Features / glossary

Fair Agent Utilization

V1

The Fair Agent Utilization feature in anyContact innoACD ensures balanced distribution of call load among available agents. Instead of routing calls solely based on skill matches or caller wait time, this feature additionally takes the current workload of agents into account when selecting the best target.

The system continuously monitors each agent's total talk time and idle time. This data is used to favor agents with lower recent utilization in the routing process—without violating any defined skill or queue constraints.

The impact of the “Agent Utilization” factor can be configured individually for each queue.

Objectives:

• Optimize workload distribution
  Ensures even call handling across all qualified agents.

• Avoid overloading or idling agents
  Prevents individual agents from being disproportionately assigned or left idle.

• Improve team satisfaction
  Fair routing contributes to a more balanced and transparent working environment.

Technical Details:

• Basis for evaluation:
  Aggregated agent talk time and inactivity time.

• Impact on routing:
  Agents with relatively lower usage are prioritized, assuming required skills are met.

• Configuration parameter:
  The weighting for “Agent Utilization” is set within the Routing Strategy section of the queue settings.

• Combinable with:

  • Skill-based routing

  • Wait time prioritization

Example Configuration (Routing Strategy):

In this example, routing decisions are based 60% on skills, 20% on caller wait time, and 20% on agent workload.

Last Agent Routing

V2

The Last Agent Routing feature makes customer service in the contact center more personal and consistent by preferentially connecting returning callers with the agent who assisted them last. This increases customer satisfaction and avoids unnecessary repetition during conversations.

How it works

• When a customer calls again, the system checks whether the agent who handled the previous interaction can be reached.

• If this agent is available, the call is routed directly to them.

• If the agent is not available, the system falls back to the regular queue routing after a defined waiting period, ensuring that the call is handled promptly by another suitable agent.

Benefits

• Stronger customer loyalty through more personalized service.

• Reduced repetition and follow-up questions, as the same agent is already familiar with the case.

• More efficient case handling thanks to a seamless continuation of previous conversations.

Inter-Agent Transfer

V1

The Inter-Agent Transfer feature enables active calls to be transferred between agents within the contact center — for example, for escalations, internal consultations, or handovers to subject matter experts.

• Preservation of contact information:
  All relevant caller data (e.g., phone number, routing history, source of contact) is fully retained during the transfer and remains available to the receiving agent.

• Wrap-up time for all involved agents:
  Both the transferring and the receiving agent are granted their own wrap-up time after the call ends, allowing for proper documentation and follow-up actions.

• Full accounting of call duration:
  The total duration of the call — including time spent with each agent and during the transfer — is recorded as a single continuous conversation and reflected accordingly within the dashboards.

This ensures that even complex customer interactions involving multiple agents are transparently tracked and accurately documented.

After-Call Work / Wrap-up

V1

After an ACD call, a defined after-call work period (in seconds) starts automatically, during which the agent is not available for routing new calls. The duration is set per queue. After this time expires, the agent is automatically set back to available.

Short Calls

V1

Short calls are those that last less than a system-wide configurable duration either in the queue or in conversation with an agent. If a caller hangs up within this time, it is not counted as a lost call and does not negatively affect the service level. If a call with an agent ends within this time, it is also not counted and the agent does not receive after-call work time.

Queue

V1

A queue is the entry point into the ACD and serves as a waiting area. It is based on the innovaphone object type Waiting Queue. Announcements are played using innovaphone’s built-in tools. Routing, however, is fully controlled by anyContact innoACD. Queue-specific routing and configuration settings are done via the “AC Queue Admin” app.

Free Seating

V1

The Free Seating concept allows contact center agents to log in flexibly from any workstation, regardless of physical location or device. This enables a location-independent and dynamic deployment of agents – ideal for shift models, hybrid work environments, or shared desk setups.

In anyContact innoACD, this feature is fully supported:
Agents log in via the myApps client, which automatically loads their personal settings, skills, and statuses — no matter which workstation they are using.

Queue Factor

V1

The Queue Factor defines the maximum number of simultaneous calls allowed in a queue's waiting area, relative to the number of currently logged-in agents. It acts as a dynamic threshold based on agent availability, helping to control queue load and prevent excessive wait times.

• Dynamic call queueing based on agent count:
  The Queue Factor is configured as a percentage. A value of 100% means that one call is allowed in the queue per logged-in agent. For example, if 5 agents are logged in, up to 5 calls can wait in the queue. Additional calls are rejected.

