Introduction - Web viewImplementing Interactive Voice Response System In. University of Management ... our dissertation work concentrate on proposal of ... the World Wide Web

Interactive Voice Response in University of Management & Technology

Implementing Interactive Voice Response 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. What’s 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 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.

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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 don’t 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...........................................................................................8

1.3 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........................................................................................................24

3.3 Admission Season Issues..................................................................................................26

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

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

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

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

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..............................................................................................................38

6.4 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.......................................................................................47

6.7 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

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

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

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.....................................................................................................................69

10.1 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..............................................................................................72

10.8 Recommendation.........................................................................................................72

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

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

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

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1 Introduction

1.1 History of University of Management & TechnologyUMT was founded in 1990 as the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). ILM was established by leading educationalists, professionals, and industrialists with an aim to enhance the organizational and individual effectiveness. Guided by the noble mission of helping others in actualizing their limitless human potential to its finest shape, ILM sought to respond to the challenges of information-based economy, globalization, and ever increasing complexity.

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

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

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

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1.3 About the University of Management and TechnologyThe University of Management and Technology (UMT) is one of the premier higher education institutions of the country. It is an urban, co-educational institution that is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research. It provides a wide range of degree programs that match international standards.

The University takes pride in its institutional climate and academic culture. It provides a friendly and highly supportive environment to its students. There are ample opportunities for positive interaction between students and faculty. UMT encourages students to be receptive to new ideas, to ask objective questions and to pay attention to detail in order to infuse participants with an aptitude for lifelong learning. It values freedom of speech, permits dissent and welcomes diversity of views. It aims to produce well-rounded individuals who can make positive contributions to society on a personal and professional level.

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

The University responds to change both in the workplace and in academic scholarship. Its courses are highly demanding and relevant to the requirements of the modern work environment. At UMT, life-long learning is not mere a slogan. UMT provides a basis for the professional development of both teachers and students.

1.4 UMT Vision is LearningIt defines our existence, inspires all stakeholders associated with us, creates a powerful momentum inside, and responds to the challenges outside. It continues to evolve as present captures new realities and foresight unfolds new possibilities. All in an incessant attempt to help individuals and organizations discover their God-given potentials to achieve Ultimate Success actualizing the highest standards of efficiency, effectiveness, excellence, equity, trusteeship and sustainable development of global human society.

1.5 UMT Mission is Leading We aspire to become a learning institution and evolve as the leading community for the purpose of integrated development of the society by actualizing strategic partnership with stakeholders, harnessing leadership, generating useful knowledge, fostering enduring values, and projecting sustainable technologies and practices.

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1.6 Authorities of UMT The following Authorities of the University are important functionaries that play an important role in the management and overall decision making process of the University of Management and Technology. Their involvement in University affairs is essential for its smooth functioning and is also a source of pride for us as they have demonstrated exceptional knowledge and expertise in their respective domains.

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

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

In September 2007, the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, upgraded the category of UMT from ‘Category X’/ previous ‘Category B’ to ‘Category W’/ previous ‘Category A’. UMT now ranks among the few selected universities in the country in this category.Accreditation by Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC): Recently, PAKISTAN ENGINEERING COUNCIL has accredited UMT's BS-Electrical Engineering 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 Johar Town , has been completed and was commissioned early this year. The entire student body was shifted to the new campus in a phased manner. The campus incorporates all the essential features of a modern university meeting international standards and offers excellent facilities for teaching and learning. After the completion of the final phase, the campus will accommodate nearly 5000 students.

The range of programs being offered by the University have been widened to include areas of specialization that would open up greater opportunities for our graduates in the job markets at home and abroad. Some of the new degree programs introduced are Human Resource Management, Media and Communications, Applied Linguistics and Industrial Management.

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University of Management and Technology's mission is to prepare a new breed of leaders, courageous, sincere individuals with the intellectual abilities, cross cultural versatility, practical skills and ethics needed to operate in today's business 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 glad to meet parents and prospective students to explain courses and assist in selection of possible career paths that each course can lead to.

1.8 UMT Mission Statement: "We aspire to become a learning institution and evolve as the leading community for the purpose of integrated development of the society by actualizing strategic partnership with stakeholders, harnessing leadership, generating useful knowledge, fostering enduring values, and projecting sustainable technologies and practices."

