Applications and Modules

Important

Information in this chapter is dependent on your user role. The following restrictions apply:

• Application Designer can create applications and modules and add add all types of blocks to a callflow.
• Application Maintainer can only add Message, Menu, Phone, Link, Interceptor, and End blocks to a callflow.

Applications, menu modules and pre-built modules all allow callers to perform specific self-service tasks over the phone. Callers dial into the application, rather than into individual modules. The application holds all the defaults, global commands, reusable prompts and error-handling paths (as well as the agent path).

This main application is based on the Standard Application Template. This template allows you to call into a menu module or a pre-built module. Menu modules can also call into pre-built modules, as illustrated in the graphic below:

Applications, menu modules and pre-built modules can all have their own error-handling, global commands, callflow defaults and reuseable prompts. However, except from callflow defaults, you cannot change these settings for pre-built modules.

Important

For information on the order of precedence for each of these aspects, refer to Section 6.4, ‘Understanding the Inheritance of Settings’ on page 38.

Creating applications and modules

You can create an application or module from the following locations:

• Show Graphical View – Click Create New Module in the toolbar.

  

• Applications view – Click Create a new ... in the desired section. For example, to create a new menu module, go to the Menu section and click Create a new Menu.

  

Selecting a template

Next, you must select a template on which to base the module. Each template provides the framework that brings together common elements, such as Start blocks, links to other modules, and more.

After you select a template, a panel appears on the right in which you can enter a name and description for your module.

• Menus - These allow you to set up your own callflow using the Callflow Editor.

Important

You cannot edit the callflow of the Tree View Submodule Template. This template is designed to deal with large numbers of menu options. For details on how to use the Tree View Submodule Template, refer to .

• Security Modules, Business Processes, or Utility Modules - You cannot edit the callflow of these modules. However, when you view these modules in the Callflow Editor you might see additional tabs that allow you to configure the default behavior of the callflow.

Using the Callflow Editor

Callflows consist of the following:

• Blocks - These are the individual steps in a callflow. Blocks perform a single basic function. For example, a Start block signals the start of the application, and an End block signals the end of the application. You can use the following blocks:
  • Start Block
  • End Block
  • Message Block
  • Menu Block
  • Question Block
  • Phone Block
  • Link Block
  • Interceptor Block
  • Script Block
  • Recording Block
• Paths - Each block on the callflow is linked by a path. A path can represent:
  • A menu option that a caller must select to proceed to the next block (these paths are surrounded by quotation marksspeak or key-in in order to progress to the next block (these are surrounded by quotation marks). For example, "yes (1)" denotes a menu option in which the caller said "yes" or entered 1 on a keypad.
  • An event that took place in order for the call to be routed in a certain direction (these do not have quotation marks). For example, success means this path is used if the previous block ended successfully, and hangup means this path is used if the caller hangs up.

You can click on the name of a block or path to view its properties. For example, in the Menu block shown below, you can change its title or description.

Configuring Paths

Paths are shown as lines that connect blocks in the Callflow Editor.

You can edit path names depending on the needs of the callflow. For non-event paths, such as menu paths, you can also edit other options.

Consider the callflow shown in the graphic below:

You can do the following to configure the "yes" menu option path:

1. Click on the "yes" path name in the callflow to view its properties.
2. Depending on whether you asked the caller to respond by voice or DTMF, or both, you must complete one or both of the following:
   • Recognition Phrases – Add phrases that the caller might say in answer to the menu question. Add a carriage return after each phrase.
   • DTMF – Enter the digit that the caller must press to access this menu option.
3. Click Update.

You can also apply the following settings to a menu option path:

Setting	Description
Recognition Weighting	Select the weighting to apply to the phrases you entered in the Recognition Phrases textbox. For example, consider you are configuring the callflow for a hospital that specializes in neurology, but it also has a minor nephrology department. Two possible paths from the preceding Menu block are "neurology" and "nephrology". If you might want to assign a higher weighting to the "neurology" path, because that's what most callers will choose, then assign a higher weight rating to the "neurology" path and a lower weight rating to the "nephrology" path.
Confirmation Mode	Specify whether you want the system to confirm with the caller that the phrase or option collected is the correct one. Default confirmation prompts are inherited from the main application, but you can use this option to choose specifically for this menu option. You can choose: Never confirm - Callers never have to confirm their choice. Always confirm - Callers must always confirm their choice, regardless of the confidence score for speech recognition. Confirm if necessary - Callers only confirm their choice if their response falls below the high confidence threshold, but above the low threshold, for voice recognition. Important You must set a confirmation prompt for Always confirm and Confirm if necessary. All the other confirmation prompts, such as confirmation retry prompt, are inherited from the main application.