help • 2 Configuring VisualGroups • Further configuration • Call Strategies
2.2.2 Call Strategies
With VisualGroups, several call strategies are available:
For each user, a timestamp Waiting since is used to calculate the time the user is already waiting. For each VisualGroups call all users are evaluated and sorted. The call is delivered to the longest waiting user first.
The timestamp waiting since is reset differently for each strategy based on the settings described under Technical Information.
The following examples illustrate the impact of the corresponding call strategies based on four users (A,B,C and D) when all are available and no specific criteria have been defined.
At the first login of each day, the timestamp waiting since is reset.
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For all call strategies except “Parallel” no calls will be delivered while a user is in a call. Changing the Disable Secondary Call setting in SwyxIt! does not affect this behaviour. If you have disabled secondary calls and manually accept an additional call from a queue during a call, the second call will be disconnected.
 
Strategy “None”: Function inactive
Technical Information
Calls in the queue are not actively distributed among the available users. Users must manually select incoming calls from the queue to pick them up.
Strategy “Intelligent”: Default
Technical Information
Triggers that reset the timestamp waiting since:
Handling calls (calls via SwyxWare and VisualGroups)
*initiating a call (outbound)
*disconnecting a call (outbound)
*receiving a call (inbound)
*picking up a call (inbound)
*disconnecting a call (inbound)
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Applies only to users with the web extension: The waiting-since timestamp is not reset if a user makes a call outside the queue. The order in which calls in the queue are delivered is then not affected.
 
Examples:
1 VisualGroups scenario:
*Order of call 1 = A,B,C,D
The call rings at A and is not answered.
The call rings at B, is connected and then disconnected.
*Order of call 2 = C,D,A,B
2. Non-VisualGroups scenario:
Call 1 does not come from the VisualGroups queue.
The call rings at A, is connected and then disconnected.
*Order of call 2 = B,C,D,A
3. Non-VisualGroups scenario 2:
Call 1 does not come from the VisualGroups queue.
The call rings at A and is not answered.
*Order of call 2 = B,C,D,A
Strategy “Simple”: Based on the number of connected calls
Technical Information
Triggers that reset the timestamp waiting since:
Handling calls (calls via SwyxWare and VisualGroups)
*disconnecting a call (outbound)
*disconnecting a call (inbound)
Examples:
1 VisualGroups scenario:
*Order of call 1 = A,B,C,D
The call rings at A and is not answered.
The call rings at B, is connected and then disconnected.
*Order of call 2 = A,C,D,B
2. Non-VisualGroups scenario:
Call 1 does not come from the VisualGroups queue.
The call rings at A, is connected and then disconnected.
*Order of call 2 = B,C,D,A
3. Non-VisualGroups scenario 2:
Call 1 does not come from the VisualGroups queue.
The call rings at A and is not answered.
*Order of call 2 = A,B,C,D
Strategy “Pure”: Based on the number of connected queue calls
Technical Information
Triggers that reset the timestamp waiting since:
Handling VisualGroups calls only
*disconnecting a call (inbound)
Examples:
1 VisualGroups scenario:
*Order of call 1 = A,B,C,D
The call rings at A and is not answered.
The call rings at B, is connected and then disconnected.
*Order of call 2 = A,C,D,B
2. Non-VisualGroups scenario:
Call 1 does not come from the VisualGroups queue.
The call rings at A, is connected and then disconnected.
*Order of call 2 = A,B,C,D
Strategy “Skill based”: Distribution of callers based on to skills & skill level of the users
From VisualGroups 1.6.0.0 on, with an Enhanced licence you can use the call forwarding strategy Skill based to automatically assign callers to the most appropriate user. VisualGroups uses pre-configured ‘Skills' and assigned ‘Skill levels' to automatically select the best available user for a call.
For the configuration of skills and skill levels, see 2.2.8 Skill based routing.
When a call is processed by a queue, all assigned VisualGroups users are taken into account. The call strategy prioritises users with higher skill levels over users with lower skill levels, also taking into account availability based on SwyxIt! status. If a user has selected Offline or DND, it is skipped.
The order of skill levels is: Hero > Expert > Senior > Junior. Users who have not assigned all the skills required for the queue will not receive calls from this queue. If several available users have the same skill level, the “normal” call strategy takes effect according to the longest inactive principle.
If several skills are assigned, the highest skill level a user has in a skill counts for the call distribution. There is no prioritisation or summation of skills.
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If no skills have been assigned in a queue with skill based routing, all agents are taken into account.
 
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When using skill based routing, the user's wait and time criterion are disabled for the specific queues. However, a user can still use the Call dispatch option to enable or disable routing of a specific queue.
 
Example:
Users
Skill 1 level
Skill 2 level
Idle since
A
Hero
Expert
2 minutes
B
Expert
Hero
10 minutes
C
Expert
Senior
15 minutes
D
[not assigned]
[not assigned]
35 minutes
*Order on the next call: B > A > C
User A and B both have the highest skill level Hero in a skill. User B is idle for longer, therefore B > A. User C comes after users B and A due to his lower skill level.
Even though user D has the longest waiting time, he does not receive the call because he has not been assigned the skills required for the queue. User D is not assigned to the queue as a user.
Strategy “Parallel”: Call is placed simultaneously to all users in the queue
If the call strategy Paralle" is used for the queue, a call rings simultaneously for all users in the queue. The call can be picked up by any user in the queue.
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The Parallel strategy imitates a parallel group call from SwyxWare. The Do Not Disturb (DND) presence status is not taken into account here, i. e. calls are delivered to all logged-in users in the queue despite Do Not Disturb being activated.
 
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When using parallel routing, the user's wait and time criterion are disabled for the specific queues. However, a user can still use the Call dispatch option to enable or disable routing of a specific queue.
 
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If you have allowed secondary calls via SwyxIt!, you will also receive another group call during an active call when using parallel routing.