1.9 UMT WebsiteThe UMT website has been updated and enriched with the latest news and updates about the University and information about courses currently being offered. The admission procedures have also been simplified to enable students to access on-line registration at UMT.

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

1.11 Schools in UMT School of Science & Technology School of Business & Economics School of Social Sciences & Humanities Institute Of Audit and Accountancy

1.12 Statistics UMT Founded as ILM in: 1990 Students: nearly 8000

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accountancy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanities

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Sciences

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science


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 Energy Systems, Power Systems, Information Systems, Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, English Literature, Media and Communication, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Social Sciences, Educational Leadership Management, English Language Teaching, Montessori Education

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, Digital Systems, 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.

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

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

Spread over an area of 625 kanals, the site is within few minutes approach from city, western suburbs and societies. The site is located in Jahur Town within a minute drive from Akbar Chowk, Lahore. This campus will provide education to about six thousands students at any time. UMT is also member of AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Institutions of Business, USA) and EFMD (The European Foundation for Management Development, UK). The process of EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) accreditation is also under way.

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1.14Collaboration with other Institutions The university encourages collaborations with other universities and academic institutions. All of our schools are actively involved in collaboration of faculty between different schools, and collaboration with other universities and R&D organizations in the country and abroad. Academic collaborations and course/student transfer agreements have been signed with several local and international academic institutions that include:

National University of Computing and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NUCES), Lahore Pakistan Readymade Garments Training Institute (PRGTI), Lahore University of Bedfordshire, UK Multimedia University, Malaysia Stockholm University School of Business, Sweden National Productivity Organization (NPO) Eastern Michigan University (EMU)

INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP: UMT has become an institutional member of Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN). The Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN) has been developed with the purpose of serving the needs of quality assurance agencies in higher education in a region that contains over half the world’s population.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_University

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia_University

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Bedfordshire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahore

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_University_of_Computing_and_Emerging_Sciences&action=edit&redlink=1


2 What is an IVR?2.1 Introduction to IVRThe blueprint for IVR began in 1941, when the Bell System developed a new tone dialing methodology. Bell unveiled the first telephone that could dial area codes using DTMF technology at the Seattle World Fair in 1962. DTMF telephones enabled the use of inband signaling, i.e., they transmit digital codes 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 to automate tasks in call centers, the technology was still costly and complicated which made for low market penetration. However, by the 1980s a number of new competitors entered the market and uptake of IVR technology started to increase.

When call centers began to migrate to multimedia contact centers in the late 90's, companies began to invest in Web-enablement and Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) with IVR systems. IVR became vital for call centers deploying universal queuing and routing solutions and acted as an agent which collected customer 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 of Speech applications from propriety code to the VXML standard. The introduction 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 affect the masses on a larger scale. This technology can dramatically improve the efficiency and productivity of the University’s administrative personnel while providing a flexible and cost-effective service to students/parents.

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

2.2 Typical Types of IVR Voice applications will typically fall into one of

the following categories. Queries and Transactions.

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Queries: In this scenario, a customer, who can be a student or a parent, calls into a system to retrieve information from a Web-based infrastructure. The system guides the customer through a series of menus and forms by playing instructions, prompts, and menu choices using prerecorded audio files or synthesized speech. The customer uses DTMF input to make menu selections and fill in form fields. Based on the customer’s input, the system locates the appropriate records in a back-end enterprise database. The system presents the desired information to the customer; either by playing back prerecorded audio files or by synthesizing speech based on the data retrieved from the database.

Examples of this type of self-service interaction include applications providing status reports, course registered, courses offered, result of the student, event listings, admission dates, last date for form submission and customer service information.

Transactions: In this scenario, a customer, who can be a student or a parent, calls into a system to execute specific transactions with a Web-based back-end database. The system guides the customer to provide the data required for the transaction by playing instructions, prompts, and menu choices using prerecorded audio files or synthesized speech. The customer responds using DTMF input.

