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    Interactive Voice Response in University of Management & Technology

    Implementing Interactive VoiceResponse System In

    University of Management &Technology

    by

    Uzma Mansoor 095121014

    Muhammad Waqas 095021009

    Under the guidance of

    MR. Irfan Qazi

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    ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    This work is a result of inspiration, support, guidance, co-operation

    and facilities that were extended to us at their best by persons at all

    levels. We feel really proud to say that we have worked under the

    guidance of a helping personality Mr. Irfan Qazi Assistant Professor of

    the University.

    We would like to express our gratitude to our teacher for his

    encouragement and providing special dedicated time for the work. We

    would also like to thank Mr Abubakar Malik, Admission Officer and

    Mr.Shaquat Mehmood, Officer Records in University of Management

    and Information Technology, Lahore for his kind patience to clear our

    queries.

    We like to thank our Dean of SBE Dr. Sarwar Azhar for providing all

    the facilities and working environment in the University. We also like

    to thank the entire university faculty who helped us directly or

    indirectly to complete our work.

    We also thank the telephone exchange department for helping us

    regarding queries in Call transfers to different departments aspects of

    the University.

    Uzma Mansoor

    Muhammad Waqas

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    Abstract

    Interactive voice response (IVR) systems have been around for some

    time to help guide customers to appropriate business units or

    information. However, with the use of Internet technologies and

    wireless phones on the rise, coupled with the rapid development in

    the speech recognition and speech synthesis technologies, new doors

    for voice technology are opening to test demand in the marketplace.

    Whats more convenient than picking up a phone? One can have

    instant access to the information needed to make business operate

    more efficiently. Many businesses are betting that consumers will

    embrace any technology that provides real-time access to

    information piped through their regular telephone, wireless phone or

    voice-connected handheld device.

    A system in which the input and/or output are through a spoken,

    rather than a graphical, user interface is what we call as Interactive

    voice response system or simply IVR system. The web has made it

    possible to access information at the click of the mouse. In recent

    years the meaning of what a client has grown from the desktop

    computers to other clients like phones and mobile pieces. This is

    where voice control came in.

    Analyzing the requirements of the need for implementing the voice

    systems, our dissertation work concentrate on proposal of

    implementing an interactive voice response in University of

    Management and Technology. At the client side it consists of a

    telephone or cell phone connected to a Public Switching Telephone

    Network. In the middle tier it consists of voice server equipped with

    VoIP gateway, which facilitate the users of PSTN to connect to the

    voice application that works in the IP network. This voice server

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    identifies the call made by users of telephone network, initiates the

    voice application, presents the user with the required information and

    terminates the call when the user wants to exit from the application.

    Database server stores the information of an enterprise or institute in

    terms of tables where one can store the necessary information to

    present it to users. It can be used with any phone at anywhere. One

    can dont have to put up with entering data using tiny keypad, but

    rather one can interact with the service in a very natural manner.

    The dissertation work aims at suggesting the implementation of an

    IVR system for UMT. It promises a good speech interface to make the

    user feel comfortable to interact with the system.

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    Table of Contents

    1 Chapter 1..................................................................................8

    1.1 History of University of Management & Technology...............................8

    1.2 The Journey from ILM to UMT.................................................................81.3 About the University of Management and Technology...........................8

    1.4 UMT Vision is Learning...........................................................................9

    1.5 UMT Mission is Leading...........................................................................9

    1.6 Authorities of UMT..................................................................................9

    1.7 UMT Today............................................................................................10

    1.8 UMT Mission Statement:.......................................................................10

    1.9 UMT Website.........................................................................................11

    1.10 Faculty of UMT...................................................................................11

    1.11 Schools in UMT..................................................................................11

    1.12 Statistics............................................................................................11

    1.13 UMT Campus Projects........................................................................12

    1.14 Collaboration with other Institutions..................................................12

    2 Chapter 2................................................................................14

    2.1 Introduction to IVR................................................................................14

    2.2 Typical Types of IVR ............................................................................15

    2.3 Typical uses..........................................................................................17

    2.4 Voice-activated dialers.........................................................................19

    2.5 Entertainment and information............................................................19

    2.6 Outbound calling..................................................................................20

    2.7 How users can access the IVR application?..........................................20

    3 Chapter 3................................................................................22

    3.1 Problem Definition................................................................................22

    3.2 The existing Scenario...........................................................................243.3 Admission Season Issues......................................................................26

    3.4 Telephone Exchange Issues.................................................................27

    3.5 ASU Issues............................................................................................27

    3.6 Registrar Office Issues..........................................................................28

    4 Chapter 4................................................................................30

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    4.1 How IVR works?....................................................................................30

    4.2 Main business drivers for undertaking this study:-...............................31

    5 Chapter 5................................................................................33

    5.1 IVR applications in UMT........................................................................33

    5.2 Technologies used................................................................................35

    5.3 Benefits of IVR......................................................................................37

    5.4 Conclusion............................................................................................37

    5.5 Chapterization......................................................................................37

    6 Chapter 6................................................................................38

    6.1 IVR Platforms........................................................................................38

    6.2 IVR Applications....................................................................................38

    6.3 Back-end servers..................................................................................386.4 Telephony Infrastructure......................................................................39

    6.5 IVR Experts...........................................................................................39

    6.6 Weighing the Options...........................................................................39

    6.6.1 Hosted vs. On-Premise....................................................................40

    6.6.2 Speech Rec. vs. Touch-Tone...........................................................43

    6.6.3 Automation vs. Live Agents............................................................45

    6.6.4 VoIP vs. PSTN..................................................................................46

    6.6.5 Web vs. Phone Self Service.............................................................476.7 Personalized IVR...................................................................................47

    7 Chapter 7 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION..........................................51

    7.1 HARDWARE CONFIGURATION...............................................................51

    7.2 SOFTWARE PLATFORM..........................................................................51

    7.3 IVRS CONFIGURATION..........................................................................52

    8 Chapter 8 IVR Implementation in UMT.......................................53

    8.1 Admission Department.........................................................................53

    8.2 Registrar Department...........................................................................55

    8.3 ASU Department...................................................................................57

    8.4 Office of Treasurer................................................................................59

    8.5 UMT Exchange Office............................................................................61

    8.6 Implementation Strategies (suggested)...............................................63

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    8.6.1 Implementation of IVR as Hosted Solution......................................63

    8.6.2 Implementation of IVR as on Premise Solution...............................65

    9 Chapter 9 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...............................66

    10 Chapter 10............................................................................6910.1 Conclusion and Future scope of the work..........................................69

    10.1.1 Conclusion...................................................................................69

    10.2 Minimized delays...............................................................................69

    10.3 Future Scope of the work...................................................................70

    10.4 Benefits To Your Business..................................................................70

    10.5 Benefits To Your Customers..............................................................70

    10.6 Key Features......................................................................................71

    10.7 Tradeoffs of IVR Systems...................................................................7210.8 Recommendation...............................................................................72

    11 Abbreviations........................................................................73

    12 List of Figures.......................................................................73

    13 References............................................................................73

    References

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    1Introduction

    1.1History of University of Management &Technology

    UMT was founded in 1990 as the Institute of Leadership and Management(ILM). ILM was established by leading educationalists, professionals, andindustrialists with an aim to enhance the organizational and individualeffectiveness. Guided by the noble mission of helping others in actualizingtheir limitless human potential to its finest shape, ILM sought to respond to the

    challenges of information-based economy, globalization, and ever increasingcomplexity.

