Changing Campaign State

When an Open Campaign [OC] message is sent by the CRM application, Softdial CallGem™ will set up a new campaign and take no account of any previous campaign activity for a campaign with the same name.

However, for reporting purposes, by continuing to use the same campaign name over time, users can report on any time line they wish. So for example, Softdial Reporter™ 5 will allow users to report on current calls, but with a start time of their choosing, be it start of shift, start of day, or some earlier time.

Once agents have logged in Softdial CallGem™ will request numbers to dial, which will be supplied by the CRM application, and the calling can then begin.

Fig. 3 details the message flow for closing a campaign.

Fig. 3 - Closing a Campaign

1. An immediate shutdown may be requested. This is done by the inclusion of the Send Numbers Back [SB] parameter in the Close Campaign [CC] message. Otherwise, Softdial CallGem™ will dial remaining numbers held by it, as follows:
   1. any numbers in its predictive queue
   2. any numbers that have been supplied by the CRM application with a Planned Time [PT] parameter, where the PT parameter is current, or becomes current while Softdial CallGem™ is closing
   3. any retries scheduled by Softdial CallGem™, where the retry time is current, or becomes current while Softdial CallGem™ is closing
2. It then sends any remaining numbers still held by it back to the CRM application, using the Number Back [NB] message.

   This applies to predictive calls only; queuing of calls and retries are not applicable to preview agents.

3. As agents complete calls, and there are no more calls to dial, Softdial CallGem™ will begin to release agents. The sequence of events is that Softdial CallGem™ will first make them go unavailable, then send an Agent Free [AF] message to the CRM application, and then log them out of the campaign.

   If the CRM application sends Agent Unavailable [AU] messages while Softdial CallGem™ still has some calls to make before acknowledging the Close Campaign [CC] message, these messages will be actioned by Softdial CallGem™, on the basis of the priority asked for. Agent Free [AF] messages will then be issued and the agents logged out by Softdial CallGem™.

   Log Out [LO] messages are not required from the CRM application.

4. Once Softdial CallGem™ has no more calls to make, any requests by the CRM application to make agents unavailable are redundant and will be ignored by Softdial CallGem™.

   It is possible for all agents to be logged off, whilst there are still calls remaining to be dialed. If the CRM application wants to avoid this situation, agents should be discouraged from asking to go unavailable, and leave it to Softdial CallGem™ to wind up a campaign, once a Close Campaign [CC] message has been sent.

   Two points to note, in the event that the CRM application is asking for an immediate shutdown (by including the Send Numbers Back [SB] parameter in the Close Campaign [CC] message):

   1. To the extent that predictive agents are being predialed for when the Close Campaign [CC] message is received, then, very occasionally, they may be asked to take another call by Softdial CallGem™, rather than being let go immediately the next time they enter the free agent pool.
   2. No calls will be made for agents in the open preview state who are still previewing screen information, and where dialing has not yet commenced. Softdial CallGem™ will send an Agent Free [AF] message to the CRM application and log them out of the campaign
5. Once all agents have been set free and logged off, and any remaining numbers returned to the CRM application, Softdial CallGem™ will close the campaign by sending a Now Closed [NC] message to the CRM application

The messages Suspend Campaign [SC] and Resume Campaign [RC] are typically used when a campaign is being halted for a short while, e.g. to take a refreshment break.

Once the Suspend Campaign [SC] message has been issued, the actions are the same as for closing a campaign, except that all numbers held by Softdial CallGem™ will be retained by it unless the Send Numbers Back [SB] parameter is invoked, and the message makes agents unavailable only (i.e. it does not automatically log them off).

Other points to note are:

• Once a campaign has been suspended, agents may be logged into or out of a campaign at any time. If they remain logged on, (i.e. and unavailable), during suspension, their time will be recorded as idle.
• A Resume Campaign [RC] message may not be sent (to restart the campaign) until all agents have gone unavailable, all call activity has ceased, and Softdial CallGem™ has acknowledged suspension by sending a Now Suspended [NS] message to the CRM application.
• The Resume Campaign [RC] message includes a Predictive Immediate [PI] parameter, enabling Softdial CallGem™ to begin dialing again at maximum rate if the CRM application so chooses. This would probably apply for short breaks only, but possibly for longer ones as well, where the campaign statistics such as those for the distribution of call outcomes have not changed significantly.

The procedure in each case is as follows:

1. No more calls will be attempted by Softdial CallGem™.
2. For Predictive:
   1. predictive agents waiting to receive a call, will have priority on connects. For campaigns with small numbers of agents, the number of connects at this point, is unlikely to be greater than the number of agents waiting in the predictive pool.
   2. Softdial CallGem™ may still have connects to allocate, and it will select from agents entering the predictive pool at the end of a current call.
   3. Other predictive agents who are in talk or wrap mode will finish their current call and be released.

   For Progressive and Preview - agents will finish their current call and be released.