Based on the customer’s input, the system conducts the transaction and updates the appropriate records in a back-end enterprise database. Typically the system also reports back to the customer, either by playing prerecorded audio files on the information in the database records. Examples of this type of self-service interaction include applications Fee submission, financial transactions, fine imposed, calendar appointments, electronic relationship management (ERM) and order management.

IVR = Interactive Voice Response

General term for any computerized, automated telephone system.Historically used to refer to touch-tone systems, IVR has evolved to include both touch-tone and speech-recognition based systems.

Caller Input

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

System Response

TTS (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.

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Objective

The goal of a good IVR application is to connect callers with the information they are seeking as quickly and as efficiently as possible, which may mean either a fully automated response to the caller’s inquiry, or connecting the caller to the most appropriate live agent.

2.3 Typical usesIVR systems are typically used to service high call volumes, reduce cost and improve the customer experience. Examples of typical IVR applications are telephone banking, televoting, and credit card transactions. Large companies use IVR services to extend the business hours of operation.

Call centers use IVR systems to identify and segment callers. The ability to identify customers allows the ability to tailor services according to the customer profile. It also allows the option of choosing automated services. Information can be fed to the caller allowing choices such as: wait in the queue, 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 accurate for about 80% of inbound calls. In the cases where CLI is withheld or unavailable, the caller can be asked to identify themselves by other methods such as a PIN or password. The use of DNIS will ensure that the correct application and language is executed by the IVR system.

CTI allows a contact center or organization to gather information about the caller as a means of directing their inquiry to an appropriate agent. CTI can also 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 its customer service and lower its costs, due to the fact that callers' queries can be resolved without the cost of a live agent who, in turn, can be directed to deal with specific areas of the service. If the caller does not find the information they need, or require further assistance, the call is then transferred to an agent who can deal with them directly through CTI integration. This makes for a more efficient system in which agents have more time to deal with complex interactions, for example, customer retention, up selling, cross selling and issue resolution.

This way, the customer is more likely to be satisfied with a personalized service and the interaction is likely to be more fulfilling and rewarding for the agent, as opposed to dealing with basic inquiries that require yes/no responses, such as obtaining customer details. Employee satisfaction is important 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 a more effective job.

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

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

2.4 Voice-activated dialersVoice-Activated Dialer (VAD) IVR systems are now used to replace the switchboard 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 hospital staff and transfer the inbound call to the paged person.

2.5 Entertainment 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 public network 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 tones and 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

2.6 Outbound callingIVR systems can be used for outbound calls, as IVR systems are more intelligent than dialer systems and can recognize different line conditions as follows:

RNA — Ring No Answer Answered by voice mail or answering machine (In this circumstances they can leave a

message)

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Fax tone (IVR can leave a TIFF image fax message) Answer (IVR can tell the customer who is calling and ask them to wait for an agent) Recognize divert messages and abandon call.

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

2.7 How users can access the IVR application?Once the voice applications are deployed, users simply dial the telephone number that the user provide and are connected to the corresponding voice application. Answer the telephone call Play a prompt Wait for the caller’s response Take action as directed by the caller Complete the interaction

(i). A user dials the telephone number provided to the application. The IVR answers the call and executes the application referenced by the dialed phone number.

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

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

(iv). The application takes whatever action is appropriate to the caller’s response. For example, the application might update information in a database, 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 caller with what to do next.

(v). The caller or the application can terminate the call. For example, the caller can terminate the interaction at any time, simply by hanging up; the IVR can detect if the caller hangs up and can disconnect itself. If the application permits, the caller can use a command to explicitly indicate that the interaction is over (for example, by pressing “9”). If the application has finished running, it can play a closing message and then disconnect.

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3 Calls in UMT3.1 Problem Definition

Until recently, the World Wide Web has relied exclusively on visual interfaces to deliver information and services to users via computers equipped with a monitor, keyboard, and pointing device. In doing so, a huge potential 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. Providing “conversational access” (that is, spoken input and audio output over a telephone) to Web-based data will permit companies to reach this untapped market.

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

Even though you made the website perfectly dynamic using many technologies, users cannot feel it more comfortable as it requires them to sit in a static place before a terminal and access the required information. But it’s not possible for mobile users, to perform a transaction or get the desired information through desktops PC. What they want is that they can be able to do it from anywhere through any network like PSTN, Internet, mobile network.