    UMT now an independent, not-for-profit, private institution of higher learning received her degree-granting charter first as the Institute of Managementand Technology (IMT) in 2002 through an Act of the Assembly of the Punjab.Later, on 16 June 2004, IMT became University of Management andTechnology through the passing of a similar Act by the Punjab Assembly. InMarch 2010 UMT has become one of the few universities in Lahore thatorganizes Job Fair.

    1.2The Journey from ILM to UMTThe University of Management and Technology (UMT) has its roots in theInstitute of Leadership and Management (ILM), which was established inLahore in 1990. Spurred on by the great success of ILM, the institution appliedfor a University Charter, which was granted to it in 2004.

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    UMT is a project of the ILM Trust. It is an independent, non-for-profit privateorganization. Its degrees are fully recognized by the Higher EducationCommission (HEC) of Pakistan. In September 2007, HEC awarded "W"Category to UMT. UMT now ranks among the few select universities in thecountry in this category.

    1.3About the University of Managementand Technology

    The University of Management and Technology (UMT) is one of the premierhigher education institutions of the country. It is an urban, co-educationalinstitution that is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research. It providesa wide range of degree programs that match international standards.

    The University takes pride in its institutional climate and academic culture. Itprovides a friendly and highly supportive environment to its students. Thereare ample opportunities for positive interaction between students and faculty.UMT encourages students to be receptive to new ideas, to ask objectivequestions and to pay attention to detail in order to infuse participants with anaptitude for lifelong learning. It values freedom of speech, permits dissent andwelcomes diversity of views. It aims to produce well-rounded individuals whocan make positive contributions to society on a personal and professionallevel.

    UMT believes that a University has a primary role in producing citizens whowill be leaders and decision makers of the future. More than anything else,UMT is proud of its high quality academic programs. The curriculum not onlyprovides a solid foundation of the disciplines involved but also imparts specificskills and specializations that the students are looking for.

    The University responds to change both in the workplace and in academicscholarship. Its courses are highly demanding and relevant to therequirements of the modern work environment. At UMT, life-long learning isnot mere a slogan. UMT provides a basis for the professional development ofboth teachers and students.

    1.4UMT Vision is Learning

    It defines our existence, inspires all stakeholders associated with us, creates apowerful momentum inside, and responds to the challenges outside. Itcontinues to evolve as present captures new realities and foresight unfoldsnew possibilities. All in an incessant attempt to help individuals andorganizations discover their God-given potentials to achieve Ultimate Success

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    actualizing the highest standards of efficiency, effectiveness, excellence,equity, trusteeship and sustainable development of global human society.

    1.5UMT Mission is Leading

    We aspire to become a learning institution and evolve as the leadingcommunity for the purpose of integrated development of the society byactualizing strategic partnership with stakeholders, harnessing leadership,generating useful knowledge, fostering enduring values, and projectingsustainable technologies and practices.

    1.6Authorities of UMT

    The following Authorities of the University are important functionaries that

    play an important role in the management and overall decision makingprocess of the University of Management and Technology. Their involvementin University affairs is essential for its smooth functioning and is also a sourceof pride for us as they have demonstrated exceptional knowledge andexpertise in their respective domains.

    Academic Council Board of Advanced Studies and Research Selection Board Finance and Planning Committee

    1.1UMT TodayIn a short period of time, University of Management and Technology hasestablished itself as a leading forum for creativity and enquiry based learning.In developing a management and technological focus designed to encouragestudents to become enlightened citizens fully cognizant of their rights andresponsibilities, UMT's aim has been to impart a degree of knowledge andskills that will enable students to pursue a successful career and contribute toproductive activities; sensitize students to ethical values and be tolerant ofcultural diversity; motivate students to pursue excellence in their chosen field,seek broader and higher objectives and strive to serve the community, andsociety as a whole.

    In September 2007, the Higher Education Commission (HEC),Pakistan, upgraded the category of UMT from Category X/ previousCategory B to Category W/ previous Category A. UMT now ranksamong the few selected universities in the country in this category.

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    Accreditation by Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC): Recently,PAKISTAN ENGINEERING COUNCIL has accredited UMT's BS-ElectricalEngineering program. Dean Name : IMTIAZ ALI SANDHUAs UMT completes its academic year, there are two important developments,which promise a bright future for the University:

    The first phase of the 20-acre (81,000 m2) purpose-built campus in JoharTown , has been completed and was commissioned early this year. The entirestudent body was shifted to the new campus in a phased manner. The campusincorporates all the essential features of a modern university meetinginternational standards and offers excellent facilities for teaching and learning.After the completion of the final phase, the campus will accommodate nearly5000 students.

    The range of programs being offered by the University have been widened toinclude areas of specialization that would open up greater opportunities forour graduates in the job markets at home and abroad. Some of the new

    degree programs introduced are Human Resource Management, Media andCommunications, Applied Linguistics and Industrial Management.University of Management and Technology's mission is to prepare a new breedof leaders, courageous, sincere individuals with the intellectual abilities, crosscultural versatility, practical skills and ethics needed to operate in today'sbusiness world. UMT website and prospectus spells out in considerable detail,the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate courses that the

    University is currently offering. Faculty and staff at UMT will be more than gladto meet parents and prospective students to explain courses and assist inselection of possible career paths that each course can lead to.

    1.2UMT Mission Statement:

    "We aspire to become a learning institution and evolve as the leadingcommunity for the purpose of integrated development of the society byactualizing strategic partnership with stakeholders, harnessing leadership,generating useful knowledge, fostering enduring values, and projectingsustainable technologies and practices."

    1.3UMT Website

    The UMT website has been updated and enriched with the latest news andupdates about the University and information about courses currently beingoffered. The admission procedures have also been simplified to enablestudents to access on-line registration at UMT.

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    1.4 Faculty of UMT

    Consisting of over 110-fulltime and more than 50 part time faculty members.Moreover about two dozen faculty members have doctoral degrees.

    1.5 Schools in UMT

    School ofScience &Technology School ofBusiness & Economics School ofSocial Sciences & Humanities Institute OfAudit and Accountancy

    1.1 Statistics

    UMT Founded as ILM in: 1990 Students: nearly 8000 Alumni: 9000+ Full-time faculty: 200+ full time and more than 50 part-time faculty

    members with about two dozen PhDs PhD theses supervised by the faculty: 52 Financial aid recipients: 700+ Average award: 50% of total fee Degrees: Doctoral, Masters, Bachelors Disciplines: Commerce, Accounting, Business Administration, Banking

    and Finance, Business and IT, Computer Sciences, Economics,Education, Engineering, Management, Textiles, Power and EnergySystems, Power Systems, Information Systems, Linguistics, AppliedLinguistics, English Literature, Media and Communication, ElementaryEducation, Secondary Education, Social Sciences, EducationalLeadership Management, English Language Teaching, MontessoriEducation

    Library books: 50,000+ Journal subscriptions: 150 printed, 20,000 electronic Computer network: Computer network consists of more than 1300 nodes

    with a bandwidth of 8 MB. Wireless connectivity is also available.

