Expert Agent Selection (EAS) enhances Call Vectoring and Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) by distributing incoming calls based on:

• Specific skills that are assigned to a Vector Directory Number (VDN) or used in a vector.

• Skills assigned to an agent.

For example, a caller dials a particular number VDN that uses a vector to queue the call to an agent with a skill that matches the VDN skill.

You can assign up to three different skills to a VDN. The first skill assigned to a VDN can be the skill required to meet the needs of the caller who called the VDN. The second and third skills assigned to the VDN can represent backup skills that can also meet the needs of the caller.

Skills assigned to a VDN are commonly called VDN Skill Preferences. VDN skill preferences are labeled 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.

The following table shows how skill preferences can be assigned to five VDNs that are used for the automobile club. For each VDN, the corresponding call type and the number of the vector to which the VDN points are indicated.

Call type	Skill preferences
	VDN	1st	2nd	3rd	Vector
General Number	6005				1
Emergency Road Service (English)	6001	11	22	99	3
Emergency Road Service (Spanish)	6002	22		99	2
Route Planning (English)	6003	33	44	99	3
Route Planning (Spanish)	6004	44	99		2

In the table, note that two VDNs point to vector 3, two VDNs point to vector 2, and one VDN points to vector 1. Note also that a 1st and 3rd VDN skill preference, but no 2nd VDN skill preference, are assigned to VDN 2222. This implies that the call to the VDN, if not already answered, waits longer before queuing to the backup skill, Supergroup-99 in our example, provided the vector is designed to execute accordingly.

The following table shows the skill preferences assigned for one specific VDN (6003) that is used for the automobile club.

Preference	Number	Description
1st	33	Directed to an agent who is trained in Route Planning and speaks English.
2nd	44	Directed to an agent who is trained in Route Planning and is bilingual.
3rd	99	Directed to an agent who can field all calls

In the table, the first VDN skill preference corresponds to a knowledge area that is a subset of the knowledge area represented by the second and the third preference. Similarly, the second VDN skill preference corresponds to a knowledge area that is a subset of the knowledge area represented by the third preference. Such an approach is commonly used to assign VDN skill preferences. The result of the approach is that the longer a call waits, the larger the pool of agents that the ACD checks for handling the call.

Recall that the vector numbers for each VDN associated with the automobile club are listed in the example of VDN skill preferences assignments. VDN 6003 points to vector 3. As such, the skill requirements associated with the VDN are forwarded to the vector. This process is shown in the following figure.

In the example, the English-speaking caller requires information on route planning and dials the appropriate number (800-765-3333). Network 800 features direct the call to VDN 6003, the call enters Communication Manager and is directed to VDN 6003, which points to the appropriate vector. As shown in skill preferences assignments for VDN 6003, VDN skill preferences 33, 44, and 99 are administered as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd skill preferences, respectively, for VDN 6003.

Vector processing of this application is described in delivering the call to the skill queue.