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Figure 1: UMT Exchange

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

3.2 The existing Scenario Now a day’s University maintain student dairy to communicate forthcoming events,

progress of student etc. Teachers mark their notes about absenteeism of student in student dairy. Parents/Students will have to go to University premises to collect the Fee bill and then

pay the fees at bank counter located near university.

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Students wish to inquire about particular course offered by university have to walk to university inquiry counter, ask questions to get the details. 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 departments with nearly 200 calls daily for information for admission and more than 140 calls daily for admission status check. Other departments also have repeated information calls but rather in a low volume as compared to admissions office.

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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.

3.3 Admission 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

What positive values an IVR applications can add?

Call abandon rate can easily be decrease by adding more lines to IVR solution 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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3.4 Telephone 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


An IVR application can directly transfer the call to concern department or person. IVR will intimate the Caller if call not transferred, give option to callback or leave the

message for concern person.

3.5 ASU Issues Typical calls received

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

Academics


An outbound IVR can reach to all students if Teacher is not available in timely fashion.

IVR can seamlessly answers all FAQ, no need to engage persons

3.6 Registrar Office Issues

Call volume 80 to 125 calls per day 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

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An IVR application can answers all these FAQs Feed Back IVR

An outbound IVR automatically can reach the parents of those students who have: Low CGP Absent Provide any other important information or ask them for an appointment.

Figure 4: Expected Calls After IVR Implentation

The above figure shows the expected received calls after the implementation of IVR. The graph also tells the present value of received calls which is very low.

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4 Working of IVRs4.1 How IVR works?

• IVR System allows clients (here client is parents/students/school administration/school finance department) to make calls over a telephone line through toll free numbers or dedicated direct lines thereby enabling the Service providers/School administration/Institute authorities to provide relevant information over the same telephone line to their clients.

• The IVR system is a computer program that allows interactive sessions with 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 roll number/registration id of student or special pin entered by caller or combination 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 logic that exists is to provide fall back routing capability.

• The IVR performs a database lookup based upon the collected unique roll number/registration number and passes the data to database by which caller can listen real time data e.g. exam results, any fine imposed on children’s etc.

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Figure 5: Working of IVR

• Every IVR is in the form of call flow diagram. This diagram shows all possible paths that can be traversed through the system by a caller. For example, University Information Broadcast wherein information such as parent notices, extra-curricular activities and others information can be listen in real time environment.

4.2 Main business drivers for undertaking this 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 day’s organizations particularly in US/Europe are moving towards School Interactive Voice Response System (IVR). It’s a known fact that it is very critical to incorporate customer’s needs and expectations into the IVR applications but using technology advancement, IVR facilitating better

Communication between parents, students and universities; and it allows parents and students, access to the latest university’s activities more conveniently.The IVR system can be easily centrally hosted any IVR vendor on which university need only using the system management interface to customize their needs. No hardware and software maintenance responsibility is forced on universities.

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5 IVR in UMT

5.1 IVR applications in UMTIVR applications can be built for multiple functionalities which is not limited to• 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 to the customers in

voice and transfer the calls to other information systems.

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 the particular server using their handsets at any time round the clock.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) applications enable callers to query and modify database information over their telephone by dialing digits on their telephone. Callers can use their touch-tone pad to input requests, such as registering for a course, obtaining a course schedule, or requesting Fee balance 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 them to conduct transactions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Businesses of all sizes are realizing the tremendous benefits of IVR applications for their call processing and information delivery needs. IVR functionality links a phone system to a database to provide customers with 24-hour immediate access to account information, via telephone.

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

IVR allows full connectivity to the most popular databases including Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Fox Pro, DBase. One can read information from, and write information to, databases, as well as make a query databases and can return information.

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The application files can reside on the local system, an intranet, or the Internet. Users can access the deployed applications anytime, anywhere, from any telephony-capable device, and you can design the applications to restrict access only to those who are authorized to receive it.

5.2 Technologies used

DTMF signals (entered via the telephone keypad) and natural language speech 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

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 provide a more complex voice mail experience to the caller. For example, the IVR could ask if the caller wishes to hear, edit, forward or remove a message that was just recorded.