    Labs: Chemistry & Wet Processing, Physics & Electronics, DigitalSystems, Software Usability, Computer Networks, Garments, Weaving &Knitting, Projects

    Boys hostels capacity: 2500 Girls hostels capacity: 1000 hostel condition excellent New campus location: 20-acre (81,000 m2) purpose built campus in Johar

    Town, Lahore was commissioned in mid 2007.

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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sciencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Businesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Scienceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accountancyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sciencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Businesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Scienceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accountancy
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    1.1 UMT Campus Projects

    UMT campus is being built in Pakistan's cosmopolitan city of Lahore. Campussite is located on prime land in Johar Town.

    The courses currently being undertaken range from education, professionaldevelopment and executive training to research and publishing. Around 2500participants are pursuing professional education at graduate and master levelsin the areas of management sciences, information technology, education andarts, media and communications, and commerce and accounting. It is hence,the social benefit, which is prominently aimed at in UMT's academic andextracurricular pursuits.

    Spread over an area of 625 kanals, the site is within few minutes approachfrom city, western suburbs and societies. The site is located in Jahur Townwithin a minute drive from Akbar Chowk, Lahore. This campus will provide

    education to about six thousands students at any time. UMT is also member ofAACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Institutions of Business, USA)and EFMD (The European Foundation for Management Development, UK). Theprocess of EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) accreditation isalso under way.

    1.2Collaboration with other Institutions

    The university encourages collaborations with other universities and academicinstitutions. All of our schools are actively involved in collaboration of facultybetween different schools, and collaboration with other universities and R&Dorganizations in the country and abroad. Academic collaborations andcourse/student transfer agreements have been signed with several local andinternational academic institutions that include:

    National University of Computing and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NUCES),LahorePakistan Readymade Garments Training Institute (PRGTI), LahoreUniversity of Bedfordshire, UKMultimedia University, MalaysiaStockholm University School of Business, SwedenNational Productivity Organization (NPO)Eastern Michigan University (EMU)

    INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP: UMT has become an institutional member ofAsia Pacific Quality Network (APQN).The Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN) has been developed with the purposeof serving the needs of quality assurance agencies in higher education in aregion that contains over half the worlds population.

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    http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_University_of_Computing_and_Emerging_Sciences&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Bedfordshirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia_Universityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_Universityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_University_of_Computing_and_Emerging_Sciences&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Bedfordshirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia_Universityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_Universityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden
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    2What is an IVR?

    2.1Introduction to IVRThe blueprint for IVR began in 1941, when the Bell System developed a newtone dialing methodology. Bell unveiled the first telephone that could dial areacodes using DTMF technology at the Seattle World Fair in 1962. DTMFtelephones enabled the use of inband signaling, i.e., they transmit digitalcodes in the same 300 Hz to 3 kHz range occupied by the human voice.

    Despite the fact that more companies began using the system in the 1970s toautomate tasks in call centers, the technology was still costly and complicatedwhich made for low market penetration. However, by the 1980s a number ofnew competitors entered the market and uptake of IVR technology started toincrease.

    When call centers began to migrate to multimedia contact centers in the late90's, companies began to invest in Web-enablement and Computer TelephonyIntegration (CTI) with IVR systems. IVR became vital for call centers deployinguniversal queuing and routing solutions and acted as an agent which collectedcustomer data to enable intelligent routing decisions.

    Having remained technologically static since its development in the 1980s,speech recognition started to become more common and cheaper to deploy.This was due to increased Computer Processing Power and the migration ofSpeech applications from propriety code to the VXML standard. Theintroduction of the VXML standard also simplified the integration process

    between IVR systems and any back end hosts.

    IVR technology is one that is related to the masses in general or can affectthe masses on a larger scale. This technology can dramatically improve theefficiency and productivity of the Universitys administrative personnel whileproviding a flexible and cost-effective service to students/parents.

    Giving information to university students, Institute scholars, informationabout progress of student to Parents is one such problem.

    2.2Typical Types ofIVRVoice applications will typically fall

    into one of the following categories.Queries and Transactions.

    Queries: In this scenario, acustomer, who can be a student or a

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    parent, calls into a system to retrieve information from a Web-basedinfrastructure. The system guides the customer through a series of menus andforms by playing instructions, prompts, and menu choices using prerecordedaudio files or synthesized speech. The customer uses DTMF input to makemenu selections and fill in form fields. Based on the customers input, thesystem locates the appropriate records in a back-end enterprise database. The

    system presents the desired information to the customer; either by playingback prerecorded audio files or by synthesizing speech based on the dataretrieved from the database.

    Examples of this type of self-service interaction include applicationsproviding status reports, course registered, courses offered, result of thestudent, event listings, admission dates, last date for form submission andcustomer service information.

    Transactions:In this scenario, a customer, who can be a student ora parent, calls into a system to execute specific transactions with a Web-basedback-end database. The system guides the customer to provide the data

    required for the transaction by playing instructions, prompts, and menuchoices using prerecorded audio files or synthesized speech. The customerresponds using DTMF input.

    Based on the customers input, the system conducts the transaction andupdates the appropriate records in a back-end enterprise database. Typicallythe system also reports back to the customer, either by playing prerecordedaudio files on the information in the database records. Examples of this type ofself-service interaction include applications Fee submission, financialtransactions, fine imposed, calendar appointments, electronic relationshipmanagement (ERM) and order management.

    IVR = Interactive Voice ResponseGeneral term for any computerized, automated telephone system.Historically used to refer to touch-tone systems, IVR has evolved to includeboth touch-tone and speech-recognition based systems.

    Caller InputTouch-Tone, a.k.a., DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency)Speech Recognition, a.k.a., ASR (Automated Speech Recognition)

    System ResponseTTS (Text-to-Speech) Digitized voice typically used to play back dynamic

    information to callers. Recorded Audio

    (e.g., .wav files) Pre-recorded sound files for play back of static information;or, when stitched together, can be used to play back dynamic information.

    Objective

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    The goal of a good IVR application is to connect callers with the informationthey are seeking as quickly and as efficiently as possible, which may meaneither a fully automated response to the callers inquiry, or connecting thecaller to the most appropriate live agent.

    1.1Typical usesIVR systems are typically used to service high call volumes, reduce cost andimprove the customer experience. Examples of typical IVR applications aretelephone banking, televoting, and credit card transactions. Large companiesuse IVR services to extend the business hours of operation.

    Call centers use IVR systems to identify and segment callers. The ability toidentify customers allows the ability to tailor services according to thecustomer profile. It also allows the option of choosing automated services.Information can be fed to the caller allowing choices such as: wait in thequeue, choose an automated service, or request a callback (at a suitable time

    and telephone number).

    The use of CTI will allow the IVR system to look up the caller line identification(CLI) on a network database and identify the caller. This is currently accuratefor about 80% of inbound calls. In the cases where CLI is withheld orunavailable, the caller can be asked to identify themselves by other methodssuch as a PIN or password. The use of DNIS will ensure that the correctapplication and language is executed by the IVR system.

    CTI allows a contact center or organization to gather information about thecaller as a means of directing their inquiry to an appropriate agent. CTI canalso extract important or relevant information about the individual customer

    from the database, making for a more effective and efficient service.The use of IVR and voice automation enables a company to improve itscustomer service and lower its costs, due to the fact that callers' queries canbe resolved without the cost of a live agent who, in turn, can be directed todeal with specific areas of the service. If the caller does not find theinformation they need, or require further assistance, the call is thentransferred to an agent who can deal with them directly through CTIintegration. This makes for a more efficient system in which agents have moretime to deal with complex interactions, for example, customer retention, upselling, cross selling and issue resolution.

