Legend expanding and not enough buttons

[dromero]

My legend system is expanding again, right now I have 16 lines on separate button appearances, and 50 extensions on the DSS console.The expansion will grow to 19 lines and 58 ext's.I don't have room for 20 line buttons. My thought is it's time to pool the lines into a single group and give the console 12 pooled line buttons. Is this the best approach?

 

[jlshelton]

In general, the pooled approach makes sense when you have more than a half-dozen lines that appear on everyone's phone, particularly when you can group the lines into identical function. Does the user care which line they grab to place an outside call? Are inbound calls all of one kind? (Perhaps you need multiple pools if the answers are "no".)

The biggest problem we discuss around here is that the users have a hard time getting used to the idea. They will need education. With pooling, life is simpler for most call handling, but you can't "put line one on hold" and go pick it up at another phone. Users will have to learn to transfer or park a call. They won't (easily) have access to a specific line, but they shouldn't need it.. So, plan on spending some time with them, either using an Avaya education video, or a few PowerPoint slides, to explain the concept. And give some users some hands-on education in transferring and parking calls.

 

[dromero]

This should be transparent to the users since only the operator consoles have the line buttons. It's the old fashioned way where operators actually handle every call. As long as the consoles can park, transfer, and hold, pooled lines the users don't care what line they are using. Is it possible to have multiple line pool buttons on the console I was thinking about 12 even though thats more than they will ever need.

thanks

 

[dromero]

Oh! Oh! I'm replying to my own posts, time to see the shrink! Reading through my system manual, "pool buttons cannot be assigned to DLC's" Do this mean I should change to QCC mode?

 

[1043]

What model phone is the operator console?
Also, you can put a call on hold and go to another phone and do a pickup of the phone or the line that has the call on hold. (#9line# or #9ext#).

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Switch your Operator's phone from a MLX-20L to a MLX-28. Then you can have all the lines assigned and still have System Access buttons, and Direct to Voice Mail, etc. Keep the 20-L around, put it on one of the first 4 ports so it can still be the programming phone.

 

[BobbR]

What TTTommy said. The MLX28 is a viable solution for button-challenged op positions. We needed 13 line appearances (pooled, non-pooled), additional SAs, paging, coverage for several extensions, etc. The 28-button set is filled up and works great. I inherited the old MLX20, now can do programming much more conveniently, so all are happy

 

[dromero]

The consoles are MLX-20 right now, I like the MLX-28 replacement plan. But before a final decision is QCC not a good solution?

 

[TouchToneTommy]

I don't personally like QCC's; it ties your operator to the phone as if it were their only job in the world. Calls are "queued" on "call" buttons, they need to handle and get rid of them to take more calls. Read the description on the customer documents, if you don't have them, download them from

http://support.avaya.com

Personally, I'd pool the lines, get your people used to using their phones that way, and swap out the operator extension with the 28 so that one can have all the line appearances.

 

[merlinman]

I Agree, I have several systems with NO LINES on the operator's extension, due to using 2-Way D-I-D/PRI.

Perhaps that would be an even better way.

PRI is getting to be REAL CHEAP in many parts of the country.

 

[dromero]

Pri becomes cost effective around here after 7 or 8 lines, so that is definately the way to go, I expect a budget next year to replace the entire system. I will plan for Pri then. for now I found a couple MLX-28's for $125.00 that should do for now. Thanks for all the suggestions, is there an IP phone system forum on tek tips?