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

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

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Interactive voice response can be used to front-end a call center operation by identifying the needs of the caller. Information can be obtained from the caller such as account numbers. Answers to simple questions such as account balances or pre-recorded information can be provided without operator intervention.

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

IVR call flows are created in a variety of ways. A traditional IVR depended upon proprietary programming or scripting languages, whereas modern IVR applications 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 an application server, freeing the developer to focus on the call flow. It was widely believed that developers would no longer require specialized programming skills, however this has been proven to be misguided as IVR applications 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 further simplify the application development process. A call flow diagram can be drawn with a GUI tool and the application code (Voice XML or SALT) can be automatically generated.

In addition, these tools normally provide extension mechanisms for software integration, such as HTTP interface to Web site and Java interface for connecting to a database.

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

ARUs increase the number of information calls handled and to provide consistent quality in information retrieval.

5.3 Benefits 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 answered in an automated

fashion. Agents handle fewer routine, low-value calls and have more time to address

customer issues of higher business value.29


Cost per interaction is drastically lower with IVR than a live agent. Automatically scaleable to meet peak demands in usage.

5.4 ConclusionThis chapter chronologically analyzes the tools and technologies for developing the IVR

applications. It emphasizes the various benefits for using IVR in UMT.

5.5 ChapterizationThe subsequent chapters deal with the system architecture, problem formulation, and implementing IVR in UMT.

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

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

IVR platforms at a minimum provide the ability to play and record prompts and gather touch-tone input. IVR platforms may also offer the ability to recognize spoken input from callers (voice recognition), translate text into spoken output for callers (text-to-speech), and transfer IVR calls to any telephone or call center agent.

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

IVR applications direct the IVR platform to prompt callers, gather input, and transfer callers to other phones. IVR applications also call on existing back-end database and application servers to retrieve records and information required during the course of a call.

6.3 Back-end serversBack-end servers are existing enterprise servers on which the required customer or corporate data can be found.

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

6.4 Telephony 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 ISDN lines. These lines are connected on one side to the IVR platform and, on the other, to call switching equipment

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including Telco switches, Voice over IP gateways, and corporate PBX's; or in some cases, directly to call centers via an ACD.

6.5 IVR ExpertsIVR Experts include employees and consultants who know IVR technology and challenges well.

Ideally, IVR teams should include one or more members who have experience with IVR integration, configuration, reliability and redundancy, application development, and IVR solution deployment management.

6.6 Weighing the OptionsThere are a number of options to consider when designing and implementing an 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

6.6.1 Hosted vs. On-Premise

Figure 6: Hosted Solution

Hosted

Benefits

Minimize capital expense and development expense

Leverage outsourcers’ expertise in speech, telephony, and data center operations32


Technology upgrades are taken care of by provider

Planning for peak capacity handled by provider

Tradeoffs

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

Control of call infrastructure handed over to provider (but not necessarily 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 in off-peak

Hosted vs. on-premise IVR

With the introduction of Web services into the Contact Center, integration has been simplified. The use of Web based applications allow IVR applications to be hosted remotely from the contact center. This allows the use of hosted IVR applications using speech to be made available to smaller Contact Centers across the globe and is likely to lead to an expansion of ASP (Application Service Providers).

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IVR applications can also be hosted in the public network, which do not require contact center integration. This will include public announcement messages or message services for small business. It is also possible to use two prong IVR services where the initial IVR application is used to route the call to the appropriate contact center. This can be used to balance loading across multiple contact centers or provide business continuity in the event of system outage.