    This way, the customer is more likely to be satisfied with a personalizedservice and the interaction is likely to be more fulfilling and rewarding for theagent, as opposed to dealing with basic inquiries that require yes/noresponses, such as obtaining customer details. Employee satisfaction isimportant in the telecommunications industry due to the fast turnover of staff,IVR is therefore one way of retaining a workforce and allowing them to do amore effective job.

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    IVR also enables customer prioritization. In a system wherein individualcustomers may have a different status the service will automatically prioritizethe individual's call and move prime customers to the front of the callingqueue.

    Finally, IVR may be used by survey organizations for asking more sensitivequestions where the investigators are concerned that a respondent might feelless comfortable providing these answers to a human interlocutor (such asquestions about class, teacher etc). In some cases an IVR system can be usedin the same survey in conjunction with a human interviewer. For example,during the survey the interviewer might inform the respondent that for thenext series of questions they will be sent to an IVR system to continue orcomplete the interview.

    1.2Voice-activated dialersVoice-Activated Dialer (VAD) IVR systems are now used to replace theswitchboard or PABX (Private Automatic Branch exchange) operators and are

    used in many hospitals and large businesses to reduce the caller waiting time.An additional function is the ability to allow external callers to page hospitalstaff and transfer the inbound call to the paged person.

    1.3Entertainment and informationThe largest installed IVR platforms are used for applications such as tele-voting on television game shows, which can generate enormous call spikes.Often, the network provider will have to deploy call gapping in the publicnetwork to prevent network overload.

    The following are some of the more common uses of an IVR:

    Mobile Pay-As-You-Go account funding

    Telephone banking balance, payments, and transfers

    Mobile purchases particularly for mobile content, such as ring tonesand logos

    Caller identification and routing

    Order placements credit card payments

    Airline ticket booking, flight arrivals, flight departures, check-in

    Adult entertainment dating, chat line, etc.

    Weather forecasts

    1.1Outbound callingIVR systems can be used for outbound calls, as IVR systems are moreintelligent than dialer systems and can recognize different line conditions asfollows:

    RNA Ring No Answer

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    Answered by voice mail or answering machine (In this circumstancesthey can leave a message)

    Fax tone (IVR can leave a TIFF image fax message)

    Answer (IVR can tell the customer who is calling and ask them to wait foran agent)

    Recognize divert messages and abandon call.

    IVR uses Call Progress Detection to monitor line conditions, and report to theIVR database.

    1.1How users can access the IVRapplication?

    Once the voice applications are deployed, users simply dial the telephonenumber that the user provide and are connected to the corresponding voice

    application. Answer the telephone call Play a prompt Wait for the callersresponse Take action as directed by the caller Complete the interaction

    (i). A user dials the telephone number provided to the application. The IVRanswers the call and executes the application referenced by the dialedphone number.

    (ii). The IVR plays a greeting to the caller and prompts the caller to indicatewhat information he or she wants. The application can use prerecordedgreetings andPrompts or synthesize them from text.

    (iii). The application waits for the callers response for a set period of time.The caller can respond by pressing one or more keys on a DTMF telephoneKeypad, depending on the types of responses expected by the application.If the response does not match the criteria defined by the application (suchas the specific digits), the voice application can prompt the caller to enterthe response again, using the same or different wording.

    (iv). The application takes whatever action is appropriate to the callersresponse. For example, the application might update information in adatabase, retrieve information from a database and speak it to the caller. It

    also involves store or retrieve a voice message, launch another application,Play a help message after taking action, the application prompts the callerwith what to do next.

    (v). The caller or the application can terminate the call. For example, thecaller can terminate the interaction at any time, simply by hanging up; theIVR can detect if the caller hangs up and can disconnect itself. If theapplication permits, the caller can use a command to explicitly indicate that

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    the interaction is over (for example, by pressing 9). If the application hasfinished running, it can play a closing message and then disconnect.

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    2Calls in UMT

    2.1Problem DefinitionUntil recently, the World Wide Web has relied exclusively on visualinterfaces to deliver information and services to users via computersequipped with a monitor, keyboard, and pointing device. In doing so, a hugepotential customer base has been ignored: people who (due to time,location, and/or cost constraints) do not have access to a computer.

    Many of these people do, however, have access to a telephone. Providingconversational access (that is, spoken input and audio output over atelephone) to Web-based data will permit companies to reach this untappedmarket.

    Users benefit from the convenience of using the mobile Internet for self-service transactions, while companies enjoy the Webs relatively lowtransaction costs. And, unlike that rely on dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF)(telephone key press) input, IVR applications can be used in a hands-free oreyes-free environment, as well as by customers with rotary pulse telephoneservice or telephones in which the keypad is on the handset

    Even though you made the website perfectly dynamic using manytechnologies, users cannot feel it more comfortable as it requires them to sitin a static place before a terminal and access the required information. Butits not possible for mobile users, to perform a transaction or get the desiredinformation through desktops PC. What they want is that they can be able to

    do it from anywhere through any network like PSTN, Internet, mobilenetwork.

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    Figure 1: UMT Exchange

    The figure above shows the percentage of total 3000 calls to differentdepartments of the university. The figure shows that 40% of the calls aretransferred to admissions office daily. The information required by thecallers are simple FAQs which can easily be answered by an IVR.

    2.2The existing Scenario

    Now a days University maintain student dairy to communicateforthcoming events, progress of student etc.

    Teachers mark their notes about absenteeism of student in studentdairy.

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    Parents/Students will have to go to University premises to collect theFee bill and then pay the fees at bank counter located near university.

    Students wish to inquire about particular course offered by universityhave to walk to university inquiry counter, ask questions to get thedetails. This is very difficult for students who live very far.

    Telephone calls are transferred from exchange to different

    departments. Admission officers keep on repeating the information during

    admission season. New students are called through exchange for their interview timings. Registrar officers have to repeat information regarding convocation;

    new courses add or drop late dates. ASU received call for information on makeup classes and class

    timings.

    Figure 2: Information Calls

    The figure above shows the information calls made to different departmentswith nearly 200 calls daily for information for admission and more than 140

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    calls daily for admission status check. Other departments also have repeatedinformation calls but rather in a low volume as compared to admissions office.

    Figure 3: Call Status for Three Lines

    The above figure shows the status of the three telephone lines at UMT.The graph shows a number of abandoned calls and waiting calls.

    1.1Admission Season Issues Maximum three representatives.

    Average calls per day 500.

    Average Call duration 5 minutes

    Call Abandon Rate 40% to 50%

    90% to 95% representatives providing answers of same questions:

    Application submission last dates

    Program detail and admission criteria

    Fees Structure

    Program Schedules and Timing

    Location of University and its Timing

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    Call abandon rate can easily be decrease by adding more lines to IVRsolution

    IVR application can answers all FAQ to the candidates/callers

    IVR can transfer the call to representative if needed.

    IVR will be available 24X7 to entertain large numbers of calls around the

    clock

    1.1Telephone Exchange Issues Total call volume per day approx . 3000

    Manually transferring the calls to concern departments and persons.

