Setting Up Routing and Skills

iSupport Routing Methods

Use the Routing tab in the Feature Basics screen to specify the methods for changing the assignee and related settings. After completing the fields on this tab, do the following:

If using location-based routing, set up locations in the Location screen.
If using skill-based routing:
Set up categories in the Category entry screen.
Designate skills for support representatives in the Category screen or Support Representative skills screen.
If applicable, set up notifications:
Set up recipients for routing notifications in the Rule screen.
Set up custom notification text and related recipients in the Custom Notifications configuration screen.

Use Group Based Routing	Select Yes to enable work items to be routed to available support representatives that are set up in groups. Use the Group screen to set up groups and the Support Representative screen to assign support representatives to groups. A support representative can be a member of more than one group.
Group Based Routing Method	This field appears if using group based routing. Select one or more of the following: Standard - enables the support representative to select a group and then an assignee from a list of all available support representatives in that group. Groups are designated for support representatives in their Support Representative record. Load Balancing - allows the system to select a support representative based on current open work item statistics, including weights based on priority. The available support representative within the selected group with the lightest overall workload will be selected. Round Robin - the support representative in the group who was assigned a work item on the oldest date and time is selected.
Use Location Based Routing	Select Yes to enable location based routing, which enables the support representative to select an assignee from a list of available support representatives listed by location. Locations are specified for support representatives in their Support Representative record or in the Location configuration screen.
Location Based Routing Method	This field appears if using location based routing. Select one or more of the following: Standard - enables the support representative to select from a list of all available support representatives listed by the location entered in support representative profiles. Load Balancing - routes incidents based on current open work item statistics, including weights based on work item priority. The available support representative within the selected location with the lightest overall workload will be selected. Round Robin - the support representative in a selected location who was assigned a work item on the oldest date and time is selected.
Use Name Based Routing	Select Yes to enable name based routing, which enables the support representative to select an assignee from a list of all available support representatives.
Name Based Routing Method	This field appears if using name based routing. Select one or more of the following: Standard - allows the support representative to select from a list of all available support representatives. Load Balancing - routes work items based on current open work item statistics, including weights based on incident priority. The available support representative with the lightest overall workload will be selected. Round Robin - the support representative who was assigned a work item on the oldest date and time is selected.
Use Skill Based Routing	Select Yes to enable skill based routing, which uses the work item categorization to select qualified support representatives. Skill levels are associated with category combinations in the Support Representative screen. For example, a support representative can have a skill level of Advanced for the Hardware/Network/Connections category combination and a skill level of Beginner for the Hardware/Printers/Laser category combination.
Skill Based Routing Method	This field appears if using skill based routing. Select one or more of the following: Standard - allows the support representative to select the level of categorization that exactly matches the categorization for which support representative skills should be searched. Support representatives with that categorization in their Support Representative record would be displayed for assignment. Load Balancing - selects assignees based on the work item categorization and current open work item statistics, which include weights based on work item priority. The support representative selects the level of categorization for which support representative skills should be searched, and a support representative is selected based on the workload of the support representatives who have the exact match of the selected categorization in their Support Representative record. Round Robin - allows the support representative to select the level of categorization for which support representative skills should be searched; support representatives who have the exact match of the selected categorization in their Support Representative record are considered. The support representative who was assigned a work item on the oldest date and time is selected. Routing begins with skill based routing level one, and then advances to the next skill based level. If multiple support representatives have the same skill level, the load balanced routing weights are used.
Use Location By Skill Based Routing	Select Yes to enable location by skill based routing, which routes to support representatives with matching skills at a certain support representative location. You can use location by skill based routing in: Work items created via rep entry screens. mySupport portal-submitted work items. The location selected by the mySupport customer takes precedence, then the support representative location associated with the customer’s primary group, then the location associated with the company’s primary group. If none is found, the default location (specified in the mySupport Portals Configuration screen) is used. Email-submitted incidents and changes. The customer’s profile will be searched for a primary group and associated support representative location. If there is no associated location, the customer’s company record is searched for a primary group and associated location. If none are found, the location in the Default Location field on the Email Processing Basics tab will be used. Once a location is determined, all support representatives in that location will be searched for matching skills.
Location By Skill Based Routing Method	This field appears if using location by skill based routing. Select one or more of the following: Standard - routes to support representatives with matching skills at the location associated with the customer's primary group. Load Balancing - routes work items based on current open work item statistics, including weights based on priority. The support representative in the selected location and category level with matching skills and the lightest workload is selected. Round Robin - allows the support representative to select a location and the level of categorization that exactly matches the categorization for which support representative skills should be searched. The support representatives in the selected location with matching skills are considered; the support representative who was assigned an incident on the oldest date and time is selected.

Skill-Based Routing Levels

In the Skill Based Routing Levels section, enter the labels (for example, Novice) to display for skill levels one through four.

Load Balanced Routing Weights

Load balanced routing involves weights based on incident priority. As discussed in the following example, a support representative’s workload is calculated by multiplying the number of work items at a certain priority level by the weight assigned to that priority level.

For example, one support representative has two work items at emergency priority. A second support representative may have one work item at medium priority and two at low priority. If the emergency work item weight is 20, the medium work item weight is 10 and low work item weight is 5, the support representative's workloads will be calculated as follows:

First support representative = Two work items at emergency priority (2 X 20 = 40).
Second support representative = One work item at medium priority and two at low priority (1 X 10) + (2 X 5) = 20.

Even though the second support representative has three work items and the first has two, the second support representative's workload is less.

Use the fields in the Load Balanced Routing Weights section to enter weights for priority levels and incidents with a suspended status. To weight all work items the same regardless of their priority, enter a value of 1 for all five work item weight fields.

Note that rules can route incidents, problems, and changes via load-balancing and round robin.

Routing Comment Options

The Routing Comment dialog can be configured to appear in the work item screen for the support representative to enter a note to be included in the notification email sent to the new assignee. (The note will be on the first line of the email.) Note that the Route Comment prompt will not appear if no notifications are enabled for the routing event.

Show Routing Comments Dialog	Select Yes to display the Routing Comments dialog when a work item is routed.
Record Routing Comments in Work History	Select Yes to, when a routing comment is entered, automatically include the comment in the Work History field.
Require Routing Comments	Select Yes to require a support representative to enter routing comments after routing a work item.
Prompt for Routing Comments When New Assignee is the Same as the Router	Select Yes to display the prompt for routing comments if the new assignee is the same as the support representative initiating the route.