Outsourcing vs. contact center automation

Contact centers are very expensive to run, and can be seen as a drain on companies' operations. Contact centers are usually seen as cost centers, however, the ability to convince customers to buy services and products can reduce operational expenditure.Methods of reducing contact center running costs include outsourcing and automation. Outsourcing to other countries can reduce operational expenditure by as much as 30%, however, differences in culture and language can prove problematic for customers, whose dissatisfaction can lead to customer complaints and loss of business. Also, it is more difficult to sell to customers from foreign contact centers.Automation in a contact center can also reduce operational expenditure by around 30% though the introduction of technologies such as customer profiling, CTI, and IVR using speech recognition. The use of automation in the contact center promotes efficiency, allowing contact centers to be located in the country from which the call is originated. Customer satisfaction can be monitored by the use of customer survey applications. The information from survey 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

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Professional Services

Technology Replacement (Obsolete)

Multi-Vendor Selection Process

6.6.2 Speech 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 the keypad

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 than touch-tone

Increases automation rates over touch-tone

Tradeoffs

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Application development can be more complex (error handling)

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

6.6.3 Automation vs. Live Agent

Automation

Benefits

Per minute costs are much lower

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

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

Offers consistent service quality and easily handles repetitive tasks

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, office space, etc.

Agents perform repetitive tasks, leading to higher turnover

Not consistent – caller’s experience differs by agent

Waiting on hold for a routine task is inefficient for callers

Bottom Line: Automate straightforward tasks and transactions (see “Personalized IVR”), but always provide option for live agent

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6.6.4 VoIP vs. PSTN

VoIP : Voice over Internet Protocol

Benefits

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

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

Typically less expensive than PSTN

Tradeoffs

Call quality can be diminished depending on the bandwidth available 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

6.6.5 Web vs. Phone Self Service

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

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

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

6.7 Personalized 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 company through efficient automation of call

Increased customer satisfaction through quick answers to common questions

Better tracking and monitoring of customers

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 call flows for each “bin”

Optimize for the frequent caller experience

Technical Requirements

Web-based transactional CRM system

Integrated customer data

Organizing an Effective Team

Business Roles

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Business Project Manager

Maintains budget, schedule, and project timeline.

Call Center Manager

Manages call center agents, introduces and trains agents on new technology.

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 the art”.

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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7 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION 7.1 HARDWARE 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: PSTN 2. Interface Card for 30 Channels Support R2MFC Signaling. 3. Intel Dialogic Card

7.2 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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7.3 IVRS CONFIGURATION

Figure 8: Generic Architecture

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8 IVR Call flows in UMTWe are proposing following IVR call flows or Voice User Interface (VUI) to address issues and problems that are being faced by different departments of UMT.

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

8.1 Admission DepartmentThis department facing major issues during the admission season when daily they have to entertain more than 500 calls those are almost consist of similar sort of queries related to admission criteria, program outline, scope, deadline to submit application, test and interview dates etc.

Currently in this department three persons are working, to handle huge call volume. They usually stay late night to answers maximum calls but still call abandon 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 on their requirements we are proposing an IVR solution following are few benefits of this:

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

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8.2 Registrar DepartmentRegistrar office is daily receiving 80 to 120 calls per day most of the callers are asking 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 those students who are getting low CGPA to inform progress report of student.

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

The outbound IVR automatically interact with student database and prepare a list of student those CGAP is not meeting the UMT standard along with their contact information. After preparing the list outbound IVR will start reaching parents and conveying prerecorded message to them. This would save a lot of registrar office time because they do not worry to invest time to manually prepare a list and reaching or sending reports to parents all this will be done automatically by IVR solution.

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Proposed IVR Call Flow for Registrar Office

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8.3 ASU 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 students can simply dial in and retrieve relevant information through system instead to contact directly with ASU department representative.

Sometime if teacher is not available most of students lodged complaints that they 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/her about the schedule of teacher.

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Proposed IVR Call Flow for ASU Office

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8.4 Office of TreasurerMostly student calls this department to check the status about their dues this information can easily provided through IVR. In addition to this IVR can play the 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 this area requires certifications to ensure the critical nature of data must be secured and to meet the different service provider (vendors) requirements.

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Proposed IVR Call Flow for Office of Treasurer

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8.5 UMT Exchange Office

UMT exchange office daily receives around 3000 calls and mostly they are manually transferring these calls to relevant department and persons. There are slightly high chances calls are being dropped during transferring due to various 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 to concern department or person and will intimate to the caller if the person is not available either caller can record a message or transfer the call to another extension if need be.