    An unwanted extra role of front office to perform by Exchange Staff

    What positive values an IVR applications can add?

    An IVR application can directly transfer the call to concern departmentor person.

    IVR will intimate the Caller if call not transferred, give option to callbackor leave the message for concern person.

    1.1ASU Issues Typical calls received

    Teacher is not available

    Students asking for makeup class

    Time Table Courses offered

    Academics

    What positive values an IVR applications can add?

    An outbound IVR canreach to all students ifTeacher is not available intimely fashion.

    IVR can seamlessly

    answers all FAQ, no needto engage persons

    1.1RegistrarOffice Issues

    Call volume 80 to 125calls per day

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    They also answers to FAQ related to their departments like

    Result Declaration Date

    Fee Matters Status

    Fine Detail

    Admission and Financial aid Detail Convocation Dates

    What positive values an IVR applications can add?

    An IVR application can answers all these FAQs

    Feed Back IVR

    An outbound IVR automatically can reach the parents of thosestudents who have:

    Low CGP

    Absent

    Provide any other important information or ask them for anappointment.

    Figure 4: Expected Calls After IVR Implentation

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    The above figure shows the expected received calls after the implementationof IVR. The graph also tells the present value of received calls which is verylow.

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    1Working of IVRs

    1.1How IVR works?

    IVR System allows clients (here client is parents/students/schooladministration/school finance department) to make calls over atelephone line through toll free numbers or dedicated direct linesthereby enabling the Service providers/School administration/Instituteauthorities to provide relevant information over the same telephone lineto their clients.

    The IVR system is a computer program that allows interactive sessionswith students/parents without a teacher having to be present or acts as

    a reporting tool for finance department without any manual/paper work.

    IVR interacts with the caller to determine (via collection of rollnumber/registration id of student or special pin entered by caller orcombination of both) who is calling and the reason for the call.

    The IVR can also provide automated services to the caller i.e.information on University forthcoming events etc.

    The IVR acts as a play-and-collect box where the only call routing logicthat exists is to provide fall back routing capability.

    The IVR performs a database lookup based upon the collected uniqueroll number/registration number and passes the data to database bywhich caller can listen real time data e.g. exam results, any fineimposed on childrens etc.

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    Figure 5: Working of IVR

    Every IVR is in the form of call flow diagram. This diagram shows allpossible paths that can be traversed through the system by a caller. Forexample, University Information Broadcast wherein information such asparent notices, extra-curricular activities and others information can belisten in real time environment.

    1.1 Main business drivers for undertakingthis study:- An improved end-user satisfaction to help customer retention and

    bring loyalty. Here customer is parents/guardians Bring Cost benefits to school/Institutes using IVR applications Improved communication effectiveness Exploring the use of new technologies to enhance experience

    Now a days organizations particularly in US/Europe are moving towardsSchool Interactive Voice Response System (IVR). Its a known fact that it isvery critical to incorporate customers needs and expectations into the IVRapplications but using technology advancement, IVR facilitating better

    Communication between parents, students and universities; and it allowsparents and students, access to the latest universitys activities moreconveniently.

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    The IVR system can be easily centrally hosted any IVR vendor on whichuniversity need only using the system management interface to customizetheir needs. No hardware and software maintenance responsibility is forcedon universities.

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    1IVR in UMT

    1.1IVR applications in UMT

    IVR applications can be built for multiple functionalities which is not limitedto

    Homework assignment helpline Pay University fees through credit/debit cards University information on forthcoming events - allows parents access to

    the latest university activities more conveniently Exam schedules Exam results

    Offer details of courses/subjects offered in university Talk to teachers/lecturers Self study/evaluation

    IVR systems are especially useful in case of call centers to respond tothe customers in voice and transfer the calls to other informationsystems.

    Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system enabled World Wide Websites(internet) make the information reachable even to telephones and cell phones. This facilitates the user to get the information easily by just dialing theparticular server using their handsets at any time round the clock.

    Interactive Voice Response (IVR) applications enable callers to query andmodify database information over their telephone by dialing digits on theirtelephone. Callers can use their touch-tone pad to input requests, such asregistering for a course, obtaining a course schedule, or requesting Feebalance information and the database speaks information back to the caller-using Text-to-Speech.

    IVR offers customers and businesses a new level of freedom by enabling themto conduct transactions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Businesses of allsizes are realizing the tremendous benefits of IVR applications for their callprocessing and information delivery needs. IVR functionality links a phone

    system to a database to provide customers with 24-hour immediate access toaccount information, via telephone.

    To ensure security IVR can be set up to allow the caller access to accountinformation only if the caller enters a valid account number and correspondingpersonal identification number.

    IVR allows full connectivity to the most popular databases including MicrosoftAccess, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Fox Pro, DBase. One can read information

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    from, and write information to, databases, as well as make a query databasesand can return information.

    The application files can reside on the local system, an intranet, or theInternet. Users can access the deployed applications anytime, anywhere, from

    any telephony-capable device, and you can design the applications to restrictaccess only to thosewho are authorized toreceive it.

    1.1

    Technologies usedDTMF signals (entered via the telephone keypad) and natural languagespeech

    recognition interpret the caller's response to voice prompts.

    An IVR can be utilized in several different ways:

    1. Equipment installed on the customer premise

    2. Equipment installed in the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network)

    3. Application service provider (ASP).

    4. Hosted IVR

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    A simple voice mail system is different from IVR in that it is person-to-person,whereas an IVR is person to computer. IVR voice forms can be used to providea more complex voice mail experience to the caller. For example, the IVRcould ask if the caller wishes to hear, edit, forward or remove a message thatwas just recorded.

    An automatic call distributor (ACD) is often the first point of contact whencalling many larger businesses. An ACD uses digital storage devices to playgreetings or announcements, but typically routes a caller without promptingfor input. An IVR can play announcements and request an input from thecaller.

    This information can be used to profile the caller and route the call to an agentwith a particular skill set. (A skill set is a function applied to a group of call-center agents with a particular skill.)

    Interactive voice response can be used to front-end a call center operation byidentifying the needs of the caller. Information can be obtained from the callersuch as account numbers. Answers to simple questions such as account

    balances or pre-recorded information can be provided without operatorintervention.

    Account numbers from the IVR are often compared to caller ID data forsecurity reasons and additional IVR responses are required if the caller ID datado not match the account record.

    IVR call flows are created in a variety of ways. A traditional IVR dependedupon proprietary programming or scripting languages, whereas modern IVRapplications are structured similar to Web pages, using Voice XML[2], CCXML[3],SRGS[4], SALT or T-XML languages.

    The ability to use XML developed applications allows a Web server to act as anapplication server, freeing the developer to focus on the call flow. It waswidely believed that developers would no longer require specializedprogramming skills, however this has been proven to be misguided as IVRapplications need to understand the human reaction to the application dialog.This is the difference between a good user experience and IVR hell.

    Higher level IVR development tools are available in recent years to furthersimplify the application development process. A call flow diagram can bedrawn with a GUI tool and the application code (Voice XML or SALT) can beautomatically generated.

    In addition, these tools normally provide extension mechanisms for software

    integration, such as HTTP interface to Web site andJava interface forconnecting to a database.

    In telecommunications, an audio response unit (ARU) is a device thatprovides synthesized voice responses to DTMF key presses by processing callsbased on (a) the call-originator input, (b) information received from adatabase, and (c) information in the incoming call, such as the time of day.

