Create or configure a service channel

Create or configure a service channel that is used in Advanced Work Assignment (AWA).

Before you begin

Role required: awa_admin or admin

About this task

You can specify additional conditions to filter the work items that are handled in the channel, change the agent capacity (workload) for the channel, set the inbox layouts that your agents use in Workspace, and view associated work item queues.

If you activate the corresponding plugins or install the corresponding store applications, AWA provides base system channels for these services:

• Cases plugin (com.snc_csm.awa)
• Chats plugin (com.glide.interaction.awa)
• Chats - Asynchronous plugin (com.glide.interaction.awa)
• Conversational Integration with Facebook Messenger application (sn_va_fb_messenger)
• Incidents plugin (com.snc.incident.awa)
• Conversational Integration with LINE application (sn_va_line)
• Walk-up interactions plugin (com.snc.walkup)
• Conversational Integration with WhatsApp (powered by Twilio) application (sn_va_whatsapp_twi)

For each channel, you can change certain default settings, such as the default capacity (workload) for agents. You can also use the related lists to review associated queues, define the associated inbox layouts (work item cards) that are displayed in Workspace, and override the agent capacity value.

You can also create a service channel record from the Service Channel module, but you must create a queue, assignment rule, and eligible assignment pool to route work through the service channel. For more information, see Set up a custom service channel.

In addition to task-based and interaction-based tables, AWA now supports routing of non-task and non-interaction tables such as Lead, Opportunity, Quote, and Order. Before configuring a service channel for one of these tables, ensure that the table has a corresponding record in the Document Type [awa_document_type] table.

Procedure

1. Navigate to the service channel settings through one of the following navigation paths:
   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Home.

     In the Essential settings section, select Set up service channels.

   • All > Advanced Work Assignment > Service Channels.
2. Choose a situation.
   • To create a service channel, select New.
   • To update a service channel, select the service channel record that you want to update.
3. On the form, fill in the fields.

   Table 1. Service Channel form

   Field	Definition
   Name	Name of the selected base system service channel to be configured: Chat Chat - Asynchronous Case Facebook Messenger Incident Line Walk-up WhatsApp For custom service channels routing non-task and non-interaction tables, enter a descriptive name.
   Inbox order	Order in which channel items appear in the agent inbox.
   Application	Name of the application. Chat: Global Chat - Asynchronous: Global Case: Advanced Work Assignment for CSM Facebook Messenger: Conversational Integration with Facebook Messenger Incident: Advanced Work Assignment for Incidents Line: Conversational Integration with LINE Walk-up: Walk-up Experience WhatsApp: Conversational Integration with WhatsApp (powered by Twilio)
   Active	Option for activating the service channel. When you select this option, the associated queues for the service channel can start accepting work items.
   Short description	Brief description of the service channel: Chat: Live Agent Chat Interactions Chat - Asynchronous: Asynchronous Live Agent Chat Interactions Case: Cases for Agents Facebook Messenger: Live Agent Facebook Messenger Interactions Incident: Incidents for Agents Line: Live Agent LINE Interactions Walk-up: Walk-up interactions for agents to work on WhatsApp: Live Agent WhatsApp Interactions
   Table	Table that stores the service channel records. In addition to task-based and interaction-based tables, AWA supports the following non-task and non-interaction tables: Lead, Opportunity, Quote, and Order (including extensions of these tables). To route a non-task or non-interaction table, the table must have a corresponding record in the Document Type [awa_document_type] table.
   Advanced condition	If enabled, the advanced conditions that apply to the channel. For example: Chat: [Type] [is] [Chat] Chat - Asynchronous: [Subtype] [is] [mweb], [Type] [is] [Messaging] Facebook Messenger: [Subtype] [is] [Facebook Messenger] Line: [Subtype] [is] [Line] Walk-up: [Type] [is] [Walk-up] WhatsApp: [Subtype] [is] [WhatsApp]
   Assign to field	Field that references the user assigned to the item. In both Case and Interaction (and most other tables), this field is the Assigned to (assigned_to) field. For non-task and non-interaction tables, verify that this field is correctly mapped to the field that stores the assigned user on that table."
   Assignment group field	Field that references the assignment group assigned to the item. In most tables, this field is the Assignment group field.
   Type	Indicator of whether a communication service channel is handled as a synchronous or asynchronous conversation channel. This field appears when you select Interaction in the Table field. Chat Phone Messaging Other
   Log level	Amount of information recorded when AWA events are logged. None: No information is logged. Basic: Only basic information is logged. Verbose: Detailed information, including record details and event details, is logged. This field appears if Enable logging is enabled.
   Inbox Alert Audio	Audible alert that sounds when a new item arrives in your inbox for this service channel. If you don’t specify an audio file, the default audio file sounds.
   Message Alert Audio	Audible alert that sounds when a new message arrives in your conversation for this service channel. If you don’t specify an audio file, the default audio file sounds.
   Capacity and Utilization
   Default work item size	Amount of an agent's capacity that is used when this work item is assigned. The default is 1.
   Default capacity	Number of items automatically assigned to agents (pending overrides). Case: The default is 2. Chat: The default is 4. Chat: Asynchronous: The default is 4. Facebook Messenger: The default is 4. Incident: The default is 2. Line: The default is 4. Walk-up: The default is 1. WhatsApp: The default is 4. For non-task and non-interaction tables, the default is 1.
   Utilization condition	Condition that determines what constitutes an active item that counts toward agent workload/capacity. For example, the record state is New, Open, or Awaiting Info. For chat: The state is not Closed Complete or Closed Abandoned For Chat - Asynchronous: The state is Closed Complete or Closed Abandoned For case: The state is New or Open For Facebook Messenger: The state is New or Work in Progress For incident: The state is New, In Progress, or On Hold For Line: The state is New or Work in Progress For walk-up: The state is not On Hold, Closed Complete, or Closed Abandoned For WhatsApp: The state is New or Work in Progress For non-task and non-interaction tables, define a utilization condition appropriate for the record states used by that table.
   Logging
   Enable logging	Option to record information in the syslog_awa table when AWA events are logged. Specify the level of detail to be recorded in the Log level field on this screen.
   Stop logging at	Date and time that logging should stop. This field appears if Enable logging is enabled.

4. Select Submit or Update.
   The channel is added to or updated in the Service Channels [awa_service_channel] table.

What to do next

For service channels that use history-based affinity routing, AWA reads the assigned-to field from the service channel configuration to determine prior agent assignments. If no assigned-to field is configured on the service channel, AWA defaults to the assigned_to field. This applies to all table types, including non-task and non-interaction tables.

• Override the agent capacity for selected agents or groups.
• Create or modify an inbox layout for the service channel.
• Configure agent assignment rules for the channel.
• Define agent pools eligible for assignment.
• Create or modify a work item queue for the channel.
• Create or modify a work item size override for the channel.