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Proposed IVR Call Flow for Exchange Office

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8.6 Implementation Strategies (suggested)The proposed solution can be implemented either by deploying the IVR on third party IVR service provider or developed using free open source Software. We are providing brief detail about both solutions:

8.6.1 Implementation of IVR as Hosted Solution

VOXEO

VOXEO one of the leading IVR hosted service provider in the world that is also providing 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 any web 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 dynamic applications which return HTML to the browser. The result is a visual page that is viewable in a Web browser.

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http://www.voxeo.com/


Figure 9: General Architecture of Browser Base Application

On the Voxeo network, voice applications follow the same browser model as standard Web pages. Instead of HTML, phone markup (VoiceXML, CCXML, or CallXML) is used to write the page. When processed by the Voxeo VoiceCenter network, 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 can use the existing Web Server and develop the server side application using any language on which we have expertise.

8.6.2 Implementation of IVR as on Premise Solution

Asterisk

We would suggest to develop IVR in house develop solution we should use following 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/


9 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (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 the performance of calls.

Q.2 Who can get services from IVRS? • All the PSTN/Cell Phone subscribers of UMT

can get the services from IVRS.

Q.3 What type of services can be offered to the UMT subscriber through IVRS?

• Course registration• Enquiry / Assistance

Q.4 In what conditions, the calling subscriber lands to the IVRS operator terminals?

• Caller can communicate with relevant department representative by selecting menu option during the call. Usually call transfer to human representative by pressing zero key.

Q.5 Can IVRS make outbound call as well? • Yes

Q.6 Can IVRS takes caller voice message if a person is not available? • Yes, IVRS will give an option to caller to leave a message if a person is not available.

Q.7 Can Asterisk based solution supports ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) and TTS (Text to Speech) technologies?

• Yes

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Q.8 Can Asterisk base ASR solution supports Pakistani regional languages? • No. Currently it supports English and major European languages.

Q.9 What would be the cost of Asterisk base solution for UMT? • An IVRS system that supports 8 calls concurrently its hardware (PC+ Telecom Cards) around

Rs. 150,000.

Q.10 What would be timeframe in which suggested system can be developed and implemented?

• The proposed system can be developed and implemented in 2 months with two resources. If anyone has expertise on Asterisk the development period will be shorten from 2 months to 1 month.

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10 Conclusions & Recommendations10.1 Conclusion and Future scope of the work

10.1.1 Conclusion

Interactive voice response system developed makes user interface efficient. It promises a friendly user interface as every stage of interaction. IVR empowered users with more options regarding when, where, and how they use Internet services. This new mode of access promises to further accelerate the growth and maturity services.

Excellent for UMT Staff productivity increased Availability 24/7 Reduced Cost Effective communication Automated Fees convenience Payment confirmations Call forwarding No calls abandoned No call waiting for long periods No misunderstandings

Improvement were made in the following aspects

10.2 Minimized delaysIVR provides several facilities to either eliminate or hide the delays associated with calls. To minimize delays, the system maintains a cache for audio files, and other files used by applications. Normally, once the system has fetched a file over the Internet, it keeps a copy in the cache. If the application requests the file again, the system uses the cached copy.

10.3 Future Scope of the workInteractive voice response websites as everyone knows requires a lot of infrastructure like developing voice servers. Mostly IVR applications are to serve the untapped market of mobile and telephone users, which are the cost effective ways of doing the transactions.

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10.4 Benefits To Your Business Immediate ROI and lower TCO.A fully-hosted solution helps you realize a reduction in

hardware, software, maintenance, and human resources- from day one and throughout the life of your application.

Quick Deployment. Build, deploy and manage a world-class IVR application in minutes, right from your desktop. The easy-to-use, web-based Site Builder toolkit empowers you to get up-and-running quickly.

Flexible, Dynamic Applications. As your business needs change, so does your IVR application. With, changes to your applications can be made at any time and implemented in real-time.

10.5 Benefits To Your Customers Self-service. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) capabilities allow callers to get answers to

standard inquiries simply and easily, and in seconds, without the need for an agent.

Reach the right agent, every time. The IVR capabilities automatically capture relevant information from your callers and direct them to the appropriate agent to handle their call.

24/7 customer service. Enable your customers to get the information they need, when they need it. Your IVR application is working even when you’re not.