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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voicemailhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_call_distributorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_centerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_IDhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VoiceXMLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_Application_Language_Tagshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_serverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_serverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_(programming_language)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voicemailhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_call_distributorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_centerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_IDhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VoiceXMLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_Application_Language_Tagshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_serverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_serverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_(programming_language)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications
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    ARUs increase the number of information calls handled and to provideconsistent quality in information retrieval.

    1.1Benefits of IVR Increased Customer Satisfaction

    Decreased or no wait times.

    Retrieval of information is faster and can happen round-the-clock.

    Connection to appropriate agent, no multi-transfers.

    High-quality, consistent service.

    Increased Business Efficiencies

    Fewer agents (or none) required; many queries can be answeredin an automated fashion.

    Agents handle fewer routine, low-value calls and have more timeto address customer issues of higher business value.

    Cost per interaction is drastically lower with IVR than a live agent.

    Automatically scaleable to meet peak demands in usage.

    1.1Conclusion This chapter chronologically analyzes the tools and technologies for

    developing the IVR applications. It emphasizes the various benefits for usingIVR in UMT.

    1.2Chapterization The subsequent chapters deal with the system architecture, problemformulation, and implementing IVR in UMT.

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    2Requirements of an IVR-To deliver or leverage IVR, an enterprise requires following

    2.1IVR PlatformsIVR platforms are the "server and operating system" hardware and softwareplatforms on which IVR solutions run.

    IVR platforms at a minimum provide the ability to play and record prompts andgather touch-tone input. IVR platforms may also offer the ability to recognizespoken input from callers (voice recognition), translate text into spoken outputfor callers (text-to-speech), and transfer IVR calls to any telephone or callcenter agent.

    2.2IVR ApplicationsIVR applications are programs that control and respond to calls on the IVRplatform. IVR applications can either be developed by an enterprise, by an IVRdevelopment shop, or by companies that offer canned IVR applications.

    IVR applications direct the IVR platform to prompt callers, gather input, andtransfer callers to other phones. IVR applications also call on existing back-enddatabase and application servers to retrieve records and information requiredduring the course of a call.

    2.3Back-end serversBack-end servers are existing enterprise servers on which the requiredcustomer or corporate data can be found.

    Back-end servers can include databases, mainframes, Java or other applicationservers, and third party information services and solutions.

    2.4Telephony InfrastructureTelephony infrastructure includes telephone lines, call switching equipment,and call center Automatic Call Distributors (ACDs).

    Telephone lines for IVR can be standard analog lines, digital T1, or digital ISDNlines. These lines are connected on one side to the IVR platform and, on theother, to call switching equipment including Telco switches, Voice over IPgateways, and corporate PBX's; or in some cases, directly to call centers viaan ACD.

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    2.5IVR ExpertsIVR Experts include employees and consultants who know IVR technology andchallenges well.

    Ideally, IVR teams should include one or more members who have experiencewith IVR integration, configuration, reliability and redundancy, applicationdevelopment, and IVR solution deployment management.

    2.6Weighing the OptionsThere are a number of options to consider when designing and implementingan IVR system:

    Hosted vs. On-Premise Speech Recognition vs. Touch-Tone Outsourcing vs. contact center automation

    Automation vs. Live Agents VoIP vs. PSTN Web Self Service vs. Phone Self Service

    1.1.1Hosted vs. On-Premise

    Figure 6: Hosted Solution

    Hosted

    Benefits Minimize capital expense and development expense

    Leverage outsourcers expertise in speech, telephony, and datacenter operations

    Technology upgrades are taken care of by provider

    Planning for peak capacity handled by provider

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    Tradeoffs

    May not be well-suited for very high-volume applications

    Control of call infrastructure handed over to provider (but notnecessarily application development or business logic)

    Figure 7: On Premise Solution

    On-Premise

    Benefits

    Lower telco cost at very high call volumes

    Full control of infrastructure

    Tradeoffs

    Upfront capital expense

    Application development is cumbersome

    Requires dedicated operations personnel and facilities

    Serving peak capacity can result in inefficient use of resources inoff-peak

    Hosted vs. on-premise IVR

    With the introduction of Web services into the Contact Center, integration hasbeen simplified. The use of Web based applications allow IVR applications to

    be hosted remotely from the contact center. This allows the use of hosted IVRapplications using speech to be made available to smaller Contact Centersacross the globe and is likely to lead to an expansion of ASP (ApplicationService Providers).

    IVR applications can also be hosted in the public network, which do notrequire contact center integration. This will include public announcementmessages or message services for small business. It is also possible to use twoprong IVR services where the initial IVR application is used to route the call tothe appropriate contact center. This can be used to balance loading across

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    multiple contact centers or provide business continuity in the event of systemoutage.

    Outsourcing vs. contact center automation

    Contact centers are very expensive to run, and can be seen as a drain oncompanies' operations. Contact centers are usually seen as cost centers,

    however, the ability to convince customers to buy services and products canreduce operational expenditure.Methods of reducing contact center running costs includeoutsourcing andautomation. Outsourcing to other countries can reduce operationalexpenditure by as much as 30%, however, differences in culture and languagecan prove problematic for customers, whose dissatisfaction can lead tocustomer complaints and loss of business. Also, it is more difficult to sell tocustomers from foreign contact centers.Automation in a contact center can also reduce operational expenditure byaround 30% though the introduction of technologies such as customerprofiling, CTI, and IVR using speech recognition. The use of automation in the

    contact center promotes efficiency, allowing contact centers to be located inthe country from which the call is originated. Customer satisfaction can bemonitored by the use of customer survey applications. The information fromsurvey applications can be used to improve customer service.

    Total Cost of Ownership for

    On-Premise Deployments

    (Redundant) Servers

    (Redundant) Networks

    (Redundant) Storage

    VoiceXML Platform

    Speech Recognition Licenses

    Text-to-Speech Licenses

    Maintenance Fees

    T1s + Phone charges

    Data Center(s)

    Maintenance Staff

    Professional Services

    Technology Replacement (Obsolete)

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    Multi-Vendor Selection Process

    1.1.1Speech Rec. vs. Touch-Tone

    Touch-Tone

    Navigating an IVR menu tree by pressing numbers on a keypad Benefits

    Works reliably when the number of options is limited

    More traditional, so there is no learning curve

    Better for sensitive information

    Easier to develop application

    Tradeoffs

    Lower automation rates than speech recognition

    Difficult to use with a large number of options

    Does not handle alphanumerics, names and addresses

    Difficult to use in a hands-free environment

    Perceived as older, less human technology

    Speech Recognition

    The ability to navigate an IVR menu tree through voice instead of thekeypad

    Benefits

    Speech is a necessity when needing a large number of options(states, musical groups, stocks, U.S. Senators)

    Capture Name and Address, Alphanumerics

    Can be more convenient for callers, such as callers who are driving

    Has the wow factor for engaging customers more directly thantouch-tone

    Increases automation rates over touch-tone

    Tradeoffs

    Application development can be more complex (error handling)

    May not work well for sensitive information (CC, PIN, Account #s)

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    1.1.1Automation vs. Live Agent

    Automation

    Benefits

    Per minute costs are much lower

    Provides 24*7*365 access to information for all, and ready accessfor callers without web access

    Often more efficient than talking to an agent, esp. for repeatcallers

    Offers consistent service quality and easily handles repetitivetasks

    Often preferred for personal or sensitive information

    Tradeoffs

    Not as personal as a live agent

    Often seen as a barrier by callers

    Cannot automate all services required by callers

    Live Agents

    Benefits

    Seen as more customer-friendly callers like talking to agents

    More traditional, so frustration levels can be decreased

    Agents can handle tasks not possible through automation

    Tradeoffs

    Costs are much higher when including salaries, benefits, officespace, etc.

