One of the available options when configuring a Skills based Routing campaign is to use the CAT (Cascaded Ability Telemetry) subtype. Instead of basing call distribution solely on the weight of the assigned skills, this method utilizes a single required skill, then views the subsequent skills as tie-breakers. 

This article assumes that all of the following have already been configured: campaign, abilities, and skills. For further step-by-step instructions on setting up a Skills Based Routing campaign, click here.

This article covers:

1. Setting Skill Weights to Use CAT
2. Enabling CAT on a Campaign
3. Understanding the CAT Algorithm

1. Setting Skill Weights to Use CAT

Because CAT requires one "top-tier" skill, and other "tie-breaker" skills, all skills that will be utilized in the campaign must be weighted accordingly.

• Browse to Programs/ Campaigns/ campaign settings
• On the Skills tab of the campaign:
  
  
  • ONE skill must be weighted at a higher level than the rest. It does NOT have to have a weight value of 100, it simply needs to be at least one weight point higher than all other skills. This is the skill that is REQUIRED to take the call.
  • Agents do NOT have to be rated on the subsequent skills. If an agent does not have one of the tie-breaker skills, they will be evaluated as 0.

2. Enabling CAT on a Campaign

• Browse to Programs/ Campaigns/ campaign settings
• On the Details tab of the campaign:
  • ensure that your Call Distribution type is set to Skills Based Routing
    
    *Note that all campaigns default to Rank Based Routing
    
    
  • Scroll down until you see the option for Skills Based Routing Sub Type and select CAT 
    
    *If this option does not appear, click Update at the bottom of the page to ensure all Skills Based Routing options are saved.
    
    
  • Scroll down and click Update to save the setting

3. Understanding the CAT Algorithm

>The following is an explanation of the process that occurs behind the scenes and is provided for reference only.<

• Individual agent’s values for each skill are combined in order to form a key of 5 digit numbers sets in the form requiredweight-weight2-weight3-...-weight (99999-88888-...-nnnnn)
• Agents are then sorted in descending order according to their key
• The highest agent is assigned a value of 999.99.  Each agent after that is assigned a value decremented by .01 until the minimum value of .01 is reached
• Calls are then routed to agents with the highest assigned value
• CAT can be used on campaigns with any number of agents. If the campaign has 100,000 or more assigned agents, every agent above 99,999 will be rated at the same lowest level

For Example:

Given Keys: RequiredSkill (weight 80) , TieBreaker1 (weight 70), TieBreaker2 (weight 60)

• Agent: Agent A
• RequiredSkill: 57.5
• TieBreaker1: 50
• TieBreaker2: 37.7
• Agent: Agent B
• RequiredSkill: 160
• TieBreaker1:
• TieBreaker2: 102.8
• Agent: Agent C
• RequiredSkill: 57.5
• TieBreaker1: 50
• TieBreaker2: 102.8

1. The resulting keys are:

• Agent A: 05750-05000-03770
• Agent B: 16000-00000-10280
• Agent C: 05700-05000-10280

2. The keys are then sorted:

• Agent B: 16000-00000-10280
• Agent C: 05700-05000-10280
• Agent A: 05750-05000-03770

3. The values are assigned:

• Agent B: 999.99
• Agent C: 999.98
• Agent A: 999.97