10.6 Key FeaturesIntelligent, Interactive Communications

Leverage the power of the leading voice applications.

Help customers interact seamlessly with your system via touch-tone or voice - the choice is yours.

Next-generation speech technology enables a customer-friendly call experience, increasing customer satisfaction and helping resolve issues quickly.

Data capture features allow you to collect call information such as dates, names and addresses through speech-to-text prompts.

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Complete Call Routing

Advanced, customizable features help your IVR application route callers to meet the needs of your business.

Transfer calls to external phone numbers, such as land lines, cell phones or other IVR systems.

Call screening functionality announces IVR responses upon transfer of call.

Data Management

whether you’d like to integrate with your database or track calls in real-time, IVR provides sophisticated data management tools to help drive results.

Full IVR reporting lets you gather data and make recommendations to enhance your IVR solution, and the caller experience.

Integrated data management capabilities enable you to use your customer data to power and customize the IVR interaction.

Capture data such as survey responses and populate it into a database in near-real time.

10.7 Tradeoffs of IVR Systems People simply dislike talking to machines Older adults may have a hard time following telephone

menus and lengthy instructions Younger callers get frustrated with the slowness of

multiple phone menus. Menus are too long There's too much information Voice prompts are hard to understand

IVR is sometimes criticized as being unhelpful and difficult to use due to poor design and lack of appreciation of the caller's needs. Some callers object to providing voice response to an automated system and prefer speaking with a human respondent.

Companies have also been criticized for using IVR to reduce operational costs but not offering similar services using agents. Such methods tend to frustrate customers who feel that their right to speak to an agent is being restricted. Such services are used in debt recovery and giveaways (Such as concert tickets, satellite/cable receivers, etc).

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If a large company is able to shave even a second off the average length of each phone call with a live operator, it can save them hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars a year

[source: Human Factors International].

10.8 Recommendation Student just need to dial in

111-UMT-UMT (111-868-868)

To get answers (24X7X365) of their frequently asked questions.

11 Abbreviations1 PSTN - Public Switching Telephone Network2. IP - Internet Protocol.3. DTMF - Dual Tone Multiple Frequency.4. ’Wizard of Oz’- A prototype model of IVR development.

12 List of Figures Figure 1: UMT Exchange.................................................................................................................23Figure 2: Information Calls..............................................................................................................25Figure 3: Call Status for Three Lines................................................................................................26Figure 4: Expected Calls After IVR Implentation.............................................................................29Figure 5: Working of IVR.................................................................................................................31Figure 6: Hosted Solution............................................................................................................... 40Figure 7: On Premise Solution........................................................................................................ 41Figure 8: Generic Architecture........................................................................................................52Figure 9: General Architecture of Browser Base Application..........................................................64Figure 10: General Architecture of VXML Base Application............................................................64Figure 11: General Architecture of Asterisk Centric Application.....................................................66

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http://howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=interactive-voice-response.htm&url=http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/IVR.asp


13 References1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_voice_response

2. www.plumvoice.com/

3. www.ivr.com/

4. www.voxeo.com/

5. www.voxeo.com/library/ivr.jsp

6. webopedia.internet.com/TERM/I/IVR.html

7. ivr.tmcnet.com/

8. www.easyivr.com/

9. ivr.tmcnet.com/

10. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University of_Management_and_Techno... –

11. www. umt.edu.pk

12.http://books.google.com/books?id=Nmbexusn9q4C&pg=PA203&dq=vru+ivr&cd=9#v=onepage&q=vru%20ivr&f=false

13. "Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML) Version 2.0". W3C. http://www.w3.org/TR/voicexml20.

14. "Voice Browser Call Control: CCXML Version 1.0". W3C. http://www.w3.org/TR/ccxml.

15. "Speech Recognition Grammar Specification Version 1.0". W3C. http://www.w3.org/TR/speech-grammar.

16. "The Seven Deadly Sins of IVR". Call Centre Management Association. http://www.ccma.org.uk/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=61. Retrieved 2007-12-12.

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Documents

Introduction - Web viewImplementing Interactive Voice Response System In. University of Management ... our dissertation work concentrate on proposal of ... the World Wide Web