Manager Messaging   (CMM) or IA770, providing a light integrated voicemail with multi-function auto attendant capabilities, routing based on IP Office’s Time Profile Schedules, and menu options.

Audix/IP Office Mode – These two modes share the same graphical interface using the Avaya IP Office Voicemail Pro Client, which is a GUI program that allows system administrator to connect to the voicemail’s database server using the VM’s IP Address and login credentials.

These two modes share the same features as the Embedded Voicemail, plus an array of Actions that makes it for a better simplistic configuration experience. These actions are ‘Basic, Mailbox, Configuration, Telephony, Miscellaneous, Conditions, Database, and Queue Actions.

Centralized VM Mode – This mode comes in handy whenever there are multiple remote sites connected to a centralized IP Office and Voicemail Server, allowing the remote system to share the voicemail server located at the core location.

Group Mode – This mode is used to integrate the Avaya IP Office system using analog station ports. Group Mode is mainly used in hotels, when implementing PMS (Property Management Systems) through Link Pro Tapi Licenses. These systems will act as the message store providing auto attendants and hoteling functionalities.

2.- Develop a workflow

Assuming that this customer is using the Voicemail Pro Audix mode option, you need to assess the existing voicemail database and call flows. Once you have gathered the data for the existing configuration, it’s time for you to design your own.

3-  Workflow best practices

In the early days of the IP Office Voicemail Pro, Automated Attendants were configured under the Navigation Pane as Voicemail Shortcodes. Avaya had a difficult time getting the Modules Pane and Navigation Pane integrated.

Which one should I use? –  Navigation or Modules Pane to configure Auto Attendants.

Navigation Pane – This is cosmetics really. If using a delay auto attendant, then use the Navigation Pane, using a Leave Mail as the group’s start point, and finally drag an existing Module from the Module Pane into the Navigation Pane’s Hunt Group/Main/Start Point.

Remember that each element needs to be consistent between the IP Office System and the Voicemail Pro. When creating Group Auto Attendant, always use the dropdown option and avoid typing the name. This will help typos and further headaches.

Modules Pane – Use this pane to keep consistency and a clean Voicemail Call Flow. For full Auto Attendant create the following elements=

MainAutoA Module – Main Auto Attendant – This module is responsible for testing the calendar for holidays and hours of operation, as well as inclement weather closings.

DayAutoA – Short for Day Auto Attendant – Keeping your naming short and easy to identify is always important. This Module is responsible for providing menu transfer options to the caller. Remember to offer a timeout for those who are undecided.

The TimeOut Option – This could be pointing to a General Mailbox or Operators Group, or maybe just replay the welcome announcement.

NightAutoA – Very similar to the DayAutoA Module, with the difference of transferring to General Mailbox instead of a live operator. On occasions, you might need to configure it to RCF to an answering service.

HolidayAutoA and IWAutoA – These two modules are similar. The HolidayAtuoA will follow the Calendar for Holidays. The IWAutoA – Short for Inclement Weather Auto Attendant – This will play a temporary or generic messaging telling the caller that offices are closed due to the bad weather.

Sub-Categories – These could be submenus, departments, or remote location auto attendants. Remember to keep it simple. The more complex, the more chances for failure.

When designing a Call Flow, sit down with the customer and have them explain how they envision the Call Flow. Do not confuse the customer with complex designs that they might not utilized at full capacity.

A.- Resources

Avaya Voicemail Pro Job Aid

http://downloads.avaya.com/css/P8/documents/003683701

B.- Quick Tip

VMPRO Auto Attendant Integration shortcode example.

IP Office System Shortcodes=

• Code= MainAutoA
• Feature= Voicemail Collect (This feature varies between Node and Collect)
• Telephone Number= MainAutoA (This is needs to match the VMPRO Module’s Name)

I have experienced that whenever using the Voicemail Collect feature it is mainly used to integrate Modules, not Voicemail ShortCodes. For voicemail shortcode, you might need to use a Voicemail Node feature instead.

Another consideration is wrapping quotes around the name of the Module. If using embedded voicemail, you might need to remove them from the telephone number field in order to integrate the  Embedded voicemail with the IP Office. This is mainly used for General Mailbox access.

Embedded Auto Attendant voicemail integration shortcode example.

IP Office System Shortcodes=

• Code= NightAttendant
• Feature= Auto Attendant
• Telephone Number= AA:DayAutoA.

Question – When using the “Condition Editor” which elements do you frequently configure?