    Agents perform repetitive tasks, leading to higher turnover

    Not consistent callers experience differs by agent

    Waiting on hold for a routine task is inefficient for callers

    Bottom Line: Automate straightforward tasks and transactions (seePersonalized IVR), but always provide option for live agent

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    1.1.1VoIP vs. PSTN

    VoIP: Voice over Internet Protocol

    Benefits

    Through associated protocol, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), datacan be passed along with the call

    Can carry phone calls into the IVR and transfer calls out of the IVRto live agents

    Typically less expensive than PSTN

    Tradeoffs

    Call quality can be diminished depending on the bandwidthavailable through the end-to-end connection over the IP network

    issues can include delays, static and echoing.

    PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network

    Benefits

    Consistent high audio quality

    Typically already in place at most facilities

    Not affected by power outages

    Traditional technology that all agents know

    Tradeoffs

    Difficult to pass additional information along with the call

    Typically more expensive than VoIP

    1.1.1Web vs. Phone Self Service

    Web and Phone self service are complementary channels for providingself service to customers, partners, and employees

    Web and Phone can (and should) use the same backend database(s) topower the interaction with visitors and callers

    The telephone extends the reach of Web applications, providing on-the-go, convenient access without duplicating infrastructure

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    1.1Personalized IVR

    Personalized IVR

    Uses customer profile data to power the IVR interaction

    Engages in one-to-one dialog with caller

    Two-way benefit

    Reduced cost to companythrough efficient automationof call

    Increased customersatisfaction through quick

    answers to common questions

    Better tracking and monitoring ofcustomers

    Keys to Offering Personalized IVR

    Uniquely identify callers (Caller ID,Account Number,Phone Number)

    Lookup caller profile in customer database

    Identify different bins that callers fall into, and create customized callflows for each bin

    Optimize for the frequent callerexperience

    Technical Requirements

    Web-based transactional CRM

    system Integrated customer data

    Organizing an Effective Team

    Business Roles

    Business Project Manager

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    Maintains budget, schedule, and project timeline.

    Call Center Manager

    Manages call center agents, introduces and trains agents on newtechnology.

    Technical Roles

    Technical Architect

    Defines technical interfaces between systems.

    Programmer

    Writes code to link IVR with backend CRM/database systems.

    VUI Designer

    Writes prompts, designs call flow, where the science meets theart.

    Measuring Success

    Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for IVR

    Automation Rate (Caller Self-Service)

    Abandon Rate

    Call Duration

    Zero-out

    Tools for Measuring Success

    Wizard of Oz testing

    Data capture and reporting in IVR

    Call recording

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    1SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

    1.1HARDWARE CONFIGURATION Intel Pentium-IV @ 2.6 Ghz. RAM 512 MB HDD 1 X 40 GB SAVG 15 Monitor FDD 1.44 MB 52X Samsung CD ROM Drive Mouse with Mouse pad Key Board 4 PCI SLOT COMPEX PS2208B 8 CHANNEL HUB Dot Matrix Printer TVSE MSP 245

    2 Serial / 1 Parallel / 2 USB Port (Support for ECC / EPP) 32 Bits 10 / 100 Mbps Ethernet Card with UTP Support. PSTN Interface Card

    1. Trunk Card: PSTN2. Interface Card for 30 Channels Support R2MFC Signaling.3. Intel Dialogic Card

    1.2 SOFTWARE PLATFORM

    Operating System: Windows 2000 Professional with license and CD Media. Anti Virus Software: Norton 2005. 180 IVRS Software with Manual Dialogic Software

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    1.3IVRS CONFIGURATION

    Figure 8: Generic Architecture

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    2IVR Call flows in UMTWe are proposing following IVR call flows or Voice User Interface (VUI) toaddress issues and problems that are being faced by different departments ofUMT.

    1: Admission Department2: Registrar Department3: ASU Department4: Office of Treasurer5: UMT Exchange

    2.1Admission Department

    This department facing major issues during the admission season when dailythey have to entertain more than 500 calls those are almost consist of similarsort of queries related to admission criteria, program outline, scope, deadlineto submit application, test and interview dates etc.

    Currently in this department three persons are working, to handle huge callvolume. They usually stay late night to answers maximum calls but still callabandon rate is 40% during the admission season.

    Their job nature becomes very hectic and boring to answers same sort of

    question whole day especially during admission season.

    We have discussed with them in detail to understand their problems, based ontheir requirements we are proposing an IVR solution following are few benefitsof this:

    Call abandon rate can easily be decrease by adding more lines to IVRsolution during admission season.

    IVR application can answers all FAQ to the candidates/callers IVR can transfer the call to representative if needed. IVR will be available 24X7 to entertain large numbers of calls around the

    clock

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    Proposed IVR Call Flow for Admission Office

    Welcome to UMT

    For English Please Press One

    Urdu kay leiy Do Milain

    To know the location of UMT Please Press One

    For latest Information about admission Please

    Press Two

    To get the Admission Status Please Press Three

    To get the UMT Timings Please Press Four

    To Talk to Admin Office Please Press Zero

    For admission office please press one

    For registrar office please press two

    For ASU office please press three

    For Office of Treasurer please press four

    For directory service please press five

    University of Management

    and Technology

    C-II, Johar Town, Lahore

    Email: [email protected]

    For undergraduate program please press

    one

    For graduate program please press two

    For doctoral program please press three

    For professional program please press four

    For diploma program please press five

    Please

    Adm

    IVR will

    candid

    IVR playbacks the

    UMT current timing

    Transfer the

    call to

    Admission

    Office

    0

    1

    4

    1 2 3

    FAQ related to Undergraduate

    program.

    Note: Caller can talk to Admin

    office by press zero key anytime

    FA related to doctoral

    FAQ related to professional

    program.

    Note: Caller can talk to Admin

    office by press zero key anytim

    FAQ related to di

    3

    4

    1

    2

    5

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    1.1Registrar Department

    Registrar office is daily receiving 80 to 120 calls per day most of the callers areasking following questions:

    Result Declaration Date Fee Matters Status Fine Detail Admission and Financial aid Detail Convocation Dates

    In addition to this registrar office also contact with the parents of thosestudents who are getting low CGPA to inform progress report of student.

    We are proposing inbound and outbound IVR solution for registrar office thatwill give a relief to registrar office staff because IVR solution will become thefront line agent to answer all FAQ to the caller instead these calls answered bythem and they can focus on their core duties that will defiantly enhance theirmoral and productivity level.

    The outbound IVR automatically interact with student database and prepare alist of student those CGAP is not meeting the UMT standard along with theircontact information. After preparing the list outbound IVR will start reachingparents and conveying prerecorded message to them. This would save a lot of

    registrar office time because they do not worry to invest time to manuallyprepare a list and reaching or sending reports to parents all this will be doneautomatically by IVR solution.