• Limit applies to the waiting queue only:
  This limit affects only waiting calls. Active conversations are not counted. So if all 5 agents are currently in calls, 5 additional calls can still be placed in the waiting queue — resulting in a total of 10 calls (5 active + 5 waiting).

• Efficient load control:
  The Queue Factor allows fine-tuned control of queue occupancy, balancing service quality with system efficiency. It helps avoid long wait times and ensures that queues remain manageable, even during high load.

This feature is particularly useful for maintaining service level agreements, avoiding caller frustration, and optimizing agent workload.

Mandatory Skill Timer

V1

The Mandatory Skill Timer allows specific skills to be treated as mandatory for a defined period during routing. This ensures that calls are initially only delivered to agents who possess the required skill. Once the timer expires, the skill remains preferred but is no longer strictly required.

• Mandatory skill matching:
  During the active timer phase, the defined skill is enforced as a hard requirement. Only agents with the corresponding skill are eligible to receive the call.

• Transition to preferred handling:
  After the timer expires, the skill is no longer mandatory but still preferred. This means that, if no qualified agent is available, the call can be distributed to a broader group — while still favoring agents with the skill.

• Flexible routing behavior:
  The Mandatory Skill Timer offers a balance between quality (through targeted skill-based routing) and reachability (through time-controlled fallback logic).

This feature is especially useful for specialized topics, high-priority customer segments, or qualification-dependent processes, allowing routing strategies to dynamically adapt based on time and availability.

Queue Overflow

V1

A queue overflow can happen immediately via forwarding or via DTMF from built-in systems. The queue configuration defines whether the requirements of the new queue should be adopted or not. For example, individual requirements can be defined per dial-in queue while call processing occurs in a central queue.

RONA

V1

If a call is not answered by an agent within a globally defined time, it is removed from automatic distribution. The call is placed back into the previous queue. A corresponding notification appears at the agent’s workstation.

Servicelevelzeit

V2

The service level time feature is a key metric in the contact center that reflects the answer quality and availability of a queue. It defines the time frame within which calls must be answered in order to be counted positively in the evaluation. This makes the service level an important control parameter for operational planning and quality assurance.

Benefits

• Clear and measurable target for response speed within the contact center.

• Easy traceability and a benchmark for SLA requirements (Service Level Agreements).

• Real-time indicator for managing resources and improving accessibility.

SBR (Skill-Based Routing)

V1

yA method where a score is calculated for each call-agent pair based on weighting various attributes (skill, level, wait time, workload). The pair with the highest score is selected, and the corresponding call is offered to the agent. Detailed information on Skill-Based Routing is available at Skill-Based Routing in anyContact innoACD .

Waiting monitor

V2

The Queue Monitor (waiting field view) feature provides a transparent and well-structured overview of all calls currently waiting within a selected queue. This gives supervisors and agents real-time visibility into queue load and caller status, enabling them to monitor the situation and react accordingly.

Benefits

• Real-time transparency of queues and the current call situation.

• Quick identification of callers with long waiting times.

• Flexible, customizable display through filtering and sorting options.

• Supports supervisors and agents in efficient queue monitoring and in making informed resource allocation decisions.

Agent Monitor

V2

The feature Agent Monitor (Agent View) provides a comprehensive real-time overview of the activity and workload of individual agents in one or more queues. Supervisors, team leaders, and administrators thus receive a central tool to monitor the status, processing volume, and performance of each agent.

Benefits

• Transparent monitoring of agent activity in real time.

• Support for team leadership in planning, control, and performance optimization.

• Quick identification of irregularities such as excessively long breaks, low activity, or an above-average number of short calls.

• Basic data for evaluations, coaching measures, and resource management.

Skill

V1

A skill is a property required by the queue and offered by the agent. We distinguish between required and optional skills. A required skill can be converted to an optional skill after a configurable time. This conversion also happens if the call is not in the queue. If an agent rejects a call, routing attempts immediately restart with the changed requirements.

Skill Level

V1

The skill level determines the proficiency of a skill on the agent side. Considering the level allows better-qualified agents to be prioritized without significantly increasing the wait time. The skill level feature expands the classic skill assignment in contact center routing by a percentage rating (1–100%) of an agent's qualification for a specific skill. This information is used together with other factors such as wait time, availability, and current workload to calculate an optimal agent pairing for each call based on a weighted overall score.