Automated Testing at a glance

Spearline Automated Testing

*Data correct as of ....

Spearline Transforming Global Communications

Inbound Outbound PSTN Mobile SIP ConnectionPost Dial

DelayCLI DTMF

Audio Quality

Latency Long Call FaxCall

ForwardTwo Way

Audio

Connection *

Audio Quality *

Latency

Long Call

Fax Test

Test Type

Direction Channel Test Flow

Possible Not possible Toll Free Only

OverviewThe Spearline Platform automatically tests high volumes of toll and toll-free numbers with automated alerts for non-functioning numbers.

Spearline operates physical servers from within each country, which means the tests are carried out within the same country as the TFN, with failures reported in real time. Our infrastructure is built using digital PRI lines which use standard ISDN signaling. From these lines, our platform can determine whether a call connects. This allows customers to identify if numbers are failing to connect to the contact centre or IVR. We use ITU standards PESQ and POLQA, to measure and analyse audio quality.

Benefits

→ Live in-country testing

→ No installation

→ Identify transcoding

→ Measure using objective industry standards, PESQ and POLQA

→ Customisable reports

→ 24/7 testing support

→ Platform can be easily adapted to suit your requirements

→ Account Manager

→ Hybrid Alerts

The Spearline Platform allows customers to identify call failures and determine if they are caused by carrier issues or issues at the terminating contact centre or IVR.

SL_13a

Spearline Automated testing allows customers to ensure their numbers are operational and generating revenue in-country.

Poor audio quality often means a customer can’t complete the objective of a call. It has a negative effect on average call duration, customer experience and call abandonment rates.

In digital networks, carriers have the ability to transcode audio from excellent quality codecs such as G711 to lower quality codecs such as G729 or GSM. Companies have no visibility when this happens on their networks.

Spearline uses the ITU standards, PESQ and POLQA, to measure and analyse audio quality through testing. These metrics use characteristics such as audio sharpness, call volume, background noise, latency, clipping and audio interference when generating an audio quality score.

The CDR information we provide along with the scores allows customers to manage ongoing carrier relationships by holding them to SLAs and make key routing decisions based on objective reporting.

This allows our customers to have visibility of their customer experience, proactively improve Average call Handling Times (AHT) and dramatically reduce downtime.

Connection failures can be caused by issues with carriers or issues at the terminating contact centre or IVR.

Spearline operates physical servers from within each country. Our infrastructure is built using digital PRI lines which use standard ISDN signalling. From these lines, our testing can determine whether a call connects. This allows customers to identify if numbers are failing to connect to the contact centre or IVR.

Our platform configures tests to allow customers to identify if connection failures are carrier or termination issues.

Test Flow

Spearline Transforming Global Communications

Spearline Automated testing also reports on the following aspects of call flows:

Post Dial Delay (PDD) is experienced by the customer as the time from the sending of the final dialled digit to the point at which they hear ring tone or other in-band information. In short, it is the time taken between call origination to the connect time. The contact centre often doesn’t receive these customer calls due to carrier issues. From the customer perspective, it will seem as though the call simply went unanswered by an agent.

Some guidelines have been established for the post dial delay metric and are accepted industry-wide. The ITU E.721 standard defines target values for different call types.

Our tests allow customers to identify Post Dial Delay on individual numbers and resolve the issue before it has a chance to impact contact centre efficiency and customer experience.

Caller ID is a call centre software feature that is integral to the call centre’s overall effectiveness. It is key in the identification of callers, routing of calls to the most appropriate agent and in providing relevant information about the caller to agents.

Accurate CLI information means agents can provide a more personalised and professional experience to callers. It also helps to acquire new phone numbers associated with the caller as well as store these numbers in the call centre software database and integrated CRM solution.

Connection

Post Dial Delay

CLI/ANI

According to Spearline data, 9.4% of calls are over the ITU PDD standard of 8 secs

SL_13a

The above table shows the target Post Dial Delay values.