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    Proposed IVR Call Flow for Registrar Office

    Welcome to UMT

    For English Please Press One

    Urdu kay leiy Do Milain

    To know the result declaration date please Press One

    For Fine detail Please Press Two

    For financial aid detail Please Press Three

    To know the upcoming convocation date Please Press Four

    To Talk to Registrar Office Please Press Zero

    For admission office please press one

    For registrar office please press two

    For ASU office please press three

    For Office of Treasurer please press four

    For directory service please press five

    For undergraduate program please press one

    For graduate program please press two

    For doctoral program please press three

    For professional program please press four

    For diploma program please press five

    Transfer the

    call to

    Registrar

    Office

    0

    2

    1

    FAQ related to late fee fine detail

    Note: Caller can talk to registrar

    office by press zero key anytime

    2

    FAQ related to fin

    Note: Caller can talk

    office by press zero

    3

    4

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    1.1ASU Department

    Typically ASU receiving calls of following nature:

    Teacher is not available Students asking for makeup class Time Table Courses offered

    All these information is easily provided through IVR system where studentscan simply dial in and retrieve relevant information through system instead tocontact directly with ASU department representative.

    Sometime if teacher is not available most of students lodged complaints thatthey were not informed on timely fashion, to address this issue one alternative

    solution is outbound IVR that will reach to every student and inform him/herabout the schedule of teacher.

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    Proposed IVR Call Flow for ASU Office

    Welcome to UMT

    For English Please Press OneUrdu kay leiy Do Milain

    For latest information availabil ity of teacher please Press One

    For latest information about makeup classes please Press two

    For latest information about time table please Press Three

    For latest information about the course being offered for the

    next semester please press four

    To Talk to ASU Office please press zero

    For admission office please press one

    For registrar office please press two

    For ASU office please press three

    For Office of Treasurer please press four

    For directory service please press five

    IVR wi ll playback information (if

    any) regarding unavailability of

    teacher on current day .

    Transfer the

    call to ASU

    Office

    0

    3

    1

    IVR will playback information (if

    any) regarding makeup classes

    which are schedule on current

    day.

    2

    IVR will playback th

    3

    4

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    1.1Office of Treasurer

    Mostly student calls this department to check the status about their dues thisinformation can easily provided through IVR. In addition to this IVR can playthe history of the account settlements and playback the due dates and

    amount of future installments.

    On suggestion UMT dues can be paid through IVR by using Credit Card but thisarea requires certifications to ensure the critical nature of data must besecured and to meet the different service provider (vendors) requirements.

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    Proposed IVR Call Flow for Office of Treasurer

    Welcome to UMT

    For English Please Press One

    Urdu kay leiy Do Milain

    To know the status your last payment please press one

    For historical information about your account please press two

    For future installments and amount please press three

    To Talk to Treasure Office please press zero

    For admission office please press one

    For registrar office please press two

    For ASU office please press three

    For Office of Treasurer please press four

    For directory service please press five

    Please enter your

    student ID

    Transfer the

    call to

    Treasure

    Office

    0

    4

    Please enter your PIN

    321

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    1.2UMT Exchange Office

    UMT exchange office daily receives around 3000 calls and mostly they aremanually transferring these calls to relevant department and persons. There

    are slightly high chances calls are being dropped during transferring due tovarious reason e.g.Person unavailability

    Transferred to wrong extension Dropped due to malfunction

    We are proposing an IVR solution that can automatically route the call toconcern department or person and will intimate to the caller if the person isnot available either caller can record a message or transfer the call to anotherextension if need be.

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    Proposed IVR Call Flow for Exchange Office

    Welcome to UMT

    For English Please Press On

    Urdu kay leiy Do Milain

    If you know your extension

    please dial now or press zero f

    operator help

    For admission office please press

    For registrar office please press tFor ASU office please press thr

    For Office of Treasurer please pre

    For directory service please press

    Transfer the

    call to

    Exchange

    Office

    5

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    1.1Implementation Strategies(suggested)

    The proposed solution can be implemented either by deploying the IVR onthird party IVR service provider or developed using free open source Software.We are providing brief detail about both solutions:

    1.1.1Implementation of IVR as Hosted Solution

    VOXEO

    VOXEO one of the leading IVR hosted service provider in the world that is alsoproviding services in Pakistan as well.

    For detail information about VOXEO please visit the following site.http://www.voxeo.com/

    Benefits of Hosted Solution:

    No Telecom H/W Require Easily integrate with existing Infrastructure (desktop/Web base) Provide Local DNIS

    Cost Estimation

    It would cost $ 0.09 per minute i.e. Rs. 7.56 ($1 = Rs. 84) They will also charge one time setup fee. Annual Local DID/DNIS fee that would be around $200 There should at least buy 500 minutes per month

    8.6.2 Software/Hardware Requirements

    VOXEO is providing W3C VXML 2.1 based solution i.e. similar model for anyweb base application.

    On the Web, browsers make requests -- via internet protocols such as HTTP --to Web servers. These Web servers host both static pages and dynamicapplications which return HTML to the browser. The result is a visual pagethat is viewable in a Web browser.

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    http://www.voxeo.com/http://www.voxeo.com/
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    Figure 9: General Architecture of Browser Base Application

    On the Voxeo network, voice applications follow the same browser model asstandard Web pages. Instead of HTML, phone markup (VoiceXML, CCXML, orCallXML) is used to write the page. When processed by the Voxeo VoiceCenternetwork, these pages return audio to the caller.

    Figure 10: General Architecture of VXML Base Application

    So for hosting solution there is no any specific hardware requirements we canuse the existing Web Server and develop the server side application using anylanguage on which we have expertise.

    1.1.1Implementation of IVR as on Premise Solution

    Asterisk

    We would suggest to develop IVR in house develop solution we should usefollowing open source software

    1: Asterisk (IP PBX, S/W based VoIP Solution)2: Asterisk AGI (SDK to develop IVR on Asterisk platform)3: PHP (Programming language to write IVR call flow/script4: Linux Cent OS

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    For detail information about Asterisk please visit the following site.http://www.asterisk.org/

    Benefits of in house solution:

    Maximum flexibility

    No monthly charges

    Cost Estimation

    Hardware Requirements

    Asterisk Server Desktop machine (PIV 2 GHz , 1 GB RAM, HD 100 GB) Cost Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000

    Telecom Card

    4 Ports $ 700 (Rs. 60000) 8 Ports $ 1000 (Rs. 840000)

    Proposed solution with Asterisk

    Figure 11: General Architecture of Asterisk Centric Application

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    http://www.asterisk.org/http://www.asterisk.org/
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    1FREQUENTLY ASKEDQUESTIONS

    (FAQs)

    Q.1 How can the IVRS be useful for UMT customers? The IVRS is fully automatic computerized system, which offers services

    24*7*365. It also provides the efficient method to monitor theperformance of calls.

    Q.2 Who can get services from IVRS? All the PSTN/Cell Phonesubscribers of UMT can get theservices from IVRS.

    Q.3 What type of services can beoffered to the UMT subscriberthrough IVRS?

    Course registration Enquiry / Assistance

    Q.4 In what conditions, the callingsubscriber lands to the IVRSoperator terminals?

    Caller can communicate withrelevant department repre