Call Type Post Dial Delay Target (Normal Load)

Local Connection 3 secs

Toll Connection 5 secs

International Connection 8 secs

Spearline Automated Testing

Where CLI is inconsistent or not being transmitted, it is an identifier that grey routes are being used by the carrier, which impacts overall contact centre performance and agent efficiency.

To verify CLI transmission, our platform automatically places a call to the customers numbers. We provide our customers with a list of CLIs. Where these CLIs are enabled by a CLI lookup table, we are able to verify that CLI has been transmitted along the full call path. This allows our customers to ensure that information is being transmitted to agents consistently, ensuring optimum contact centre efficiency and full confidence in their telecoms network.

Effective DTMF functionality is key for customers to be able to navigate through to the correct agent, where a call connects to an IVR application. When DTMF tones fail in contact centres, it causes customers to arrive at the wrong call destination, which has a big impact on contact centre efficiency, call handling time and call abandonment rates.

Spearline test calls can be configured to navigate through IVR paths by sending DTMF tones which will verify performance. This allows customers to replicate the customer experience from the outside in and ensure accuracy across customer call flows.

Test Flow

DTMF

The Call Forward Test is an excellent way to determine the point of connection failure and origin of the issue. It allows customers to measure the performance of their infrastructure through the customer’s PBX. The customer forwards a number on their PBX to our client’ toll or toll free number. The Spearline server can then test and benchmark performance on both our customer and their customer’s numbers.

In some cases, the customer call may connect but silence or dead air is present on the line. This is usually caused by RTP traffic. RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) is a network protocol for delivering audio and video over IP networks. RTP is used extensively in communication and entertainment systems that involve streaming media, such as telephony, video teleconference applications, television services and web-based push-to-talk features.

Spearline tests can be configured to both send and record audio. This is useful for determining where calls are silent or have dead air. This enables contact centres to proactively improve call abandonment rates by resolving the issues as they occur.

Spearline Transforming Global Communications

Two Way Audio

Measuring audio quality performance of numbers allows customers to measure key components of their telephony infrastructure such as carrier routes and termination points, allowing them to make more informed and strategic business decisions.

Audio quality can also be benchmarked on a per country basis using Spearline data. This allows client to view telephony performance in the context of the industry average, on a per country basis.

SL_13a

A white route is a route where both source and destination are legal termination.

A black route is one that is illegal on both ends.

Grey routes are routes that are legal for one country or the party on one end, but illegal on the alternative end. Grey routes may sometimes be cheaper alternatives for carriers providing VoIP.

Call Forward

Spearline Automated Testing

How it works

Spearline Transforming Global Communications

01 Automated test calls are placed from within the same country as the toll or toll-free number (TFN) being tested.

02 Calls are connected to a test audio prompt by enabling an ANI/CLI check or navigating through a hidden IVR option.

03 A recorded test prompt is played back from the PSTN during the test call and is measured for quality using the international industry standard PESQ measurement scale.

04 The result of the test call is reported in the system in real time with automated failure alerts generated if required.

05 Your audio quality score is benchmarked against over 30 million tests carried out by Spearline.

06 The entire test call is recorded for playback at any time.

BRAZIL800

USACONTACT

CENTRE

PBX

DID

DID

2

HIDDENIVR

PROMPT

DID

800

800

800

800

800

BRAZIL800

USACONTACT

CENTRE

PBX

DDI

DDI

2

HIDDENIVR

PROMPT

DDI

800

800

800

800

800

3

1

Audio Quality Test - Outbound

About Spearline

Spearline specialises in testing global toll and toll-free numbers using in-country calls and measuring the audio quality and connectivity of those calls. The tests are carried out through the Spearline Platform and a worldwide network of servers and carriers. Spearline provides a full range of end to end testing solutions for large enterprise clients including Manual, Automated and Hybrid IVR testing.

For more information or to arrange a demo contact sales@spearline.com

SL_13a

Spearline Automated Testing